AngelaS

My DH & I will be in DC for one day so we want to hit up the big sites; any recs for a good tour? Also any recs for a good local restaurant (nothing fancy).. Thanks!

jedivader

If you are into brews, try Cap City near Union Station or downtown (near Chinatown). Food is ok, beer is good.

I would just get in and around the mall area and walk in and out of musuems if you only have one day.

Andeesue

Restaurant on 7th, near the Mall is DC Chophouse, also a microbrewery.
With such limited time, you may just want to visit museums on the mall, you have monuments, sculpture gardens... it will take the entire day!

volcanogirl

Our favorite things were touring all the monuments, the Capitol, and Arlington National Cemetery.

DancingBearMD

Tourmobile and Olde Town Trolley are the major operators of off-on tourbus service, stopping at all of the major sites. Or Grayline and Open Top offer circuit tours.

DC can be a lot of walking, and you don't have a lot of time. You need to narrow down your interests.

One option--Tour the Capitol, then walk to whichever you like of the Botanical Gardens, Museum of the American Indian, Air and Space Museum, or the National Gallery. Then have lunch in one of the National Gallery eateries (including the cafe in the Sculpture Garden), and continue your visit to whichever you like of the National Archives (get a ticket in advance on-line), Museum of Natural History or the Newseum (the only one of the foregoing with an admission charge). Or have lunch in the Penn Quarter north of the National Gallery (plenty of restaurants to chose from) and then take in the National Portrait Gallery/Museum of American Art, or the National Building Museum or the Spy Museum (admission charge).

Then after dinner get tickets for the nighttime Old Town Trolley tour (Monuments by Moonlight) and you'll see the White House, Jefferson Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, etc.

AngelaS

I appreciate the tips. Good suggestions DancingBear - depending on time perhaps we will save the monument tour for night; I've heard it's awesome.

Also, what about parking? I've heard we could park in Union Station..

vjpblovesitaly

Union Station is $19/day.

jp36

Re. parking: if you'll be there on a Sunday, go for parking on the street. It will take some time to find, but meters are off, so it's worth it. You may want to consider metered street parking anyway, or a lot downtown that is closer to the museums on the Mall. I find that Union Station can be a real hike, if you are going anywhere beyond the Capitol.

If you go to the District Chophouse (which I agree is a good rec) or are in the Penn Quarter, be sure to pop into the National Portrait Gallery and American Art Museum (tip: start on the 3rd floor). It's arguably the best museum in a town full of great museums.

Enjoy!

AngelaS

Great tips - I really appreciate it! We will be there this Saturday - with the parking we're just looking for something that's going to be easy (even if it's $25/day) and close to where the tour will pick us up.

In regards to museums - I've heard many museums are free - is this correct? Since we only have one day we're just trying to focus on the the main sites via a tour; do you think we would have time for museums, or would it be too much?

vjpblovesitaly

yes, most of the museums are free. All of the ones in the Smithsonian system and the National Gallery of Art are free. The Phillips Collection and the Corcoran are not.

jedivader

Have to disagree with the District Chophouse. I have eatern there twice and the food is not very good, overrated. They do not have a very good Happy Hour if you are into that.

Just parking down near the mall (should be able to find free parking on the street sat.), you should be able to walk to and see plenty in one day.

Links:

http://www.nps.gov/nama/

http://home.nps.gov/applications/par...map_final2.pdf

http://www.washington-landmarks.com/...onal_mall.html


Good beer & Happy Hours

http://www.capcitybrew.com/locations.php

http://olddominionbrewhouse.com/

spirobulldog

Our favorite thing to do in DC is The Smithsonians. Most of them take at least 3 hours just to half- way see it.

DancingBearMD

The only museums that I mentioned that charge admissions are the Newseum and the Spy Museum. Most of the attractions around the Mall are free, including all of the Smithsonian Museums.

You'll want to get timed tickets ahead of time (on the web) if you are interested in the National Archives. Holocaust Museum (although I'd save that for another trip), and going up the Washington Monument. But you can easily fill your time without these.