Washington D.C. Honeymoon

tcnoble

Well the Caribbean honeymoon ship has sailed and we are on to exploring U.S. locations for a 4-day honeymoon. Which will ultimately end up working better for both of us at this time. That being said, we have been wanting to go to D.C. for the last couple years and figure a honeymoon is a perfect excuse to go. We will be going in late March (not until 2015) but want to be ready to book things early to hopefully get great rates on hotels. (Is earlier really better?? I don't even know this for sure.) We are particularly fond of Holiday Inn Express hotels and I found one located in D.C., but I know that the city is a big place and want to make sure we are in a location that is convenient to the sights. Not looking to spend an arm and a leg on hotel, as we will ultimately just be sleeping there, but don't want super budget/run-down. We are also huge foodies and are very much looking forward to all the good places to eat!!!! So any recommendations on must-try restaurants would be great. Really, any insight on tips, hotels, travel, etc. would be greatly appreciated!!  

16maybeless

Do you know the address of the hotel you were looking at? I would make sure it's actually in D.C., because a lot of hotels in the Beltway area are called "D.C." when in fact they are in the burbs of MoCo MD or even sometimes Arlington. The Metro system is handy and open late (I think 3 AM on weekends but I always forget), so you can stay almost anywhere ... however, you'll want to be close to downtown for most activities.

I'm a huge fan of the Kimpton brand, and the Hotel Palomar is really well-located. Rooms are usually around $300/night, but you can get better deals. I would also check the OTAs like Priceline and Expedia for deals, but a quick tip: any room booked through an OTA, and not the hotel website, is generally categorized as "run of the house" (for most hotel chains). So you will likely not get the best possible room, and it may not be honeymoon-worthy. Also check flash sale sites like Jetsetter; they run a lot of D.C. deals.

My personal restaurant recommendation is Rasika in Penn Quarter. I love it (and you should, if you like Indian food). Amsterdamfalafelshop for cheap eats, and Komi if you want to spend everything you've got.

Do all the Smithsonian museums. The Newseum isn't free, but it's very interesting. If you want to visit the White House, here is how. Got to do it at least a month in advance, IIRC.

hoffse

Arlington isn't far out.  I spent several months living in Pentagon City for an internship, and I was able to get to the other side of the city in 20 min on the metro once I boarded.  Arlington is about 15-20 min out of the city by metro.  It's NBD, especially if you are getting a good rate.   Realistically, you will be site-seeing, so once you're out of your hotel you will probably be out for most of the day.  Some of my favorites:

-Arlington Cemetery - it's very sad (which you might not want on your honeymoon) but it's incredibly moving.  The tomb of the unknowns is amazing.

-National Cathedral - gorgeous and fab; near Georgetown.  Speaking of which....

-Georgetown is great.  It's not well-connected by metro, but it's worth the walk.

-Embassy row - really cool houses, good restaurants nearby, and it's fun to play "name that flag"

-Library of Congress - one of the most beautiful buildings in the US.  I actually got to read the 7th Harry Potter book on the day in came out in the library's main reading room.  My H arranged to get me a research pass so I could go into the restricted access areas (the main reading room is one of them - most visitors only see it from the balcony).  Speaking of which, I totally recommend getting a research pass if you like that sort of thing - it took about 30 min to get the pass and then we were in!

-And of course the biggies: monuments, Smithsonian museums, etc.  Almost all are free.  The national gallery of art is a pretty great collection (especially impressionism), and your H is bound to love air & space.  Actually, if you and your H like that sort of thing, I would recommend going to the air & space hanger, though it's a bit outside of the city.  It's seriously cool to see all the really famous aircraft from history.

-I also loved the American History museum.  It's great.

-Finally, a great day out is Mount Vernon where Washington lived.  That said, 4 days in DC is barely enough time to see the main sites in the city center, so you might not want to make the trek out.

