Trip to Washington, DC next week

[mëtålspëd]

My wife and I are a couple of young 30s punks looking to have some fun in DC. We are flying down to see the Scorpions show next week in Maryland, and are considering going to DC the following day to have some fun. Neither of us have been.


With that said, knowing that we are both early 30s..... anyone have suggestions as to whats fun in the city? I can research until I am blue in the face, but real info is always better. Thanks

 

[DuchessOfDork]

/GASP!

Not it's MY turn to shine! I'll help you out by putting all of the Metro station names in bold text. Yes, take Metro everywhere. Purchase two SmartTrip passes (one for you and one for your wife) and use them to get all over the city on bus and train. No, don't use a paper farecard. They don't work on the bus, and you get charged an extra $1 for using paper.

What are you thinking of doing in the city? Food? Museums? I might suggest hitting up one of our fantastic restaraunts, but I'm not sure what you're into. There are many great burger joints and international places, plus one of the many Jose Andres restaraunts (he's one of our city's best chefs!) and of course there is Serandipidy if you feel like sharing an AMAZING GIGANTIC DELICIOUS sundae in our famous Georgetown. As a matter of fact, if you feel like seeing the city's "it" place for shopping and food, yes, please visit Georgetown and just walk around, especially at night or on a weekend. It's full of bars, live music, all that jazz. There is no direct Metro to Georgetown, BUT, it's easy to get there. Simply take Metro to Rosslyn on the red or orange line, then walk right outside and there is a blue bus that comes every 10 minutes called "Georgetown". You can use your Metro SmartTrip card to get on the bus. It stops all along the Georgetown route, so just get off once you start seeing fun things.

Another place you might enjoy is Gallery Place/Chinatown. The Spy Museum is there, and that's ALWAYS fun. It's near the Verizon Center, where the Capitals/Wizards play, and there are a lot of good trendy restaraunts (my favorite is La Tasca! Delicious tapas!), and shopping to be done there, too.

Looking to go see the Washington Monument, White House, or the Lincoln Memorial? Take Metro to the Smithsonian station and you'll be right in the middle of it all. There are maps nearby to help you navigate. You can also get to the World War 2 Memorial (it's HUGE) and all the good museums are just a brisk walk away.

Let me know if you're interested in seeing anything else!

 

[jaimek]

I second Georgetown. DuPont Circle is also a nice neighborhood to visit, with the zoo just a few more stops up on the red line.

Natural History is the best of the museums. Air & Space and American History are the next best, but you can *easily* spend five or six hours just in Natural History.

Do not underestimate how much time you'll spend walking around, even using the Metro or the bus!

 

[Justin G]

Is Smash still in Georgetown? If so, that's worth checking out (assuming you meant punks literally).

 

[esa]

Not a perfect fit for "punks looking for fun," but highly recommended for the emotional impact:

Walk the Vietnam memorial, slowly, and pay discrete attention to veterans and families of the fallen around you. Bring tissues.

Not your average monument.

 

[mëtålspëd]

I am sure Esa... my wife is actually a Vet, so I am sure chords would be struck.

 

[Diamond45]

Enjoy DC no matter where you go and do. Lots of things to do, and I've only scratched the surface. Just not enough time to do it all.

I played tour guide for my older brother and his wife about a year ago. Every time I go, I see stuff I want to go back and see. And I only live 50 miles away!