Jump to content

Washington DC


midtown

Recommended Posts

Planning to take my kids this summer vs another beach trip.  11 & 8.  I've been several times but never with kids.  I know the typical stuff.  Smithsonian, Lincoln memorial, etc  My grandfather/grandmother are buried at Arlington so probably try to do that again.    Anything especially good for kids?  Also a hotel recommendation in proximity to the action would be appreciated.  

Edited by midtown
Link to comment
Share on other sites

51 minutes ago, midtown said:

3-4 Star.  I don't plan on being in it much.  I have gold status with SPG, Hilton, and Marriott. 

The Madison is a Hilton property now, and usually reasonably priced (200/nt). There is a Westin immediately behind it that is one of the better ones I've stayed in. They are on the corner of 15th and M. There's also a Courtyard on Scott Circle. I think these locations are the best for general purposes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

there's a trader joe's around the corner from there.  can't be that bad.

 

speaking of that bad, i let a friend be in charge of the lodging for our trip next month after he said something about his using his parents private club.  bad move.  hojo on NY NE.  probably going to get bed bugs.  not even easy walking distance to a bar.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Check out the Spy Museum and the Newseum.  Skip going up into Washington monument.  Also skip the Holocaust Museum with kids that age even though it's my favorite.  The Ford Theatre was great.  As far as a hotel, just find something in a decent area close to a Metro station.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ben's Chili bowl sucks.  And U street actually has hopping night life theses days. I'm up there pretty regularily for shows at the 9:30.  The younger guys will be out picking up trim there before the Maryland game this fall.

If you are going to do the African America musuem you have to reserve tickets.  I like the Hirshhorn but modern art may not be your thing.  The cafeteria at the Native American museum is the tits, but the museum itself is kinda meh. If you are going to tour the hill, call your congress critter and arrange a tour, otherwise you have to stand in line.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, Bateshorn said:

Ben's Chili bowl sucks.

I agree, but it's something people want to say they do.

 

If you are still hitting the 9:30 you have more energy than I do. Last time I went there Sublime was playing and it was on F St.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Geezer

2 minutes ago, G650 said:

If you are still hitting the 9:30 you have more energy than I do. Last time I went there Sublime was playing and it was on F St.

Geezer. 

J/K big props to getting to see a show at the old location.

Second Eastern Market.  Also, if you have a car, check out Union Market and hit up Rappahannock Oyster.

 

Edited by Bateshorn
Link to comment
Share on other sites

25 minutes ago, Bateshorn said:

It's out at Dulles.  That's almost an hour away from city center in no traffic.

Guess I've been lucky as it's never taken more than 45 min. If you, or your children, are into planes or space it's still worth the trip as it's very easy to spend most of the day there. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Txzen said:

Guess I've been lucky as it's never taken more than 45 min. If you, or your children, are into planes or space it's still worth the trip as it's very easy to spend most of the day there. 

I love it, but I don't want people planning for it thinking it's close by.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Agreed re: Air & Space, not the one on the Mall... that's an easy full day due to the amazing volume of stuff. Got to talk to an F-4 pilot who had written a book about his Vietnam tours & was set up with a small table right by the same kind of plane he used.

 

I also 2nd seeing the monuments @ night... something special about Jefferson, Lincoln, Korean, etc. with all the shadows.

 

Spot on re: cafeteria @ Native American. Look @ the schedule & see what might be going on in that space while you're there... interesting dances, displays, etc. Disagree about the entire space /MNAI in general, but then I'm interested in Native American culture in general.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you've never tried it before, go to an Ethiopian restaurant.   For quality, consistency, and accessibility, I recommend Ethiopic, but there are many good ones.   

If your kids do well at really nice restaurants, try Kinship or Fiola.

I'd recommend the Penn Quarter area for a home base. 

If you do go to Arlington and have a car, get lunch at a Peruvian chicken place, either El Pollo Rico or Crisp & Juicy. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Bateshorn said:

I love it, but I don't want people planning for it thinking it's close by.

It's a commitment, for sure. Similar to the ROFL, when I was there last I got caught up talking to an SR-71 Blackbird pilot there. Could have spent an hour just with him, as he had a lot of interesting stories. 

3rd seeing the monuments at night. At night, if lucky, you run around and find parking nearby allowing you to see more than you would otherwise. The Korean one in particular is great. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you're near the "front L" corner of The People's House (if viewed from inside the bkdg, front R if you have the bldg in front of you), take a moment @ the Boy Scouts of America statue.

