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Old Town Alexandria unit request?

Nancy

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Metro cards

Each person needs a card. I'm not sure there is any reason to purchase them in advance. Each metro station now sells them plus there is a Metro store about a block from the Wyndham. You should always keep enough money on them to get to your destination, but you can add when exiting metro if they don't have enough money on them. You can add to cards before boarding metro at each station. I'd start with approximately enough money for a couple of round trips, then add as needed. There are different fares, rush hour and non-rush hour, so sometimes it is hard to figure how much money you actually need.

Hope this helps some.

Nancy
 

Karen G

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I'd go to Mt Vernon as well...

Yes, do plan to go to Mt. Vernon. As I recall we took a city bus to get there. We may have taken the Metro to get to the bus, but I can't remember for sure. For our return we happened to notice a boat or ferry that was leaving from the grounds of Mt. Vernon. We took it right to the Alexandria waterfront and it was great. It has been several years ago and I can't remember the details, but it's something to check out.
 

DaveNV

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Dave, did you get your White House tour tickets? I am still waiting. Did you get the other tours that you requested?


Denise, we haven't yet received our WH tour tickets. They tell me they're not released until two weeks before the tour date. Our earliest possible tour date is still three weeks away. We have been scheduled to tour the US Capitol, the Library of Congress, and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing so far. The only other tours we requested are the White House and the Supreme Court. I expect those will come through within the next week or two. We're also invited to a Meet & Greet "Constituent Coffee" with one of our Senators. That'll be fun.

I did buy SmartTrip cards in advance, preloaded with enough money for several days' worth of trips. We'll be there ten days, and will watch the totals and add more money if needed. Someone commented about no need to buy ahead of time. I think they need to be advance purchased so you have time to set up an account, so you can reload the card from your computer. Either way, I don't want to run into any snags with subway fares.

We're being cautioned not to overplan things. I completely agree, and I'm not looking to pack the itinerary any further. These tours are the only things we're firmly committing to (plus a weekend trip down to Charlottesville to tour Monticello. Skyline Drive through Shenandoah National Park is a great side trip.) Some things will not be missed - I'm waiting to buy Ford's Theater tickets until I know the times of these other tours. I don't want to cross myself up and schedule two things at the same time.

The rest of our DC time will be taken as it happens. I've made a list of the Smithsonian Museums and their locations, and a few other things we plan to visit (like Arlington Cemetery, and the monuments on the Arlington side of the Potomac.) We want to do a few paid things, that are on the "if we have time" list - the Newseum and National Geographic Museum, for example. We know there will be no shortage of things to do.

Unfortunately, something we wanted to do may not be available - now that the Washington Monument has reopened, all the advance reservation tickets are gone until dates well after our trip. So unless I can get same-day tickets one day, we may not be able to go up into the monument. But that's okay. I already know this won't be the last trip to DC - there is just too much to see and do.

We're very excited about this trip. Can you tell? :)

Dave
 

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Since you're into history, take a copy of Dan Brown's "The Lost Symbol" with you to read while in DC...and visit The George Washington Masonic National Memorial in Alexandria (walking distance from your condo...but all uphill and lots of steps so it's for the hearty explorer.) I'll be there soon myself...just love the resort and DC too!
 

DaveNV

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Since you're into history, take a copy of Dan Brown's "The Lost Symbol" with you to read while in DC...and visit The George Washington Masonic National Memorial in Alexandria (walking distance from your condo...but all uphill and lots of steps so it's for the hearty explorer.) I'll be there soon myself...just love the resort and DC too!

Thanks, Carol. I'll check that out.

Dave
 

Denise L

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Denise, we haven't yet received our WH tour tickets. They tell me they're not released until two weeks before the tour date. Our earliest possible tour date is still three weeks away. We have been scheduled to tour the US Capitol, the Library of Congress, and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing so far. The only other tours we requested are the White House and the Supreme Court. I expect those will come through within the next week or two. We're also invited to a Meet & Greet "Constituent Coffee" with one of our Senators. That'll be fun.

I did buy SmartTrip cards in advance, preloaded with enough money for several days' worth of trips. We'll be there ten days, and will watch the totals and add more money if needed. Someone commented about no need to buy ahead of time. I think they need to be advance purchased so you have time to set up an account, so you can reload the card from your computer. Either way, I don't want to run into any snags with subway fares.

