I've been but not in a long time. As with most of the "local" ski resorts, it should be good for kids as new skiers since you're probably not going to be looking for anything difficult or amazing runs. Not sure what the amenities (lodging, restaurants, etc) are like.Anyone been to Massenutten? Going there next week with kids as newbie skiers! I used to ski a lot, up in NE, haven't been in years (decades!).
We are renting a place close to the resort (on the mountain) thru AirB&B. My wife the CPA that isn't a skier, but she has a ton of work to do, so she will be fine in the house during the day while we are gone.I've been but not in a long time. As with most of the "local" ski resorts, it should be good for kids as new skiers since you're probably not going to be looking for anything difficult or amazing runs. Not sure what the amenities (lodging, restaurants, etc) are like.
Everything will be open. Cherry blossoms should be done by then so crowds shouldn't be too bad.Hey guys,
Is this a living in Washington or visiting Washington or both thread? As you can imagine, "Washington" brings up alot of results so please point me in the right direction if I'm in the wrong place. We've been talking about doing some sightseeing with the kids (12 & 10) and were considering coming down for a long weekend when they have off for Easter (4/19-4/22).
Would this be a good time to come down? Wondering about what may be closed and potential crowds. (Hoping the whole separation of church & state things helps us out here)
Any suggestions for places / areas to stay while there?
Any suggestions for best must-do touristy things?
Haven't been in the area for probably a couple decades so flying blind here and any help is appreciated!
This thread is for both.Hey guys,
Is this a living in Washington or visiting Washington or both thread? As you can imagine, "Washington" brings up alot of results so please point me in the right direction if I'm in the wrong place. We've been talking about doing some sightseeing with the kids (12 & 10) and were considering coming down for a long weekend when they have off for Easter (4/19-4/22).
Would this be a good time to come down? Wondering about what may be closed and potential crowds. (Hoping the whole separation of church & state things helps us out here)
Any suggestions for places / areas to stay while there?
Any suggestions for best must-do touristy things?
Haven't been in the area for probably a couple decades for flying blind here and any help is appreciated!
It looks like there are Hampton's within walking distance of the mall for about a couple hundred bucks a night and that's probably fine for us unless there are better options?Is budget a concern? If so, you can save a bit by staying outside of downtown near a metro station. Maybe Ballston or Silver Spring. Easter weekend is going to be pretty busy for the same reason you are going.
Thanks! I just sent in the request for everything you need to put through congress like the white house, capitol building, supreme court, library of congress, FBI HQ, etc. You can request up to 3 months in advance so I'm probably too late for tickets for some of that stuff.This thread is for both.
Smithsonian only closes for Christmas; so, you should not have any Easter issues. It is just after the cherry blossoms, which may be a blessing in disguise because those bring a lot of crowds. It will probably still be busier than normal due to Spring Break.
Not a lot of time for getting too, too far off the beaten track. I'd focus in the area around the mall and downtown: the monuments, the Smithsonian museums (Air & Space and National Portrait Gallery for personal favorites), National Archives, Capitol tour (closed on Sunday; probably should look into tickets since that will be a busy weekend), Ford's Theatre. I like to recommend Mount Vernon to people, but probably not enough time to fit that in.
Maybe try doing the monuments at night. Ford's Theatre also does some walking history tours.
Place to stay really depends on budget. Plenty of options downtown, but could stay in Arlington/Alexandria and take the metro in, which may save some bucks.
Are you a Hilton Honors member? I see some pretty low rates for 4/19-4/22 on the Hilton app. Several rates called Hilton Long Weekender which give you half off Sunday night if you are a Hilton Honors member. $127 for 2 Queen beds at the Hilton Garden Inn on M Street NW. Or $102 at the Washington Hilton on Connecticut Avenue for 2 double beds. A couple downtown Embassy Suites in the $170s for 1 King and 1 sofa bed (and a good breakfast included). And really good rates ($82-134) in Crystal City/National Airport area, which will be an easy Metro ride downtown. If you're not a member, it's easy enough to sign up and get those rates.It looks like there are Hampton's within walking distance of the mall for about a couple hundred bucks a night and that's probably fine for us unless there are better options?
For restaurants, you could hit one of the Jose Andres restaurants downtown — Oyamel, Zaytinya, or Jaleo. Maybe try exploring some of the neighborhoods for dinner too — plenty of options in Georgetown, but no specific suggestion. Or Osteria Morini to check out the Navy Yard by the ballpark.Thanks! I just sent in the request for everything you need to put through congress like the white house, capitol building, supreme court, library of congress, FBI HQ, etc. You can request up to 3 months in advance so I'm probably too late for tickets for some of that stuff.
I'm looking forward to monuments at night but didn't realize there were so many options for touring companies. May still be cold so may avoid the bike tours and open electric car types. Anyone been on one in particular that they liked?
Any unique to the area (but not fancy) restaurant suggestions?
Peduncle Elongation time!Flying in tomorrow. What’s the cherry blossom situation.