 

A collection of dimes was undertaken by Scouts from all across America to pay for it & the names of all the Scouts who collected are written on scrolls that are inside the monument.

 

I think this was in the 1930's.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, yoladu said:

can't recommend Holiday Inn Washington Capitol enough.

Great location - one block south of the Mall/Air and Space Museum - C Street

Reasonable priced and perfect for families. Nothing fancy, but safe and nice hotel.

Similar to the MO, it's really good for the Smithsonian, but isolated from other stuff. It is closer to the Capitol though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, yoladu said:

can't recommend Holiday Inn Washington Capitol enough.

Great location - one block south of the Mall/Air and Space Museum - C Street

Reasonable priced and perfect for families. Nothing fancy, but safe and nice hotel.

I stayed there back in 2006.  I remember it being a perfect spot.  Also found a Fairfield in up near the spy museum which I went to that same trip. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/4/2018 at 12:19 PM, txhorns said:

Check out the Spy Museum and the Newseum.  Skip going up into Washington monument.  Also skip the Holocaust Museum with kids that age even though it's my favorite.  The Ford Theatre was great.  As far as a hotel, just find something in a decent area close to a Metro station.

Holocaust Museum was the quietest place I've ever been with a bunch of people.  That place was rough but amazingly well done.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Chewbacca said:

Holocaust Museum was the quietest place I've ever been with a bunch of people.  That place was rough but amazingly well done.

Oh yes it's amazing, I just wouldn't recommend taking kids that young there

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've posted this on multiple DC threads on the old site:

The Holocaust Museum is easily one of the most thoughtful and well curated museum experiences I've ever done.  It's emotionally shattering and life changing. And it's not good for young children, and tbh, it's kind hard to do even as adults, from a timing perspective.  People have to do it at their own pace.  Some people will do the permanent exhibit in 2 hours.  Others will take 5.  It's an intensely personal experience, and usually you need time after to process what you just went through.

Edited by Bateshorn
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, G650 said:

What sort of crowd are you taking? It's a younger scene in general.

It would be me and my wife and maybe another couple about 40ish years old.  We'll be at the Marriott Wardman Park for my wife's conference.  The live music scene and row of restaurants in Adams Morgan intrigued me when I was researching the area. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, miguelito said:

It would be me and my wife and maybe another couple about 40ish years old.  We'll be at the Marriott Wardman Park for my wife's conference.  The live music scene and row of restaurants in Adams Morgan intrigued me when I was researching the area. 

Yeah, you could have fun there for sure. It's not like a bunch of shithole college bars or anything.  Another place not too far you may want to check out is around Dupont, the Big Hunt and Mad Hatter are similar crowds, more young professional and folks in our age bracket though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, Chewbacca said:

My kids were 9 and 12 when we went to the Holocaust Museum.  While I don't think the 9 year old necessarily processed everything there, I wouldn't say he was too young.  Depends on the maturity of the kids.

I'm all for giving kids a window in the realities of real life and of history and each parent should what they think it best but IMO there is no reason to expose kids of this age to something like that unnecessarily.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm all for giving kids a window in the realities of real life and of history and each parent should what they think it best but IMO there is no reason to expose kids of this age to something like that unnecessarily.  
So don't take your kids there. Mine handled it really well.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

31 minutes ago, Chewbacca said:
2 hours ago, midtown said:
I'm all for giving kids a window in the realities of real life and of history and each parent should what they think it best but IMO there is no reason to expose kids of this age to something like that unnecessarily.  

So don't take your kids there. Mine handled it really well.

Thinking scrip club and making get some crack instead. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Depending on your 9 year old's height, you may not have noticed that the disturbing exhibits are designed in such a way that shorter people can't actually see the really upsetting parts.  Again, it's an incredibly well designed museum.

Again, it's a personal experience.  It impacted me very deeply and I would not take a 9 year old there, even with the clever design, but that's just me.

DuPont Circle isn't nearly as young and hip as it used to be.  The Big Hunt and Lucky Bar are fine.  I work a few blocks from there.  But there more dive happy hour joints than hip places. You should look on U Street, 14 Street, H Street, and Shaw/Petworth for that now.

I honestly can't speak to Adams Morgan these days. It used to have more than a bit of Dirty 6th to it, but I haven't been there in a decade.

Near the Waldeman Park, New Heights used to be pretty good, don't know now, but the downstairs bar has pretty good drinks.  There's a good neighborhood bar across from the Zoo called Zoo Bar, and some decent stuff up in Cleveland Park.

 

Edited by Bateshorn
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



×
×
  • Create New...