We're being cautioned not to overplan things. I completely agree, and I'm not looking to pack the itinerary any further. These tours are the only things we're firmly committing to (plus a weekend trip down to Charlottesville to tour Monticello. Skyline Drive through Shenandoah National Park is a great side trip.) Some things will not be missed - I'm waiting to buy Ford's Theater tickets until I know the times of these other tours. I don't want to cross myself up and schedule two things at the same time.

The rest of our DC time will be taken as it happens. I've made a list of the Smithsonian Museums and their locations, and a few other things we plan to visit (like Arlington Cemetery, and the monuments on the Arlington side of the Potomac.) We want to do a few paid things, that are on the "if we have time" list - the Newseum and National Geographic Museum, for example. We know there will be no shortage of things to do.

Unfortunately, something we wanted to do may not be available - now that the Washington Monument has reopened, all the advance reservation tickets are gone until dates well after our trip. So unless I can get same-day tickets one day, we may not be able to go up into the monument. But that's okay. I already know this won't be the last trip to DC - there is just too much to see and do.

We're very excited about this trip. Can you tell? :)

Dave

Hi Dave!

I can definitely tell that you are super excited! We booked ours in August and the only thing I did was book air, reserve a car, and at 6 months out, I requested the White House and other tours. On April 16, I went online and go tickets to the Washington Monument. I was surprised that all the times and dates were open because I had read a lot of press about how the tickets were going on sale that day so I thought they would immediately sell out. But I had choices for every time slot on every day. Now it will be interesting to see if we are free at that time on that day or whether we are totally immersed in a museum or elsewhere!

Are you flying into Dulles or National? I've rented a car but won't really need it for 6 days. Then we are driving to Williamsburg. No idea what I am supposed to do there, but I heard it was fun.

I hope to learn more from your thread before you go ;)!
 

Denise L

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Each person needs a card. I'm not sure there is any reason to purchase them in advance. Each metro station now sells them plus there is a Metro store about a block from the Wyndham. You should always keep enough money on them to get to your destination, but you can add when exiting metro if they don't have enough money on them. You can add to cards before boarding metro at each station. I'd start with approximately enough money for a couple of round trips, then add as needed. There are different fares, rush hour and non-rush hour, so sometimes it is hard to figure how much money you actually need.

Hope this helps some.

Nancy

Thanks, Nancy. I think we will just get them at the store when we get settled into OTA. I am about a month out and don't want the USPS to lose the prepaid cards if I order them now, anyway. Thanks again!
 

DaveNV

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Are you flying into Dulles or National? I've rented a car but won't really need it for 6 days. Then we are driving to Williamsburg. No idea what I am supposed to do there, but I heard it was fun.

I hope to learn more from your thread before you go ;)!

We're flying into National. I wanted to be as close to the OTA as possible. And Alaska flies nonstop from Seattle to National. Since we used air miles for the tickets, I can't argue with that. :)

We're only renting a car for the weekend we're driving down to Charlottesville. The rest of the time it'll be Metro and cabs.

Williamsburg is a beautiful town, with plenty of Colonial stuff to see. I haven't been there in a long time, but it was nice seeing the static displays of colonial life activities, the architecture, and the demonstrations of the armies and such. You'll enjoy it, and when you compare it to DC, it'll be say to see how they relate to each other. Not far from Williamsbirg are the colonial battlefields at Jamestown and Yorktown. Worth visiting, too.

Dave
 
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MULTIZ321

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Denise, we haven't yet received our WH tour tickets. They tell me they're not released until two weeks before the tour date. Our earliest possible tour date is still three weeks away. We have been scheduled to tour the US Capitol, the Library of Congress, and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing so far. The only other tours we requested are the White House and the Supreme Court. I expect those will come through within the next week or two. We're also invited to a Meet & Greet "Constituent Coffee" with one of our Senators. That'll be fun.

I did buy SmartTrip cards in advance, preloaded with enough money for several days' worth of trips. We'll be there ten days, and will watch the totals and add more money if needed. Someone commented about no need to buy ahead of time. I think they need to be advance purchased so you have time to set up an account, so you can reload the card from your computer. Either way, I don't want to run into any snags with subway fares.

