Washington DC Trip Advice Needed...

My wife and I are heading to DC on July 3 for a wedding. This will be my first trip to DC and need advice on food, entertainment and any other words of wisdom. The wedding is in Annapolis on Sat. and we will then spend Sunday-Thurs in DC.

If anyone knows Annapolis, we are staying at the Loews and need a good Friday night dinner idea. As far as DC goes we will be staying in Arlington near the Key Bridge so we plan on spending evenings in Georgetown and days hitting all the normal touristy spots. We are not "fine dining" people but we do enjoy good meals (perhaps one upscale meal might be in order) so dining ideas would be greatly appreciated. Burgers, seafood, lunch spots etc. Also are there any "roads less traveled" in DC that we should know about? 2 years ago I asked for advice for NYC and was very happy with the suggestions. Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

 

Annapolis is pretty cool - if you can, the Naval Academy is worth a tour, at least John Paul Jones tomb. As for DC, check out the National Archives, something special about seeing the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. And when you're done, go across the street (toward the mall) and you'll see a small marble monument to FDR. (There is a bigger one near the Jefferson Memorial), but the story of the smaller monument is pretty interesting. It's about the size of a desk.
My advice would be to check out as many museums as you can - and you can pass on the various videos and movies that are offered. And wear comfortable shoes.

 

I highly recommend Arlington National Cemetary if you've never been there.

 

Arlington was very cool. Catch the changing of the guard. I thought Ford's Theatre was also very cool. I got to stand where Booth did when he shot Lincoln. I was a bit disappointed in the Lincoln Monument. Expected more. I took the bus tour where you can hop on and off where ever you want. That's a good idea because finding somewhere to park, especially around the Smithsonian, can be virtually impossible.

 

Restaurants: Sonoma. My parents went and said it was divine. They said it was expensive, but if you're looking for one nice meal, that's it.

There's a pub in Foggy Bottom called the Froggy Bottom Pub and Grill, or something along those lines. We ate there and other than the lasagna, it was good. My parents were happy with their meal but the lasagna was flavorless. Oh yeah, and don't get the spinach dip. My parents entrees were delicious, though.

 

Friday night dinner in Annapolis - If you're looking high-end, go to Treaty of Paris, or if you want seafood, go across Spa Creek to O'Leary's in Eastport.

Chart House in Eastport is also worth it for steaks or seafood, the salad bar (only place I know with caviar on it) AND the mud pie (!), plus, it has a wonderful atmosphere - the building it's housed in is the old Trumpy Boat Yard, with lots of windows that look out onto Annapolis and the Naval Academy.

 

Arlington was pretty cool, so was Mt. Vernon.

 

I have a cousin in the Old Guard (the unit that guards the Tomb). I can see if he can get you a behind-the-scenes Arlington tour, or something. Maybe even on the Fourth?

Speaking of the Fourth, place yourself behind the Iwo Jima monument for the fireworks display. It honestly brought me to tears.

 

In DC, I recommend hitting the American Art Gallery for gelato. It's at the cafe down in the basement. I make sure to stop every time I'm in DC. I don't stop for the art, instead going right for the gelato.

A cool monument, if you have the time and a car, is the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial. Here's a link ... http://www.nps.gov/this

I also really like the main FDR one, over by the Jefferson one. Someone mentioned that being disappointed in the Lincoln. I must disagree. But it's best at night. The National Portrait Gallery also is cool to see all the presidential portraits. But I'm a little bit of a presidential history nerd, so I'm biased.

Finally, a place to eat in DC that isn't too expensive but pretty good is Matchbox on 8th Street SW. I went there about a week ago and was really impressed.

Have a great time. DC is a fun town.

 

For food: Ben's Chili Bowl on U Street. Get the half-smoke. Also, if you want burgers, Five Guys is a good place as well as Ray's Hell Burger. You can find both in Arlington. If you're into seafood, go down to the SW Waterfront and hit up Jesse's. Another good chili place is the Hard Times Cafe.

For sights: The normal museums and monuments are good. Mount Vernon, which is about 3 miles from my house, is pretty cool, too. If you have time, take an hour or so and drive along the GW Parkway. It's right along the Potomac River and is an absolutely beautiful drive. That's 90 percent of my commute each day. Love it. I hear Great Falls is a good place to drive around and look at some silly expensive homes. Quaint downtown area, too.

If you're a golf fan, Tiger's hosting the AT&T National in Bethesda. Final round is Sunday the 5th.

You need anything else, feel free to shoot me a PM.

 

First thing in the morning go to the U.S. Capitol and get a timed ticket for a tour later that day. Then walk a few blocks over to the Jefferson Building at the Library of Congress -- the most spectacular interior in all of Washington -- and see that while you're waiting for your Capitol tour. In the heat of the day hit as many Smithsonian museums as you can; they're all free and open until like 5 or 6. National Gallery of Art indeed has a swell cafeteria for lunch. Save the Mall monuments -- Lincoln, Jefferson, Washington, Vietnam, Korea WWII -- for nighttime. They're dazzling under the lights (and of course, it's much cooler). Go to the open-air bar at the top floor of the Hotel Washington and enjoy a gin and tonic to cap off the day.

At some point, find a couple of hours for the Holocaust museum. It's the best museum in America behind the Met in New York. There's a little shuttle bus called the DC Circulator that runs between Georgetown and the monuments/museums area. The fare, from what I remember, is minimal. We used that every day and hardly drove the car. I also remember the nightlife in Georgetown being nothing like I thought it would be. Lot of dingy pubs.