Washington, DC In October

[The Observer]

I will be traveling to DC just prior to the start of the Columbus Day Weekend. After taking care of the obligatory requirements of renewing my Illuminati Blood Oath and getting my picture taken with Cerebus at 1111 Constitution Ave, I will be spending the rest of time looking around. Not sure if October is a bad time to be in DC (I am sure there are worse times to be there) but wondering if the federal holiday is going to put a damper on some of the bigger attractions being closed. If so, should I be cramming in stuff like crazy on the Friday and Saturday leading into the holiday or will I be able to spread it out to Sunday as well?

And if I could get some good suggestions on places to eat as well as those that I should avoid like the plague, I would be most appreciative.

[Nikki]

1 - where will you be staying

2 - what do you want to see / do

3 - what do you wnat to eat (cuisine / budget)

[Demosthenes]

October is a great time for DC. Bring layers and a camera to capture the fall foliage.

How much time will you have?

[The Observer]

October is a great time for DC. Bring layers and a camera to capture the fall foliage.

How much time will you have?

Evening of the 6th, departing on the 10th.

[The Observer]

1 - where will you be staying

2 - what do you want to see / do

3 - what do you wnat to eat (cuisine / budget)

1. Reservations are at the Holiday Inn Capitol

2. First time to DC, so I would like to get to the main sites (the Mall, the Memorials, see the White House (outside, don't have tickets since this was a last minute arrangement), the Capitol, the Supreme Court, some of the Smithsonian museums, Ford's Theater as well as Arlington. Not sure if this is all doable - I will be with some friends on and off during the weekend so the wife and I may have to compromise in order to accommodate their wishes as well.

3. Not really picky about the cuisine, and can do the informal as well as the formal (pubhouses or brewerys as well as more upscale. Looking more for the unique rather than hitting the chains/franchises. On the other hand paying $100+ for a meal has never excited me although I can afford it. Good food is really what I am looking for.

[Cathulhu]

and getting my picture taken with Cerebus at 1111 Constitution Ave, I

The three headed dog at the gates of hell (main IRS office) would be Cerberus; Cerebus was an aardvark drawn by Dave Simms as I recall...

[JamesVincent]

Theres a ton of things to do and see around DC at anytime Observer. What I would do if I were you is sit down with your wife and make a list of priorities of what you like going to see. The Smithsonian alone can take 2 full days to truly go through, not to mention both Air and Space Museums and so on. I would prioritize what types of places you want to see and then post that to give you a better idea. Especially since if you love fall colors and have a rental car its not that far of a drive from DC to go down the Blue Ridge Parkway and some other places and there are an ungodly number of museums. Food in DC is pretty widespread as far as type and place and there are quite a few different places but Georgetown is always a good place to look around and grab food.

[fortinbras]

Let's have a DC gathering in October for this event. This time a restaurant where we can all sit together instead of separate tables scattered all over.

[JamesVincent]

and getting my picture taken with Cerebus at 1111 Constitution Ave, I

The three headed dog at the gates of hell (main IRS office) would be Cerberus; Cerebus was an aardvark drawn by Dave Simms as I recall...

Other than you and I, how many people here do you think will understand what you wrote?

We dont have a raising hand icon? Whats the world coming to. We need a raising hand icon.

[Nikki]

1 - where will you be staying

2 - what do you want to see / do

3 - what do you wnat to eat (cuisine / budget)

1. Reservations are at the Holiday Inn Capitol

2. First time to DC, so I would like to get to the main sites (the Mall, the Memorials, see the White House (outside, don't have tickets since this was a last minute arrangement), the Capitol, the Supreme Court, some of the Smithsonian museums, Ford's Theater as well as Arlington. Not sure if this is all doable - I will be with some friends on and off during the weekend so the wife and I may have to compromise in order to accommodate their wishes as well.

3. Not really picky about the cuisine, and can do the informal as well as the formal (pubhouses or brewerys as well as more upscale. Looking more for the unique rather than hitting the chains/franchises. On the other hand paying $100+ for a meal has never excited me although I can afford it. Good food is really what I am looking for.

Double-decker tour buses (open top level, enclosed lower) have one price for two consecutive days -- hop on/off at all the major attractions plus pretty good narration. Other tour buses offer similar features, but not sure about the 2-day deal (or the price)

Alternatively, depending on your and wife's legs, everything you mentioned is walkable except Arlington. Longest trek (Capitol to Lincoln Memorial) is around 3 miles and everything else you mentioned is in between those two.

MetroRail does run from downtown to Arlington. ( WMATA.COM )

As to dining, that's Demosthenes' department. If there's a restaurant she doesn't know, it hasn't opened yet.

Finally, whatever else, DO NOT DRIVE your car in the city. The roads are confusing and parking is at a premium, even on weekends.

[JamesVincent]

To add to what Nikki said:

http://www.opentopsightseeing-dc.com/index.php

I would highly recommend the cruises. Ive taken the kids on a couple of them and they were a lot of fun.