Nevermind just found cherryblossomwatch.com. Very thorough
The silver lining with this season was that maybe they could parlay Wall's injury into a high lottery pick; and, if Wall ever comes back to his old form, they could have a pretty good top 3. I wish they had some ammunition that they could use to move up a few spots for someone like Hunter, but I don't think they got enough ammunition from Grunfeld's trades.Wizards cashing in a 2% chance of falling all the way to #9 in the Draft Lottery is one of the most Les Boulez things ever.
I've never been a big NBA fan and at this point I'm just in it for the yucks with the Wiz.
I don’t think they have settled on the fireworks location yet. Trump has decided to take it over this year, and is planning to give a speech from the Lincoln Memorial.4th of July advice please!
Taking family to DC 6/28-7/5.
Looking for best way to watch fireworks.. potomac river cruises?
Best place to get outdoors and swim? Like a lake or river or waterfall?
Staying at Marriott Marquis.. dinner recommendations? Date night recommendations?
eta - in general i'm willing to pay whatever for a good experience.
10, 12.Ha, I hadn’t heard that about the fireworks. My favorite place to sit has been the Lincoln Memorial but not sure how that would work this year.
Yeah, not many natural swimming spots nearby. Some beaches along the Bay but not sure it’s worth it. If you like hiking and want to spend a day away from the city, you could go out to Shenandoah National Park and hike a trail with water falls and small swimming holes. Or you could do a day trip to the ocean. Probably about 2.5 hours without traffic to one of the DE beaches.
How old are you kids? If younger, I’d suggest The Yards Park in the city for an urban swimming/wading pool, waterfall, and fountains. Canal Park nearby also has fountains. So does Georgetown Waterfront Park.
@matuski
I think that age would like the wading pool at The Yards Park. They’d likely be at the older end of kids there from what I remember (it’s been a couple years since I’ve been there with my kids), but could be fun for them. And if they get bored, the rest of the park is worth checking out.10, 12.
Thanks. Swimming isn't a deal breaker, but if a cool spot they would be happy. Hotel doesn't have pool.
Article on it here, if want to read more.Ha, I hadn’t heard that about the fireworks. My favorite place to sit has been the Lincoln Memorial but not sure how that would work this year.
Gravelly Point is a good suggestion, but, unfortunately, we have done that a lot too.Take a picnic to Gravelly Point and watch the planes land/takeoff?
I posted upthread a bit about there still being a lot of unanswered questions about July 4th. Fireworks location may get shifted from by the Reflecting Pool down to East Potomac Park. And Trump may be giving a speech from the Lincoln Memorial. That would change a lot of the security dynamics and best viewing locations.So, hotel booked for our first trip to D.C. with the kids. I think I’ve mentioned in here a couple of times we were planning it but it never worked out. Finally looks like it will but we are coming at about the hottest time possible - July 4th week. But, we don’t have a choice as it’s the only time we can do it. I need to go back through the thread.
I should be able to dig up a good itinerary from the thread but I did want to go ahead and ask - where’s the best place to watch fireworks? I assume there’s a decent amount of stuff going on around that time that may be worth checking out?
And yes, I plan on it being hot as balls so I’ve already prepared the wife.
Jefferson Memorial should be good for that location.I was just reading the article again and I had East Potomac Park in my head, but it looks like West Potomac Park instead. That puts them shooting off by the MLK Memorial. I'll stand by Lady Bird Johson Park as likely to be a pretty solid location this year, as that is basically right across the Potomac. The Mall stretching down to the Capitol will be a bit off-center, but not as bad as I was thinking as if it were East Potomac Park.
I haven't been there yet (mostly because my wife has a shellfish allergy and the menu is pretty heavy on that), but you could look into Hummingbird, which is Cathal Armstrong's new restaurant in Old Town. I loved his former one, Restaurant Eve, which he closed to focus on his other places.@DonQuixote et. al.
Heading to National Harbor for a conference from Thursday-Monday. Have a company dinner planned at Succotash on Friday evening but plans are open for Saturday night. Was thinking about bringing a few co-workers to Old Town Alexandria for dinner and would like some recommendations. Tried Vermillion but they are full (and probably more than our per diem of $75/day all-in). Any other suggestions for good eats in that area? We will probably be taking the water taxi from National Harbor so somewhere within walking distance of wherever the water taxi drops you off in Alexandria...
Had already made a reservation at Virtue prior to this as a placeholder as it looked good and has good reviews. The group of people I am going with aren't averse to pub style food so this may be the best option. If I find anything else that looks interesting (in addition to what you mention), I'll update the thread for your insight.Off the top of my head, some other places that I'd recommend around there are Daniel O'Connell's or the Warehouse Grill for some steak/seafood, Virtue Feed and Grain (more pub-like), il Porto for Italian, and Columbia Firehouse.
Just to make sure I understand what you are saying - I could just show up around the Jefferson Memorial area and claim a spot and we should get a good view? Will I need to show up like hours in advance? I'm assuming it will be crazy crowded.Jefferson Memorial should be good for that location.
Definitely going to be crowded. How much space do think you need? Would you want to set up a blanket, chairs, etc., or just looking for a place to stand and watch? I think it depends on that, but I've mostly watched the from the VA side in recent years, which is less crowded.Just to make sure I understand what you are saying - I could just show up around the Jefferson Memorial area and claim a spot and we should get a good view? Will I need to show up like hours in advance? I'm assuming it will be crazy crowded.
