posted 05-24-2005 05:38 PM               

There are two
Smithsonian Air and Space Museums here - the main one on the Capitol Mall,
and the Udvar-Hazy center over in Virginia. I'd suggest at least half a day
at each, and a day at each if you can afford it.

You can use the Metro subway system to get around DC. Trains and usually
buses come in at Union Station, and you can catch the Metro right there. It
can take you to within a few blocks of the main Air & Space Museum (the
Smithsonian stop, or the L'Enfant Plaza stop). You can catch a bus at the
main Air & Space out to Udvar Hazy and back for about $10.

As far as hotels go - staying
inside Washington DC proper will be expensive. I would suggest that you
stay in Crystal City, Virginia. There are two Marriott hotels there, a
Holiday Inn, Hampton Inn, and Radisson. There is also a metro stop in
Crystal City, and it is only 5 minutes away from L'Enfant Plaza
where you get off for the museum. It's a decent neighborhood and cheaper than the downtown DC hotels.

I'd suggest that you either fly, take the train (Amtrak will take you right from Newark airport to Union Station), or a bus to get to DC. I'd suggest against driving, since the streets here are tough to navigate and parking is tough. The train, bus, or driving will take about 3 - 4 hours each way.

If you want to fly down here, I'd suggest you go into Washington Reagan Airport (DCA). There is a Metro stop at that airport that is about 5 - 10 minutes away from L'Enfant Plaza (where you get off for NASM) and just a couple of minutes away from Crystal City.

If you fly into Dulles (IAD), you can catch a bus into L'Enfant Plaza (Metrobus T5 I think) for $1.25. And Udvar-Hazy is a 5 minute cab ride from Dulles.

Flying into Baltimore (BWI) might be your cheapest airfare option, but be prepared for a bit of a complicated train/bus scenario or a $60 cab ride to get to DC. Even longer to get to Udvar-Hazy.

posted 05-28-2005 10:06 PM               

Does the $12 deal apply for starting at Dulles into the Mall and returning to Dulles?

I have been to the Mall Museum a couple of times, and I was planning on just going to the Udvay Hazy Centre this time, during a short layover. This is mainly because of the high cost in getting from Dulles to downtown by taxi or even public transport.

I would love to take you up on your offer to show us around - are you on duty on August 12 or 13th?

All the Best

posted 06-01-2005 08:56 AM               

Also well worth the money is a cruise down the Potomac to George Washington's home at Mount Vernon http://www.spiritcitycruises.com/mtvernon/ . The cost of the cruise and entrance to Mount Vernon is approx $35 and is IMHO a bargain.

Another must is the Post Office Pavillion which is located on Pensylvannia Ave which affords magnficent views of DC from the top of its bell-tower which is accessible by lift or elevator as you American's like to call it . http://www.oldpostofficedc.com/

The beauty about DC is just about every attraction you want to visit is free. You only have to pay for tours/cruises. Admission to all the historic monuments/museums are free. For the lady in your life shopping in DC is pretty poor though there's a couple of nice malls at Pentagon City http://www.simon.com/mall/default.aspx?ID=157 which has its own metro stop and http://www.shopsatgeorgetownpark.com/ . The Adams-Morgan area of DC is the best for nightlife and restaurants IMHO.

Hope that covers it. Regards, Derek

posted 06-03-2005 11:50 AM               

The Korean War Memorial - Deeply moving and atmospheric, the bigger than life sized statues of a platoon of tired wary soldiers is the first thing you register. However, when you get up close to the black marble wall that flanks one side of group you see that there are thousands of ghostly images of soldiers in the stone. A must see.

The Vietnam War Memorial is close by, a black marble wall listing all the casualties by year. The height of the wall increases by cutting deeper into the ground to indicate the slow increase then decrease of numbers killed.

You'll be feeling pretty glum by now (and rightly so) so you can either pick things up with a short walk to the Lincoln Memorial and stand where Martin Luther King delivered his "I have a dream" speech, or hop on the subway to Arlington Cemetery (not the cheerful option, but very worth a visit). JFK's tomb with the eternal flame, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and many astronauts are all to be found in the beautiful, serene and vast graveyard. If you head out a short distance at one end you'll find yourself confronted by the huge statue of the Marines raising the flag at Iwo Jima.

So, back to the subway and NASM!!!!! No need for instructions , but I can recommend the huge burgers in the cafeteria. As the sun sets call it a day. with the staff dragging you out as you try vainly to heave Columbia out of the doors with you.

Next day, the White House. Wave at the snipers on the roof, who will in all likelihood not wave back. Marvel at the incredibly burly man with the crew cut who has just happened to choose to do his morning's 300 push ups opposite. Step over him (only kidding - DON'T) and there's the Washington Monument. Like Nelson's Column, only without Nelson. But in Washington.

Cross the road briskly (watching out for large black mirrored vans with dark suited men hanging out of the side door with guns) and head to the FBI building a few blocks down. Kind of dull but interesting, in that you'll spend the rest of your life seeing it on telly and saying "I've been there".

Lunch at the National Gallery Of Art, I recommend the chocolate cake. Stunning building, worth seeing inside just for the architecture, huge spaces crossed by walkways. Check out the only DaVinci painting in the US, superbly restored but unfortunately being rapidly destroyed by no restrictions on flash photography. The mind boggles. (Non chin-stroking types might choose to skip this and go to any of the other dozens of museums in the vicinity).

Dinner, drink, bed.

Cheers,
Matt