We're being cautioned not to overplan things. I completely agree, and I'm not looking to pack the itinerary any further. These tours are the only things we're firmly committing to (plus a weekend trip down to Charlottesville to tour Monticello. Skyline Drive through Shenandoah National Park is a great side trip.) Some things will not be missed - I'm waiting to buy Ford's Theater tickets until I know the times of these other tours. I don't want to cross myself up and schedule two things at the same time.

The rest of our DC time will be taken as it happens. I've made a list of the Smithsonian Museums and their locations, and a few other things we plan to visit (like Arlington Cemetery, and the monuments on the Arlington side of the Potomac.) We want to do a few paid things, that are on the "if we have time" list - the Newseum and National Geographic Museum, for example. We know there will be no shortage of things to do.

Unfortunately, something we wanted to do may not be available - now that the Washington Monument has reopened, all the advance reservation tickets are gone until dates well after our trip. So unless I can get same-day tickets one day, we may not be able to go up into the monument. But that's okay. I already know this won't be the last trip to DC - there is just too much to see and do.

We're very excited about this trip. Can you tell? :)

Dave

Hi Dave,

If you decide to go to Mount Vernon - it is possible to do so by Metro from King Street Station - take the Yellow Line to Huntington Station and from there take the Fairfax Connector Bus to Mount Vernon - lets you off at the front gate and your Metro Smarttrip Card is good on the bus.

Re your Smarttrip Cards - the fare is not deducted from the card until you
exit the system. When you enter Metro at whatever station, the card just unlocks the turnstile for you with no fare being deducted at that point. When you use the card to go through the exit turnstile, look at the small box display on the top of the turnstile which will display the fare amount being deducted and the remaining balance on your card.

If you don't see the remaining balance, don't fret - there will be a bank of Fare Machines lining the wall near entrances and exits of most, if not all, Metro Stations. You can use the machines to check the balance on your card - follow the directions on the machines - takes less than a minute. You can also add to your card balance from the machines, if you feel the balance is too low. No need about using a computer to add to your card balance.

Also, check out the Maps of the Metro system and familiarize yourself with the name of the last stop at the end of the line in either direction (e.g. Red Line is Glenmont and Shady Grove). You can use this info to orient yourself when you are at the Metro Stations where there will be monolith posts with the end-of-the-line names on the posts. This can help you determine that you are traveling in the proper direction. Also, as the Metro train comes into the station, the color of the line (e.g. Red) will be on display toward the top of the leading train car with the name of the end-of-the-line station (in my example, either Glenmont or Shady Grove superimposed over the Line Color).
Once you get the hang of it, you'll be an old pro.

Have a great trip.


Richard
 

DaveNV

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Thanks, Richard. That metro info is great to know!

I don't know if we'll make it to Mount Vernon, but it's for sure on the "maybe" list.

Dave


Hi Dave,

If you decide to go to Mount Vernon - it is possible to do so by Metro from King Street Station - take the Yellow Line to Huntington Station and from there take the Fairfax Connector Bus to Mount Vernon - lets you off at the front gate and your Metro Smarttrip Card is good on the bus.

Re your Smarttrip Cards - the fare is not deducted from the card until you
exit the system. When you enter Metro at whatever station, the card just unlocks the turnstile for you with no fare being deducted at that point. When you use the card to go through the exit turnstile, look at the small box display on the top of the turnstile which will display the fare amount being deducted and the remaining balance on your card.

If you don't see the remaining balance, don't fret - there will be a bank of Fare Machines lining the wall near entrances and exits of most, if not all, Metro Stations. You can use the machines to check the balance on your card - follow the directions on the machines - takes less than a minute. You can also add to your card balance from the machines, if you feel the balance is too low. No need about using a computer to add to your card balance.

Also, check out the Maps of the Metro system and familiarize yourself with the name of the last stop at the end of the line in either direction (e.g. Red Line is Glenmont and Shady Grove). You can use this info to orient yourself when you are at the Metro Stations where there will be monolith posts with the end-of-the-line names on the posts. This can help you determine that you are traveling in the proper direction. Also, as the Metro train comes into the station, the color of the line (e.g. Red) will be on display toward the top of the leading train car with the name of the end-of-the-line station (in my example, either Glenmont or Shady Grove superimposed over the Line Color).
Once you get the hang of it, you'll be an old pro.

Have a great trip.


Richard
 

DaveNV

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I don't know if anyone ever answered my initial question: Is there a method to use to get the type of unit I want? If I want a Courtyard unit, should I call ahead, or just wait till check-in?

