Hi all:

We leave for DC on THursday 4/25. Some final questions, if you please!

1. Can I leave the car parked at the "New Carrollton" Metro lot for two days? Is it safe?

2. Can I pick up "timed" tix for sites( Printing, Wash. Mon etc,) for more than one person?

3. Comming in via rt 301/50 thru Annapolis. In-Laws never tried "Crab Cakes!!" Where would you suggest a nice lunch stop, inexpensive for the "real deal"

4. Which tour. Tourmobile or "OLd Town Trolly?

That should about do it! THanks again!
JOHN

I wouldn't leave my car at New Carrollton for a couple days--there's apparently a car theft problem. However, if you decide to, make sure that you're in a multi-day parking area, assuming there's one at that station. I know there's one at Greenbelt.

crab cakes---red lobster(find closest location from www.redlobster.com)
a little upscale place for crab cakes--Sequoia restaurant on the waterfront in georgetown.
go for the tourmobile 1.5 day ticket(more info at www.tourmobile.com)

Old town trolley is good, Blue line even better. Either way, they drop off and pick up at 20+ places,and go by every 10-15 minutes. Important: If you don't like the driver, get off and wait for the next trolley car. Some of them are full of great information, and will make all of the difference in your tour!

Red Lobster --- pheh! Clyde's, or absolutely, Phillip's.

There is a restaurant in Seabrook, Md not far from the New Carrollton Metro on Lanham-Severn Road called Jerry's Seafood. I've never been there, but it cam highly recommended.... it's the home of the Crab Bomb. I don't know if it's inexpensive.

Did you specifically want to stop in Annapolis? There is a pub in Eastport, just across Spa creek, called Davis' that has a damn good crabcake too, very inexpensive. If I think of any other places I'll let you know.

Do NOT go to Phillips if you want a real Maryland crab cake, they use crab meat from Thailand, not the same thing. I'd stear clear of Red Lobster, they'll likely to be frozen. Most places in Annapolis you can get the real deal.

As for New Carrollton, I wouldn't leave my car there, but there is an Amtrak station there that may or may not be safer. Does your hotel not have parking? DC isn't that hard to drive through. I'd drive nearby the hotel and leave it in a garage for the days.... just make sure the garage is open on weekends!

Sequoia in G'town - give me a break!!! Terrible food and ghastly overpricing - suggested by "student" of course. If you get to Old Town Alexandrai, try Fish Market on King Street, near the Torpedo Factory, and afterward take a boat up the Potomac and see G'Town from the water. Unlike many cities, DC is a horizontal town ... and either river (yep, there are two!) makes a great vantage point.

STUDENT: These people are in MARYLAND for cryin out loud and you want them to go to a freakin' Red Lobster for CRABCAKES?????????

Great info!

Red Lobster??? Ah! student, u sure?
Thanks Ruth, Carolyn for the heads up on New Carrollton, I just thought I could kill two birds..etc, park for cheap and miss the traffic drive to my hotel (HYatt Regency Capital) I guess I will suck it up and park at the HOtel.
Now back to Crab Cakes!!!!
Any places BEFORE we get into DC?

Carolyn, "Davis" sounds great. We are driving down from New Jersey and I think we will be hitting Annapolis area by lunchtime. In-laws will be testy by then, ha! Any other thoughts? And does anyoe know about those "early tix" quota for sites?

JOHN

JOHN

Not only should you not leave your car at New Carrollton, but you CANNOT. Metro will tow if you leave your vehicle in the parking lot for more than 24 hours. There are signs at the lot that warn of this.

John,

You will not have any problem with traffic going into Capitol Hill, just normal city congestion.

Any place down on the city dock should be pretty good. Middleton's, O'Briens, McGarveys. Stay away from Phillips, Buddy's or the hotels and you should be satisfied (although I'm stereotyping here).

In Eastport there's Carroll's Creek which has great views, but is a little pricier; O'Leary's seafood, which is supposed to be very good, both are on Severn Avenue along with a new pub, but I can't remember the name. Davies' is pretty much a whole in the wall 3 blocks away, but I took my parents there last year, we sat out on picnic tables and had lunch, they enjoyed it.

If you're not familiar with it, Eastport is about 1/2 mile maybe from the city dock.

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Got it! THanks!

Heading out in the AM. Thanks again, everyone.

PS The hotel rate for overnight parking is $26.00, welcome to big city living!!
JOHN