Carole

Planning a trip to D.C. Thanksgiving weekend - would appreciate some suggestions in terms of sites to see, crowds, dining, etc. We would like to stay in a nice area near attractions - preferably a reasonable (under $200) suite. Looking at Embassy Suites downtown - anyone have any feedback on that one? Also, can we rely on the Metro to take us everywhere? We'd like to leave the car home. Thank you!

diane

You can leave the car at home if you stay downtown. You can take the Metro up to the Zoo (which is really great in the fall) or to the "mall". There, you could spend a week just doing the Smithsonian Museums. We traditionally have done our Christmas shopping at the museum stores. If you like modern art, the Hirschorn is incredible, the Air and Space Museum with its IMAX theaters is super, and there is usually a really neat holiday display in the "castle" building. The National Gallery of Art has extraordinary collections, if your interests are in Oriental art, don't miss the Freer. And they are all right there. The Washington Monument is covered in a very artistic scaffolding while being renovated, but it is so neat looking, I almost wish they'd leave it! Crowds won't be horrible, but just remember there is no fee to visit...unlike the great museums of Europe! We take this so for granted...
There is a tour bus that lets you hop on and off at any of the monuments and it is a good deal if you start early in the AM. If the weather is nice, you may want to stroll up (or down) Connecticut Avenue between Dupont Circle and the White House (Pennsylvania Ave). You may want to make Thanksgiving Day dinner reservations before you leave. I don't eat often downtown, so I'll hope others can make some recommendations, but I remember places either booked solid or closed for Thanksgiving one year.

Pete

1. Embassy Suites downtown is excellent. I used to wait tables in the restaurant (Panevino's) which is excellent, especially for a hotel Restaurant. You will be a short wlak to Dupont Circle which is full of restaurants of all types. As the prvious poster mentioned, leave the car at home, the Metro is about 4 or five blocks from that hotel. Crowds won't be a problem as it is a transient city and many folks go home. Georgetown is about a 10 block walk and is also full of restuarants. Cabs are plentiful and relatively cheap, although they are not metered, they work on a zone system which is nearly unintelligable to those from outside DC. You are also a long (15 block) walk or short metro rideto the mall with all of the Smithsonian Museums which will be open. Happy to answer any other questions. Enjoy your stay in DC.

Dee

As wonderful and free as the museums are in DC, to compare them to the ones in Europe is hilarious. By the way, Arlington is a nice area.

martha python

Hmmm...I'd say comparing staying in the burbs with staying downtown is hilarious, and I live in the burbs.
I'm not sure why you find the museum comparison so amusing. Maybe (maybe) if you're only interested in European artists from certain periods, although even then, those American robber barons did quite well by us, if not by the countries they pillaged.
And no, I do not want to have a discussion about who has the right to own a pice of art, blah blah blah. I like having a Da Vinci just down the street.

ilisa

Ah, Martha, great minds think alike. I, too, was wondering what was so amusing about the museum comparison. Obviously, Dee, who lives a hop, skip and a jump away, does not frequent the Smithsonian. If she did, she would find an astounding array of art and artifact. If the museums simply can't compare to Europe, then why is the National Air and Space Museum, where I am a proud docent, the most visited museum in the world? Speaking of museums, you should try visiting one on Thanksgiving Day (all Smithsonian museums are open). It is wonderful without the crowds.

Keith

I agree with Dawn, and I've lived in The DC area all my life. While the Smithsonian is interesting, and has quite a lot to offer, and of course FREE!, to make a remark comparing the fact that it is free, is to open the debate on the comparison. To compare the Smithsonian to the Louvre or Uffizi in any way is quite disparaging. On the subject that was asked about. My suggestion would be to stay downtown, the Dupont Circle area is nice, and very convenient to almost everywhere you'd want to go (on the Metro's Red Line). The suggestion to stay in Arlington as a second choice is a good one, preferebly on a Metro line.

lisa

Don't worry about crowds Thanksgiving weekend -- there won't be any. I've been here many years at Thanksgiving and it's practically a ghost town -- a great time to hit the museums. And I'm with Martha and Ilisa -- DC has some fantastic museums (and yes, I've been to London, Paris, Amsterdam, Rome, Florence, Venice, etc.). Definitely leave the car at home -- the metro is great and you can always take cabs.

