posted
I'm heading down to DC at the end of the week for a few days. Does anyone have any good suggestions for things to see, not including stuff like the Mall, Smithsonian, etc? Stuff that's not your basic tourist stuff.
posted
It's part of the Smithsonian, but most people have never heard of it: The Sackler Gallery. It's my favorite place in DC, tops.
Also, I know it's possible to get into the gallery and watch Congress in session. I don't know if you need to get an invitation from your senator or house representative to do so, though.
The International Spy Museam is great, and in a really interesting part of town. It also inspired/ made me aware of my current career choice, which, ironically, is not spying but data analysis.
Personally, I like just riding the metro and getting out randomly, you can find cool stuff that way.
The FBI offices might be open for tours now, they weren't the last time I tried, but it's been a few years.
The FDR Memorial is wonderful, probably my favorite memorial out of any of them. You might not like it as much if you don't like FDR but it's still a lovely place.
I would recommend going to the Vietnam War Memorial even though it is touristy, I think it's important.
There's a new WWII Memorial, or it was new when I went two years ago, it may have hit the seriously touristy list by now. I really liked it.
If you can go to the Horticulture Park, please go just for me, I've been waiting for it for so so long and I don't know when I'll next get to DC to see it.
Yea, I'm a bit of a professional DC tourist, sorry if this is way more than you wanted.
Posts: 4655 | Registered: Jan 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Depending on how much time you have, you could visit Old Town Alexandria (Metro to King Street, Alexandria then walk a few blocks toward the Potomac).
In DC, I really like the Georgetown area. Just a lot of fun stuff there.
A visit to the fish market is kind of fun if you are awake way too early and nothing else is open.
The restaurants in China Town are better than the chinese food available in most towns...depends on where you currently reside though. NYC has better ones, for example. But if you live in someplace without good Chinese food, then might I suggest a foray into China Town for Dim Sum, or maybe Szechuan?
Don't forget the zoo. They have pandas!
Or the National Cathedral. They don't have pandas.
Embassy row can be interesting if you are driving around looking at stuff.
Hains Point has a weird statue of a giant breaking free of the earth: The Awakening. It's easy to get to there from the Jefferson Memorial.
If the weather is nice, a trip up the B&O canal is good, but really, that's better in the Spring or Fall and a bicyle is a better way to see it, too.
Posts: 22497 | Registered: Sep 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
I've been to DC once, I was sick the whole time. I was pregnant with the twins but didn't know it yet, and the nausea was horrible. I do remember sitting and eating a pretzel at the Iwo Jima memorial by myself. My husband was running in the Marine Corp Marathon and I had hours until I would see him again so I just wandered around that area for a while then found a seat close to the finish line to watch for him.
I am going back in July though, the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association is having their reunion there and my father is a member. He wants his family there with him this year and it will probably be pretty emotional. My mother has never been to the wall, never seen the name of her husband who was killed on his second tour there. Even though I know nothing about him, he's the reason I'm here. My father was supposed to take that flight that day. He and my mom's husband switched, and her husband died. I was born because the two of them came together in grief, and married and had two children before they realized they didn't really belong together.
Funny how things work out, isn't it?
At any rate, I'll probably need to bump this thread or start a new one. I hope I'm well enough by then to do some things while I'm in DC, though going to DC sick may become a habit for me. That will be right after I finish chemo, and everyone has warned me I'll be very weak. So I might need suggestions for things to do that don't require a ton of walking, I know that's a lot to ask.
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
I second the International Spy Museum recommendation. It has lots of hands-on stuff. I had so much fun pretending I was on Alias or something. Posts: 1903 | Registered: Sep 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
I was in DC for the first time last Janurary, for a conference. A big group of us did a walking tour of many of the memorials one night. It was kind of eerie, but very moving.
I had seen pictures of the Vietnam memorial, and I'd always wondered why this won a design contest -- white names on black walls, how much design was involved? I had no idea, from the pictures, how the entire space is designed to immerse you in those names. It's a brilliant design.
The Korean War memorial, however, was extremely spooky on a dark winter night.
Posts: 9866 | Registered: Apr 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
I loved the Korean War Memorial, it was a foggy rainy April day, that was just perfect. Basically everyhting I did in DC was the normal stuff, I was supposed to get to go to the Sackler Gallery with Blacwolve, but our group decided with protesters to only go to air and space, natural science, and american history.
Posts: 5362 | Registered: Apr 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
The International Spy Museum definately sounds awesome, I'll add that to my list of things to do.
I love seeing churches and cathedrals thanks to spending a semester in Italy so I wanted to see the National Cathedral too. And of course, pandas at the zoo. I'm only there for a few days though so I don't know how much I'll get in.
The last time I was there I got to see the FDR memorial, that was about 7 or 8 years ago though. When I was in 11th grade I thought FDR was the greatest.
Hmm.. Definately hitting up Dupont, to see all the shiny rainbows. And I'll be in DC for New Year's Eve which should kick booty.
Thanks for all the suggestions, I'm adding them to my list!
Posts: 2867 | Registered: May 2005
| IP: Logged |
Does the VHPA have a group known as the Outcasts in it, flew recon loaches in Vietnam? I can't remember anything about the group, just wondering it it's the same conference my wife tries to go to (her dad was a member)
Posts: 880 | Registered: Nov 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
cool, danke. We've been to DC several times, and are likely going back again for the big ACS event, "Relay on the Hill" or something like that. Would be cool to have another excuse to go! (Her family is in Baltimore, so it's a good trip)
edit: Nope, different group. Could tell by the previous reunion locations. Thanks anyway!
