|
|
|
|
|
|
My Trip
|
|
|
|
|
Add points of interest to your trip by clicking on the  button while searching through our recommendations
|
|
|
0 items in your trip
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Neighborhood and Culinary Destinations
A taste of a different DC
|
|
| |
|
This trip is designed to be a relaxing, yet comprehensive, view of some of the best neighborhoods in Washington, DC. There are few tourist-focused items on the itinerary, so this is not designed for individuals that have never seen the Washington monument. This trip also involves a lot of walking, sometimes up to a mile or more between stops, but traveling by foot will give you the best feeling for the flavor of DC that many of us see on a daily basis.
 Day Note
Day 1 of this trip is designed to expose you to three of DC’s best neighborhoods, DuPont Circle, Georgetown, and Adams Morgan. Start your day in DuPont Circle. If it is Sunday, head to the farmers market just northwest of the circle. If not, relax at Kramer Books and do some shopping on Connecticut Avenue. After that, visit the Phillips collection, a smaller gallery located just off the circle. Then head to one of DC venerable institutions, Ben’s Chili Bowl. You can get there by simply walking up New Hampshire from the DuPont Circle and making a right once you hit U street. It will be about 4 blocks down. After lunch, hop in a Cab and head to Georgetown. If you like gardens, visit Dumbarton Oaks, otherwise spend some time walking off of M street (north) and check out some of Washington’s oldest homes. Then walk up and down M street, shopping and stopping for a drink, as needed, at any of the local watering holes. After that, enjoy a dinner at Hook (reservations needed), a Georgetown seafood restaurant. Then head back up to Adams Morgan. If it is Thursday-Saturday night, there should be huge crowd, lots of live music options, and many places to relax over a drink or two. One great place if you like live music is Madam’s Organ, or for a more relaxed evening try the Reef across the street. You can walk back to your hotel from Adams Morgan, just head down 18th until you hit New Hampshire and take that to the DuPont Circle.
This Adams-Morgan landmark, is a popular hangout. It is a place that clearly does not take itself too seriously, which is a relief in a neighborhood always hot with trendy schemes. Here, there is pool and live music every night from 9:30pm, usually blues or bluegrass. The place is bound to be jumping well before midnight.
A true melting pot of DC culture, Adams Morgan offers a little bit of something for everyone. Centered at 18th street and Columbia Road, by day, it is the one of city’s most interesting neighborhoods, with a large variety of unusual stores. By night, the true character of Adams Morgan emerges. Traffic comes to a near standstill as 18th street turns into one of the hubs of DC’s nightlife scene. Adams Morgan has a wide variety of restaurants serving food from a variety of countries such as Ethiopia, Turkey, Mexico, El Salvador, Brazil, Italy, Vietnam, and Ghana. Almost every restaurant transforms into a bar or nightclub come sundown. At 3 AM, partiers flood the street again, looking for late night food including falafel and DC’s famous “Jumbo Slice” pizza. Adams Morgan is a must-visit for those that want to experience one of the most diverse dining and nightlife areas of DC.
This Dupont Circle mansion retains the 19th-century grandeur enjoyed by the Phillips family. The gallery was opened in 1918 while the family was still living in the home. The collection displays mostly 19th- and 20th-century American and European paintings. Significant works by Degas, Renoir, Van Gogh, Cezanne, Bonnard and Klee are on display. One can browse at leisure and perhaps, catch an art student working on a sketch. Changing special exhibitions. Admission: Varies by exhibition. Fees are higher for special exhibitions. A cafe is onsite.
From El Greco's "The Visitation" to Byzantine and pre-Columbian artworks, jewelry and mosaics, this restored mansion is filled with elegant treasures. Built in 1801, the estate achieved its height of glory in the wealthy 1920s when it served as the high-society showpiece of Robert Bliss and his heiress wife, Mildred. The gardens occupy 10 acres above Georgetown and include terraced lawns, winding footpaths and elaborate fountains.