What kind of dining are you interested in? Dupont Circle and Woodley Park are both metro-accessible and have tons of dining options, and Adams Morgan is a neighborhood with lots of ethnic restaurants a few blocks north of Dupont Circle. One of my favorite restaurants in the city is Lebanese Taverna, directly across the street from the Woodley Park metro (which is also near the zoo if you're interested in that -- it's excellent). Lebanese Taverna doesn't take reservations and the wait can be long on weekends, but it will probably be less crowded on a holiday weekend, and in any event, the wait is worth it. Food and service are both terrific. For appetizers try the stuffed grape leaves and the hummus special (hummus topped with ground lamb, olive oil and pine nuts) with Arabic bread, and for an entree try the sharhat ghanam (thinly-sliced lamb and potatoes with olive oil, lemon and garlic).

My other favorite restaurant in the city for dinner is Cashion's Eat Place on Columbia Road between 18th and 19th Streets in Adams Morgan. Reservations recommended. Ann Cashion is one of the best chefs in the city. Two great appetizers are the curried mussels with spinach and the wild mushroom ragout with corn cake, and standout entrees are the halibut and the duck. The menu changes regularly based on what's fresh and in season.

A good place for brunch or for late-night desserts is Kramerbooks & Afterwords on Connecticut Ave. in Dupont Circle.

There is a new 3-D IMAX movie called "Galapagos" at the Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History on the Mall that is supposed to be wonderful, in addition to the IMAX movies at the Air and Space Museum which are not 3-D but are all very good. There is also a new Annie Liebovitz photography exhibit at the Corcoran Gallery that is supposed to be excellent, although I don't know how long that will be here.

cheryl

I'll chime in on the side of Dawn and Ilisa. In fact, I'll go so far as to say that even if you are only interested in art of a certain period by European artists, it's hardly hilarious to compare the National Gallery to the great museums of Europe. You have to remember that it does something that very few European museums try to do, the collection covers a wide range of countries and periods. So while it doesn't have the depth of italian paintings that the Uffizi has, it has a breadth that the Uffizi doesn't.

cheryl

Carole-

I was so busy defending the DC museums that I forgot to answer your question. We are also spending part of that weekend in DC, as we have for the past several years. We stay at the New Hampshire Suites Hotel, which I book through 1-800-VISITDC. We have a small suite for $94 per night, not too far from Dupont Circle. This includes a substantial continental breakfast. We have never needed our car in DC, between the Metro and walking we easily get everywhere we want. Much easier than parking in the city.

martha python

Carole, if you do a search, you should come up with a one-day itinerary for DC (I believe it's the work of our beloved Neal Sanders). It gives a great overview of what to see and could be altered for a longer trip--see more Smithsonian museums, add the Holocaust Museum, go to the zoo, hit the Corcoran (which also has pretty good food, including afternoon tea).

edie

here are a few tips
for the capitol Hill Area:
for a casual Irish food/pub atmosphere go to the Irish times or The Dubliner,around the corner from each other. the dubliner is a little more laid back. The Times ususally gets a young post-college and college crowd, but on thanksgiving weekend they are all away, so you can enjoy the live music.For georgetown, Martins tavern on Wisconsin has an excellent brunch menu and Filomenas, also on Wisconsin is great Italian.Right near the White house is the Old Ebbitt Grill, which is fantastic.
And as far as museums go, the american history and space museum are so fun and if you are with people who are not that into art museums, or with kids who have short attention spans, they will love these places. In my personal opinion, going to the vietnam wall is a must.

Larry

Good suggestions so far. Although the discussion shifted to museums, you don't say if that's what you like. If so, for great art, add the phillips museum (not free, but cheap, and includes a great audio). The Holcaust museum is very powerful, you may need to arrange for tickets in advance. Another powerful attraction is arlington cemetery, esp changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown soldiers.
Also, check out the Zoo (free).

