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Washington,DC visit.



 
 
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  #1  
Old September 17th, 2003, 06:48 PM
ferret
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Default Washington,DC visit.

Hi All,
I am visiting Washington (staying in Alexandria) from England Over Xmas
through new year and would like to know if
1. Are there still boat trips on the Potomac?
2. Is Alexandria any good?
3. Any one know what the Washington suites in Alexandria are like?
4. Are we likely to have problems getting up to the Skyway road in the
mountains for a trip?
5. What closes over the period in Washington in the way of Museums etc.

TIA


  #2  
Old September 17th, 2003, 07:16 PM
Miguel Cruz
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Default Washington,DC visit.

ferret wrote:
I am visiting Washington (staying in Alexandria) from England Over Xmas
through new year and would like to know if
1. Are there still boat trips on the Potomac?


I think a lot of them shut down around October or November. May still be a
couple running though.

2. Is Alexandria any good?


Debatable. It's quaint but in a very artificial way. Lots of Ye Olde
Shoppes. In the summertime there are some performers at the pier behind the
Torpedo Factory art/craft center, and a stroll up King Street can be nice,
but in winter you're pretty much limited to looking for parking spaces and
buying scented candles.

3. Any one know what the Washington suites in Alexandria are like?


Far from DC.

4. Are we likely to have problems getting up to the Skyway road in the
mountains for a trip?


Skyline? It doesn't usually snow a whole lot in the city that early, but up
in the mountains it can. Not the most beautiful time to go up there -
leafless trees and brown ground.

5. What closes over the period in Washington in the way of Museums etc.


They're closed on the 25th and probably the 1st but that's about it.

miguel
--
Hit The Road! Photos and tales from around the world: http://travel.u.nu
Site remodeled 10-Sept-2003: Hundreds of new photos, easier navigation.
  #3  
Old September 17th, 2003, 08:30 PM
Juliana L Holm
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Default Washington,DC visit.

ferret wrote:
Hi All,
I am visiting Washington (staying in Alexandria) from England Over Xmas
through new year and would like to know if
1. Are there still boat trips on the Potomac?


Yes. Many


2. Is Alexandria any good?

Old town Alexandria is a very nice place to go for shopping, dinner
and nightlife in a semi-historic environment. It's a nice place to stay.

It is not always easy to get to metro, and you are a bit away from the thrum
of the city life in DC but it is as nice a place to stay as any.

3. Any one know what the Washington suites in Alexandria are like?


Sorry, I live here, so I don't know.

4. Are we likely to have problems getting up to the Skyway road in the
mountains for a trip?


You mean Skyline drive? If you have a rental car, take Rte 110 north from
the Crystal City area (I think you get there on RTe 1, but am not sure) and
66 out to Front Royal, the north end of Skyline drive. No problem.

5. What closes over the period in Washington in the way of Museums etc.


TIA


Everything is pretty much closed Christmas Day, except some restaurants,
but will be open all other days.

--
Julie
**********
Check out my Travel Pages (non-commercial) at
http://www.dragonsholm.org/travel.htm
  #4  
Old September 17th, 2003, 08:31 PM
Juliana L Holm
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Default Washington,DC visit.

ferret wrote:
Hi All,
I am visiting Washington (staying in Alexandria) from England Over Xmas
through new year and would like to know if
1. Are there still boat trips on the Potomac?


Sorry, I said yes. I think mostly they are over then. I'll look into it
and get back with your.

Julie

2. Is Alexandria any good?
3. Any one know what the Washington suites in Alexandria are like?
4. Are we likely to have problems getting up to the Skyway road in the
mountains for a trip?
5. What closes over the period in Washington in the way of Museums etc.


TIA




--
Julie
**********
Check out my Travel Pages (non-commercial) at
http://www.dragonsholm.org/travel.htm
  #5  
Old September 18th, 2003, 12:05 AM
Dennis Lewis
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Default Washington,DC visit.

On Wed, 17 Sep 2003 18:48:33 +0100, "ferret"
wrote:

Hi All,
I am visiting Washington (staying in Alexandria) from England Over Xmas
through new year and would like to know if
1. Are there still boat trips on the Potomac?


Dandy Cruises' Web site says its dinner cruises on the Potomac sail
throughout the year:
http://www.dandydinnerboat.com/

Evidently Dandy is offering special dinner cruises for Christmas and
New Year's Eve:
http://www.dandydinnerboat.com/cruises.htm

(Please note that I've never been on a Potomac River cruise so I can't
offer a personal opinion on Dandy Cruises.)
  #6  
Old September 18th, 2003, 12:09 AM
Juliana L Holm
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Default Washington,DC visit.

