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trAVeling Family Vacation in D.C.

trAVelingman

trAVelingman

Silent Avalanche RIP
Full Member
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Jan 15, 2005
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Spring Hill, TN
The trAVeling Family has FINALLY decided where they want to go for vacation this year.  I am NOT a beach enthusiast and adamently refused another beach vacation this year.  Last night we sat down and decided that Washington, D.C. would be a great vacation spot for us this year.  We will be there between July 23 and July 28th.  I am going to take the family back home through where I grew up in West Virginia and spend a few days visiting there as well.

With that in mind, I have several questions:

When traveling to D.C. on business, I usually stay somewhere near Foggy Bottom.  I don't want to stay there on a family vacation.  I was thinking somewhere just outside of D.C. near a Metro station where we could just hop on the Metro in the morning, visit D.C. then hop on Metro and return to our hotel before dark.  What area would you suggest?  I will be staying in a Hilton brand hotel  ie: Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn, Embassy Suites, Hampton Inn, etc.  Something VERY close to a Metro station would be excellent.

How safe is Metro at night?  Would you take your family on the Metro at night?  I want the kids to see D.C. after dark when everything is lit up, but I am not sure that I want to take them on Metro at night?  I may decide to take the AV into D.C. on one of the days, just to have a safe mode of transportation back to the hotel that night.  Your thoughts?

Lastly, trAVelingman's widow insists on some good ole' Crab while we are in the area.  I am of the opinion that for the best crab, we need to travel up to Baltimore one night.  Do you agree?  If not, where?

Your assistance in helping me to complete our travel plans would be greatly appreciated. 

trAV
 
WOW! Great vacation idea!!!

 
You should consider Rosslyn VA. It's right next to Arlington cemetery and overlooks Georgetown on the Potomac. It has a couple Metro stops and great restaurants. You can actually walk across Key Bridge into the city, if it's not 98 degrees and 100% humidity.

My wife and I often take metro in the evenings with no worries. Just like any big city there are places to avoid, like SE (which is where I work of course).

Another nice place is Bethesda MD, just north of DC. I can't really suggest exactly where but I know it's a nice neighborhood and not far from the city.

 
? ? I for one am very excited about this. Just for the pure and selfish pleasure of getting to hang out with one of my favorite Avalanche famalies!!! I knew working in Baltimore for the summer was about more than just a paycheck, keeping my skills sharp and hanging out with my favorite sister (okay so I only have one. I still lover her!) If I may suggest a trip to Baltimore while you are at it. Take a look at this...
800px-Baltimore_aquarium.JPG

? ? That's the National quatium in Baltimore complete with a rainforest that you can walk through and a damn Submarine! Come on!! They got a submarine. No it doesn't dive but you can walk through it and see what a real WW-II sub was like. That's the USS-Torsk. I know it's a dumb name but I didn't invent it. That is in the inner harbor. They also have an awesome science center there complete with Imax. Then you can go to lunch at Philips and gourge on crabcakes! Come on it'll be fun! I can see Chris and Andrew going nuts already in the sub! Mom and Grasey can go out on the paddle boats while the men are touring the sub then go visit the Aquarium together.
    See! I already got 1 day planned for you already :D
 
JohnBChef said:
? ? I for one am very excited about this. Just for the pure and selfish pleasure of getting to hang out with one of my favorite Avalanche famalies!!! I knew working in Baltimore for the summer was about more than just a paycheck, keeping my skills sharp and hanging out with my favorite sister (okay so I only have one. I still lover her!) If I may suggest a trip to Baltimore while you are at it. Take a look at this...
800px-Baltimore_aquarium.JPG

? ? That's the National quatium in Baltimore complete with a rainforest that you can walk through and a damn Submarine! Come on!! They got a submarine. No it doesn't dive but you can walk through it and see what a real WW-II sub was like. That's the USS-Torsk. I know it's a dumb name but I didn't invent it. That is in the inner harbor. They also have an awesome science center there complete with Imax. Then you can go to lunch at Philips and gourge on crabcakes! Come on it'll be fun! I can see Chris and Andrew going nuts already in the sub! Mom and Grasey can go out on the paddle boats while the men are touring the sub then go visit the Aquarium together.
? ? ?See! I already got 1 day planned for you already :D
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It's a date!!  I know that the family will be excited when I tell them about this.  I wore them out on Wii tonite and they are sound asleep, so I will let them know about it in the a.m.

I knew I could count on JBC......and widow will be excited too.
 
? ? ?Ohhh... The 2 Smisosnian institutes you GOT TO SEE. The National Air and Space Museum, and the National Museum of American History. However there is one caveat. THe Museum of American history is closing September 6th I have also seen that they are closed already I'd give them a call at (202) 633-1000 to see what the deal is. Those are all day trips too. See now that's 3 days. BTW I want to come with you to the National Air and Space museum. Any building that has the Wright Flyer, and a Space Capsule is A-OK with me :D
    Oooohhhh!!!! One last place... The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center More space memorabilia too large for the NASM on the DC Mall!
 
