Washington, DC

DH and I are thinking of taking a trip to D.C. in August. Neither of us have been there since we were kids. Does anyone have suggestions about where to stay in D.C. or in the nearby areas? It doesn't have to be in the heart of the city. I'd like to stay somewhere with an outdoor pool, since I enjoy swimming on vacation. We need something relatively affordable, but nicer than say, a Days Inn.

Also, if anyone has any suggestions about anything we should see or do, other than the obvious, I'd love to hear them! TIA!

Re: Washington, DC

We stayed @ the Palomar, which is a Kimpton hotel -
AWESOME hotel and location.
You can easily walk over the bridge into Gerogetown (DH's favorite) and DH is pretty small so everything is w/in walking distance, if you don't want to walk, the subway (i forget what it's called there) isn't far - maybe a 5 min walk.

The hotel is beautiful and in a great area.

Re: Washington, DC

Stay in a hotel accessible to the Metro Red Line. The hotel should be able to tell you what line you are on. Check out the National Building Museum and the Spy Museum as less known places. Also, Newseum in Arlington is great. And , we also love all the restaurants and bars in Georgetown.

Message edited 3/1/2010 5:29:42 PM.

Re: Washington, DC

Definitely the Westin. There's one downtown, within hollering distance of the capitol building. Great breakfasts, beautiful rooms, and really accessible to everything. Take the Metro if you can; parking is kind of a PITA.

Not sure what you're into, but DH ad I went to the Newseum. It's a museum about the history of reporting and news. We were there for hours; the exhibits were fantastic. Try Ethiopian food in Georgetown; it's an interesting culinary experience.

Have fun! DC is a great town!

Re: Washington, DC

The metro in DC is great, easy to understand and get around. It stops at or near most of the major tourist attractions. I think as long as you found a hotel within walking distance of a metro you'd be fine. If you're looking for something affordable you could try going into Virginia, someplace like Rosslyn or Crystal City.

As far as places to go, other than the obvious places, I like the National Museum of American History and the air and space museum. Georgetown is a great place to walk around and window shop, it's also fun at night. Old Town, Virginia is also one of my favorites.

Re: Washington, DC

Definitely have dinner in Adams Morgan, lots of diverse ethnic restaurants.

I'd say anywhere downtown near Metro Center/Farragaut North areas are good places to stay

Love DC went to college there.