Question For Those in the DC Area

[Cowboys22]

LOL

Silverbear, I hadn't told my wife how far Busch Gardens was. Now we're probably going to Six Flags Baltimore instead. I was wanting to ride the Griffon.

Make the trip to Busch Gardens, don't give your money to the evil one Dan Snyder!

 

[dalco2208]

Where in Md are you staying? When your in D.C. the best area for restaraunts is in Georgetown. Many good bars and restaraunts on the waterfront like Sequoias, Tony and joes, and Clydes. As far as sightseeing, stick to the Smithsonian, Capitol, monuments, war memorials.

 

[silverbear]

LOL

Silverbear, I hadn't told my wife how far Busch Gardens was. Now we're probably going to Six Flags Baltimore instead. I was wanting to ride the Griffon.

LOL... that's what you get for letting her read this board... tell her that King's Dominion is on the north side of Richmond off I-95, that would be more like a 2 hour, 1 day trip... it's not a bad theme park, actually, though I'm not a big fan of roller coasters...

 

[Hostile]

LOL... that's what you get for letting her read this board... tell her that King's Dominion is on the north side of Richmond off I-95, that would be more like a 2 hour, 1 day trip... it's not a bad theme park, actually, though I'm not a big fan of roller coasters...

I love roller coasters. The scarier the better. I told her I was going to post this thread and get ideas. So she asked me if there were any responses.

:bang2:

If I'm out in that area I hope some of you will come say hi. I especially want to see the Holocaust Museum and Air & Space Museum again. I know they upgraded the 2nd one a lot since my last visit and I'm anxious to see what they did. When I was there I asked about the Enola Gay, the bomber that dropped the Hiroshima bomb. They told me it had been removed from exhibit because it is so controversial a subject. Huh? It's History.

 

[HogsRLegends]

Commanders Park is in Ashburn VA, probably about 30 minutes or so from the city.

Go there and sacrifice all your Cowboys gear in a bonfire, and maybe, maybe, you will get past the security gates.

 

[SkinsandTerps]

Hos, Popeyes is MUCH better than Bojangles.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

I love roller coasters. The scarier the better. I told her I was going to post this thread and get ideas. So she asked me if there were any responses.

:bang2:

If I'm out in that area I hope some of you will come say hi. I especially want to see the Holocaust Museum and Air & Space Museum again. I know they upgraded the 2nd one a lot since my last visit and I'm anxious to see what they did. When I was there I asked about the Enola Gay, the bomber that dropped the Hiroshima bomb. They told me it had been removed from exhibit because it is so controversial a subject. Huh? It's History.

Now I know this would be WAY too far out of your travel plans. But Cedar Point, Sandusky Ohio is the best place for those that love Roller Coasters.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Now I know this would be WAY too far out of your travel plans. But Cedar Point, Sandusky Ohio is the best place for those that love Roller Coasters.

 

[Hostile]

Hos, Popeyes is MUCH better than Bojangles.

Not for my money. I've had both. Bojangles has the best biscuits in the world.

 

[SweetDC]

So you're coming into the heart of Commanders territory--and that's a vacation? LOL! Well let's see about making sure your stay here is as fun as possible. Below, I have included some information I hope you find helpful to plan your visit.

There are so many great restaurants to choose from, I'll not even try to list them all. Instead, I point you to two excellent resources that even us locals use to decide where to dine. Both provide a great one-stop-shop for dining selection.

The Washingtonian Magazine:

http://www.washingtonian.com/sections/restaurants/index.html
http://www.washingtonian.com/sections/restaurants/DiningGuides/index.html
http://www.washingtonian.com/packages/cheapeats2007/index.html

The Washingtonian is an institution around these parts. It provides information on all things social, cultural, and political going on around town. It's a good snapshot of daily life around here.

Every year it comes out with various lists such as the 100 Best Restaurants, Best Cheap Eats, etc. It has a dining guide that breaks down dining by cuisine and geographical area. Just be warned that many restaurants on the 100 Best list can be fairly pricey so if you don't want to spend an arm and leg at every meal, the Cheap Eats list will be your very best friend.