Liz

Hi! I hope you have a wonderful time in DC. I agree with all the sightseeing suggestions given to you. I would also like to tell you that if you are a music fan and would like to see great FREE concerts, the Kennedy Center has a program where they present a free concert every day at their Millennium stage. Every day of the year at 6:00 PM. They have a wide variety of music, too. Check out their schedule at www.kennedy-center.org/millennium/schedule.html. Hopefully there'll be something there you and your family would like!
Given that, I must side with Diane, Martha, Ilisa, Lisa and Cheryl on museums. For the quality of artworks presented for free, DC is second to none. Even if there were an admission charge DC would still be in the top bracket for museums. There is simply so much to see!
For restaurants, check out the Washington Post site at www.washingtonpost.com. They just redid their sites so I can't give you more. But go there and check out their restaurant guide. You can do all kinds of searches re/price, area, type of food,etc. My recommendation, if you're staying near Dupont Circle...Gabriel at the Barcelo Hotel has a great tapas happy hour. I've also heard they have a great Sunday brunch but I have not checked it out.
Enjoy your stay in DC!

Amy Roszmann

The Morrison-Clark Inn on the corner of 11th & Massachusetts is truley amazing. Top notch service, INCREDIBLE atmosphere, just a few blocks from a major Metro- 10 minutes walk to The Mall (Smihsonians/ National Gallery)you should leave your car. But they have valet parking on the house and safely store your vehicle in their basement. You'd never guess you were in the middle of the city. The rates make this mock B&B seem like a steal. Look them up for yourself- www.morrisonclark.com
I live on Capitol Hill & would spend my holiday there in a heartbeat. If you're looking to do Thanksgiving dinner there- hurry- they're filling fast!
Good luck and happy holidays.
Amy

Catherine

I just spent last weekend in DC. We got a great rate at the New Hampshire Suites Hotel, off Dupont Circle, which cost us $71 per night. Rooms were big, included queen size bed, pull-out sofa bed, kitchenette and continental breakfast. Check out washingtondchotel.com for more details.

cheryl

Catherine-

You just made my day. I just rebooked on the website you mentioned, and got a rate of $59 for a better suite than I originally had booked at $94. We stay there every year, but this is the best rate I've ever gotten. Thanks again!

Liz

For restaurants...Phyllis Richman, the restaurant critic for the Washington Post, conducts a chat forum every Thursday at noon. It's a highly imformative discussion of DC area restaurants with first-hand recommendations (or not!!! the chatters are brutally honest!) and it's also very amusing! Either way, you can get some low-down on area restaurants and it comes directly from the patrons. Maybe it'll help you! Check it out! It has a limited archive, with only the last 12 weeks' chat, but that should probably suffice for a visitor. It's at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv...n/archives.htm

Ruth

If you want to splurge on dinner, go to Kinkead's, a seafood restaurant. It'll cost about $125 with drinks and reasonable wine for 2, but the food is just fabulous and service excellent. We keep trying other high-end restaurants from time to time, but still find Kinkead's the best value for the money. They also have a raw bar.

Would recommend staying near Dupont Circle rather than the Morrison Clark--I work (and have lived) in DC and would not be very comfortable walking back to Morrison Clark after dark. There is also a new Residence Inn (Marriott) on Vermont St.--neighborhood is not lively at night but safe and convenient.

Second the recommendation for the Dubliner for music and if you want a less-polished Irish bar, drop in next door at the Irish Times. Based on long experience, their burgers are better than the Dubliner's.

Absolutely leave the car at home--much easier to rely on metro and cabs. Besides, there are major potholes from the unending cable-laying going on and if you aren't prepared, you could damage your car.

Most of all enjoy DC--it's a great place.

Liz

Hi Carole!

Just curious! Did you make the trip to DC that you planned? If so, did you find any helpful advice on this site? I'm asking because your message is the first one I've ever replied to and I've scanned the other replies (excellent advice, by the way) and I'm curious what, if any, good tips you've found here. I personally would welcome a trip report, if you have the time! I'd really like to know what visitors find helpful so that I can use my knowledge of my home area to help others. Hope you had a great Thanksgiving holiday, especially if it was here in DC!