I know there are plenty of travelers on T.B.
I am taking my Family to D.C. later this month, to do the Mall thing. Smithsonian, Capital, White House, National Zoo etc. thingy...
Do any of y'all have any recommendations on a decent Motel close by? Looking from the $100 to $200 a night range....It doesn't have to be right at The Mall, but somewhere close.
Maybe Northern Virgina, or Southern Maryland. Main thing will be safety and security.
Thanks for any help!
Crystal City (VA),
Pentagon City or
Rosslyn, VA - all are located directly across the water (Potomac River) from D.C. - and all have Metro subway access - several hotels, take a look at what the pricing looks like, and exactly how far from the subway station the hotel is located. Hotels.com can be your friend.
Safety is a relative thing, in the D.C. and NoVa area - Crystal City/Pentagon City and Rosslyn are located in Arlington County, VA, which are pricey enough to keep the riff-raff out, per se, without being unaffordable. Being smart and aware about your surroundings is the other secret, as we have discussed numerous times on TB2K.
Crystal City has an underground mall which is connected to the subway access, with a couple of the hotels located directly above - might be convenient for you. Also, several eateries are located in and around the
Crystal City area.
If you are planning on carrying, double-check reciprocity with Virginia - D.C. would be a no-no, as would nearby Maryland - both have notorios anti-gun perspectives that can lead to significant legal heartburn, if not heeded - particularly with regard to transporting a firearm in either of these places.
Rosslyn used to have several eateries in and about, within walking distance of the hotels and subway access. While in Rosslyn, one could jump on the Metro subway "Orange Line" and go up to the
Ballston subway station, where there are several other eateries and restaurants. Or, take the subway the other way, (Yellow/Blue Line) and go down into
Pentagon City (located right next door to the Pentagon) area for more eateries - and a couple of hotels there, too, for you to check out online. Pentagon City, Crystal City and Reagan National Airport are all located one subway stop apart, on the "Yellow/Blue Line."
You would be smart to not rent a car, unless you intend upon traveling outside of the Arlington/Rosslyn/Pentagon City/Crystal City/Reagan National Airport/Washington D.C. downtown tourist areas. Nearly all of the downtown D.C. areas are accessible via the Metro Subway system - (
subway maps, here), bus or cab, as long as everyone is healthy and can walk the likely 2-4 miles, as you hike around the D.C. Mall area - Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam War Memorial, Washington Monument, U.S. Capitol Building, White House, and the several Smithsonian Museum complex buildings and the National Gallery of Art - are all hikeable from the Metro Subway stations. When legs get tired, grab a cab - they are everywhere, and are an efficient way of moving about the entire area, including having a D.C. cab take you back to your NoVa hotel, if needed. If you rent a car, plan on keeping it parked at the hotel when you are taking in the local Pentagon/NoVa/D.C. mall sites.
The
Smithsonian museums are extensive enough that one could get lost in them for several days - lots to see. You might check out the
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to see if there is a performance that interests you. Also, don't forget the
National Gallery of Art.
D.C. has many great eateries and restaurants - too many to recommend, off of the top of my head - some restaurant sections are in dicier D.C. areas - others, are in much more established and less problematic areas - such as
Foggy Bottom and
Georgetown, and, perhaps,
Adams Morgan areas - though some of those areas do not have Metro subway access - use the cabs.
Something that most D.C. tourists miss is the
Washington National Cathedral - worth a visit, if you are into European-style cathedral architecture and grandeur. Check their calendar for events that may interest you - I used to be up in that upper N.W. D.C. neighborhood on Wednesdays, lunchtime, and would stop in to hear the organist practice - was open to the public to listen, or tour the inside of the building - this was a couple of decades ago, so not sure if it still applies - call and check if this interests you.
A bit further afield - you may wish to take in a performance at the
Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts.
Wolf Trap performance
schedules here.
Wolf Trap public transportation is a combination of Metro Subway (Orange Line) to a connector bus, which takes you to, and from, the venue.
For all D.C. tourist venues, check online for visitor/tour schedules and entry fees - U.S. Capitol Building (Congress), Supreme Court Building, Washington Monument, White House, etc. Remember, every Federal building will have strict entry requirements with regards to what you are allowed to carry with you when entering - check ahead of time to avoid any disappointment at the guard shacks/metal detector areas.
Further questions or thoughts - reply, and I will answer.
intothegoodnight
it is ALOT of walking! 
