# Old Town Alexandria trip report



## DaveNV (Jun 10, 2014)

This will be in the Resort Reviews soon, but I wanted to share things here, as well.  It's pretty long, so skip through the parts you don't want to read. 

Dave

We just spent 11 nights in a 1 bedroom deluxe room, Unit 603, as a private exchange arranged with another Tugger.  I had called about a week before check in and asked for a Courtyard view on a higher floor.  They had things ready to go when we arrived, and assigned us this light-filled, airy unit on the sixth floor.  (There are seven floors in the building.) Check in was a breeze, and after a polite, friendly conversation with Shanea at the concierge desk, we were headed to our room.  She wanted us to attend the sales pitch presentation, and the incentives were generous, but after I politely explained that I have sold all but one of my timeshares, that I’m not buying any more, and how I always bought my timeshares on the resale market anyway, she knew I wouldn’t be worth the trouble.  She said, “So it doesn’t sound like this is something you’d be looking at buying, huh?” I said, “No, sorry.  I’m done buying.”  “No problem, sir. We just need to ask everyone.” And that was that.  Nobody called or hassled us. We did see some salespeople escorting people around during our stay, and from overheard conversations, I could tell the usual sales practices are happening here.  I’m glad I didn’t have to endure it.

The unit was very clean, and everything was in fine working order.  We had no trouble during our stay.  The “1 bedroom deluxe” is the larger side of a 2 bedroom lockoff unit.  It has a full kitchen, with full sized range,  refrigerator with icemaker, over-the-range microwave, and standard dishwasher. There was ample counter space, as well as an island and breakfast bar, all with granite countertops. The usual suite of countertop appliances were present, including a coffeemaker and two-slice toaster.  Plenty of decent cookware, dishes, utensils, and flatware made cooking very easy.  There was adequate cleaning supplies provided, and I’m sure they’d have given more if we’d asked. The only condiment provided was a tiny salt & pepper disposable set. If you plan to cook much, come prepared. (See below, about area shopping.)

Adjacent to the kitchen is a large dining table with six chairs. The living room had a pull-out sofa, two side chairs, coffee table, and a side table with lamp. A large flat screen TV and DVD player are on a credenza.  A small linen closet provided an ironing board and iron that worked well.

The large bedroom held a king sized bed and one nightstand, with a smaller flat screen TV on a dresser.  There is a small in-room safe in a closet at the foot of the bed, and a clock-radio alarm on the nightstand. The bathroom is divided, with one sink and a large Jacuzzi tub in the bedroom area. A separate room has another sink, commode, and large shower stall. It was all very comfortable, and made the two of feel very much at ease. The Courtyard side of the building is very quiet, and we didn’t hear any extraneous noises. After the many very full days spent exploring the DC area, it was nice getting a good night’s sleep. Laundry is available free of charge in a laundry room down the hall on each floor.  One washer and two dryers, which worked very well, were always empty and waiting.  We used it twice during our stay without incident.

There is free WiFi available in the unit, but speed is variable, depending on how many other people are using the bandwidth.  In the daytime, it was fairly quick.  In the evening, it often was too slow to be convenient to use.  Later at night it picked up speed again.  Plan ahead, and you’ll do fine.  There is a free Business Center in the Lobby with computer free for the use, and a printer, handy for printing maps or airline boarding passes.

Parking is in the garage below the facility, shared with the Hilton hotel next door. There is convenient elevator access to the parking area, so it was easy to get around. Wyndham is actively selling here, so the entire facility was very well kept, and well run.  Staff was very courteous and helpful, and went out of their way to assist with anything we needed.  We would gladly stay here again.

One of the greatest reasons to stay at this resort is its location.  Leave your car at home, unless you REALLY need it.  The Metro station is across the street, providing easy access to the Washington DC metropolitan area. Fares vary depending on time and distance traveled, but it was easily managed through the Metro (WMATA.com) SmarTrip cards. Easy to use, easy to add funds onto the cards as needed, and available in a variety of versions, depending on your needs.  We’d set up our online account ahead of time, and ordered our cards by mail from home, so it was easy to manage things online once we arrived.