JohnBChef said:
? ? ?Ohhh... The 2 Smisosnian institutes you GOT TO SEE. The National Air and Space Museum, and the National Museum of American History. However there is one caveat. THe Museum of American history is closing September 6th I have also seen that they are closed already I'd give them a call at (202) 633-1000 to see what the deal is. Those are all day trips too. See now that's 3 days. BTW I want to come with you to the National Air and Space museum. Any building that has the Wright Flyer, and a Space Capsule is A-OK with me :D
? ? ?Oooohhhh!!!! One last place... The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center More space memorabilia too large for the NASM on the DC Mall!
Click to expand...

Widow has already checked and the Museum of American History is closed until 2009 (I think is what she said).  When we mentioned the National Air and Space Museum, Andrew's eyes lit up like fire.  Then we started talking about all of the monuments, Arlington Cemetary, the White House, Supreme Court Building, The Treasury Building, The Pentagon and it was a DONE deal.

I have seen all of this, but I can't wait to see the look on the kid's faces when they get to experience it as well.
 
vertabatt said:
Bethesda, MD would be a great place to stay.? It is very Metro accessible and offers great places to eat and shop. It is a very safe area too... I leave my Av there all the time when I go into DC via the Metro with no worries. Rosslyn would be a good place to stay as well.

Metro is safe and you should feel just fine about riding it at night.

Baltimore would be the place to go for some great seafood, although there is a good crab house in Bethesda (as well as other areas). But you should probably check out the inner harbor anyway, its just an awesome place to visit.

You gotta spend a day at in the Mall area for sure, the museums are great too. A stop in Georgetown would be a good idea just to walk the streets with some ice cream or do some serious shopping. Then there is the National Zoo too...

There is definitely more to do then there is time for, so figure out what you;re interested in now.

Stay outta SE unless you want your cracka-ass shanked.
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That is very helpful vertabatt, thanks greatly.  I have never traveled the Metro after dark, simply because I was ignorant to the safety then.  I have no trouble taking it during the day, but in the past if my flight came in after dark, I took a taxi to my hotel in Foggy Bottom.  This might make for a couple of evenings in the District.

Love the idea of taking them to the Inner Harbor.  I have been there a couple of times, but the family has never been.

Hadn't even thought of Georgetown on the National Zoo......great ideas, thanks.

Do they still have tours of the White House or have they been terminated?  What about tours of Andrews AFB and Air Force One, do they do those?
 
Info on the White House here:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/tours/

Not sure about Andrews AFB, you can probably get some info from Cisco or ChevyThunder about that.
 
JohnBChef said:
? ? ?Oh there is a Hard Rock Cafe, and ESPN Zone there too but who cares they got a submarine!!!
Click to expand...


submarine races?  :0:  i'm SOOOoooo there :woohoo:
 
Did you know there's a toilet right under the Lincoln Memorial ?
I stunk it up pretty good once  :laugh:
 
trAVelingman said:
Do they still have tours of the White House or have they been terminated?? What about tours of Andrews AFB and Air Force One, do they do those?
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I'm pretty sure you can't get anywhere near AF1 anymore but you can still see the white house. You can also get Capital tours which is pretty cool.

If you wanted to check out the Washington Navy Yard, I can probably get you in, it's where I work :D. They have a Navy museum and a retired ship you can walk thru. It is in SE but it's on the main drag with it's own metro stop and as safe as anywhere in DC during the day but I would avoid at night.
 
I spent about 8 months on Fort Belvoir, VA in 1982, almost every weekend in DC and still found something different to see each time. It was pretty safe back then, I missed the last bus back and slept on the grass in the middle of the federal triangle once.  :rolleyes:
 
JohnBChef said:
I see you Widow Checking things out. :D
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Looking very forward to being able to visit with you.  I wanted a small family vacation where we could go somewhere I have never been but know that my kids will enjoy and see some of our country's  history.  I am also looking forward to having a day, an evening or both with you!!! 
 
Avalanche Fox said:
i guess that means the long walks on the beach are out that u promised me? :E:
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Holly....there will be no walking on any beach with John.  :beating: I can't get him to walk with me and we have been together for 20yrs.  I see or hear of him walking on the beach....Im gonna be one rich WIDOW!!! >:D
 
trAVelingman's widow said:
Holly....there will be no walking on any beach with John.? :beating: I can't get him to walk with me and we have been together for 20yrs.? I see or hear of him walking on the beach....Im gonna be one rich WIDOW!!! >:D
Click to expand...

In the 20 years, exactly HOW many times have you actually seen me walking on a beach?  I bet you could count it on one hand, couldn't you..........

I HATE the beach.....
 
You have never walked on the beach with me...but I do have sweet pictures of you and Graysie.  I know you hate the beach, but thank you for making sure that I get there and that the kids have been able to swim in the ocean and play in the sand. :love: :love:
 
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