Take a rare opportunity to see the interiors of stately old Georgetown homes, which are opened to the public just once a year during a late April weekend. Admission includes afternoon tea with homemade sandwiches and cookies at the parish hall at St. John's Church.
Formerly the Canterbury Hotel, this fancy boutique hotel is a little bit Tao, a little bit Zen and a whole lot of New Age. How many other hotels offer packages with physic readings, have room service attendants in tunics, offer patrons a daily horoscope and set the whole place up Feng Shui style to promote good karma. The rooms are a feast for the senses. Each is styled with exotic colors and shapes and makes you feel like you are definitely somewhere different, someplace far away from the suit culture of DC. Dupont Circle is two blocks away.
Hook
Cuisine: Seafood, Middle Eastern & North African, Mediterranean
Located in the heart of Georgetown, Hook offers a seasonal menu featuring the best sustainable seafood, meat and local organic produce in a unique dining environment. Whether seated at our vibrant bar or in the inviting dining room, our knowledgeable and attentive staff welcomes you as our guest. We accept a limited number of reservations and the remainder of the restaurant is held for walk-in diners.
As much a destination as a place to eat, Ben’s Chili Bowl remains one of the few (non-governmental) things in DC that remains unchanged since the 1950s. The food is good – standard diner breakfast items in the mornings plus home-made chili, chili-cheese fries, burgers, coleslaw, veggie burgers, shakes and half-smokes (the fantastic DC and Baltimore local food that lives somewhere between sausage and hotdog). The place oozes history. Ben’s opened on U Street in 1958 and fed luminaries such as Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis and Martin Luther King Jr. Ten years later riots raged through DC after the assassination of King, closing much of the city. U Street was particularly hard hit. Like a beacon on rocky shores, Ben’s was able to stay open past curfew and feed the community leaders, firefighters and police who worked to save the neighborhood. Since that time Ben’s Chili Bowl has served a community gathering place as the city contracted and then grew again. Ben’s Chili Bowl is still Ben’s after fifty years. The stools, long counter, and bright booths are all original, and so is the experience.
Parking during the weekdays is not too bad (two hour limit for non-neighborhood residents), but weekends and evenings are difficult. Ben’s is directly across the street from the U Street/African American Civil War Memorial/Cardozo station (Green/Yellow lines). Exit via 13th street.
This scenic setting combines the social pleasures and style of Georgetown with the natural beauty of the Potomac riverfront. The wide promenade is enjoyed by office workers, shoppers, strollers and diners at several restaurants offering outdoor seating. This is a perfect place to stroll at midday, before a sunset dinner, or after dark when the terraces are lit up.
DuPont circle is one of Washington’s hubs of nightlife, shopping, and dining. The circle itself is filled with Washingtonians day and night, relaxing on the benches, snacking, or playing music or a game of chess. Around the circle, the neighborhood is filled with interesting museums, shops, restaurants and bars. DuPont, and more specifically 17th street off of DuPont, is considered the center of Washington DC’s gay and lesbian community. The Brickskeller, home of the world largest beer list, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, is located in DuPont. DuPont is also home to a large number of embassies, and one can easily access Embassy Row by simply walking north-west on Massachusetts Avenue, which intersects the circle. DuPont is also home to some of the most important think-tanks in the country, including the Brookings Institution and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and the Johns Hopkins University’s Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).
Georgetown is one of the most historically significant areas of DC. It is a great place to spend the afternoon shopping or just strolling along the tree-lined streets, looking at the expansive homes and mansions. “M” street in Georgetown is the main upscale shopping area in DC. There are numerous historical sights mixed throughout the area, including the Old Stone House on M street, the oldest building in DC, and Dumbarton Oaks, where the United Nations was outlined in 1944. Georgetown is also one of DC’s best places for eating, drinking, and nightlife. Local favorites include such places as Mr. Smiths, a piano bar, J. Pauls, and Old Glory Bar-B-Que. The Georgetown Waterfront is also a popular place to spend the afternoon. The restaurants that line the Potomac make for a great venue for drinks, although the food is better a couple of blocks north on M street. Recently, there has also been a proliferation of new, upscale restaurants in Georgetown including Hook and Mendocino Grille & Wine Bar.