The neighborhood around the resort is interesting, but can be a bit challenging.  The closest (only!) grocery store is Whole Foods, about two blocks away. There are no convenience stores or drug stores within walking distance. There is a Starbucks Coffee stand in the Hilton hotel next door, and for this Seattle-area guy, it was very handy! Along King Street heading east from the resort there are any number of interesting shops and restaurants, all the way to the Potomac River in the heart of Old Town Alexandria, about a mile away.  A free hop-on hop-off trolley runs down King Street, so there is easy access.  

The closest “shopping mall” experience we found was four Metro stops away, at the Pentagon City stop: When you exit the Metro station you’ll be inside a fashion mall shopping center, with a variety of stores, including Macy’s and Nordstrom.  There is a Harris Teeter supermarket adjacent to that mall, if you need to pick up anything (cooking spices, perhaps?)  Since we relied on walking and the Metro, we found those handy to stop, on the way back to the resort from the DC area.

We enjoyed eating a few blocks down King Street at Hard Times Café (several kinds of artisan chili complement their sandwich dishes. Quite tasty!) Ernie’s Crab House, in the same block as the resort, had great seafood.  Down near the other end of King Street, (actually on Queen Street) we found Bilbo Baggins Restaurant, with excellent eclectic menu choices and a huge selection of beer and wine. LaPorta’s Restaurant, walking distance about two blocks away on Duke Street, offers great homestyle pasta dishes. We found outstanding New York Style pizza at Quattro Formagii, about a block away. They have a full-service Italian menu as well, but we only tried their pizza. (The pizza delivery place that slips a menu under your door was not very good, and can’t be recommended. Trust me on this one!)  And if you need your donut fix, a Dunkin Donuts shop is right across King Street. There were plenty more places to eat, but we’ll save those for our next visit.

The focus of this trip was Americana tourism - seeing the monuments and memorials in DC, as well as several Smithsonian museums.  All are free to visit, and well worth the effort to get to them.  Even though the Smithsonian museums normally close at 5:00, we discovered one or two stayed open till 7:00 on certain nights, on a rotating schedule.  Check the Smithsonian website to see which museums are open later on the days you’ll be there.  (This can be helpful to delay your return to the resort, since Metro fares are cheaper after 7:00 PM.)

Be advised that the DC Mall-area maps are VERY misleading:  Things are very large, and very far apart! Even though it seems they’re right next to each other, the buildings are huge, and distances are farther than they seem, especially in Summer heat and humidity. Walking from one end of the Mall to the other seems like it’d be an easy thing to do, but it will take its toll.  Plan accordingly!  

In addition to seeing several Smithsonian Museums, we had arranged through our Senator’s office months ahead of time to get tickets for special things not available for the walk-in tourist.  We were able to tour the White House, the Supreme Court, the Capitol, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (that’s the US Mint), and the Library of Congress. Tickets were free, but they required arranging ahead of time.  In addition, we attended a Constituent Coffee meeting with our Senator, toured Ford’s Theater, the US Archives, and the Newseum, a special museum dedicated to news media. Very interesting!

We did rent a car for three days, picked up at Reagan National Airport (two Metro stops away.)  This allowed us to take an overnight trip along beautiful Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah National Park, to the town of Charlottesville, Virginia, so we could tour Monticello, the family home of Thomas Jefferson.  It was truly worthwhile, and highly recommended.

A highlight of the trip was the last day with the rental car, when we drove out to the DC suburb of Chantilly, Virginia, near Dulles Airport, to see the Smithsonian’s “other” Air & Space Museum. The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is a huge hangar complex with a huge collection of fascinating aircraft and other flying things. There were many things on display, including missles and satellites, the Space Shuttle Discovery, an SR-71 Blackbird spy plane, an Air France Concorde jet, and the Enola Gay, the B-29 bomber that dropped the atomic bomb to end World War II.  It was a great place to experience.

