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| Washington DC trip | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jul 19 2017, 07:21 AM (403 Views) | |
| Klaus | Jul 19 2017, 07:21 AM Post #1 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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I'm planning a two day tourist trip to DC next week; I've never been there before and I'm in the area (Philly). I'd like some suggestions on a couple of issues: 1) Car or train? There seems to be a very good train connection between Philly and DC, but it's also rather expensive. A rental car would be cheaper and I could also take a cheaper hotel/motel to stay outside of DC. But maybe having a car in DC would be so annoying and costly that it would be better to take the train anyway? 2) Are there any ways to visit the White House spontaneously? From what I understand one has to ask for a ticket at the embassy months in advance. 3) Things I'd like to check out are probably the usual suspects of most visitors: National Mall, the Smithsonian museums, Capitol. Any suggestions on things I should definitely check out, or things that are not worth it? |
| Trifonov Fleisher Klaus Sokolov Zimmerman | |
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| George K | Jul 19 2017, 07:28 AM Post #2 |
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Finally
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I've been to DC (as a tourist) twice, so my experience may be of value. 1) DO NOT DRIVE. It's a hot mess, and streets are frequently closed, detoured for "official" events. Uber/Lyft are fine, as is the Metro. I drove from downtown on a Sunday to Mount Vernon, and it was OK, but not any weekday. 2) The train to DC is not all that bad in terms of price: Coach is about $60 on the Northeast Regional, if you're willing to travel in the "off times" - a 6:30 am departure, and a 2 hour ride. It's The Acela that gets pricey ($121). Go here and check out options: https://www.amtrak.com/home 3) If you're spending an evening, do the night-time monuments tour. Very nice. |
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A guide to GKSR: Click "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08 Nothing is as effective as homeopathy. I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles. - Klaus, 4/29/18 | |
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| Copper | Jul 19 2017, 07:35 AM Post #3 |
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Shortstop
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You can stay in a hotel downtown somewhere between the White House and the Capitol and easily walk to most of the attractions you would want to see. You could certainly keep yourself busy for a couple days just seeing the museums and memorials within walking distance of the Mall area. If you take the Train to Union Station you will be close to the Mall and could taxi/walk/subway/uber to your hotel. If you can find a better deal driving a rental it is possible to park near the Mall. I have been giving tours to family there for 35 years and just went down there with a few visiting family members a few weeks ago. Parking was easier than I thought it might be, part of the reason is that the town is relatively uncrowded at the moment because it is summer vacation. If you do find a better deal on a hotel outside the city the area around Dulles airport - Reston, Herndon, Tysons Corner - has a lot of hotels. Driving downtown will take between 20 and 45 minutes depending on traffic. This is a generally safe, clean and relatively new area. The Dulles area is also where LsD and I live. If you want to go to the Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy center let me know, I'll come over and give you the tour. The main Air and Space museum is downtown - this is the place where they put a lot of the bigger aircraft that don't fit downtown - it is right at Dulles airport. I don't know about whitehouse tours. They used to be fairly simple, just wait in line and then walk through. I know it is more complicated now. |
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The Confederate soldier was peculiar in that he was ever ready to fight, but never ready to submit to the routine duty and discipline of the camp or the march. The soldiers were determined to be soldiers after their own notions, and do their duty, for the love of it, as they thought best. Carlton McCarthy | |
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| Mikhailoh | Jul 19 2017, 07:38 AM Post #4 |
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If you want trouble, find yourself a redhead
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The Shakespeare Library is awesome, if you are into that. It is not a government place, but is only a couple blocks east of the Capitol. The WWII monument is pretty awesome. See the Vietnam wall. Skip Korea. The monuments at night is the best. And coolest, which will be a factor now. DC is a swamp, so it is humid. National Archive is great, as is Natural History Museum. The art museum, just the building itself - wow. Air and Space, great. The Capitol you really don't get to see that much of on the tour. I was disappointed. And as George says, do not drive. The public transportation is excellent. |
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Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead - Lucille Ball | |
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| jon-nyc | Jul 19 2017, 07:41 AM Post #5 |
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Cheers
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Take the train. Stay in Georgetown. Most of the sights are free. |
| In my defense, I was left unsupervised. | |
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| Copper | Jul 19 2017, 07:46 AM Post #6 |
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Shortstop
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And if you do drive instead of taking the train and get a hotel near the Mall the hotel will probably have parking where you can just leave the car. You probably won't need the car to get around to the sites. And get to know this general area before you arrive http://www.nationalgeographic.com/walkingtours/images/tour/map_dc_large.gif ![]() http://www.planetware.com/i/map/US/washington-dc-map.jpg ![]() |
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The Confederate soldier was peculiar in that he was ever ready to fight, but never ready to submit to the routine duty and discipline of the camp or the march. The soldiers were determined to be soldiers after their own notions, and do their duty, for the love of it, as they thought best. Carlton McCarthy | |
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| Mikhailoh | Jul 19 2017, 07:51 AM Post #7 |
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If you want trouble, find yourself a redhead
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Great map. The Shakespeare Library is on it! |
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Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead - Lucille Ball | |
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| George K | Jul 19 2017, 08:08 AM Post #8 |
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Finally
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And eat at Filomena's! |
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A guide to GKSR: Click "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08 Nothing is as effective as homeopathy. I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles. - Klaus, 4/29/18 | |
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| bachophile | Jul 19 2017, 08:55 AM Post #9 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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dont drive did anyone else mention that? |
| "I don't know much about classical music. For years I thought the Goldberg Variations were something Mr. and Mrs. Goldberg did on their wedding night." Woody Allen | |
