My company has a furlough over the holidays and I get 10-12 days off, whether I want it or not. Initially my wife and I thought of going someplace warm to escape winter, but somehow a visit to DC has just resonated with us.

Is that an OK time to visit, or maybe the question should be: is there any reason *not* to go then? Both of us were there in our teen years (1960's), but have not been there since or together.

Thanks.

Sure -- DC is a good place to visit over the holidays as long as you're not looking for warm weather. Generally temps are in the 40's and if any snow, not much accumulating. The city is lovely over the holidays when its all decked out. Be aware that on Xmas day itself all the Smithsonian museums are closed.

Yes, definitely think about coming to D.C. over the holidays. There's so much to see and do and most of it is free! Don't miss the National Christmas Tree et al. on the Ellipse, the great displays at the Botanical Gardens, the train display at Union Station, ice skating at the Sculpture Garden, etc.
Although virtually everything will be closed on Christmas Day, Mount Vernon is not. I don't know what the crowds are like there on Christmas Day, but it's certainly an option.

Thanks much for the replies. I think we'll go for it! Will start researching hotels, etc. Seems to be plenty of good information here and online, but I may come back with another question or two.

It's a great--and probably cheap--time to be in town. Few crowds.

Thanks, the few crowds part sounds excellent. There are some good hotel rates around - nice looking rooms in the $100-$150 range.

I guess I can turn this into a what area to stay question...

Some of the hotels I've stumbled upon are in the Foggy Bottom area. In looking at a map it seems like a reasonable place to be located. We don't mind walking to sights (provided the weather is not too bitter!), but close access to public transportation is valuable. We don't need a luxury hotel, just clean and quiet.

Pluses or minuses to the Foggy Bottom neighborhood, as opposed to say, Dupont Circle?

I like Dupont Circle -- much more going on -- restaurants, shops right on the red line. Foggy Bottom is more residential to me and I don't care for the neighborhood as much. Its on the blue line or can be close to the redline depending upon where in Foggy bottom. U can walk across the bridge to Georgetown--maybe 15 20 minute walk. There's nothing wrong with it, but lacks the charm of Dupont Circle.

Generally DC is not bitter cold around Xmas -- there have been exceptions of course, but even with those it doesnt stay that way for many days.

Thanks for the reply, more restaurants and shops close to hotel are good, so will look into Dupont Circle.

On my way home from work tonight I'll stop at the library and pick up one or two guidebooks, They have Fodors and some others on the shelves right now. This should help from asking more dumb questions like what's the blue and red lines!

Lines on the DC area Metro http://www.wmata.com/

Thanks. Nicely done site. Looks like we should probably get a weekly fast pass.

Good move. As you are discovering, hotels in your time window are 50% of normal DC rates due to near absence of business travelers.

I also think Dupont or Penn Quarter would be better home base than Foggy Bottom.

These maps - go to "System Map" and click on stations "Dupont" and "Gallery Place" - show you Exactly where various hotels (shown as solid red squares) are in relation to the entrance
s to the Metro stations.

www.stationmasters.com

Thanks for that link Bardo1, very useful.

Another activity that will be going on on Christmas Day itself is the free 6:00 p.m. concert at the Kennedy-Center's Millennium Stage. Too early to say what it will be, but they do the concerts 365 days a year. There may also be regular ticketed performances of some sort that night as well. The Nutcracker will be playing at the Warner Theater through December 26, though not on Christmas Day itself. Also in terms of hotels, the Tabard Inn -- probably not available on Priceline -- strikes me as a particularly hospitable place to spend the holidays. They have a great lounge with a roaring fire, in addition to a good restaurant on site.

Thanks much MoonGirl, appreciate the info. I wound up booking at the One Washington Place hotel in spite of the Dupont Circle recommendations. The main reason was a great price ($96 + tax) for a room with two double beds and a kitchenette. We like having a small kitchen, especially for breakfast. It gets largely good reviews on TripAdvisor and other sites, and I got good vibes when I talked to them on the phone. Location near Metro is good and not that far from Dupont Circle. Hopefully that will work out.

