Message: Only a few days to go, so here's our rough itinerary using your threads:

Saturday: Arrive Dulles 3pm. Limo transfer to L'Enfant (Not sure what to do with a few hours here)
Dinner 8pm at Hotel Grill

Sunday: Eastern Market for breakfast & sightseeing
Cathedral Tour / Air & Space (2nd visit) / Nat. Art Gallery (2nd visit) Open until 6pm.
Dinner at Red Sage(Hopefully booked)

Monday: Breakfast at Reeves.
Capitol building / Library of Congress /
Freer Gallery (Depends on tickets and tour times for Capitol)
Night tour of Monuments
Dinner at Americana (Union St.)

Tuesday: Pick up hire car at Union St. 9am Drive to Mount Vernon.
Lunch there.
Return via Old Town Alexandria
Drop off car at Dulles 4pm.
Check in with hope of being bumped off!

Saturday, we want to keep going once we've checked in to hotel, but Smithsonian museums close at 5pm? Will book Night Tour as soon as we arrive.
Sunday, would liked to have made the 11am service at the Cathedral, but not enough time to get there from the Market?
Breakfast and dinner sorted (?) - we're happy to eat lunch on the go.
Would like to fit in the Museum of American History and the National Archives if possible.
How does all this sound? Any major problems or alternative suggestions?
Thanks again!

Sorry - had to re-post this as the original wasn't in the Washington D.C. thread.

well, I hope this is the right one to respond to and it keeps going.

I think your itinerary is pretty good but you can do some things that will allow you more time to do things you've omitted (although maybe you don't want them).

FOr example, if your plane is on time and you really have a little extra time on Saturday late afternoon, you could go to one of the museums within walking distance of your hotel. I guess you won't have much time, but if by any chance you could venture out about 4:30, you could go to a museum for an hour. Some of them are open until 5:30, not 5, in the winter -- like the Freer, for example, which is one of the closest to your hotel. The Hirschhorn would also be in that category (close and open until 5:30) and the Sackler Gallery. The Library of Congress is open until 5:30, also, but that may be too rushed. These are places where I think you could make do with a short visit. The Arts and Industries building is next to the Smithsonian castle and one of the closest to that hotel, and they are open until 5:30 -- that is a place that has some interesting exhibitions and people don't often know about it. If you did have time for that, it would free up the Freer from your other day.

Other than that, it gets dark fairly early now so that does limit things somewhat. YOu could just take a walk across the Mall and up 17th and around the White House, at least it is lit up. Then, you could stop in Old Ebbits Grill right nearby (on 17th) for a drink or something. They have a pleasant bar, I think.

Thanks Christina. Good idea about thr Freer.
Please could the person (JNN?) who posted a brill. reply to my original please reply again, as that thread has disappeared?
It was giving directions from Alexandria back to Dulles to drop off the rental car. Thanks. It also mentioned getting to the Eastern Market earlier, but our guide book says that it starts at nine? Any ideas what times things are up and running there?

Don't worry MRS_AR, your other thread hasn't disappeared, it's just sunk a bit further down the list. The best way to retrieve it is to click on your name at the top of this post and it will bring up all the threads you have participated in, including your other itinerary you're looking for.

The flea market gets going around 9 - 10 am, although I have to say in February the liveliness of the market will depend a lot on how cold it is or isn't that day or the day before.

The Market Lunch (great place for pancakes and soft-shell crab sandwiches) does not open until 10:30 or 11 am on Sundays, if I recall correctly. You can call them at 202-547-8444.

You will find other restaurants open earlier along Pennsylvania Ave, esp. between the Capitol and 7th St SE, where there are a number of restaurants on the right hand side of the street as you walk toward Eastern Market from the Capitol. The Tune Inn would be a good very casual choice, and it's a Washington institution. It is as Pennsylvania Ave and 4th St, SE. If you are taking the Metro ,take the blue/orange line to Capitol South, then head up toward the Capitol building to PA Ave and turn right. This will take you to 7th Ave where you turn left to go to Eastern Market.