[Demosthenes]

If I had limited time in DC, these would be on my list. The hop on hop off bus will take you to just about everything. DO NOT DRIVE.

Capitol Building
Air and Space Museum
Newseum
Union Station
National Gallery
The various monuments (Washington, Lincoln, WWII, Vietnam, FDR etc.)
Arlington National Cemetery
Folger's Shakespeare Library
Library of Congress
National Portrait Gallery
The National Cathedral and Washington Memorial will probably be closed. They sustained millions in damages from this week's earthquake.
They're touristy, but other fun tours you should consider are the Duck Tour and the

Eating in DC can be divided into four categories. Cool views vs. people watching vs. good food vs. famous DC digs. They only overlap in a few cases.

For example, you can almost always find a congressman or Anne-Coulter level pundit at Bistro Bis or Charlie Palmer's. Treasury types can sometimes be seen at Old Ebbitt Grill. The views from the rooftop restaurant at POV restaurant at the W Hotel are fantastic.

DC has a lot of high end mediocrity and mid-level funkiness when it comes to dining. Spend an evening at Dupont Circle and you'll find a bunch of fun, yummy, casual cuisine that isn't all that pricey. Stop and have tea at Teaism. Another treat if you like mussels and fries is a bar called Granville Moores in SE. If you're on the Hill and want to relax over a tasty appletini, drop by Lounge 201; you'll find a lot of Congressional staffers winding down their day there. If you want a good sandwich, quiche, or pastry, try Paul's downtown -- the famous Parisian bakery just opened in DC.

[The Observer]

Thanks for all of the suggestions and I appreciate the time you took in posting them. The hop-on/hop-off buff is a good idea, I did this in Dublin a couple of years ago and it worked very well.

Finally, whatever else, DO NOT DRIVE your car in the city

How about PUSHING my car in the city? Seriously, no worries there. I am flying in and will be relying on public transportation to get around if needed. From what I understand owning a car in the area of Northern Virginia to Boston is a liability rather than a benefit.

They're touristy, but other fun tours you should consider are the Duck Tour and the[...]

And the what? Is it that big of a secret?

Especially since if you love fall colors and have a rental car its not that far of a drive from DC to go down the Blue Ridge Parkway...

That is a very tempting idea and it may be worth it renting a car for the day (if I can figure out how to avoid the hellish traffic of DC).

Let's have a DC gathering in October for this event. This time a restaurant where we can all sit together instead of separate tables scattered all over.

That would be a nice idea, but I suppose the most of the Quatloosians in that neck of the woods may have other plans. If a get-together is planned Thursday or Friday evening would be the best for me.

[Demosthenes]

They're touristy, but other fun tours you should consider are the Duck Tour and the[...]

And the what? Is it that big of a secret?

Oops.

... Segway tour.

[Demosthenes]

One more thing, save an evening to see The Capitol Steps.

http://www.capsteps.com/

[JamesVincent]

Especially since if you love fall colors and have a rental car its not that far of a drive from DC to go down the Blue Ridge Parkway...

That is a very tempting idea and it may be worth it renting a car for the day (if I can figure out how to avoid the hellish traffic of DC).

http://www.blueridgeparkway.org/

Its actually not that bad if your leaving in the morning and coming back in the evening. I used to have to go in and out of DC at all hours of the day and unless your in rush hour its really not that bad.

[Brandybuck]

[Other than you and I, how many people here do you think will understand what you wrote?

I got it.

[Nikki]

Especially since if you love fall colors and have a rental car its not that far of a drive from DC to go down the Blue Ridge Parkway...

That is a very tempting idea and it may be worth it renting a car for the day (if I can figure out how to avoid the hellish traffic of DC).

http://www.blueridgeparkway.org/

Its actually not that bad if your leaving in the morning and coming back in the evening. I used to have to go in and out of DC at all hours of the day and unless your in rush hour its really not that bad.

True, BUT -- even without any accidents on any of the major roads, weekday rush hour starts around 5:30 AM and lasts until about 7:30 PM with just a slight easing between 9:30 and 2:30.

Monday mornings and Friday evenings are even worse.

Plus the Virginia Beltway (I-495) is undergoing MAJOR construction and is always a mess.

Fortunately, the city just about shuts down on weekends.

Just remember FM 103.5 WTOP News Radio. Traffic reports every 10 minutes, but you'll need a map to understand their references.

[Demosthenes]

Tourists shoudn't drive in DC for a number of reasons, not just because of the traffic.

1) One way streets and lanes that change direction depending on the time of day.
2) Aggressive Maryland drivers + passive Virginia drivers = road rage.
3) Your GPS will scramble street indicators the closer you drive to the White House.
4) Parking is a nightmare.

[JamesVincent]

IDK, I had a lot more problems getting in and out of Springfield and those areas then actual downtown DC. And dont even get me started on Germantown. I loved that area and loved the people I was doing work for but I would gladly never go back there to avoid that traffic on 270 and 355.