And now it seems we’re probably going to go with the Holiday Inn Capitol. Phew. So much work.
Assuming nothing changes over the next week (when we can book), the room rate is $117 Thursday, $117 Friday, and $99 Saturday. Plus we get free wireless internet :). The TripAdvisor reviews seem mostly good, so this seems like our best bet.
We’re still looking for places to eat (besides Chipotle- we love Chipotle).
I’m not sure what your question means, but what I meant is that since they are flying into BWI. they will be starting relatively close to Baltimore. and might go there first before heading down to DC. Did the Constitution sink or something?
Crystal City itself is pretty much dead after six but there is some interesting nightlife just west of the neighborhood on 23[sup]rd[/sup], between Eads & Fern. The Metro station is at 18th & Bell.
There are a couple of Greek places in Arlington, one is Atilla’s at Glebe Road near Walter Reed Drive. I can’t speak for the quality of the restaurant itself because we always go to the takeout counter next door and it has a different menu. I think there’s also an Atillas near Court House Metro but I haven’t been in that one.
If you like seafood, stop by Phillip’s Flagship on the SW waterfront. All-you-can-eat for $20 per person.
Oh, I just remembered that I have the 100 Very Best Restaurants issue of the Washingtonian. Let’s see what they suggest for you (most expensive to least expensive):
If you really want to treat yourselves (expect a bill of at least $100) there’s Labotorio Del Galileo at 1110 21[sup]st[/sup] Street NW.
If you want to treat yourselves that much (bill in the neighborhood of $60), there’s Gerard’s Place at 915 15[sup]th[/sup] Street NW. Gerard was trained in France has been rated three stars by the Michelin Guide.
Another Italian place is Ristorante Tosca at 1112 F Street NW.
Yet another Italian place is Tabard Inn at 1739 N Street NW.
Still yet another Italian place is Willow at 4301 N. Fairfax Dr. in Arlington, near Ballston Metro.
And still yet another Italian place is Palena Cafe at 3529 Connecticut Ave. NW. Among the suggested dishes are roasted chicken and raviolini stuffed with duck. Entrées average $10-14.
If pizza’s your thing, there are a couple of Pizzeria Paradiso locations. 2029 P Street & 3282 M Street, both in NW.
Er…“If you want to treat yourselves but not that much…”
No, it didn’t sink. I was on the USS Constitution just a couple weeks ago, in fact.
In Boston Harbor. Did they build another one?
Damn, what the fuck is the big wooden boat in the harbor? Well. I haven’t lived in the area for close to 15 years, and longer than that since I’ve been to Baltimore.
Oh, who cares, it’s big , it’s wooden, it’s historical, it’s nautical,
OK. having done some Googling, the Baltimore ship is the USS Constellation , a sister ship of the Constitution, built in 1797 and rebuilt in 1854.
Just noticed that I had Atilla’s South Arlington location on the wrong street. It’s on Columbia Pike near Walter Reed.
In Washington, you might want to check out of funky-prosperous neighborhoods – Dupont Circle (the gay neighborhood but not that alone; adjacent to Embassy Row); Adams Morgan; and of course Yuppieville/Georgetown.
[is very cool. Walkable neighborhood, historic feel, lots of window-shopping.
I notice you’re arriving first in Baltimore. If you have time, check out the neighborhoods of [url=Mount Vernon, Baltimore - Wikipedia]Mount Vernon](]Old Town Alexandria[/url) (great art museum there), Federal Hill, and most of all Fells Point. (You can’t avoid the Inner Harbor but it’s essentially a shopping mall with a few tourist attractions tacked on; but the World Trade Center, a pentagonal-prism syscraper, has an observation deck on top with a matchless view of the city.) Try riding the single light rail line, which runs north-to-south all through the city from the northernmost to southernmost suburbs, with a spur to Baltimore-Washington Airport. A commuter train runs from Baltimore to Washington, BTW, ending at Union Station, where you can hop the Metro to Arlington.
Definately try to schedule a tour of the Capitol through your or your friend’s congressional offices for Thursday or Friday – between the two of you you’ve got two Representatives and four Senators who could potentially assign a staffer or intern to take you around. The tour can be as good as the one led by the professional guides, and the lines are a lot shorter.
If you’re any kind of history buff, you can’t miss the Capitol tour.
Just got back from a brief – very brief – stay in DC. The one main thing I did was the International Spy Museum, and I’d highly recommend it. I was there almost four hours, and would have wandered longer in the gift shop if they hadn’t been closing and hurried me out. I was a little bit nervous at the beginning of the tour that it would be more aimed at the juveniles (they start out by assigning you a “cover” that you’re supposed to live out) but I was quickly sucked into the displays. Some very interesting stuff there, especially if you’re a bit of a Cold War junkie and/or have a penchant for reading spy novels. (NB – It is an “international” spy museum, and does to some degree cover espionage from all countries and all ages, but the emphasis is very heavily WWII and Cold War.)
If you’re looking for a good bite to eat that’s a bit out of the ordinary, check out the cafe in the Museum of the American Indian. They have – surprise! – Native American foods in there, from many different regions and cultures. It was a tad pricey (around $12), but I guess nothing far out for DC standards, and the food was good and it was a unique experience.