AR,
RE Eastern Market: While many of the "permanent" businesses don't open until 9am, many of the outdoor craft/artist stalls are open earlier.
You WILL be hard pressed to make an 11am service at the Nat'l Cathedral after a morning at Eastern Market. If you just need to attend an Anglican service on Sunday, then Christ Church Washington is just a few blocks south of the market. Here's their website:
http://www.washingtonparish.org/

If it's the Cathedral you really want to see, then there is a 4:00 pm Evensong service (with great choir).
Here's more info:
http://www.cathedral.org/cathedral/index.shtml

BTW, I've never heard of the Hotel Grille, what/where is it???

MRS_AR,

Here is the info you are looking for. You could also find it by clicking on your name to bring up threads you've posted to:

Author: jnn1964
Date: 02/08/2004, 01:47 pm

Message: Tuesday seems a bit tight. To get to Dulles by 4pm you will need to leave Alexandria by 3:15 at the very latest. This won't give you much time to throroughly tour both Mt.Vernon and Old Town. My suggestion would be to tour Mt.Vernon in the am, but have lunch in Old Town. This will give you a better balance.

How early will you rise on Sunday am? You could make an 11am service if you take a cab from Eastern Market. The subway runs less frequently on weekends.

FYI - when you head out to Dulles airport from Alexandria you will take the beltway (495) to the Dulles Airport/Toll road (267). Once you exit off the beltway be sure to follow the signs that will put you on the airport express lanes. Otherwise, you will be stuck in traffic on the local part of the highway and have to pay a toll to boot! The express lanes run down the middle of the strech of roadway.

As an addendum, I'd recommend giving yourselves at least an hour to get to Dulles by 4 pm. Afternoon traffic on 495/Beltway can be problematic. WTOP Radio 1500 AM has regular traffic reports. Once you get the the airport express lanes, it'll be a straight shot. (maybe every 10 minutes).

Hope you all have a fun time. Looks like the weather will be chilly (40s) but dry.

MRS_AR,
Glad obxgirl found the info for you.

Just to confuse you a little. The beltway in Alexandria is actually 95, not 495. It turns into 495 when you pass the Sprinfield interchange. Think of the beltway as a big circle, and the right side is 95, and the left is 495 (basically). A good map will make it more clear than I can.

Oh, and by the way the exit from 495 to the Dulles Access/Toll road is on the LEFT side of the roadway (the fast lane on 495).

If I can make things muddier, let me know. Have a great trip! I'll be in your part of the world next month (London)!

You are all so fantastic!! Mr. AR told me today about clicking on my name - I never knew that!
Hubby also wants to know if anyone knows what the lines are like for Capitol tickets? i.e. what time would you recommend getting there to wait in line?
The 'Grill' is the resteraunt at the L'Enfant hotel - called the sea grill at times, bardo.
Jnn, let me know if there's anything you need help with for your London trip.
(I've made an expensive phone call to book a resteraunt in advance when e-mail didn't work, and it's too late to have tickets posted for the night tour so will have to keep fingers crossed that it's not fully booked.)
Is it worth going to the Eastern Markets, or are we better doing the service at the Cathedral? The Cathedral is on our 'do not miss' list.
Thanks as always everyone.

The L'Enfant Plaza hotel sits right on top of a metro station, and from there you can get to many points of interest. You can also walk across the mall to the Smithsonian Museums if you feel like stretching your legs after the flight.

On the way to the metro station there's a little complex with relatively inexpensive restaurants, including an Au Bon Pain, which is great for breakfast. There are also some shops. The area closes down fairly early at night, however.