Also, I'm staying as a guest of an owner, not as an exchanger - does that make any difference?
 
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Karen G

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I don't know if we'll make it to Mount Vernon, but it's for sure on the "maybe" list.

Dave
I hope you get to go to Mt. Vernon. It was one of the highlights of our visit when we stayed at Old Town Alexandria.
 

Deb from NC

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I don't know if anyone ever answered my initial question: Is there a method to use to get the type of unit I want? If I want a Courtyard unit, should I call ahead, or just wait till check-in?

Also, I'm staying as a guest of an owner, not as an exchanger - does that make any difference?

What I've been told is to call the resort front desk about 2 weeks before your arrival date and they will try to help you out....
 

DaveNV

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What I've been told is to call the resort front desk about 2 weeks before your arrival date and they will try to help you out....


Thanks, Deb. I'll try that.

And for those who are keeping score: I got notice today that our tour of the White House and the Supreme Court have been scheduled. My tour itinerary is now complete, and I can fill in with the paid ticket things we want to see (Ford's Theater being one of them.)

Getting more excited every day. :)

Dave
 

Denise L

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Thanks, Deb. I'll try that.

And for those who are keeping score: I got notice today that our tour of the White House and the Supreme Court have been scheduled. My tour itinerary is now complete, and I can fill in with the paid ticket things we want to see (Ford's Theater being one of them.)

Getting more excited every day. :)

Dave

Great, great news :whoopie:! I am hoping I can get the White House tickets, too. Fantastic that your trip itinerary is done! I will learn from your trip planning and follow in your footsteps, ha ha ;).
 

Big Matt

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Go to Mount Vernon. One of the best things to do while visiting DC. You could easily stay a month in DC and not do everything. Counting the embassies, ALL of the Smithsonian, and every other museum takes weeks non-stop.
 

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Go to Mount Vernon. One of the best things to do while visiting DC. You could easily stay a month in DC and not do everything. Counting the embassies, ALL of the Smithsonian, and every other museum takes weeks non-stop.


We've added Mount Vernon to the schedule. I was initially concerned about travel times and such, and trying to do too much mixed in with all the other things we've set up. We don't want to have to hurry to see anything. After readjusting things a bit, we now have made time to do it without being rushed. Looking forward to it.

Is there any reason to buy advance tickets? The website talks about tour times, but to arrive early to allow time to see other things before touring the mansion. Is it better to arrive, see things, and buy tour tickets then? Or buy them ahead, and plan to arrive ahead of time? How much time would be needed to do that without rushing? Can we show up, tour the mansion, and then see the other stuff?

Dave
 

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You won't have a bunch of school groups at Mount Vernon in June, so I'd wait and buy tickets the day you want to go depending on the weather. A lot of it is outdoors so I'd skip a rainy day and do something else that day. Same with the zoo if you are planning on doing that. The zoo is worth an afternoon. It's a few blocks from the Woodley Park metro stop on the red line.
 

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You won't have a bunch of school groups at Mount Vernon in June, so I'd wait and buy tickets the day you want to go depending on the weather. A lot of it is outdoors so I'd skip a rainy day and do something else that day. Same with the zoo if you are planning on doing that. The zoo is worth an afternoon. It's a few blocks from the Woodley Park metro stop on the red line.


Thanks, Matt. I'm hoping the weather is good while we're there. A lot of things we plan to do will be outdoors. We aren't planning to go to the Zoo. I know it's a nice one, and I've been there before (years ago, when I was stationed in DC with the Navy), but there are so many other things we want to see, we've decided to pass on going to the Zoo this time around.

Dave
 

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Thanks, Matt. I'm hoping the weather is good while we're there. A lot of things we plan to do will be outdoors. We aren't planning to go to the Zoo. I know it's a nice one, and I've been there before (years ago, when I was stationed in DC with the Navy), but there are so many other things we want to see, we've decided to pass on going to the Zoo this time around.

Dave

Dave,

Be sure to read my post today, if you haven't already done so, on George Washington and his whiskey distillery operation at Mount Vernon.

Sounds like you have a great trip planned.

Richard
 

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Dave,

Be sure to read my post today, if you haven't already done so, on George Washington and his whiskey distillery operation at Mount Vernon.

Sounds like you have a great trip planned.

Richard



I just saw it. Thanks! We'll check it out if we can.

Dave
 
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