Reporting Live with Pictures (was Summer Vacation booked - Mandarin Oriental, DC)

[nzdisneymom]

I just love planning vacations - for me, half the fun is the planning and anticipation. We're venturing out with DVC Points for summer 2008 and will be spending a week at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Washington DC.

It looks like a beautiful hotel and is situated very nicely for what we want to do in the DC area. We have booked a Mandarin District (City) view room for six nights. The online reservation cost is $790 a night I'd never be able to consider staying somewhere that expensive for even one night, let alone 6 nights. But yay for DVC!

Most of what we're planning to do in DC is $-free (various museums, etc.) so aside from food, parking, and souvenirs (and some Metro fares), our DVC points are covering the bulk of our trip.

Anyway, I just had to post It's our first DVC adventure outside of the DVC resorts.

 

[eliza61]

We stayed here last memorial day (that's the one in May right?) and loved it!
We were able to walk to most of the major momuments and the hotel was gorgeous. My only small complaint was lack of options for breakfast in the area and the hotel dining is a bit pricey. If you are driving be aware that the hotel did charge us $10/day to park.
Check out the new spy musuem. It is so cool.

 

[nzdisneymom]

Eliza - thank you for posting! It looks like it is very well situated for what we want to do.

We booked a Mandarin City View and as part of that it includes access to the Tai Pan lounge which includes a complimentary breakfast.

The valet parking is $40 a day with in and out privileges or $22 for daily parking. We don't plan to use the car except to get there and back as we can walk or metro everywhere we'll want to go. But that is such a minimal cost compared to what we might have spent out of our pocket to stay elsewhere.

I didn't know about the spy museum - I'm sure my boys will want to go!

 

[ldo]

Not a lot of eating places by the hotel. But, FYI--right off of Penn Ave (about 15 minute walk--and the areas you'll be near most touring days), there are lots of places to eat---Planet Hollywood, HArd Rock Cafe, ESPN Zone. Also, Museum of Natural History (10th and Const) has a very good cafeteria and makes a nice mid-day stop, as it is right in the middle of everything. Old Ebbit Grill (a Washington politcal institution) over by 14th and Penn has GREAT burgers that are not too $$$ for lunch (maybe for dinner).
DC is a great place to visit--have fun--ps--get Washington Monument tickets online BEFORE you go. Your hotel is very well located near Holocaust Museum and US Printing and Engraving Building---two must sees.

 

[nzdisneymom]

Ido - thanks for the tips. I didn't know we could get Washington Monument tickets online - we were last there in the 1990s so I know much has changed about the way you are allowed to visit or not visit.

BTW, we did go to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and I found it fascinating - I think the kids will too - they will be 12 and 10 when we go.

What about tickets to tour the Capitol and White House? I just contact our state senator or representative for those, right?

FWIW, the Jefferson Memorial is my favorite of the monuments that I've seen, but they've added several things since our last visit. The Holocaust Museum had just opened when we were there last and the line to get in was prohibitive to our time frame.

Any other tips for visiting DC are welcome... and if not appropriate here in the thread on the board, then feel free to PM me.

 

[MikeBW]

We stayed there 2 summers ago. The hotel is kind of isolated - meaning there are not any restaurants nearby. We had breakfast a couple of days in the office building next door, but I don't think it is open on Sat or Sun. There is a Phillips (the seafood restaurant) about 3/4 mile behind the hotel. Be prepared because it is hot in DC in the summer. Have fun

 

[nzdisneymom]

We had breakfast a couple of days in the office building next door, but I don't think it is open on Sat or Sun. There is a Phillips (the seafood restaurant) about 3/4 mile behind the hotel. Be prepared because it is hot in DC in the summer. Have fun

Thanks. We will actually arrive on Sunday and leave on Saturday - we figured traffic in and out might be a bit lighter than a weekday (well, if traffic is ever considered light in the area). We also figured that the we'll hit the air-conditioned museums during the hotter part of the day. But yeah, it's gonna be hot hot hot. We had considered waiting til spring-break 2009 but had the points for this use-year (Oct) so we decided to go ahead and go before we have a teen-ager to deal with (hee hee).

 

[nunzia]

Very nice cafeteria in the Smithsonian Castle (umm gelato) Holocaust Museum very well done, not to be missed and right next door a cafeteria with Knishes..very good. My favorite monument was the WW II... just stunning. Also, I didn't know this but found out..the Iwo Jima statue (Marine memorial) is not really in Arlington..loooong walk to see it but worth it, and you get to see the odd looking carrillons from Norway (I think).

 

[wildernessDad]

Make sure that you hit the National Gallery. Great cafeteria underground between the modern and original buildings. Cascade Cafe, it's called.

 

[kab407]

I love DC. Let me add to the list the Air & Space Museum's Udall Center. This is the annex on the ground of Dulles Airport. The A&S runs a shuttle bus to and from the Mall to the Udall Center. You can also drive there. Parking as I remember was fairly expensive. The bus ~$6.

 

[rascalmom]

We were in DC for two weeks last summer - we had a GREAT time and would love to go back.

