Ideas, please!
So — touching wood that all is well in Albany — we'll be taking a trip to celebrate a very special anniversary next month.
The stars have aligned so it coincides with Will's spring break, for which he plans to go to stay with his big sister in Olympia. So David and I had thought about a week in Paris — and that sounded very exciting and romantic. But (a) it's a long flight for what would end up being only a few days, and (b) my cousin Samantha is getting married in England in August and we'd love to try to get there for it.
So, we've decided to spend three days in Washington DC, and four in New York. We have dear friends in Garrison NY, with whom we stayed while we were on our honeymoon, and we'll be visiting them again. And Susan, with whom we stayed in Chicago on our honeymoon, is joining us in NYC for a couple of days.
We've been to NYC twice, but we've never been to Washington. Given that we love art and museums and books and good food and music and comedy — can anyone recommend some must-see places and must-do things in either city? I mean, other than the obvious (Smithsonian, National Gallery, MOMA etc etc)? All ideas appreciated!
2 comments:
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We haven't been to DC in years (it's on our wish list at the moment) -- what a wonderful trip to have to plan, though.
It has been years since I've been to DC but some highlights from my youthful days spent there - the Holocaust museum is very powerful, as all holocaust museums are. I would not miss the Library of Congress, even if there are no books you want to look up! You can't go wrong at the Smithsonian.
For bookshopping I have always enjoyed Dupont Circle of an evening. Also in Dupont Circle, not far from the train station (but I can't remember in which direction) is a wonderful tea house/cafe called Teaism. My father has visited it recently so I know it's still open. And I still fantasize regularly about the Ethiopian restaurants (there are 2 of them) in Adams Morgan, another good spot for night life.
If you contact one of your state's senators prior to going and make your story sound interesting enough, they can organise for a personalised tour of the congress building which is better than the usual tourist experience (I took a deaf exchange student from Iceland for such a tour once). I would skip queuing to tour the white house. The Ford (?) theatre where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated is an interesting US history spot, not sure though if it would make my '3 days in DC' itinerary! Have lots of fun! I have always thought DC was america's most wonderful city!
(PS, if you have a car, Thomas Jefferson's home, Monticello, in Virginia, is a couple hours drive from DC and is well worth visiting.)
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