Trip to Wash DC - some questions remain
 

Here is my original thread http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35168005

We decided to drive to DC and stay at the Red Roof Inn - Alexandria (Huntington Stop on the Yellow line of the Metro). I am losing my argument with a friend of mine about using Priceline due to his history with it (not quite sure what his issues are). With this hotel being very economic, we have added a couple of nights and I have some issues with our itinerary now. Friend of mine broke his leg skiing over last weekend so we are not sure how mobile he will be in June. This will necessitate some transportation changes (mostly for touring, museums he will do some exhibits then let us go at our pace)

Sunday (getting there on Saturday sometime):
Probably do the Tourmobile all day tour including Arlington Cemetery.
Mainly on Sunday, I want to see the WW2 Memorial, Vietnam and Korean, Lincoln, Jefferson and FDB Memorials.

Any issues with using Tourmobile other than the waits between stops? That is my primary issue with it. Anything else to be concerned with. This just seems like the easiest way to move around, especially factoring in the broken leg.

Monday: Air & Space Museum
A nighttime tour of the Monuments. Any recommendations between the Monuments by moonlight Trolley Tour, the Grayline Tour or the Onboard DC Nightlights Tour? I am leaning towards the Onboard Tour (http://www.trustedtours.com/store/On...Tour-C328.aspx) but would like feedback.

Tuesday: Washington Zoo
Red Sox @ Nationals Game

Wednesday: White House (just the Visitors Center)
US Capital Tour
Washington Monument
Red Sox @ Nationals Game

Thursday: Old Post Office Tower
National Archives
Holocaust Museum
Red Sox @ Nats game

Friday: Museum of American History
Possibly the Natural History Museum

Saturday: Drive Home

How inconvenient will it be staying out in Alexandria? Based on the metro site, its a 1/2 hr ride between it and the Smithsonian stop. We will be driving to the Metro every morning as its a mile from the hotel (barring a shuttle). The nights we are going to the Nationals games, we will probably come back to the hotel and get my car and drive to a closer stop as I generally end up seeing very long games that will end after the Metro Service ends. We can taxi back to a closer station but don't want an expensive cab ride each night.

Any other recommendations / Changes? I have tried to space everything out as much as possible to get some downtime in there but its definitely tight. We may end up dropping 1 of the games but want to plan around all 3 for now.

I'd try to get a hotel that was more convenient to a metro stop. I've stayed in Arlington before and taken the metro to a Nats game and it's really not that far. The key is getting a hotel that's within walking distance of a stop. Old Town Alexandria is a nice area but I wouldn't stay anywhere else in Alexandria for convenience purposes

Wyatt, I am definitely going to keep trying but at $100 per night and free parking, its going to be tough and with my friend's leg, it may prove that there is no hotel close enough to a Metro Stop.

We stay at the Embassy Suites in Alexandria . . literally across the street from the metro. Not sure you can do it for $100 per nite however.

Is he using a wheelchair or crutches?

If the Nats game runs late, Metro stays open to accommodate the crowds. You won't be left stranded.

Crutches. Its still 5 months away so mobility may not be an issue, but its a crapshoot at this point. I just found a room on quikbook at the Days Inn Connecticut Avenue for the same price. Its 2 blocks from a Metro Station. Probably a lot more convenient.

tc, when is this trip? My daughter broke her leg last May and had surgery -- it was bad, she was laid up (no walking on it or even putting it down on the floor) for 8 weeks, after which she walked with a walker, then crutches, then a cane. Even so, we left for Egypt at the end of the 12th week following surgery and she was fine. By then, she was just wearing a soft brace. She wasn't going out for a jog, but sightseeing/walking was fine (slow, but fine).

Its at the end of June.

Your friend will be outrunning you by then :-)

Hopefully - I was the one hobbling on vacation last year with a sprained knee. I am leaning towards the Days Inn given its location to the Metro.

MikeT, the Metro stays open regardless how late the game runs? I was at Fenway the night the T stopped running and nobody left so I am leary about depending on it.

How does my itinerary look?

If your friend is having any problems walking, you might reconsider the zoo. It's all down hill from Connecticut Ave. (where the metro stops are) and then all back uphill to return. It's a beautiful zoo, but can be a workout. And, like all of the Smithsonian institutions, it is free, so if you want to go for just the pandas, no problem.
And you'll enjoy the National's park -- the fish and shrimp tacos behind left field -- oooh! (And your Red Sox'll win, I'll bet!) ;)

Agreed about the zoo. Its a must for 2 of us, him and another 1 are interested enough to want to go. If he isn't mobile enough, we may split up. Didn't I see a post on here with a way to have it downhill from the Zoo to a different Metro stop?

