Hello

We are leaving for DC in 3 weeks, and I need to get excited about the trip. I've been down in the dumps lately, and I can't quite figure out exactly what I want to plan to get me excited about going.

We will drive down on Thursday, and get in hopefully before 10 pm. Staying at the Westin Embassy Row ($75.00 through Priceline).

On Saturday, we have tickets for Asleep At The Wheel at the Kennedy Center at 8 pm.

We will drive home Sunday, but we can do one activity before leaving.

We have been several times, and these are some of the things we've done:

Mall and Monuments
National Gallery
National Cathedral
Georgetown (can't go again on a weekend; too crowded)
Air and Space Museum
Arlington Cemetary
National Archives
National Arboretum
National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
Mount Vernon

We like art, modern and European. Interesting shops, inexpensive but tasty dining, gardens.

So can you suggest anything that will help me to look forward to the trip?

Have you been to the Phillips Collection? http://www.phillipscollection.org/ A fabulous private collection of modern art opened to the public in the 1920s.

For European art and a lovely landscape, try Hillwood www.hillwoodmuseum.org/ Marjorie Merriweather Post's estate.

Have you been to Alexandria?

If nabbing tix to Asleep At The Wheel ain't enough to get you excited, I don't know what is! Grab your boots and hat and get ready to Boogey Down to Texas! I love those guys! One of the fiddle players is a friend of my DD, real nice guy, very talented. Oh my. I just wish they'd come back to Austin more often!

Kopp: We love AATW, too. And this concert is supposed to feature music from their "Ride With Bob" Bob Wills' tribute album. I love that and play it all the time. We signed up for an email notice for the day the tickets went on sale. Love them. And we even went to hear them on one of our first dates, over 21 years ago. So I am excited about that part of the trip. But I usually am excited about planning a trip in general, and I am feeling so blah.

Dsquared: I like your suggestions. I am thinking of the Phillips Collection, the Corcoran, Hillwood (I am a sucker for Bougereau, and La Nuit is something I really want to see) and the WWII Memorial.

What do you think of Eastern Market for our Sunday activity before driving home?

Have you been to the American Art Museum, which reopened on July 1?

http://americanart.si.edu/index3.cfm

Ditto the suggestions for the Corcoran and the Phillips. Hillwood too.

How about the Renwick (just up the street from the Corcoran)? It's often overlooked.

Or the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery & American Art Museum which have recently reopened after an extensive renovation.

Check the websites for the Library of Congress and the Foldger Shakespeare Library. Both places are gems.

Maybe Old Town Alexandria. The Torpedo Factory is well worth a look for anyone who enjoys browsing galleries. There's also plenty of one-off shopping and dining opportunities.

Get a copy of the current Washingtonian magazine as well as a Friday edition of the Washington Post. Both are great resources for stuff to do in DC.

Happy travelling!

That would be Folger, not Foldger.

Consider visiting Dumbarton Oaks gardens in Georgetown. Quite special and should be particularly beautiful in late September. It covers several acres and comprises many different styles of landscaping. It's at the top of Georgetown and not crowded up there. Before or after walk over to Wisconsin Avenue to Bistro le Pic for lunch.

It's also fun to go to the boat house on Canal Road and rent a canoe to paddle along the C&O Canal.

Take a cab out to the Billy Goat Trail, along the upper Potomac, and enjoy the easy paths or scramble on the more challenging rocks. Follow-up with lunch on the terrace at the Old Anglers.

Oh, what excellent suggestions.

The William Wegman exhibit will still be on at the Smithsonian American Art museum, and we are fans. DH is a pro photographer, and for years our late border collie was his model. We did many Wegman inspired Christmas cards...

The Portrait Gallery, too...

I don't know if we will make it down to Alexandria. We were there once, and thought it was so... I don't know... just too many "shoppes" and cutesy places. Seemed a bit strained and overly commercial.

One year, we happened to be in the Dupont Circle area and encountered a lot of open galleries, as well as gallery openings, on a Friday night. Does anyone have information or know where we can look for gallery openings, or gallery walks near Dupont Circle?

tuscan,

This website is a pretty good overview of the DC metro area gallery scene:

http://www.artlineplus.com/

Not all of the url's are current but the first one, Galleries Magazine, is an excellent compilation of galleries by neighborhood in DC, VA, and MD.

Alexandria can be a bit twee on the main drags, less so on the side streets. You'll have plenty to keep you busy in DC but hope you do take the time at some point to visit the Torpedo Factory. The studios and galleries are first rate.

I think Eastern Market is a great idea. I love it. I found a fabulous watercolor print of Georgetown that cost less than the frame would have in a store. Very eclectic market.

Have the champagne brunch at Bread and Chocolate, right there on the corner. Yum!

Have you ever done one of the "Monuments by Night" tours? We booked through a company who picked us up at our hotel (was just our family of 4) and made stops at all of the monuments while providing information about each. It was very relaxing, informative and gave us an opportunity to see the monuments from a different perspective. It was so enjoyable we've done this the last two times we have visited.

Hillwood would be an excellent choice, but you will need advance reservations. Ditto for the State Department Diplomatic Reception Rooms, if those ar estill open to the public.

tuscanlife,

You've gotten some good ideas, so I just second a few of them:

DO go to Easter Market either early Sat. or Sun. morning. After checking out the artists and craftspeople, consider a lunch at http://www.washingtonian.com/dining/...ontmartre.html or www.belgacafe.com for eiter a great Frnch or Belgian lunch, repectively.

Also don't miss the museum of American Art. Consider a meal at a spot close to the museum such www.Jaleo.com , www.zaytinya.com , or www.cafeatlantico.com

Regarding Eastern Market, Saturday is the better day of the two if you're interested in the artistic wares.