Frankly, I was less than blown away by the Capitol and the White House.  They were cool, sure, but I enjoyed the other things more.  H and I aren't big guided tour people, though, so that played a big part.  Though I did visit the capitol on another day while wearing a suit for my internship... after going through security they let me walk right in, presumably because of how I was dressed.  A friend was with me, and we ended up getting lost and wound up right outside the Senate gallery.  We decided to go in, and we got to hear Kennedy speaking on the floor.  We were very obviously the only visitors there.  Security didn't even stop us to ask questions.  It was ridiculous.  

melbelleup

Also if you're looking for something to do as a fun day trip, travel to Philadelphia, PA. It's only 2 hrs and a half away from DC, but the weather might be better there than DC if you have a rain out day. Philly has a lot to offer that people don't realize. I've never been there myself, but am orig. from PA now in NC. My parents went to Philly and had a blast, they have the actual monopoly board layout of streets and places. It's awesome I got to see photos! Plus the liberty bell and independent hall.

KatWAG

If you are looking for cheaper hotels, I would suggest you look in Rosslyn. It is one metro stop into VA. And it is still walking distance to Georgetown. I think late March is a perfect time to go since the Cherry blossoms shoudl be in full swing. But beware, that March is generally the busiest touristy time in DC because of the Cherry Blossoms and the middle school field trips.

For me, my must sees are: Arlington Cemetery, Jefferson Memorial, American History Museum, National Portrait Gallery and walking the reflecting pool/ Lincoln/ Korea Memorials at night. So eerie and cool.

I would eat at Old Ebbitt, Founding Farmers and TenPenn. Georgia Browns is also really great is you like Southern.

I would make sure to wander down to the waterfront in georgetown. Grab a drink at Sequoina (the food is horrible) and enjoy the views.

climbingsingle

Make sure your hotel is near a metro stop. That will make you trip a lot easier. Ditto on checking out hotels in Arlington, Alexandria or Roslyn. The metro is super easy to use. 

It's hard to choose between museums - they are all great! 

My favorite place for a quick sandwich is Pottbelly's. Fancy dinner - Zaytinya (I haven't been there in years, but it was my favorite place when I lived there). 

amyelise25

If you are a foodie, you might enjoy Eastern Market.  The Jose Andres restaurants are great (Zatanya, Oyamel, and Jaleo).  If you like Indian I also suggest Rasika.  If you are dining in Georgetown, Fishers, Farmers, and Bakers is great.  It's part of the Founding Farmers chain.  I think dim sum at Ping Pong in Chinatown is fun (the place is modern). 

If you like burgers, the best is Ray's Hell Burger in Arlington (Courthouse area).  Obama has eaten there a couple of times. I also love Good Stuff Eatery (Top Chef alum owns it).  Michele Obama favors their burgers.  I'm also a fan of their toasted marshmellow milkshake.  There is a Shake Shack in town near Dupont that is always busy.

Michel Richard Central has a great burgers and some good french food. There are some really awesome food trucks that are parked around town during lunch.  It's a big thing in the city.  They position themselves closer to where people work, but they aren't far from where tourists can get to them.  

audubonbride2013

I live right outside DC & work in DC.  PPs have thrown out some really great suggestions.  Metro is very good for getting around the city, but they tend to have a ton of track work every weekend (especially on the red line), which can cause major delays if you are relying on that.  During the week Metro is very reliable.  Metro also closes at midnight Sun-Thurs which can seem a bit early if you're out during the week.

I know PP mentioned but it's worth stressing that the cherry blossoms attract a ton of tourists and make it very difficult to walk around the tidal basin.

Some of my additional suggestions:

- Ben's Chili Bowl is very well known and is worth visiting for a quick meal

- Old Town Alexandria is very pretty and you can eat at Gadsby's Tavern where George Washington used to go.  Old Town is also on your way to/from Mount Vernon so it's worth a stop for dinner or boutique shopping.

- Brunch is always fun  (Founding Farmers is a favorite among my friends)

- La Tasca is pretty good for happy hour if you like tapas

- Capitol Hill has a bunch of places to grab a drink or some dinner

- I've heard good things about Coco Sala but I haven't had a chance to make it there yet.  They incorporate chocolate into everything.