Need 1 "Off the beaten path" thing to do in DC
 

We'll be spending a 3-day weekend in DC in a few weeks. We are going to do all the things that make DC great... smithsonian, capital, white house, Georgetown, etc. But we are also looking for 1 memorable, off-the-beaten-path thing for our trip. We'll have a baby with us, so no theatre or bars.

Any ideas?

Although out-of-towners are slowly finding out about it, head to U Street for some browsing and stop at Ben's Chili Bowl for a smothered half smoke. No baby food, however.

Or if you're looking for something outdoorsy (and the weather works), I like taking visitors to the old C&O Canal lockhouse on th Potomac in Md. There's a great walk down the canal for a fabulous view of the Great Falls of the Potomac.

There's also a free daily concert at the Kennedy Center.

National Geographic's June 2004 online magazine has a small list of lesser known D.C. attractions- see http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/.../features.html

National Geographic's list includes the National Building Museum, one of my favorites. It also has one of the best museum gift shops in DC.

What do you enjoy? I love gardening, so I've toured some gardens in Georgetown (Tudor Place, Dumbarton Oaks) and the national botanic gardens, up near the Capitol. There's something for everyone.

Make sure you hit the FDR Memorial. It would be very nice to do with a stroller -- especially if the weather is nice.

Although not great for baby, the FDR Memorial is stunning in cold weather, too, when the water in the memorial freezes.

In spring, summer or fall, the out-of-the-way Teddy Roosevelt Memorial is fun -- and a nice walk from Rosslyn hotels.

Don't know if this is your cup of tea, but I've always wanted to see (and never managed to get there on D.C. trips) the National Museum of Health and Medicine -- all kinds of organ specimens and stuff like that.

http://nmhm.washingtondc.museum/

You may like Dumbarton Oaks gardens, open to the public Tues-Sat. 2-5 unless the weather's too bad. Not all that much is in bloom before March or so, but there are still some remarkable landscaping features that remind me of some of the great Italian gardens. They're on 32nd st. at the north end of Georgetown, attached to the Dumbarton Oaks house, which I don't think is open just now.

I am going to second the National Building Museum. If you really want to go far off the beaten path, I'd suggest coming to Baltimore, and going to the Great Blacks in Wax Museum, the Visionary Arts Museum, or the American Dime Museum. You could also go to Annapolis, but lately it's far too cold to walk around outdoors and by the water.

Great suggestions, thanks.

FDR Memorial and Building Museum are the leading candidates. Can someone tell me how close the C&O Canal is from the downtown Mall area?

Another thought: drive to Potomac, MD, and view The Rocks. Just ten minutes from downtown via car. That's what we call it but maybe there's another name. There's a nature walk and a visitor center. Then an overlook of this area of the Potomac where there are huge boulders hunched in this bend in the river as far as you can see. I love this spot. I'll try to find a link. I'm sure it's at least a state or county park. So beautiful.

I second the suggestion of FDR Memorial...it is a sight to behold in every season, especially in the winter when there is ice in the fountains/waterfalls.

Another idea (which wont take up much of your time)but something that is better if there are children of 'running around' age in the group...young at heart qualify too, is the sculpture "The Awakening" in, I believe it is called, West Potomac Park. Locals, help me out here. I am traveling and without my DC map. I'm talking about the park across the Potomac from Natl Airport...at the tip of the peninsula that connects with the Jefferson Memorial. I can drive you there, but without my map, I'm having trouble relaying the exact location. It is really a 5 to 10 minute site...a group of 5 sculptures embedded in the ground in such a way that it appears a very old bearded man is digging his way out of a grave. You have to see it to understand it! Children enjoy climbing on it in nice weather and I try to take my guests for a drive-by if time allows.

Mt. Vernon

f the Naval Observatory is still open at night - it's truly a great sight to watch the stars from there.

Cargillman:
It's about 17 miles. (there's also a section of the C&O in Georgetown, but the parks with the falls, lockhouse and towboat rides is in Potomac, Md.)

You get get there out on the GW Parkway, a nice drive.

Mount Vernon is also wonderful and has much more to offer than many people realize.

We loved the canal path up above Georgetown...went canoeing in the summer, but with the baby and time of year, you might just have a nice hike or bike ride.

Other than the fantastic Renwick Museum, I'd HIGHLY recommend getting in your car and driving the quick 30-40 minutes to Great Falls VA and seeing the amazing view of the Potomac River's waterfalls. You can hike the Billy Goat Trail for a while too - very popular thing to do round here.

Check it out:
http://www.nps.gov/gwmp/grfa/

Have fun!
Steve
Maryland

PS - Whatever you do, be SURE to go to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial - best thing to see in DC in my opinion. It will be impossible to walk through it and not be utterly affected and shed tears. It's the most powerful memorial I've ever seen, other than the Holocaust Monument in Miami which comes close. I go at least once a year to see the names. When you are walking in the middle of the memorial and it's at it's tallest point, it's an overwhelming experience seeing all those names of the dead towering above you, all below the level of the ground, symbolically below the earth. Tragic.
http://thewall-usa.com/

If you're a movie buff:
The steps used in "The Exorcist" and sequels at 36th and Prospect Streets, NW. It's in the Georgetown area so sounds like you'll be in the neighborhood.

I've always liked walking around the Dumbarton Cemetary. Seriously. It's beautiful. It's in Georgetown, but I'm not sure of the address.

My favorite statue/memorial is the Albert Einsten statue on Constitution Ave (nearly the Vietnam Memorial, but across the street). It used to be fairly hidden from view, but they've cut alot of the trees and shrubs away, so a lot more people have found it.

To clarify Steve's post -- you can see the Great Falls from either side of the Potomac -- I like the Md. view much better.

But it would be tough to hike the Billy Goat Trail (probably too rough with a baby) from the Virginia side -- unless you're a great swimmer.

The Maryland side also has the mule-pulled boats that go through a lock and the old tavern. The hike along the tow path (Md. side) also works for strollers and is a nice level walk -- but if the tot is a toddler, hand-holding is mandatory in many areas.