Eastern Market will still work. - I would just be in a taxi headed to Cathedral (about $10) by 10:!5 am to get seated well before 11AM service. As has been noted, your hotel is in the midst of huge gov't office buildings, and so there are no restaurants/dining in that area. Especially dead on weekends. However, since L'Enfant hotel is right at a tube stop: many, better dining choices are a subway stop (Archives) or two (Gallery Place) away. One I would recommend is Jaleo (7th&E st - Archives subway station). There are also many places up 7th st. - all would be better than your hotel grille.
http://www.jaleo.com/

And here's more info on tube (Metro) system: http://www.wmata.com/metrorail/systemmap.cfm

ALSO, before you get your car at UNion Station on Tue, go to the food court at the lower level of the train station and pick up some goodies at the Italian pastry shop (Vaccaro's) to bring on your outing. Get the pine nut cookies and anything else that strikes your fancy. - http://www.vaccarospastry.com/index.jsp

MRS_AR, Eastern Market is a really nice neighborhood market. However, it only begins to compare to some of the London markets...much smaller. If I HAD to pick between it and a "must do" at the cathedreal, I'd do the latter. And while you're there, see if you can find Darth Vader.

If you're interested in art and high end craft and you do stop for lunch in Alexandria, the Torpedo Factory Art Center is well worth a visit. It's an early 20C munitions factory that was converted to artists' spaces. Great example of municipal recycling. Nearby I like Union Street Public House (burgers and brewery) and the Warehouse (American/Cajun).

Have a fantastic time and please post a trip report when you return home. Like jnn, I'll be in London too at the end of April.

Thanks again all - Getting very excited about the trip now. Mr. AR has seen snow forecast for Tuesday. If so, will that spoil our plans for Mount Vernon, or will the roads be O.K.? The U.K. comes to a standstill at the first flake of snow!!

Current forecasts in the US are talking about snow showers on Wed not Tues. It'll take more than a flake or two to derail your Mt Vernon visit (except for the walking around part at Mt. V...you're bringing proper shoes, yes?) DC is a little better at dealing with snow than the UK. It's (pardon the pun) a fluid situation so don't sweat it yet.

Just curious, what caused you all to pick Red Sage? I like the place because I love southwest US cuisine. Years ago it was all cutting edge but fell off that continuum some time back. Had lunch there last spring and I still thought it super.

Obxgirl,
Red Sage had a lot of good reviews on a resteraunt thread. Checked out their menu on line and liked what we saw. The Border cafe menu there looks good too, so who knows?
Shame about the snow - that was on my wish list (we only ever get rain here in Wales), but I don't suppose even you fantastic people can help me out with that!!
Bardo,
We booked the hotel for dinner on the first night as its Valentine's Day and didn't want to find all places full as we dragged our weary jet lagged bodies around D.C.! We checked out Jaleo on line, but Mr AR and I have very different tastes, so it takes a great deal to find a menu we both like.
Will probably be too tired to taste the food on that first night anyway!
We're not sure about where to eat after the night tour, though. The Americana is open til late, and seemed convenient for where we'll be dropped off?

The restaurant is actually called "America", good, but nothing to write home about. Another great choice in Union Station is B. Smith http://bsmith.com/dine/bsmiths_dc.shtml

...and one block away from Union Station is Bistro Bis - one of the best in the city! http://vidaliadc.com/bistro/index.asp

It's Mr AR's turn to ask questions (sorry about butting in your thread, my dear!). What's the best way to get from Union Station in our hire car to Mount Vernon? Are there any roads to avoid? Also, to ask again, how long are the lines at the Capitol at the moment? What time should we get there to make sure of tickets? Thanks.

Hello Mr. AR!
There are many ways to get out of DC and down to Mt.Vernon. I'll give you the one that makes sense to me. When you leave Union Station, head west on Massachusetts Avenue. Follow the signs for 395 South. This will lead you over the 14th Bridge. Immediately on the Virginia side of the river you will take the exit for the George Washington Parkway South. This road will lead you directly to Mt. Vernon (eventually). If others know a better route I hope they will chime in.
Don't forget to drive on the RIGHT side of the road!