To put it all into perspective, we took a nighttime tour boat ride with Potomac River Boat Company from the pier on the Potomac at the end of King Street, up into DC after dark. The monuments are lit up, and provide a very different experience than how they appear in the daytime.  The boat runs from Alexandria to Georgetown, and can be either one-way or round trip.  Very worthwhile, and a nice diversion.  If we’d had more time, we would have taken an earlier boat up to Georgetown for a nice dinner there, then rode it back to Alexandria after dark.  Oh well – maybe next trip!

There is so much more to see in this area than what we had time for, we know we’ll be back.  Unlike other trips where we’ve tried to “do it all,” this time we took our time, paced ourselves, we ate and slept well, and we took lots of time out to relax.  It has been a marvelous vacation that has given us plenty to talk about, with plenty left for our next trip to this wonderful city.


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## Passepartout (Jun 10, 2014)

Thanks Dave! Great overview. Now to figure how to replicate it.....

Jim


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## jackio (Jun 10, 2014)

Thank you so much for this posting!  We are headed there in September and will be sure to use your helpful hints. - Jacki


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## Denise L (Jun 10, 2014)

Wow, Dave !  Great review!  I read every word and was especially interested in how you found the "other" Air & Space Museum and was that always on your itinerary or did you find out about it while you were there?

Sounds like a fantastic trip and I know that we won't be able to do half as much as you did, but we will certainly try to hit the highlights if we can.  Thanks for the great tips!


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## DaveNV (Jun 10, 2014)

Denise L said:


> Wow, Dave !  Great review!  I read every word and was especially interested in how you found the "other" Air & Space Museum and was that always on your itinerary or did you find out about it while you were there?
> 
> Sounds like a fantastic trip and I know that we won't be able to do half as much as you did, but we will certainly try to hit the highlights if we can.  Thanks for the great tips!




Thanks, Denise.  We reviewed the Smithsonian website a fair amount before coming to town, and they talk about it.  So we knew about it ahead of time.  They put stuff out there they can't fit at the one on the Mall in the city.  It was always planned we'd try and visit there, and it was a great use of the third day on the rental car.  (Initially the rental car was supposed to be just for two days, but I found a cheaper rate on a three day rental, so it was a no-brainer. I actually got the three day rate for less than the two day rate. Three days of Alamo mid-size with unlimited miles for $66 out the door.  Awesome rate!)

Dave


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## Free2Roam (Jun 11, 2014)

Wow! Really nice detailed review of the accommodations and the DC area! I've lived here (Maryland) all my life and haven't taken the time to do half of what you've done. Kinda makes me want to do a "stay-cation" and experience more of the area... the things we take for granted.



Thanks for taking the time to give so much info!



Sent from my Surface with Windows RT using Tapatalk


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## GrayFal (Jun 11, 2014)

BMWguynw said:


> Thanks, Denise.  We reviewed the Smithsonian website a fair amount before coming to town, and they talk about it.  So we knew about it ahead of time.  They put stuff out there they can't fit at the one on the Mall in the city.  It was always planned we'd try and visit there, and it was a great use of the third day on the rental car.  (Initially the rental car was supposed to be just for two days, but I found a cheaper rate on a three day rental, so it was a no-brainer. I actually got the three day rate for less than the two day rate. Three days of Alamo mid-size with unlimited miles for $66 out the door.  Awesome rate!)
> 
> Dave



DH and I did a tour at Air and Space on the Mall and the the lovely guide mentioned several times about the other museum by the airport....that one is definitely on my list when I return.


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## vacationhopeful (Jun 11, 2014)

FreeIn2010 said:


> Wow! Really nice detailed review of the accommodations and the DC area! I've lived here (Maryland) all my life and haven't taken the time to do half of what you've done. Kinda makes me want to do a "stay-cation" and experience more of the area... the things we take for granted.
> Thanks for taking the time to give so much info!...



Agree with all the review posters! Great review ... THANKS for taking the time.

My sister & family live nearby DC also. I have hosted her family at both Wyndham resorts as a get-a-way without the hassle. The kids love exploring; the parents love the NO VIDEO game rule I have - good family time.