Definitely hit the Spy Museum - it is privately run, so not free, but definitely worth the ticket price and time. We spent several hours there. There is a Hard Rock Cafe nearby and the Ford Theatre - where Lincoln was shot - is close.

Try to take one of the Monuments by Moonlight tours - we ended up taking two (my mom joined us for the 2nd half of the trip & we wanted her to experience it). Seeing everything lit at night and all of the city & monument views is really special.

We took a tour of Arlington Cemetary and they had a combo ticket that took a bus out to Mount Vernon - that was VERY interesting. Have your kids ask a guide about the "haha" wall.

 

[Anal Annie]

Make sure that you hit the National Gallery. Great cafeteria underground between the modern and original buildings. Cascade Cafe, it's called.

We live near DC and don't take enough advantage of it - I also love the cafe in the underground concourse between old Nat. Gallery building and the East Wing!

I would also suggest that you can ride the Metro to the National Zoo which is within walking distance of the stop (another freebie except for your metro fare)!

 

[nzdisneymom]

Thanks again for the tips, especially about places to eat that we might have just overlooked.

I'm so excited that we had such a good option for using our DVC points. We had considered going to Arizona this summer but when we go, we don't want to stay in one place - but like in DC, it's better to have a home-base for the week. So this works out well for us.

Thanks again for letting me share our excitement!

 

[mule714]

• Some of the best food at the Smithsonian is at the new National Museum Of The American Indian.
• American History may still be closed for renovations during that time. Check their website.
• Something not to be missed at night is a trip to the Mall. The monuments are spectacular and have a unique look to them that is hard to describe. I usually take visitors from out of town to Viet Nam Memorial at that time. Not to worry, it is safe.
• Holocaust Museum is a must-see, imho. However, be prepared. It is overwhelming on the emotions.
• Don't miss the Zoo.
• Tons of great food choices in Penn Quarter.
• Take some time to visit Kennedy Center. There are usually many free things to see there. Check the website.
• See a Nats game!
• Visit the National Archives.
• Eat pizza at 2 Amys.
• wow.. this list could go on and on ...

 

[Halle]

Spy Museum is very interesting, be sure to get there a few minutes before they open. We went on a Saturday morning and the line was quite long when we left. I think they only allow a certain number in at one time.

 

[sk8belle]

I love DC. Let me add to the list the Air & Space Museum's Udall Center. This is the annex on the ground of Dulles Airport. The A&S runs a shuttle bus to and from the Mall to the Udall Center. You can also drive there. Parking as I remember was fairly expensive. The bus ~$6.

Actually, the annex by Dulles is called the Udvar-Hazy Center. It is VERY cool, and I do recommend a visit out there. They've got an SR-71 Blackbird, the Enterprise space shuttle, the Enola Gay, and a Concorde among lots of other artifacts.

People have already listed a bunch of great "don't miss" sites. Let me add the Renwick Gallery over by the White House. Two of my favorite exhibits there are Game Fish and Ghost Clock. Another "must see" is the FDR memorial over by the Tidal Basin, across from the Jeff. Probably my favorite memorial of all of them.

Places to eat - if you want the food court option, but don't want to pay the high prices at the Smithsonians, walk over to the Ronald Reagan Int'l Trade Building on 14th St and PA Ave. There's a food court downstairs with more reasonable prices. Just be sure to have ID on you, like a driver's license, otherwise you won't get in the building (your kids shouldn't have a problem). If you want to try a little something different, I recommend Malaysia Kopitiam over on M St. and 20th. You can get good pizza and pub food at Froggy Bottom on PA Ave and 23rd St (Washington Circle). Luigis on 19th between L and M Sts has great Italian food.

I live and work in the DC area, so if you have any questions, please let me know. I'll be more than happy to help out.

 

[nzdisneymom]

Thanks for all the great tips. They were just building the FDR memorial the last time we were in DC, so thanks for the reminder about that. And for the tip about places to eat. I'll be making a list for us to choose from - that often becomes our biggest source of indecision - where and what to eat on vacation.

 

[goldilocks_63]

What airport do you fly in, and how do you get to mandarin if you don't have a car?

I know there is dulles, National, and BwI, and for me BWI has the cheapest (Southwest Airlines) airfare... butthen how doyoou get to Mandarin w/out a car?

Sorry forthe typing - badkeyboard (daugher spillled coke - sticky)

Goldi

 

[TDC Nala]

I don't know where the Mandarin is. I take it that it's near a Metro station.

But if you fly into BWI, you can take a cab and pay a bunch. You can also take a Metro bus to the Greenbelt (Maryland) Metro station and ride the Metro to wherever you want to go.

Reagan National is on the Metro line.

Dulles has the Washington Flyer - a privately run bus transportation service to the West Falls Church Metro station.

www.wmata.com is the site for the Metro and has bus schedules and rail maps and info.

 

[ldo]

you take the free shuttle bus form BWI to the MARC (Maryland Regional Commuter train) and buy a ticket for about $7 to Union Station (DC) takes about 20 minutes. My co-worker live near BWI and drives to the MARC everyday for work in DC.
ps--I took MARC from Union Station with 3 kid and luggage to BWI to fly to WDW this summer--it really is super easy--quicker and better than driving my own car to BWI!