What to do in and around Washington DC in the summer
I've got to go to Washington DC for a couple of days of business the last week of July, so I thought I'd take my wife and make a holiday
of it. So what is good to do and see in and around DC at this time of year? My wife has to avoid the sun as much as possible so indoor things are
better though we can do some outdoor stuff. I realise it's going to be stinking hot and humid.
I fancy going down to the Chesapeake Bay at some point, and going to try and hire a new Dodge Challenger too (Hertz are apparently going to be doing
them).
So, what else is good? Happy to do a bit of driving too.....
If you're not living life on the edge you're taking up too much room.
I was there in Dec and i visited the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Was pretty good I spent the a good part of the day there. You can walk
from the White house to the museum. Quite a lot of other museums in the area as well
As mentioned, the Smithsonian is a great place to visit, Air and Space is my fave too, but the other parts are just as good. The White House might be
a good tour, never done it. (Didn't want to be that close to that many habitual liars...) Almost all the "Government Buildings"
have some kind of tours.
About an hour or so away is Harper's Ferry, WV. Very historic area, very pretty, and some nice driving in the countryside nearby. Just down
the road from there is Charlestown, WV, and the horse races which should be going on in the summer, on weekends. And not too far from there is Summit
Point Raceway, a very nice road course. They have track days fairly often, you might even catch the vintage racers there if you plan it right.
"The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses, behind the lines, in the gym and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights."
- Muhammad Ali
Find a decent crab place for dinner
museums etc fantastic, but take care to stick to the central area of the city. Stray too far off the beaten track can be "interesting" or
rather dangerous (according to the chap we were staying with, many areas he won't drive through on the outskirts)
Found it all pretty friendly, but VERY hot. Got a great tour of the Voice of America studios, (american version of the BBC world service) but I am
unsure if they offer that to the public.
quote:
I found Arlington Cemetry an Interesting place to visit
I've never visited Arlington, but it would be interesting, and kind of chilling. Historical note: The property there is the ancestral home of
the Lee family. "Light Horse Harry" Lee was a signer of the declaration of independence and later on, Robert E. Lee was Commander in
Chief of the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. The federal government confiscated land from the Lee family to bury the Union dead,
while Robert E's mother still lived there... Cold...
I was out there on a training course and visited the Arlington Cemetery, a US colleague from Texas wanted to go and visit a grave. Not somewhere I
would have bothered going to otherwise, but it was interesting and very sobering as well.
I am sure you would stick to the known areas, but reiterate what has been posted. I was advised by some local guys to steer well clear of certain
areas especially after dark.