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## Conan (Jun 11, 2014)

And if you're age 65 or older, get a Senior Smartrip card and you'll travel half-price.
http://www.wmata.com/fares/smartrip/senior.cfm

There are many Smartrip points of sale.  We got ours at the Metro Center station, but I see now we could have gotten it within walking distance of Old Town Alexandria, at Old Town Transit Shop, 1775-C Duke Street at Diagonal Street.
http://www.wmata.com/fares/purchase/where.cfm


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## Rascalsmom (Jun 11, 2014)

Kudos on a great trip review, Dave!  I took my dad, husband, and son to DC a couple of years ago and we did almost exactly the same trip.  Didn't do the special trip to Capitol or Library of congress but did add in the Holocaust Museum; otherwise just the same.  I bought our Smartcards on the internet ahead of time and we used them to go from National Airport to the resort on the metro.  A great money-saver if you're OK with walking and can manage your rolling suitcase.  

I want to add +1 for the Udvar-Hazy.  My dad has been a recreational pilot for 50+ years.  We enjoyed the museum and really enjoyed seeing him love it!  There is no public transporation that will efficiently get you out there so a rental car is a must if you want to visit.


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## topdog (Jun 11, 2014)

*Great report*

We used to live there, and it brought back some memories of the great things to see and do.  Glad you made it to Monticello, its really something special.  You really hit a lot of high spots for one week.  If that's taking it easy I can't imagine you in fifth gear.


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## DaveNV (Jun 11, 2014)

Thanks everyone, for the kind words.  We really enjoyed the trip.  The combination of the great location of the Wyndham Old Town Alexandria, and the excellent DC Metro system is what helped make it all work so well.  It would have been much more difficult, and outrageously expensive, if we'd had to try and find parking for a car someplace in the city every day.  As it was, walking across the street, getting on a Metro train, and getting off within a block or two of our destination was a perfect, easy way to vacation.

The WMATA.com website has a Trip Planner we used a lot. You select the starting and desired ending point, and when you want to leave or arrive, and it plans the route for you. It even gives options of which route to select, when there are multiple ways to get there.  We found it to be very accurate, and we were on time for every planned activity.  It was a great time saver.

We spent 11 nights at OTA, including the overnight at Charlottesville, and the total Metro fare cost we spent was $44 per person.  When we arrived in town, we took a taxi from the airport to OTA. It cost about $23.  When we left OTA, being old hats at things, we rode the Metro to the airport.  It cost us $2.25 each.  

Dave


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## pedro47 (Jun 12, 2014)

Thanks Dave what an "outstanding review" of DC.


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## Nancy (Jun 12, 2014)

Nice review.

Nancy


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## Joe33426 (Jun 13, 2014)

Really great review!  I was so excited to see the review because we started our stay at OTA on Wednesday, so the info was particularly timely and helpful. 




BMWguynw said:


> Be advised that the DC Mall-area maps are VERY misleading:  Things are very large, and very far apart! Even though it seems they’re right next to each other, the buildings are huge, and distances are farther than they seem, especially in Summer heat and humidity. Walking from one end of the Mall to the other seems like it’d be an easy thing to do, but it will take its toll.  Plan accordingly!



In particular, the above is such great advice.  Prior to coming to DC I thought we could easily hop around from one of these attractions on the national mall to the next.  The buildings are enormous and city blocks depicted on maps are misleading.  We walked 10 miles yesterday (at least that's what my cellphone says we walked).  Today, I have a realistic plan and will take more breaks from walking.


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## SkyBlueWaters (Feb 19, 2015)

I only have three days, now have to configure if ?I should stay longer. Thanks for the post.


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## rapmarks (Feb 19, 2015)

great review; reinforces my desire to visit there.


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## jme (Feb 19, 2015)

really great trip, and nice review.......you did ALMOST everything you could have done.  Monticello is a fantastic experience (we normally drive over from Williamsburg, about 2 hours), and the other things are great too, like all the special visitations such as the Capitol bldg, Supreme Court, Library of Congress, etc., etc.  

