I’ve been studying the Metro. Can I use a contactless credit card to pay or do I need to have the Smartrip card? If I do buy the Smartrip card, how long do they stay valid if I leave some extra money on it?
There are lots of hotels in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, and most of them are close enough to the Metro to be useful for a tourist. Just do a search on hotels near D.C. and look at their prices and how close they are to the nearest Metro stop. The obvious thing to do is to see everything near the National Mall. There are so many places to visit there (museums, monuments, the Capitol building, the White House, etc.) that you could easily spend two weeks just exploring them, and it’s not a very long walk between each of them. If there are other things you want to go to, like that baseball game you mention, set that up in advance. There are lots of good restaurants all around, and maybe you can buy a restaurant guide to D.C.
I have a habit of asking anyone on the SDMB visiting D.C. if they want us to set up a dopefest where they can meet the local dopers. Unfortunately, I will probably be on vacation when you come to visit, so i can’t join in that. Perhaps someone else can start a dopefest thread.
You need the Smartrip card. I’ve never heard of one expiring.
IIRC it’s $10 and comes with a $8 balance. I just bought one for a visitor and should know for sure but it’s just not something I remember well.
If you register it you can add to the balance online rather than fiddling with a machine.
I just got back from a week (well 6 night) in DC. I stayed at the Courtyard Marriott in Alexandria by the National Science Foundation. It’s near the Eisenhauer Metro stay and has a free shuttle to the station, but it’s also in a concrete jungle by the highway. I regret staying that far out; it was 45 minutes each way. I could’ve done more stuff in the evening if stopping back at my hotel in the late afternoon was a option. Except for one night when I got off at King Street Metro and ate dinner in Old Town I didn’t see or do anything in Alexandria, which has a lot of interesting stuff of it’s own. Granted the weather (& crowds to a lesser extent) contributed a lot to being so exhausted at the end of the day; I think I picked the worse possible time to visit.
I’ve never done Airbnb before, but I’m going on a trip with a friend who does in September so I think I’ll look into it for my next vacation.
If you like Korean spas Spa World is only a few minutes from Udvar-Hazy. I planned to spend about 2 hours or so there, but ended up staying for 5. It’s open 24/7. I highly recommend it.
For the nightlife, there are three places worth going: 18th St NW in Adams Morgan, King Street* in Alexandria(VA), and M Street in Georgetown. All are metro-accessible, and densely packed with bars, so you can hop from one to the next. You should be aware that there’s nothing to do near the Mall at night other than see monuments. Don’t expect to see a memorial at night, then walk to a restaurant or bar. You’ll need a cab to do that.
Also, the Jefferson is not close to anything else. It’s ill-advised to walk there. Take a cab. I’ve seen the other monuments a dozen times, but the Jefferson only once, solely due to its location.
*King St is very long; I’m only talking about the river end of it. Use Google.
There’s a free shuttle along King Street from the metro station to the river. I don’t know how late it runs.
It’s walkable end to end but in August that’s going to be gross.
I’ll be there at the end of September, so hopefully the humidity has let up some. I’ll figure out a way to get to the Jefferson as I’d really like to see it as an adult
My first suggestion is the National Gallery of Art – already #1 on your list. What really knocked my socks off there was Gilbert Stuart’s portrait of Washington. You’ve seen the image a million times, but the real thing is a whole 'nother experience.
Purely by accident, I walked by the Mint. I became aware of where I was due to the smell. You may think you don’t know what money smells like, but you do. And it smells gooood.
Monticello is outside of Charlottesville, VA, over 2 hours away from DC, well out of range of public transit.
Metrobuses run to Mt. Vernon, though, or at least they used to. It was the terminus of a number of bus routes.
Yes. Google maps will show the bus route. It’s like 25 min from the end of the yellow line.
Note: the Stuart Washington painting is at the National *Portrait *Gallery, co-located with the American Art Museum. The National Gallery of Art is a different venue.
A surprising thing is that the National Gallery, despite being a museum run by the federal government and being on the National Mall, is not part of the Smithsonian.
I just stumbled upon the Woodrow Wilson House while looking at Google maps. Anyone been there? It looks like it would be an interesting off the beaten path tourist site.
I definitely saw a Gilbert Stuart portrait of Washington at the National Gallery of Art when I was there. I think there may be portraits at both places.
Anyone who knows, please speak up.
Adams Morgan and Georgetown are sorta the early 2000s (if not the 1990s) nightlife spots. The places along 14th Street, U Street, and H Street NE are more current. Be warned that H Street is still fairly seedy. Some of the restaurants on 14th Street are really good, but like most eateries in DC, can be pricey.
Grew up in DC and drove tours tfor a few years. September can be quite warm so be prepared, I usually recommend going in the winter ( virtually no tourists) but September can be good as well as…
The best way to get around the museums and monuments is to grab the tram at Union Station. One price for the day and it takes you around the Mall. You can get on and off as much as you like. I don’t know that this runs at night but I bet you can get a ride share to take you around.
You can also get tour busses to other parts of the city and Mount Vernon.
Find a cheap motel in the suburbs,take the Metro to Union Station and you should be ready to go.
Enjiy
I’ve pretty much narrowed it down to Georgetown, Adams Morgan, and DuPont circle for Air Bnb accommodations. They all look good and central. I’ve looked at a few restaurant menus, looks like typical USA big city prices that wouldn’t shock a Chicagoan.
I lived in Adams Morgan in 1983. I moved out because it was getting too busy and now it’s 10 times worse. Great place for drinks but I would hesitate to stay there. Also it is between the Zoo stop and Dupont Circle stop on the Metro, a bit of a walk either way. There is not a Metro in the heart of Georgetown; the nearest stops are Farragut West and Foggy Bottom, both near 24th street, and the eastern edge of Georgetown is about 29th. I would go with Dupont Circle for convenience and centrality. Also closer to the Mall, though you will change trains at Metro Center to get there.
I’m glad you didn’t mention the White House tour. I did it when W. was president and it is a yawn. The Capitol tour was much more interesting.
I would not choose Adams Morgan, I’ve lived in DC most of my life and I avoid it like the plague, it’s got a lot of bars and draws a fratty crowd of drinkers/vomiters. As mentioned, Georgetown doesn’t have a Metro, but is pretty accessible via lyft to just about anywhere. Dupont has a Metro and can be a nice walkable neighborhood, especially on weekends. If you’re looking for a fun place to do Sunday brunch around Dupont, check out the O St. Mansion (http://omansion.com/) there are dozens of secret doors through the place and its fun to tour the property looking for them. I think they also offer tours.
If you have time before your visit, watch the documentary “Herb and Dorothy” about the Vogels. He was a postal sorter and she was a librarian and together they amassed a huge and important collection of art that they then donated to the National Gallery because the museum does not charge admission. They acquired some of their art by befriending artists and exchanging cat sitting and home cooking for works of art. The movie is a love letter to art. Their names are on a plaque at the entrance of the National Gallery West.