Dennis Lewis wrote:

Dandy Cruises' Web site says its dinner cruises on the Potomac sail
throughout the year:
http://www.dandydinnerboat.com/


Evidently Dandy is offering special dinner cruises for Christmas and
New Year's Eve:
http://www.dandydinnerboat.com/cruises.htm


(Please note that I've never been on a Potomac River cruise so I can't
offer a personal opinion on Dandy Cruises.)


I've been on both Dandy and the Spirit of Washington, and I prefer Dandy.

It's a small boat and the "entertainment" is dancing, not a production
show done by the waitstaff which I like.

It may be a bit cool at night, but worthwhile.

Hmmm, maybe I'll do this, too. . . . .

Also I think the Dandy sets sail from Alexandria, so it's perfect.


--
Julie
**********
Check out my Travel Pages (non-commercial) at
http://www.dragonsholm.org/travel.htm
  #7  
Old September 18th, 2003, 04:52 AM
pltrgyst
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Default Washington,DC visit.

On Wed, 17 Sep 2003 18:48:33 +0100, "ferret"
wrote:

Hi All,
I am visiting Washington (staying in Alexandria) from England Over Xmas
through new year and would like to know if
1. Are there still boat trips on the Potomac?


Yes, all year.

2. Is Alexandria any good?


That depends what you're looking for. It doesn't have the congestion
or night life of Georgetown, but it's a nice place to wander, shop,
and have a meal. I think it's pretty good, but then I live here. 8

3. Any one know what the Washington suites in Alexandria are like?


They have a reputation as a decent place to stay, but they are not in
Old Town Alexandria -- they're over five miles away, in the west end
of Alexandria, not convenient to Metro either. I wouldn't think they'd
be of interest to anyone who wasn't driving a car. There are other
suites hotels in the north end of Old Town, an easy walk from King
Street or the Metro, which would probably serve you better.

4. Are we likely to have problems getting up to the Skyway road in the
mountains for a trip?


Probably not. We really don't get that much snow around northern VA.

5. What closes over the period in Washington in the way of Museums etc.


Government museums -- the Smithsonian system -- are open every day
except Christmas and New Year's Day.

-- Larry

  #8  
Old September 18th, 2003, 12:19 PM
JA
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Default Washington,DC visit.



Government museums -- the Smithsonian system -- are open every day
except Christmas and New Year's Day.

-- Larry


Smithsonian Institution hours are posted at http://www.si.edu/visit/

Most SI museums are open 10-5:30 every day except Dec 25.
They're open New Year's Day.


  #9  
Old September 18th, 2003, 08:11 PM
pltrgyst
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Posts: n/a
Default Washington,DC visit.

On Thu, 18 Sep 2003 07:19:28 -0400, "JA" wrote:

Government museums -- the Smithsonian system -- are open every day
except Christmas and New Year's Day.
-- Larry


Smithsonian Institution hours are posted at http://www.si.edu/visit/
Most SI museums are open 10-5:30 every day except Dec 25.
They're open New Year's Day.


Damn, you're right. I checked them in a two-week old "Weekend" section
of the Washington Post, which had the above misinformation. Mea culpa.

-- Larry

  #10  
Old September 19th, 2003, 09:34 AM
Barbara Vaughan
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Default Washington,DC visit.

Miguel Cruz wrote:

4. Are we likely to have problems getting up to the Skyway road in the
mountains for a trip?


Skyline? It doesn't usually snow a whole lot in the city that early, but up
in the mountains it can. Not the most beautiful time to go up there -
leafless trees and brown ground.


First, don't expect high peaks in those mountains. They are mostly
rolling hills and heavily wooded low peaks.

I think there is more risk of fog than snow at that time of year. The
only time I went on the Skyline Drive was in midsummer, and we found
ourselves in a thick fog. After several hours of slow driving and seeing
little other scenery than a bit of the road in front of us, we left the
Drive to find another way south. This road went through rural
countryside and typical small American towns, and was quite interesting
to our European guests. I don't remember what route it was. (Actually, I
couldn't have imagined it at the time, but one of those guests is now my
husband. I don't think the scenery had much to do with the romance,
though.)

Barbara
 




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