Altho your trip was packed, did you consider seeing Mount Vernon (unless you've already done that), and also National Harbor, across the river from Old Town Alexandria (lots of great restaurants and shopping, and location of the gorgeous Marriott-acquired Gaylord Hotel) ???


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## DaveNV (Feb 19, 2015)

jme said:


> really great trip, and nice review.......you did ALMOST everything you could have done.  Monticello is a fantastic experience (we normally drive over from Williamsburg, about 2 hours), and the other things are great too, like all the special visitations such as the Capitol bldg, Supreme Court, Library of Congress, etc., etc.
> 
> Altho your trip was packed, did you consider seeing Mount Vernon (unless you've already done that), and also National Harbor, across the river from Old Town Alexandria (lots of great restaurants and shopping, and location of the gorgeous Marriott-acquired Gaylord Hotel) ???



Thanks.  We did consider those things, but since we only had the car for the three days, and knew things would be really busy that weekend, we opted to save those for another trip. A city like DC is so big, and there is so much going on, it's impossible to see everything.  We knew that. so deliberately took things at our own pace, with the idea we'd do the other things next time.  We had no regrets. 

Dave


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## jme (Feb 19, 2015)

BMWguynw said:


> Thanks.  We did consider those things, but since we only had the car for the three days, and knew things would be really busy that weekend, we opted to save those for another trip. A city like DC is so big, and there is so much going on, it's impossible to see everything.  We knew that. so deliberately took things at our own pace, with the idea we'd do the other things next time.  We had no regrets.
> 
> Dave



I'm sure no regrets.....I think you did more than we did in the same time frame.  I was just wondering if you had already seen Mt Vernon or something.  Monticello is amazing, and my absolute favorite, but Mt. Vernon is much closer.  You had a most wonderful and action-packed trip------it's amazing how much there is to do around DC.  I honestly think it might take a month to do it justice.


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## DaveNV (Feb 19, 2015)

jme said:


> I'm sure no regrets.....I think you did more than we did in the same time frame.  I was just wondering if you had already seen Mt Vernon or something.  Monticello is amazing, and my absolute favorite, but Mt. Vernon is much closer.  You had a most wonderful and action-packed trip------it's amazing how much there is to do around DC.  I honestly think it might take a month to do it justice.



I agree - there was something around every corner.  And we didn't even weigh in trying to go to Fredericksburg, Richmond, or the Yorktown/Jamestown/Williamsburg area.

I was stationed with the Navy in DC during the 1970s, so had a familiarity with the area, but seeing it all again after all these years was like seeing it for the first time. A truly awesome city, and a great place to vacation. 

Dave


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## zora (Apr 10, 2015)

Thank you for the great review. DD3 and I stayed at OTA for 3 nights last summer when she was looking at colleges. We'll follow your itinerary on our next visit.


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## DaveNV (Apr 10, 2015)

zora said:


> Thank you for the great review. DD3 and I stayed at OTA for 3 nights last summer when she was looking at colleges. We'll follow your itinerary on our next visit.



Glad I could help. 

Dave


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## Passepartout (Apr 10, 2015)

Ok, to update my post#2. We didn't exactly replicate your trip, staying instead in a VRBO on U Street, a vibrant area off clubs, stores, residences, where the likes of Cab Calloway an Duke Ellington had performed. There was a Trader Joe's on our block and a Metro stop a block away across from Ben's Chili Bowl where the President has been known to sneak off for lunch. We went to the Smithsonian Udvar -Hagy Annex on the day before moving into the City. Fabulous! Also there, the prototype Boeing 707 that I have a painting of doing a barrel roll over Lake Washington. We took a boat down the Potomac to Mount Vernon, and had a personal, private tour of The Kennedy Center. They wouldn't let me sit in the President's seat in his private suite- but we saw it.

Washington is clearly our National treasure. There are things there that are found no where else. Glad we made the effort.

Jim


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## DaveNV (Apr 10, 2015)

Passepartout said:


> Washington is clearly our National treasure. There are things there that are found no where else. Glad we made the effort.
> 
> Jim




There ya go, Jim.  It's a great place to visit.  Glad you had fun!

Dave


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