Washington D.C. - and only a few hours
 

Hello everybody,

Next week I will be in Washington for a 2-day business meeting.
Since most of my time in DC will be dictated by the meeting's agenda, I want to see how I can make the most out of the small amount of free time.

So far, my agenda looks like this:

Tuesday:
Arrive at Dulles airport at 4 pm, take taxi to Latham Hotel in Georgetown on M Street @ 30th St.
If still alive, walk around the neighborhood (which looks pretty nice on Streetview) in jet-lagged zombie mode and grab a bite to eat.
Any eatery in that area to try out (nothing fancy, as I will probably not be able to appreciate it)?

Wednesday:
Day will be blocked by meeting and dinner at Zaytinya (why, oh why is there no way to sample regional American cuisine when attending an "international conference" in the US)
P.S. While I could take a taxi, I noticed that there is a Circulator bus calling at M Street in Georgetown and almost to the doorsteps of the venue of the meeting on I Street at Franklin Park. Or is taking the bus a stupid idea?

Thursday:
Meeting ends at 4pm.
At that time, museums should be closed, so I would look for an area to do a bit of Christmas shopping.. some place that looks especially nice with the Christmas decorations up. Any suggestions?

Friday:
Free time all day until appr. 3 or 4 pm.
I am interested in American history, also into architecture or transport-related museums or sights. During other visits to DC, I have visited the Smithsonian, Air and Space, and the Mall.
This time I was thinking about the American History Museum. Good idea? Or any alternatives.

Thanks in advance for any ideas.

The American Art Museum/Portrait Gallery is in the same building and doesn't close until 7 pm. It is at 8th & F Sts NW

http://si.edu/Museums/american-art-museum
http://si.edu/Museums/portrait-gallery

I really like this museum. I have not recommendations for Christmas shopping but the below-linked thread from TripAdvisor might give you some ideas on Christmas decorations

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic..._Columbia.html

If you are interested in architecture, you would probably enjoy the National Building Museum.
http://www.nbm.org/

Also, there's a fun holiday market on F Street in D.C. within walking distance of both the National Building Museum and the American Art Museum/Portrait Gallery.


http://www.downtowndc.org/go/downtown-holiday-market

You guys are great!
So much info in so little time already!
Many thanks!

Look at the websites of the museums you'd like to visit on the specific days you'll be there. Sometimes they stay open a bit later, sometimes they close a little earlier for special events. The National Museum of American History is my absolute favorite of all of the Smithsonian museums. One of their exhibits, "America on the Move" is devoted to transportation.

A couple of suggestions for dinner options when you arrive and are semi comatose: Clydes (American bistro), Pizza Paradiso (eat in or take away), Sweetgreens (salad, eat in or take out) or Five Guys (burgers and fries of monumental proportions) There are at least a couple of cupcake spots, french bistro's, tapas, thai and ethiopian places that are pretty casual and not far from your hotel. Lots of options.

Circulator. Kind of depends what time of day, the traffic you see on the streets and how time critical your schedule is. That route of the Circulator runs on M and K Streets which is pretty heavily trafficked during morning/evening rush. A cab can obviously circumvent the odd blockage. I like the Circulator but there are times when traffic is snarled and I can walk to my destination more quickly. The walk depending on your energy level and weather is 30 odd minutes, pretty much a straight shot from the hotel.

I think the general closing hour of the museums is 5:30 so you'd have time if you were interested. As noted the Portrait Gallery and American Art Museum close at 7. I am interested in seeing the holiday market longhorn55 mentioned. For Christmas shopping, Penn Quarter, the neighborhood (also where Zaytinya is) will have lots of popular chain stores (Urban Outfitters et al). Other large department stores will be near by. Georgetown will have some high end and one off shops.

I agree with the recommendations others have made for museums. Might add the Newseum if you're interested in 20th and 21st American history.