Posts: 880 | Registered: Nov 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
I was up there when I was in the National Spelling Bee in 2002 and we saw just about everything. The Holocaust Museum was good. FDR is my favorite president, so I enjoyed his museum.
This was over Memorial Day weekend so there was a big presentation at Arlington that we attended, as well as one at the Vietnam Wall. My uncle was killed in Vietnam, so it was a very unique experience to visit the wall and get rubbings.
I hope I get to go back to DC someday for the Bee, to help out.
Posts: 206 | Registered: Jun 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Georgetown is very cool. The PostSecret [and I'm gonna play it safe and say that some of the imagery there is possibly offensive] exhibit is there now.
And don't forget the Udvar-Hazy Center across the river!
posted
Hello, new baby panda cub! You still need tickets for a viewing session, though.
I know it's a more touristy thing, but since no one mentioned it, I have to say that the Library of Congress is just breathtaking.
Dupont and Adams Morgan are cool, with great restaurants and shops. Strolling around looking at all the unique rowhouses in those areas is fun. I like the U street area too, but it gets a bit sketchy at night.
Go see a Capitol Steps show at the Reagan/International trade center place.
quote:Personally, I like just riding the metro and getting out randomly, you can find cool stuff that way.
posted
Ok, since two people have felt the need to comment on it, I suppose my comment needs clarification. I don't go into parts of town I don't know, and I don't do anything stupid. What I meant is that sometimes it's fun to just get off at the Crystal City stop or the Dupont Circle stop and shop and have fun, without having a specific place that I'm trying to get to.
Posts: 4655 | Registered: Jan 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
So* I'm back from DC and here's what we did.
Friday night we went out to Georgetown, walked around a bit, looked at all the expensive shops and things and caught the movie "Munich" (very intense, but pretty good).
Saturday began the full touristy spiel. My friend lives on Mass Ave near American University so we started out walking down to the National Cathedral which was very pretty (though no pandas). I saw Embassy Row and the VP's compound as we went by on the bus. We went out to the Mall and went to the Natural History and American History Museums.
The highlight of the Natural History museum was probably the grasshopper sex. There were at least four or five grasshopper couples in there having sex. Must have been mating season, neh? Me and the Washington Monument
For New Year's Eve, we went out to Dupont to a club called Apex. It's a gay club, but Saturdays are ladies night, so it worked out well. My friend got a nice midnight kiss from someone random and I got asked to dance; all in all a good night. We got some late night pizza at this awesome pizza place that I don't know the name of, but the slices are about 1/3 of the pizza.
Sunday we were lazy until around 2 and then went out for a walk near the White House and the monuments again. I saw the WWII monument, which I kind of like, but my dad later explained to me what some of the issues with it were. I was also expecting to see names on it, but there weren't any. We ended up walking back to Dupont where we chilled in a Books a Million and then Starbucks for a bit to rest our feet and wait until we were hungry. Then we ate at this killer Asian restaurant called Raku. So good.
Monday we went to the Spy Museum, which was awesome! Because it's right near Chinatown, we ate lunch there. The Chinatown gate
Though the price was a bit steep for the museum (it went up to $15 after the New Year), I really liked all the exhibits that they had, especially the first part with the cloak, dagger, and ninja stuff. The one thing I think could improve the museum a bit is having the whole assume an identity thing integrated more. I'm not sure how they could do that, but man that would be sweet. I really wanted to play with all the interactive computer stuff they had, but the museum was so packed and there were so many people there that I decided to skip over most of them.
I was also really excited to see the shoe phone from the show Get Smart, which was one of my favorite shows as a kid and the inspiration for my screen name.
It was raining on Monday, so that's about all we did. We rented a few movies (Sky High and Mean Creek) and just lazed around my friend's apartment for the rest of the night.
All in all it was a fun trip, and thanks to your suggestions I got to see some awesome stuff!
Posts: 2867 | Registered: May 2005
| IP: Logged |
What did you think of the American History museum? I found it to be more of a political correctness museum.
Posts: 3134 | Registered: Mar 2005
| IP: Logged |
What did you think of the American History museum? I found it to be more of a political correctness museum.
No. That honor belongs to the National Museum of the American Indian. 5 floors of nothing but politically correct, overly simplistic, trite whitewash of what could have been a truly fascinating and educational topic. IMHO, definitely unworthy of the Smithsonian name.
There were two positive aspects of my visit to the NMAI. One, I love the architecture, both inside and out. The building was striking without being gawdy. Two, I found a geographical inacuracy on one of their maps and reported it to the information desk. Three weeks later I got an official letter from the museum director thanking me for my feedback and informing me that the mistake had been corrected. So at least they actually pay attention to visitors' feedback.
Posts: 786 | Registered: Jun 2003
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Stephan: What did you think of the American History museum? I found it to be more of a political correctness museum.
We didn't spend a lot of time here and pretty much just walked through the First Ladies exhibit and the pop culture exhibit. My friend has been there a bunch of times so she didn't want to see parts of it again and she also didn't want to go into the American at War part. We were kinda tired at this point anyway.
Tante, yes my last name is Chiroptera. Posts: 2867 | Registered: May 2005
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
I'll be in DC in January.
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
![[Cool]](cool.gif)
peekaboo![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
), my friend took 