AOL City Guide for Washington, DC
http://cityguide.aol.com/washington
http://cityguide.aol.com/washington/best
http://cityguide.aol.com/washington/dining/

The other great resource for dining around town can be found on the AOL City Guide for DC. It's a wonderful resource for Events and Dining around town. Check out the Guide's annual City's Best lists. Locals vote on their favorite restaurants, bars, live music spots, etc.

The City's Best Restaurants breaks dining into every category imaginable: BBQ, Romantic, Brunch, Breakfast, Chinese, Family Friendly, Burgers, Thai, Mexican, Italian, Late Night, Outdoor, Steakhouses, etc. It's is great because you can read what the locals have to say about the restaurant as well.


Theme Parks
http://cityguide.aol.com/washington/theme-parks

The City Guide is also great to find out information on area theme parks, including driving time and distance from DC.

If I were you, I'd stick with either Kings Dominion (1 1/2 hours from DC) or Six Flags (30 minutes from DC). The drive back from Kings Dominion is fine--done it many times. However, I've driven back to DC from a day at Busch Gardens and I wouldn't recommend it. You're gonna be tired and the last thing you'll want is a 2+ hour drive ahead of you.


General Event Information
http://cityguide.aol.com/washington

Events are always going on around town. On the Guide's main page, you can input the dates you'll be in town to find out what events will be held during your stay. Or you might want to plan your visit around a particular event you found interesting.

These are the big events held every year:

Washington D.C. Annual Events (go to Guide's main page to click on links)
National Cherry Blossom Festival March 31-April 15 Filmfest DC April 19-29 DC101 Chili Cook-Off May 12 Capital Jazz Fest May 30-June 3 Capital Pride June 2-10 National Capital Barbecue Battle June 23-24 DC Caribbean Carnival June 23-24 Smithsonian Folklife Festival June 27-July 1 & July 4-8 A Capitol Fourth July 4 National Book Festival September Adams Morgan Day Festival September 9 Black Family Reunion Sept. 8-9 Marine Corps Marathon Oct. 28 National Christmas Tree December Big Night DC Dec. 31

Dupont Circle
http://search.cityguide.aol.com/washington/entertainment/dupont-circle-citizens-assoc/v-102200762

Please don't let these folks talk you out of taking a stroll around Dupont Circle. If you want to get away from the tourist spots, Dupont Circle is a great hub of activity to people watch as you stroll in and out of stores. Unless you plan on late night bar/club hopping, the "pastel" aspect of Dupont Circle isn't an issue.

Old Town Alexandria
http://search.cityguide.aol.com/washington/neighborhoodsdc/main.adp?page=oldtownalexandria
http://www.nxtbook.com/dx/ALECDX/ALECDX701/index.php

Don't forget about historic Old Town located across the river in Alexandria, VA. Walk along the quaint streets lined with shops and restaurants. See the beautiful historic homes. Very family friendly. It fabulous place to grab an ice cream cone after dinner and stroll among the shops and people. The stores closer to the waterfront remain open later in the evening during the summer months.


I hope you have a wonderful time visiting the DC area. Other than having the Commanders as its home team, everything else here is fantastic.

 

[SweetDC]

I also forgot to mention one of my favorite dining areas.

The Village at Shirlington
http://i27.***BLOCKED***/albums/c193/arubaflower/Shirlington3.jpghttp://i27.***BLOCKED***/albums/c193/arubaflower/Shirlington.jpghttp://search.cityguide.aol.com/washington/entertainment/village-at-shirlington/v-102498978

Only 5 miles outside DC, Shirlington is a quaint town square type restaurant and shopping (to a much less degree) area. During the warmer months, outside dining in Shirlington is a must.

You can't go wrong dining in Shirlington. There isn't a bad restaurant in the bunch http://villageatshirlington.com/storelist.php

 

[sacase]

Hey Hos if you need any specific information feel free to PM me and I will be happy to get it to you.
As far as resteraunts go, you have to hit up either Dukem on 12th and U Street or Meskerum in Adams Morgan for some really good Ethiopian food. Also, you MUST go to Ben's Chili Bowl on 13th and U Street. They have the BEST Chili Cheese fries and CHili Half smokes, its a culteral Icon place.
Oh and maybe we can set up a meet and greet one night for all the Posters who want to meet the great Hostile and buy him a beer.

