@ lobster craven -- if sightseeing and good dining are priorities, you might want to look in the city itself -- perhaps the Penn Quarter or Dupont Circle or other areas of NW Washington along the subway's red line.

ok thanks. Are they both safe areas for walking ? Is either area closer to the smithsonian ?

@ lobstercraven: Yes, they are very safe areas. The Smithsonian Institution is actually a collection of 19 different museums (plus research facilities, etc.). Most of the Smithsonian museums are within easy reach of the areas I mentioned, but you'll need to do some research based on the specific museums that most interest you. You can use google maps to identify distances to the ones that interest you, or WMATA's trip planner to identify bus and metro routes.

we might try and catch a live show while visiting too. Do you have a preference on one of the nicer hotels in those areas ? Thanks

@ lobstercraven: I prefer B&Bs to hotels. My favorite B&Bs in DC are the Tabard Inn, Kalorama Guest House, and Woodley Park Guest House. For hotels, you might search this forum, as there are frequent discussions of various options.

>>I apologize if I'm hijacking this thread but It's been helpful reading it. I didn't see the point of starting another one.

Good point, janisj -- sorry for contributing to a hijack, kdjj!

[QUOTE=janisj;16826008]>>I apologize if I'm hijacking this thread but It's been helpful reading it. I didn't see the point of starting another one.

There are several Embassy Suites and Residence Inns in DC, some closer to the Metro and restaurants than others. Those are a good family option since they have a little kitchenette suitable for making breakfast. As several people pointed out, it's not as simple to get an AirBnB or other vacation rental in the greater DC area as in some other places because the District just passed laws restricting short-term vacation rentals, and those laws will be in effect by next summer.

All the more reason to stay in or near a Metro stop, but it's not a bad idea to look for close-in lodgings that are near the Metro because you will have to pay for expensive parking for your car whether or not you use it during your trip. But I can tell you from personal experience that driving in the District is not for the faint of heart, and I often drive in Manhattan.

When I was looking for a place to stay for the 2017 DC GTG, I googled 'hotels near smithsonian with parking' and a few came up. I know, not houses but a couple within a 15-minute walk to Smithsonian Museums. 3 minutes to Air and Space.

I have stayed several times for conferences at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill which is near Union Station and the eastern side of the mall where some of the Smithsonian museums are located. As noted in another post the Smithsonian museums are spread out around and north of the mall
there is an inexpensive DC circulator bus that goes around the mall and to some of the monuments that starts at Union Station.

The Circulators travel in loops, so you can get on / off anywhere they stop -- no reason to go to Union Station unless that's what is most convenient. I believe they are now covered in the WMATA trip planner options.

Right -- you can pick up the circulator buses at any point along the loops. I didn't mean to suggest otherwise. They aren't really hop on/hop off but you can transfer within 2 hours if you use a Metro card You can also pay per ride with cash
https://www.dccirculator.com/