Adams-Morgan
Day Note
Day 2 is designed to exposure you to the neighborhood of Alexandria, and specifically Old Town, just on the other side of the Potomac. Take the yellow line over the bridge to the King Street station and start heading toward the water. Along the way, be sure and stop at the upscale stores along King Street, en route to the unique Torpedo Factory Art Center. In addition, stop by one of Alexandria’s best stores, Grape and Bean (http://www.grapeandbean.com/). It is located at 118 South Royal Street, just off of King Street as you make your way to the water. They have the best coffee in town, not to mention delicious cheeses and an amazing and inexpensive wine selection. After spending the day in Alexandria, head back to visit Michel Richard’s restaurant Central (reservations required), located in the Penn Quarter (Yellow Line, Archives/Navy Memorial). It was recently named one of the top 10 restaurants that opened in the US in 2007.
The site of many patriot gatherings in the early days of the Revolution, Gadsby's Tavern has remained a place of fellowship and of good food and drink. It was in the doorway of this famous tavern that George Washington reviewed his troops for the last time. Dinners feature many 18th century Southern favorites including Crab Cakes, Stuffed Flounder, Roast Duck and Game Pie. Buttermilk Pie is an unusual treat. You will find local wines and ales as well as a full bar. On a cold winter night, try Martha's Remedy, a warming concoction of coffee, chocolate and brandy. Come have a look at the beautifully restored 18th century ballroom, tap room and bedroom.
Shortly after World War I, construction began on a series of buildings that became the U.S. Naval Torpedo Station. For the next five years, torpedoes were made and maintained at this facility. In 1945, production at the Torpedo Factory halted, and the buildings became a government storage facility. In 1969, the city of Alexandria bought the buildings and renovated them into working studio spaces for artists and craftspeople. Today, it is one of the largest and most successful visual arts centers in the country. Visitors can see the artists at work and purchase display pieces.
This modern American brasserie, is located on Penn. Ave NW between the White House and the Capitol. It offers great American cuisine, both modern and classic, with a French accent. A vibrant bar scene with boutique beer and wines, and modern and classic cocktails.
Old Town Alexandria is the historic area of the Alexandria, Virginia, located across the Potomac from Washington, DC. The area is primarily known for its historic town houses, art galleries, antique shops, and restaurants. Old Town offers a change of pace and scenery from DC and contains a number of hidden historical landmarks. The Torpedo Factory Art Center is a former torpedo factory that has been converted to 82 working artists studios and six galleries. At the factory you can watch the many artists including printmakers, potters, jewelry makers, painters, and sculptors. The majority of the items are for sale. On the weekends, the factory takes on a family feel, with a number of activities geared to keep children entertained. In addition, on the second Thursday of the month, the galleries stay open until 9 pm, and the factory serves free refreshments for Second Thursday Art Night.
Attractions include the Alexandria African-American Heritage Park, The Alexandria Archeology Museum, the boyhood home of Robert E. Lee, Fort Ward Museum and Historic Site, George Washington Masonic National Memorial and The Lee-Fendall House Museum. Cameron Run Regional Park featuring a wave pool, water slides, fantasy creatures and deluxe mini-golf. Also home of the Atlantic Canoe and Kayak Company, a member of the Virginia Professional Paddlesport Association. Mason Neck State Park in Fairfax County and Leesylvania State Park in Prince William County are a short drive away. Shopping highlights include Potomac Mills. Numerous antiquing opportunities, dinner river cruises and the Torpedo Factory Art Center where over 85 artists creature demonstrate and exhibit their artwork. Alexandria is located in northern Virginia on the Potomac River near Arlington. It may be accessed via Interstate 95 or U.S. Route 1.
Gadsby's Tavern Museum
|
|