 

[Danny White]

LOL

Silverbear, I hadn't told my wife how far Busch Gardens was. Now we're probably going to Six Flags Baltimore instead. I was wanting to ride the Griffon.

Hos,

Somehow I missed this thread when you first started it.

If you're just looking for amusement parks, then it's probably not worth the trip down to Williamsburg to go to Busch Gardens... but if you do go down there, there is tons of stuff to do.

You have Colonial Williamsburg, of course. You have historic Jamestown and Yorktown. Busch Gardens of course, and then Busch has a great resort down there with good golf... it's called Kingsmill.

But if you stay up in the DC metro area, then I'd skip the amusement parks all together. There's nothing special up here. I'd stick with the historic touristy stuff.

If you have a chance to make it outside the beltway to Northern Virgina, let me know and maybe we can get together for lunch or dinner.

There's some good restaurants out here. One that comes to mind is a great Brazillian steak house called Chima. It's pricey but fantastic. Bring your appetite!

Also out in the Northern Virginia area is the Udvar Hazy Space Center, which is an extension of the Smithsonian. It's located by the Dulles Airport, and it's really neat. They have a space shuttle, a B2 bomber and some great displays that are too big for the Air and Space downtown.

And if your back is feeling better by then, let me know and I'll book a tee time!


I'm up for sacases' happy hour too, although I don't think Hos drinks.

 

[Hostile]

Hos,

Somehow I missed this thread when you first started it.

If you're just looking for amusement parks, then it's probably not worth the trip down to Williamsburg to go to Busch Gardens... but if you do go down there, there is tons of stuff to do.

You have Colonial Williamsburg, of course. You have historic Jamestown and Yorktown. Busch Gardens of course, and then Busch has a great resort down there with good golf... it's called Kingsmill.

But if you stay up in the DC metro area, then I'd skip the amusement parks all together. There's nothing special up here. I'd stick with the historic touristy stuff.

If you have a chance to make it outside the beltway to Northern Virgina, let me know and maybe we can get together for lunch or dinner.

There's some good restaurants out here. One that comes to mind is a great Brazillian steak house called Chima. It's pricey but fantastic. Bring your appetite!

Also out in the Northern Virginia area is the Udvar Hazy Space Center, which is an extension of the Smithsonian. It's located by the Dulles Airport, and it's really neat. They have a space shuttle, a B2 bomber and some great displays that are too big for the Air and Space downtown.

And if your back is feeling better by then, let me know and I'll book a tee time!


I'm up for sacases' happy hour too, although I don't think Hos drinks.

I don't drink, but I'd met up with a group and swap stories and laughs.

I think we will not do Busch Gardens but will do 6 Flags.

I want to see Arlington and some other sites I haven't been to yet and The Smithsonian is my favorite place on earth. I could spend my entire vacation in the various museusm there and never get bored.

I will update this as the plans become more firmed up. We still don't know exactly when we're coming.

 

[fgoodwin]

We lived in MD from 2000-2003, in the midst of the Cowboys ten-game winning streak vs. the Commanders -- life was sweet!

Can't help you with any recommendations re: eateries, but I can tell you a couple of places to avoid:

"Red, Hot and Blue" pretends to be a bar-b-que place, but its horrible. You just can't get decent bar-b-que within 500 miles of DC.

"Baja Fresh" is a knock-off of Taco Cabana, but its too "fru-fru" for my taste. Avoid it.

If you have time (and I know there's never enough), drop by the "Newseum", a history of journalism and the media. They closed down their Arlington location and moved out to the suburbs in NoVA someplace, but I promise you its worth the trip.

Get a map of the Metro before you go -- many of the sites (but not all) are within a relatively easy hike of a Metro station. They used to sell $5 all-day passes, but not sure if they still have that.

If you're going in the summer, be prepared for hot, muggy days. DC may be considered "up North" to Southerners, but its actually south of the Mason-Dixon line, and the summer humidity is as bad as Houston or San Antonio. And the city "blocks" in DC are huge in comparison to a block in downtown Dallas, so take along lots of water and maybe an umbrella to block the sun.

Try to find time to include the National Zoo -- like many of the national museums, its free! Not so the National Aquarium in Baltimore.