Washington D.C. - lodging/travel info.

Hi All,
My wife and I are flying from Los Angeles to Norfolk Virginia (in
July) and driving to Washington D.C. We will be staying in D.C. for 3
days. This will be the first leg of a 2-week east coast road trip.
We would like to see as many of the 'popular' monuments and sites
ie... Smithsonian, White House, Ford's theatre, the Memorials as
possible. I have never been to D.C. and am unfamiliar with the
neighborhoods, safety, parking, hotels areas. Is is convenient to
stay near the mall and walk to the sites? Any recommendations on
hotels in the $125-$150/night range will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Dave

Andy Lee wrote:

Hi All,
My wife and I are flying from Los Angeles to Norfolk Virginia (in
July) and driving to Washington D.C. We will be staying in D.C. for 3
days. This will be the first leg of a 2-week east coast road trip.
We would like to see as many of the 'popular' monuments and sites
ie... Smithsonian, White House, Ford's theatre, the Memorials as
possible. I have never been to D.C. and am unfamiliar with the
neighborhoods, safety, parking, hotels areas. Is is convenient to
stay near the mall and walk to the sites? Any recommendations on
hotels in the $125-$150/night range will be appreciated.


This is an oft - trod subject on this group. For tons of info, go to Google
Groups advanced search and enter "Washington DC hotels"; also enter my name
("Gregory Morrow"), and the names of two DC - based posters: "Miguel Cruz"
and "Juliana Holm" - we have all posted a lot on this subject...there are
lots of threads to peruse.

Briefly, in- city areas such as Dupont Circle, downtown DC, Georgetown and
the areas immediately adjacent to the Mall are all extremely safe. Dupont
Circle is a great nabe with plenty of hotels, restos, nightlife, and a nice
"urban" feel...it's also right on the Metro Red Line and is about a thirty
minute walk down to the White House, Mall, etc. and scenic Georgetown is
just a few blocks walk to the east, trendy Adams - Morgan (cheap ethnic
food, etc.) is just north adjacent. It's where I've always stayed (when I'm
not staying with friends)....

A lot of folks recommend suburban hotels (Crystal City in Arlington, etc.)
but these are, frankly, quite sterile and boring. You're better off in DC
itself. ...

You won't need a car in DC - park it at your hotel and walk, take the great
Metro (subway) and Metro bus system, or take the ocassional cab. The area
you are interested in is fairly compact and you can get around very easily
without a car....

For a first - timer the Tourmobile might be an option for a day. It's a
minibus "train" system that runs a fixed circuit to all the tourist
attractions and you can hop on and off as many times you want in a day for a
fixed price (although with a good map and a Metro pass you can do the same
thing for cheaper). Google www.tourmobile.com or something similar to check
it out....

For the best aerial view of DC, skip the crowded Washington Monument and go
to the top of the Old Post Office Building on Pennsylvania Avenue (between
the White House and the Capitol Building)...it's free and relatively
uncrowded (there is a decent food court in the building if you are
hungry...).

This time of year a river cruise from DC down to Mt. Vernon would be
pleasant...there are several companies doing this....

Here is a good site for DC hotels. Noodle around and see what you can find.
Many places should be running summer specials by now (I'm partial to the
Embassy Row Hilton in Dupont Circle - it has a nice rooftop pool with a
daily happy hour and is adjacent to the Dupont Red Line Metro Station):

http://www.capitolreservations.com/

--
Best
Greg