<<<I agree with the recommendations others have made for museums. Might add the Newseum if you're interested in 20th and 21st American history.>>>

I would, too, but not with only a few hours available, given that this is one of the museums that is private and charges an admission fee (I think its $20). It's great, but it could take you 6 hours to see it all -- the admission covers two consecutive days, and we made use of both days when we were there!

Wow.. I'm truly amazed by all those suggestions.
So many great choices, and so little time.
I think I'll visit the Art Museum Wednesday late afternoon, and try to get at least a glimpse of the History Museum next day.
And squander some money in between in the stores :)

Thanks again for the time you took to respond. Truly appreciated!

> dinner at Zaytinya (why, oh why is there no way to sample regional American cuisine when attending an "international conference" in the US)

Reasonable question, but you could do much worse than Zaytinya! It can get loud (the soundproofing is less than ideal), but at least the food is generally good and there are enough different dishes to suit a large group's diverse interests.

And although I'm no expert, I'm not sure there is a truly "regional American cuisine" in the DC area (unless you count chain restaurants). The closest that comes to my mind is the SEASONAL offering of Maryland crabs, and they are not currently in season. But I'm no expert on what constitutes regional cuisine in DC!

For an excellent meal that is consistent with DC's history, I recommend the Tabard Inn. It isn't inexpensive, but it is excellent and is in DC's oldest (or one of its oldest) hotels. If not "regional" cuisine, it offers some wonderful new takes on traditional dishes, all served in a setting that is definitely "regional", capturing the history of the area very well.

http://www.tabardinn.com/restaurant

For LOCAL foods, Restaurant Nora is outstanding; known for its use of local, organic produce; and priced accordingly (i.e., VERY expensive!)

http://www.noras.com/

> If you are interested in architecture, you would probably enjoy the National Building Museum.

I agree! And I think the East Wing of the National Art Gallery to be of great interest architecturally, if you haven't already visited it. (And its worth it for the art, too! :-) )

The Smithsonian Museums should be open til 5:30. Union Station has unique shops hidden in a section in the area with the big Christmas tree. There is also a 2 level Mall area with stores. The Museum gift shops have interesting items too.

The 2 level Mall area I mentioned above is also in Union Station, which has a few eateries.
The Library Of Congress Great Hall is very beautiful, and there is a viewing balcony to see the study room which is also architecturally attractive. Allow 30 minutes, it is located behind the US Capitol building.

Thank you so much again for those ideas!

And also for the culinary guidance. When time allows, I will try out the Tabard Inn.
Don't get me wrong: I sure love the Mediterranean fare the Zatinya offers :-)

Cowboy~let us know what you chose to do! :)

Just thought of another option: The Mitsitam Cafe in the National Museum of American History:

http://www.nmai.si.edu/subpage.cfm?s...third=mitsitam

It isn't local to DC, but rather foods based on ingredients native to the Americas (North and South) and (at least as a rule) used by Native Americans. You could probably have lunch there on your last day. I enjoyed it very much - the museum, too.

(And if anyone else mentioned it, sorry - I didn't read through all the responses!)

Awesome.. the Mitsitam Cafe looks just like what I was looking for! Something you can't find at any corner between Copenhagen and Madrid. I'll definetely give it a try for lunch.
Very interesting menu, and the buffalo meat dishes bring back memories of Colorado.. best meat in the world. And the rest looks tempting as well..
I'm ready to order :-)

I had a mussels dish at the cafe at the Museum of the American Indian that was super, and made right in front of me!

The National Building Museum is one of my favorites, and its gift shop is my go-to for unusual items, especially (but not only) for kids.

For another glimpse of regional American cuisine, Jose Andres, the owner of Zaytinia, Jaleo, etc. has a restaurant open now called America Eats Tavern: http://www.americaeatstavern.com/ in that same Penn Quarter/Gallery Place area. It's food concepts based on American history - seems like it would be right up your alley!

Just got back from my "mini trip" to DC.
Thanks again for all your suggestions!
I had a grant time during those few hours I had to explore.
Will give a short summary tomorrow once I got over jetlag and my brain starts to work again, I hope.