Need some hot spots in Washington D.C. What made your trip?
I am looking to get out and explore DC some more. I want to hear your favorites. I know the monuments, I live amongst them. I want to know what neighborhood you think is the best and why. What surprised you about the city?What is the most vibrant scene, the most memorable stuff. This CAN include monuments. But I live here, so I am not trying to cram the staples into one weekend. Also, any tips for Virginia and Maryland are more than welcome too. I need some adventure. This is about the best of YOUR experience. So lay it on me!
Reply to this oh damn, we lived in Harrisburg for just over a year and used to go to DC ALOT to go to a 'big' city and be somewhere a bit nicer for us. One of our friends lived just near the free smithsonian zoo...and just near there was a great restaurant/cafe strip with some little arty shops etc which was soooo nice to go to on weekends. Sorry, i dont remember the name....
otherwise some friends we also stayed with regularly where in Herndon Virginia which was a fantastic little community about 20 min out of DC downtown. They had a little village full of shops/cafes and restaraunts and also summer festivals, movie nights etc etc. There were some really good restaurants there.
hope that helps and maybe something youve not heard of?
tam
Reply to this Hi Gabby,
When are you planning to go? Will this be your first trip?
Please read our blog.
Spring in DC !!!!! Winter retreats and the blossoms return.
DC is one of our favorite cities. We really enjoyed going to the presentation at the Ford theatre and we enjoyed walking around on the grounds of the Watergate hotel. You are too young to remember much about the Watergate scandal but we had fun walking around wondering who was in what room, what did they say and how did they dream up such a mess.
My favorite time to go is when the Cherry Blossoms are in bloom.
One of our best friends lives in DC and I'll write and get a couple of suggestions for off the beaten track sort of things.
Going the day of the kite festival was fun. Lots of artists near the water.
Reply to this Hi Dance and Merry Jo,
I actually live here 😉
The cherry blossoms are a must. I am waiting for the opportunity to photograph that time. I never seem to be around for it!!
I haven't looked into the Ford Theater or Watergate hotel too much. Great suggestion! I am a history buff for sure and always love a good scandal! I don't know much about it.
If your friend is open to meeting up and walking around, definitely send them my way. The more the merrier!
Thanks!
Gaby
Reply to this Gaby,
The Watergate is closed and beginning to deteriorate but that gave it something mystic. It allowed us to wonder about what it once was.
I'm not sure why but I thought you lived in Boston. Am I completely confused?
I'll see if our friend would like to meet up he is in and out of town often on work.
Reply to this The Newseum is a must; and we recently met travel friends from DC in Chinatown. Details are in our DC blog. Funny thing re: the DC friends. We met them on a fishing charter in Naples, Fl and found ourselves on the same boat a year later.
Reply to this Joanne,
I'll add that to our list for our next visit. Thanks for the tip.
Reply to this 