Sox better win those 3 games. I have been to 5 straight losses by the Sox so its time for a change. I have been craving Fish Tacos for a while. Thanks for mentioning them...How is the stadium overall?

"Didn't I see a post on here with a way to have it downhill from the Zoo to a different Metro stop?"

Downhill from the Zoo leads you to the Adams Morgan/National Zoo metro stop

That Days Inn is a good location. A kind of dull neighborhood, but still convenient. If the game runs late, you can easily get a cab to it.

I think they guarantee the Metro will stay open. Nats Stadium was built with almost no parking, based on the assumption that people would use mass transit to get there. It would be a PR nightmare for the game to extend to 1am, but no subways to get people home.

Been at Fenway for the no trains situation... And it was against the Yankees. beginning of the 5 game sweep in 06.

The official stop for the Zoo is called "Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan" and it's downhill from the zoo. The next stop on the red line, Cleveland Park, is uphill from the zoo and about the same walking distance.

So when you arrive, get off at the Cleveland Park stop and then when you leave, go downhill on Connecticut Ave to the Woodley Park station.

Just checked the price difference between the Red Roof in Alexandria and the Days Inn Conn. Ave, I have to figure out if its worth $150 apiece ($300 per room) more to stay downtown when you factor in parking at the Days Inn and the difference in taxes.

We went to the Nationals Park last summer. I was amazed at the smoothness of the Metro after the game. As others mentioned, they do keep things going until the crowds are dispersed and it really didn't take that long, despite all the people. The way the Metro is designed, it leads right up to the entrance of the park in left-center field. I wouldn't dream of taking any other transportation to the game. It was great. You might already be aware, but you might want to get tickets ahead of time for the memorials. Have a great trip!

Are you still thinking of coming to Denver for a Rockies game this summer?

My Denver trip is on hold until next year due to cost concerns.

I'm debating maybe shortening the trip by a night and switching the zoo with the American History museum day so that once we leave the zoo, we drive home. Make for a long day but would save some money.

I'd also recommend going with the Days Inn. I doubt the Red Roof Inn has a shuttle to the metro. The Huntington station is a commuter lot and, if it's like the others, fills up very quickly during the week.

The other hotel is a bit more money but your time is worth something and you're going to see some of your savings eaten up in cab fares if you stay in Alexandria.

Can you make the reservation now and switch later if something better comes along?

Also, best time to visit the zoo is early in the morning, especially in the summer. The buildings don't open until 10 am but the grounds are open at 6 or 7 am.

Yes, I can switch the reservations if something comes up.

Definitely planning on the zoo in the early morning regardless when we do it.

I'm so glad I read this post. We're planning on a trip to DC this summer and my boys would love to see a MLB game. The Nationals are playing the NYY while we're there. The Nationals website doesn't show any tickets are available. I guess I could pick some up on ebay?

Nope I read the schedule wrong - they are away in NY we would have to see TOR.

Barbara, tickets haven't gone onsale yet for Nationals games, or for most teams.

You can buy tickets outside the stadium or just get them at the window. It really is a nice stadium -- we have a friend with club level season tickets ... he's giving them one more season.
You might leave your schedule a little loose -- never know what the weather will be.

The Omni Shoreham Hotel is on Connecticut Ave with a metro stop very close by and a few blocks from the zoo.

I'm not familiar with the location of the Red Roof Inn, but I would estimate it would take you at least 40 minutes to get to Smithsonian from Huntington, including time spent waiting for the train and switching lines, and perhaps more on the weekends when trains run less frequently. I second the caution you've already received regarding Metro parking lots filling up early. Also, you will have to buy a SmarTrip card to pay for parking - see Metro's website for details. If you can find something that works within your budget, staying in DC or Old Town Alexandria would be much more convenient.

A couple of thoughts on your itinerary:

For the nighttime monuments tour, if your friend is mobile, you may want to consider doing that on your own - the bus tours, tour groups, etc. all seem to converge down there at the same time, which can be a zoo. I would say that the 7:30-9:30 time frame is the most crowded. If you are willing to go a little later, like 10 or 10:30, and walk a bit, it will be a much less crowded and more pleasant experience (and still safe to metro, plenty of people around, etc. at that time).

