Going to D.C. in March?

Question

Anyone know a good Hotel? Besides the typical sights is there anything else we should see?

Answer 1

JW Marriott or Willard Intercontinental,where all the politicians stay.
Go to the spy museum, inside, but not your typical museum..

Answer 2

See as much of the Smithsonian as possible, it will be great. All of the museums are great and they're all free. And the momuments and memorials. The other good thing is that all of the tourist sites are relatively close together. Which is good because if you go too far from that you can get into some very sketchy neighborhoods. And chances are it actually won't be too cold still in March (maybe the first week in March but it will be nice later in the month certainly). Cherry blossoms are at their peak the last week in March (or first week in April depending on the season). However, like someone else said, the city will be mobbed with tourists. The city always has a lot of tourists but March is one of the busiest months, especially later in March, because of Spring Break trips and the cherry blossoms.

Undortunately I don't really know of many specific hotels in DC (I grew up there). I do travel there a lot for business but if I stay at a hotel it's just one of the chain hotels like the Marriott in Crystal City. Which, if you're looking for just a comfortable place to stay but don't care about character, is a perfectly fine hotel. Especially if you can get a good deal on it - it's right on the Metro going downtown.

Answer 3

Not sure about hotels. There are so many and it depends on how much you want to spend. If you're looking for cheaper accomodations, I recommend you stay in Rosslyn on the Virginia side of the river. The metro is accessible from there and prices will be much better.

For things to do besides "the standards:" the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space museum is fantastic. It's out by Dulles Airport (40 minutes west of DC; NOT the Air and Space museum that's on the National Mall) but it's new, still fairly non-touristed, and just fantastic. They have a space shuttle on display! I'd also check out the Holocaust Museum. It will leave you in a pretty sad mood, but the signifigance of the museum cannot be overlooked, and the layout and design of the museum is spectacular.

Answer 4

As far as a hotel goes use Priceline or some similar service. As far as sights go:

The Roosevelt Memorial at night is awesome.
Old Town Alexandria is a blast, great food and bars.
The National Zoo is a bargain at free.
Contact you congressman to get a tour of the White House.
The selection of Museum on the National Mall is very good, and the Smithsonian web site is very good.
Our theatre seen is pretty good, Shear Madness at the Kennedy Center is pretty popular.
Holocaust Museum or Arlington National Cemetary are good if you don't mind a little sadness.

Answer 5

Go to Great Falls in VA or MD about 30 mins from DC, go to Annapolis MD about 30 mins from DC, see the town, visit the Naval Academy, and see all of the marinas, boats & the Chesapeake Bay, The National Zoo in DC, Tysons II shopping mall in Tysons Corner, VA, (upscale designer stores), Bethesda Maryland (30-40 mins by metro from DC) upscale town, lots of shops and great restaurants, The Spy Museum, The Holocaust Museum, Old Town Alexandria (VA) shops, restaurants, etc., Most all of these locals with the exception of Annapolis are accessible by our metro train system, go on line and print out a map of the routes so you will have an idea of which trains take you where and what colored lines go where, example, green line, red line, and so on. There is a ton to do in the metropolitan area, you'll have fun for sure!

Answer 6

The Great Hall of the Library of Congress is spectacular - it's located on the East Side of the Capitol - it's free, and beautiful.

DC is going to be a zoo - spring breakers from all over the country. The streets will be clogged - the crosswalks will be full - and the people who have to commute through the chaos will be very grumpy because the tourists will add a solid hour to many of their commutes.

Answer 7

Last weekend we went to D.C. to see Tai Shan, the first surviving panda cub they've had at the Smithsonian Zoo. The first pair of pandas, given to the US in the Nixon years, died without leaving a cub.

Currently, Mei Xiang and Tien Tien, Tai's parents, are here on a 10-year loan from China. Tai Shan was born in July 2005. Under the rules of the loan, he can be recalled to China at age two, although no one expects that to happen. Still, we wanted to see him, just in case he goes home soon.

Answer 8

The Smithsonian, since it will still be cold,and tourists will be few you can visit the whole Smithsonian and be inside and amazed.
Have a good trip.