I've made the last minute request for tour tickets - hopefully we can get most of them but not too worried if we don't.
Putting together our itinerary this week. Is there a consolidated list of must-see's somewhere in this thread?
Here's my list so far: WH, Capitol Building, Washinton Monument, Jefferson Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, War Memorials
I sat there once, arriving about 30 minutes before the fireworks, and we had no problems find a spot to sit. And that was with a fairly large group of people (maybe 10-12 of us). But, that was when the Jefferson wasn't a great location and most people flooded The Mall and Lincoln Memorial.Just to make sure I understand what you are saying - I could just show up around the Jefferson Memorial area and claim a spot and we should get a good view? Will I need to show up like hours in advance? I'm assuming it will be crazy crowded.
There are also a ton of options if @AAABatteries is willing to move away from the Mall and watch from afar. A bonus of that approach is you get to mingle with locals and spread out a bit and will have no problem returning getting to the metro or an Uber or whatever as soon as the fireworks are done.Definitely going to be crowded. How much space do think you need? Would you want to set up a blanket, chairs, etc., or just looking for a place to stand and watch? I think it depends on that, but I've mostly watched the from the VA side in recent years, which is less crowded.
I'd add on the Smithsonian museums to the list -- particularly, Air and Space, American History, and Natural History with the new dinosaur hall is opening up in a few days. I like recommending the National Portrait Gallery too. Could hit the National Zoo if the kids would be into that -- pandas are the draw there.
National Archives another traditional one to hit.
It has a pretty good beer list and good burger from what I remember. As another tip, while at Virtue, if you walk to the water from there, you should see an art installation with a bunch of colored mirrored glass inside. Pretty cool to look at, and popular with the Instagram folks. I was just over there letting my kid run around it on Memorial Day.Had already made a reservation at Virtue prior to this as a placeholder as it looked good and has good reviews. The group of people I am going with aren't averse to pub style food so this may be the best option. If I find anything else that looks interesting (in addition to what you mention), I'll update the thread for your insight.
Thanks!
Willing to head just about anywhere - my criteria (if you want to call them that) are:There are also a ton of options if @AAABatteries is willing to move away from the Mall and watch from afar. A bonus of that approach is you get to mingle with locals and spread out a bit and will have no problem returning getting to the metro or an Uber or whatever as soon as the fireworks are done.
Meridian Hill park (on 16th St just east of Adams Morgan) is the most famous and popular of these options, to the point that it can get pretty crowded too.
If you want to make it really easy on yourself and also meet some friendly locals, the folks in my neck of the woods congregate here. There's stuff for kids as well as room for them to play, which is nice. It's a little further from the festivities, which is the obvious downside, but the locals make up for it by turning the entire area into a virtual war zone for the next three hours. I won't be around this year due to a family vacation ... which we almost rescheduled because I love the local DIY fireworks tradition so much.
This is what we used to always do and then walk across to the Lincoln. Over the years, though, they drastically cut back on where you can park. I'm not sure what you currently can and can't do since we haven't tried that in several years.I also think the Park service allows people to park along the GW Pkwy, but not positive.
Yeah, I always see people setting up around there. May be even better with the site change. Iwo Jima is another popular spot a bit further back from the shore.While I've never done it, I always thought the shore of the Potomac between Memorial and Roosevelt bridges would be good. Accessible with half mile or so walks from Rosslyn or Arlington Cemetery Metros. I also think the Park service allows people to park along the GW Pkwy, but not positive.
I haven't been downtown to watch the fireworks in a loooong time, and apparently they're changing up anyway so even if I had that knowledge wouldn't be too useful. But I don't know that musical accompaniment is an option unless you're right down there in the mix on the Mall or the Washington Monument grounds, which may not be compatible with point #4.Willing to head just about anywhere - my criteria (if you want to call them that) are:
- As close as possible - we've gotten to watch a lot of great fireworks over the years and stating the obvious, the closer you are the better they are
- Prefer a location where we would hear music to go along with them
- Would be cool to have them visible with other landmarks visible in the background
- Don't want to have to arrive hours early. Would rather spend that time looking at other stuff/touring around. Don't mind it being a little crowded around us, just don't want to have to claim a spot and sit for a long time.
My wife just mentioned this place and had to tell her that I read it was closing on FBGsRay’s the Steaks is closing. Loved it as a no-frills place to get a great steak at a good price.
There's a lot of K Street type steak places, but not really sure what could qualify as similarly no-frills. Maybe "Medium Rare", but I haven't been there (might be where I try with Ray's closing down, as Ray's was just the automatic for me).My wife just mentioned this place and had to tell her that I read it was closing on FBGs
Any other steak place recommendations?
Im looking for date night.Don Quixote said:There's a lot of K Street type steak places, but not really sure what could qualify as similarly no-frills. Maybe "Medium Rare", but I haven't been there (might be where I try with Ray's closing down, as Ray's was just the automatic for me).
You looking for a date night, or something low key?