A full day at the zoo is probably too much time, unless you are really die-hard zoo people - it is not that large. I'm also not sure I could take a whole day at the Air & Space Museum (or any museum for that matter), but perhaps you're planning on some down time on those days?

Old Post Office...the view from the top is nice, but with so many other things to see, I might skip this, especially if you're planning to go up in the Washington Monument.

If you like museums, one of my favorite Smithsonian museums that always seems to be overlooked is the National Portrait Gallery/American Art museum. It is a beautiful building (recently renovated) with a nice atrium, and has some really interesting exhibits - the presidential portrait gallery is great, they've currently got some really interesting photography exhibits, and the Shepard Fairey painting of President Obama was recently hung there. It is not on the Mall but at the Gallery Place/Chinatown Metro stop, which is a great neighborhood in its own right with lots of good restaurants, etc.

Thanks for the replies. So you think we wouldn't have any problem just showing up and getting tickets just before the game?

Barbara, you'll be able to show up and get tickets, definitely. I went to the home opener last season, which was also the home opener for the new stadium, and it was about half full.

Re the zoo, in the summer there is usually a shuttle that runs from the bottom of the hill about 3/4 back up the hill.

Re your itinerary, I'd probably think about regrouping some things. It's a fair distance from the White House to the Capitol, or from the Holocaust Museum to the Archives.

This bus could be useful for you:

http://www.dccirculator.com/routemap.html

As an Alexandria resident, I vote that you pay a little extra and stay somewhere else unless you want budget accommodations at the expense of charm, convenience, anything nice at all.

This Red Roof Inn is literally right next to the beltway interchange, in an area that is pretty much strip mall central and a bit skanky at that. Nothing wrong with a nice strip mall when you need to stop by Target and get some Starbucks, but this isn't that sort of place. If all you want is a bed and a parking lot, then it would suffice, but it won't be anything nice.

If you would like to be in the charm of Old Town Alexandria, there is a newish Hampton Inn right down the street from the King Street Metro, amid nice restaurants and shopping.

There are also hotels right near the stadium. Check out this website that lists all hotels near all stadiums: http://nationalspark.stadiumhotelnetwork.com/

Good luck!

I've stayed in that Hampton Inn that the PP was referring to, and it is in a great location and is very nice.

hlg22, we definitely tried to build some downtime into our schedule. The National Portrait Gallery is definitely 1 that we want to go to but aren't sure if we will be able to fill it in. Depending on the A&S Museum, we may try it that day. The reason that I have a full day for the A&S is that 2 of us work at Pratt and Whitney designing Jet Engines so we may need all day.

Well it's certainly possibly to spend an entire day in A&S especially if that's a special interest of you and your friend. Gotta say though that the new portrait gallery is wonderful and would be a nice breather from all that technology. Hope you can fit it in.

Also, I agree with the poster who mentioned the Hampton Inn at the top of King Street in Alexandria. If you can get a room there for $100 or less, grab it. That might be a stretch as it's a moderately priced hotel in an excellent location.

If you are interested in airplanes, you might look at the new Udvar-Hazy air and space museum out at Dulles. It has much more than the one in the Mall

It is worth a day on it's own

http://www.nasm.si.edu/UdvarHazy/

http://www.flyingcircusairshow.com/schedule.html

If like antique planes and the countryside, the Flying Circus Airshow in Bealeton, VA is a blast. It's an old-time airshow with wing-walkers, antique planes, a nostalgic announcer, etc. A full-day trip from DC and you need a car, but a blast if you like planes/aviation.

When I go in March, I'm staying at the Red Roof Inn (by China Town Metro stop) for a night and then the Hotel Lombardy for 5 nights, which is 2-3 blocks from the Farragut West station. I could have staying the 'burbs for cheaper, but I'd rather be staying close to everything....

Rich, thanks for reminding about that. just looked at the website and saw that they have the X-35B
http://collections.nasm.si.edu/code/...h=A20030172000

That is the engine that I work on. Will be going there. How possible is it to do both in 1 day?

You might could if you had a car . . but we spent a whole day there and still did not see it all.

The thing is huge and getting huger.

There must be a shuttle that runs between the mall and U/H but we were driveing so I did not check into it at all.

Rich--"might could"? You must be a Carolinian.