I'll be staying at the Lorien in March for the weekend. I have not been to the area before. Any highlites to hit during my stay between there and the national harbor .Even close by DC attrations would work as well.
Looking for good food & a good time for both day and evening.
Kim:
A weekend might be enough to see Old Town Alexandria alone! National Harbor is a new area on the Maryland side of the Potomac. I'm a shill for Old Town, and will let others chime in here...but suffice it to say, from my perspective...I'd leave National Harbor for another time during Summer weather.
The Lorien is a great hotel just blocks from the Metro, so getting around by foot or Metro is easy! Old Town is filled with unique and renown restaurants, one in your hotel alone (Brabo). The Hotel has a lovely 'new age themed' spa which is pretty sweet! Unique boutiques line the mile of King Street from the Waterfront to the Metro and along the one block on either side. A free Shuttle operates mid-morning thru evening.
Depending on which weekend, we have our Annual St. Patricks Day Parade the first weekend in March. I hate crowds, and love big cities in the Winter time. Depending on your tastes, choose one or two Smithsonian museums... National Gallery of Art is my favorite and there are always fascinating rotating exhibits. The museums are empty and you can really relax and enjoy strolling thru the galleries. Mount Vernon is also an interesting place to see in the cool weather months. The crowds are low and you can really get intimate questions to the docents that go beyond the tourist season crowds!
If I was drawing up an itinerary for you...pick one day to do the boutiques (Saturday) then do the Smithsonian (10am daily) or Mt. Vernon (9am) on Sunday , as they open earlier than the stores and sights in Old Town (normally 11am-12).
One more thought: ...Our Farmer's Market is the oldest continuous market, established by none other than George W himself on Saturday mornings and is worthy for it's crafts and other interesting offerings (other than fruits and vegs.)! It opens rain or shine (better if the weather is nice) from 6am-noon. It's a great place to get some fresh squeezed juice and a freshly baked croissant and stroll wares!
For other ideas: See the link below. Write back and we can help you narrow down your list.
Thanks for the info . We are coming on a Friday and leaving on Sunday the last weekend in March .
I suggest taking the Potomac Riverboat monuments tour. It is a great way to see a bunch of the monuments in a relatively short amount of time. The cherry blossoms might be in bloom. Plus, you can get off and spend some time in Georgetown.
I'd skip National Harbor. There are some overpriced restaurants with overpriced parking, but that's about it IMO.
If you are into wine and cheese plates, definitely check out Grape and Bean. It is one of my favorite places in Old Town. If you like art, walk around the Torpedo Factory (down by the water). Local artists have studios and display their work - walking around is free.
Kim
I echo Mt. Vernon, and of course the Waterfront at Old Town.
"National" Harbor is just a shopping center in Oxon Hill, Prince Georges County,anchored by the Gaylord Hotel for conventions. It has zero relationship to any of the National glories and treasures of DC. Their advertising makes it look a lot different but I share Bird 710's opinion above that it is just overpriced restaurants and overpriced parking. Seriously, you've never seen a convention shopping center before, newly built with zero historical significance? Not my idea of a "highlight".
Trip Advisor does have a forum for it: Oxon Hill, Maryland.and you can see from the posts that NH is just time shares and convention goers desperate for advice on how to get to DC (surprise zero practical public transportation, no subway, spotty bus thru tough neighborhoods only the pay hotel shuttles) or of course to Old town. (thee is a water taxi - expensive )
If for some reason you do want to see the tacky attractions, then just go to the Gaylord Hotel and Convention Center in Orlando, FL. Same ice sculptures, same fireworks, same everything and actually okay for Orlando.
Last but not least, : the shopping in Old Town is fantastic. My personal favorite is the Potomac Fiber Company on the first floor of the Torpedo Factory right off the King Street Entrance opposite the Art League. Great unique women's purses, scarves, tote-bags, pins, and the selection changes every month after it is juried in by the fabric artist women co-op that runs it. All handmade, and not sold elsewhere. So perhaps an anniversary shopping option/
Warning, check with the hotel or internet or paper about Metro (subway delays) on the weekend due to maintenance. . Metro sometimes closes lines or stations but they are usually the orange or red ones, not the blue and yellow ones at King Street. But then you can always take the relaxing Riverboat ride to Georgetown, a real national harbor.
Lots of romantic restaurants for your anniversary.too
enjoy your stay
, . ,
Edited: 3:05 pm, February 16, 2013I might also suggest that when you're there, just hop on the free shuttle and see what's around. You can get on & off as you wish, so just explore!
Thank you for all of the info so now if I had to pick restaurants to visit which ones should we go to. We like fun bar food as well as seafood , steak & italian. One even would like to go to a nice special dinner for our anniversary.
We will be eating out for 3 breakfast ,.& 2 lunches and dinners. I'm not a huge breafast fan , but we do enjoy lunch and dinner.Of course lets not forget happy hour......
We just got back from Alexandria and stayed at the Embassy Suites there. We had dinner at Theismanns right next to hotel. We really enjoyed it. Cross between a really nice place and a sports bar. Great food.
My 'fun bar' list would be as follows: Columbia Firehouse; Virtue Feed and Grain; O'Donnell's and if the weather's nice, the patio overlooking the Potomac at the Chart House! For Italian, try Geranio's on the 700 block of King. There are so many good restaurants, that you can't go wrong...I always advise folks to stroll the menus then pick one. Reservations aren't necessarily required except for some extraordinary places. The Wharf and Warehouse both have good seafood, along with Chart House (which is a chain). If you are a foodie, Anthony Chittum's Vermillion, is my personal favorite for special deals! Anthony just received an award! The food is extraordinary! Breakfast is hit or miss...on weekends there are lots of nice buffet/brunches up and down King. I love the pancakes at Jackson 20! I also love the bottomless Mimosas!
I hope this helps!