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| Axtremus | Jul 19 2017, 08:58 AM Post #10 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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+1 on all the above. |
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| Axtremus | Jul 19 2017, 08:59 AM Post #11 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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And get Luke's Dad to buy. |
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| Catseye3 | Jul 19 2017, 09:15 AM Post #12 |
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Fulla-Carp
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[Deleted.] |
| Chocolate doesn't ask silly questions. Chocolate understands. | |
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| Steve Miller | Jul 19 2017, 09:44 AM Post #13 |
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Bull-Carp
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I second the recommendation for the night monument tour. Very cool. The Library of Congress is worth a look just because the interior of the building is so beautiful. |
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Wag more Bark less | |
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| Klaus | Jul 19 2017, 10:26 AM Post #14 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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OK, you convinced me to take a train ![]() Thanks for all the suggestions so far! I don't know about the significance of Georgetown, but I'll find out. I was thinking about spending a large part of the daytime inside, e.g. museums, and use the evening hours for outside stuff and a lot of walking. If any of the DC folks would be interested in a meeting please send me a PM! |
| Trifonov Fleisher Klaus Sokolov Zimmerman | |
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| George K | Jul 19 2017, 10:27 AM Post #15 |
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Finally
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It will be oppressively hot, probably! |
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A guide to GKSR: Click "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08 Nothing is as effective as homeopathy. I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles. - Klaus, 4/29/18 | |
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| Klaus | Jul 19 2017, 10:29 AM Post #16 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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Well, I'm always freezing inside buildings in the US due to the AC, hence on average my temperature will be perfect. |
| Trifonov Fleisher Klaus Sokolov Zimmerman | |
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| Copper | Jul 19 2017, 10:52 AM Post #17 |
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Shortstop
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True. You will get to see why Foggy Bottom (the area near the State Department) is called Foggy Bottom. The haze is so thick in the summer you can cut it with a knife. Georgetown is a Jesuit University and also just the name of the neighborhood. My knowledge of college bars is pretty dated but I used to be familiar with several there. It is not far from the Mall but if you intend to spend your time near the Mall it might be a little out of the way. My brother-in-law while in college used to live over a bar just across the Key Bridge on M street. His parents, my in-laws, came to visit one time. My wife wouldn't let them see his place. They had to wait outside while I went in to get him. She was afraid they would meet some of the resident vermin. Georgetown has been cleaned up some since then and there are more upscale places in Georgetown now that may be worth visiting. There are lots of hotels within a couple blocks of the whitehouse. Mr. Trump's new hotel is in a convenient location. Click for a hotel map |
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The Confederate soldier was peculiar in that he was ever ready to fight, but never ready to submit to the routine duty and discipline of the camp or the march. The soldiers were determined to be soldiers after their own notions, and do their duty, for the love of it, as they thought best. Carlton McCarthy | |
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| Klaus | Jul 19 2017, 11:55 AM Post #18 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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Booked a train back and forth for $140. Also found a surprisingly good hotel deal on hotwire.com (a Hilton in Georgetown for <$100). I'm a little disappointed that I haven't received a personal invitation from Mr. Spicer to meet with the POTUS yet. |
| Trifonov Fleisher Klaus Sokolov Zimmerman | |
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| Catseye3 | Jul 19 2017, 11:59 AM Post #19 |
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Fulla-Carp
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But seriously, be sure to take along some cool airy clothes to wear outdoors, though. |
| Chocolate doesn't ask silly questions. Chocolate understands. | |
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| jon-nyc | Jul 19 2017, 12:04 PM Post #20 |
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Cheers
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You're lucky they haven't deported your ass. |
| In my defense, I was left unsupervised. | |
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| Copper | Jul 19 2017, 12:06 PM Post #21 |
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Shortstop
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That location should work for you - the neighborhood is known as Embassy Row most foreign embassies are in that area. That Hilton is a few blocks from the Washington Hilton - site of the assassination attempt on Mr. Reagan. My wife witnessed that shooting. |
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The Confederate soldier was peculiar in that he was ever ready to fight, but never ready to submit to the routine duty and discipline of the camp or the march. The soldiers were determined to be soldiers after their own notions, and do their duty, for the love of it, as they thought best. Carlton McCarthy | |
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| Klaus | Jul 19 2017, 12:36 PM Post #22 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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George, do you know whether the Amtrak guys will kick me out if I show them the PDF with the tickets on my cell phone or laptop? I'm supposed to print the tickets, but I don't have a printer. |
| Trifonov Fleisher Klaus Sokolov Zimmerman | |
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| jon-nyc | Jul 19 2017, 12:40 PM Post #23 |
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Cheers
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Print them at the party Saturday. |
| In my defense, I was left unsupervised. | |
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| Klaus | Jul 19 2017, 12:48 PM Post #24 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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Ah, good idea. |
| Trifonov Fleisher Klaus Sokolov Zimmerman | |
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| George K | Jul 19 2017, 01:05 PM Post #25 |
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Finally
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Put them in the cloud, and then you can display on your phone. The conductor will scan the ticket. That's all you need. ![]() That's what I did until I started using Apple Wallet - now that stores my passes, tickets, etc. ![]() |
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A guide to GKSR: Click "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08 Nothing is as effective as homeopathy. I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles. - Klaus, 4/29/18 | |
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4:05 PM Jul 10