For Christmas Day activities we were thinking of going out to a Mount Vernon tour because it is open, and that would be something unique. The restaurant there is closed on Christmas Day however, so we still need someplace for dinner.

I also see the Kennedy Center is showing South Pacific while we'll be there. We are looking forward to it all!

I would check www.opentable.com to see what is open in Old Town Alexandria for Christmas dinner. Are you planning to use public transportation to get there (I see your location is CO so I am assuming you won't have a car). You will have to look at the Sunday schedules I believe.

Thanks. lovesitaly. I just did that and get four restaurants including the Chart House which looks pretty darn nice. Plenty of options in D.C. also. Will show this to my wife.

Yes, we will be using public transportation and I have already bookmarked the route for the bus we need to take from Metro station to Mount Vernon. Schedule looks good, should not be an issue.

Nelson, that's a great price and location for that hotel, and you're actually within walking distance of Dupont Circle in any event. You will also have easy access into Georgetown. The restaurant in your hotel, Circle Bistro, is actually quite lovely, but small, sleek and (usually) quiet -- I would definitely recommend eating there at least once. They have a cozy lounge as well.

Your excursion to Mt. Vernon sounds like a lovely way to spend Christmas Day. Both metro and bus schedules are likely to be slow on that day -- I'm not suggesting impossible, but it may well be worth the splurge of taking a taxi, at least from the Alexandria metro station from Mt. Vernon if not from DC itself.

The Chart House does not necessarily wow me in terms of food or decor, though the view of the water is certainly nice. But as you said, there will certainly be plenty of options in Alexandria or DC itself. Search the Washington Post website as it gets closer to the date for recommendations on which ones are likely to be particularly festive (and delicious), and as well as open on Christmas Day.

Fwiw, I just did a quick search on Open Table myself for restaurants open in DC on Christmas Day. I suspect (but do not know) that some restaurants may not yet have made up their minds as to whether they will be open. Also bear in mind that a number of restaurants, including those at some of the larger hotels that are bound to be open, e.g. the Willard Room --are not on Open Table. But based on what I did see there, and assuming (rightly or wrongly) that you might be up for a bit of a splurge on that day, if it were me I would snag one of the reservations at Bourbon Steak, with Citronelle or Farenheit as backups. All are walkable from your hotel, in the event that cabs prove hard to find, or bus schedules difficult. Of what I saw in Alexandria, I'd recommend La Tasca, but frankly most of the DC options looked better to me.

I have no idea if this list is up-to-date for 2010, but it gives some idea of likely choices for Christmas Day: http://dc.about.com/od/restaurants/a/ChristDinner.htm
But if these appear to be out of budget, do not fret, there will surely be some restaurants open in lower price ranges as well, in either Dupont Circle or Georgetown. Your hotel will likely be able to help.

Thanks VERY much MoonGirl for taking the time to do all that. Really appreciate it. Upon closer examination of the menus I had settled on La Tasca as the likely Alexandria choice, should we decide to stay there. I'll take your advice and keep an eye out as we get closer, and will investigate all your specific suggestions.

Another option we have discussed is the Dean & Delucca in Georgetown. We do not have those in Colorado and we love their prepared foods (at least the one in SoHo, NY). We might go stock up there on Christmas Eve morning and have a quiet Christmas dinner at home, so to speak.

I remain charmed by your idea of a Christmas/New Year's outing to my fair city. As you said, you do have plenty of time to plan. I have not eaten at La Tasca, but know others who have enjoyed it, so think it would be a fine choice. Downtown Alexandria is also quite charming at that time of year -- just walking through the historic streets trimmed out with holiday decorations will feel quite festive. (Dean and DeLuca is indeed also quite a nice option, too, if you're in the mood for staying in. Be prepared for it to be MOBBED on Christmas Eve though). Speaking of Alexandria, if you stay through New Year's, they may have another "First Night" event there on New Year's Eve. Details aren't usually settled until December, but there will be information on the web at some point. Again, you'll have a great time whatever you do, enjoy!