# Old Town Alexandria



## dogwood7 (Mar 4, 2011)

My family of 5 would like to spend some time in early August to visit Washington DC. From reading things, it seems that the Old Town Alexandria is the best place location wise. If I stayed here, would I really need a car to visit around Washington-Smithsonian, etc.? Would the metro be sufficient? Also, I read on this forum that it is very noisy. I could deal with that if the location is so great. Any suggestions and/or advice would be appreciated.


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## Carol C (Mar 4, 2011)

Definitely do not rent a car! The King Street metro is only two short blocks away from the resort and will get you to all the major attractions of DC. And the city of Alexandria VA has many of its own attractions including small museums and galleries, so you can spend a nice day or two there. Mt Vernon is also not far away. It's my home resort in the Wyndham system, so I'd be happy to help you and your family with your vacation there!


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## ronparise (Mar 5, 2011)

The metro will get you close to almost anywhere you want to go, except perhaps the zoo and Georgetown. But bring comfortable walking shoes....you will be walking a lot


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## Deb from NC (Mar 5, 2011)

It's my home resort too and we NEVER use a car!  The metro will get you close to anywhere you want to go...if it doesn't get you close enough (such as to Georgetown), take the metro to the closest spot, then grab a cab.  Much less hassle (and less expensive!) than driving.
We've been going to Alexandria every year since we've owned (probably 6 or 7 years now) and have never had a problem with noise...I did see the review that complained of the noise and can only conclude that they had a unit that was not in a great location (or are more sensitive to noise than I am!) We usually try to get a unit on an upper floor at the end of the hall, and have never had an issue.
Enjoy !  We look forward to our week there every year....


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## Carol C (Mar 5, 2011)

Deb from NC said:


> It's my home resort too and we NEVER use a car!  The metro will get you close to anywhere you want to go...if it doesn't get you close enough (such as to Georgetown), take the metro to the closest spot, then grab a cab.  Much less hassle (and less expensive!) than driving.
> We've been going to Alexandria every year since we've owned (probably 6 or 7 years now) and have never had a problem with noise...I did see the review that complained of the noise and can only conclude that they had a unit that was not in a great location (or are more sensitive to noise than I am!) We usually try to get a unit on an upper floor at the end of the hall, and have never had an issue.
> Enjoy !  We look forward to our week there every year....



I've never found it noisy either, and I don't hear train noise which some have complained about. And I have very good hearing, so I would hear it if it was that bad.


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## rapmarks (Mar 5, 2011)

I have always wanted to go there!


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## Karen G (Mar 5, 2011)

We stayed there a few years ago and loved the location. The metro is the best way to get around, as everyone else has advised. Another thing we did that we really enjoyed was going to Mt. Vernon, George Washington's home. We took a bus up there and just happened to time it right to take a little ferry back to the dock in Old Town Alexandria. We walked back to the timeshare from the dock. It was so much fun & so interesting.

We didn't experience any noise issues either.


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## dogwood7 (Mar 5, 2011)

*Old Alexandria*

Could someone tell me what type of accomodations my family would need. I understand there are one bedroom, one bedroom deluxe, 2 bedrooms, lockoffs? We are a family of 5. 2 adults, 1 teenager, and 2 under 10.
Thanks!


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## Karen G (Mar 5, 2011)

dogwood7 said:


> Could someone tell me what type of accomodations my family would need. I understand there are one bedroom, one bedroom deluxe, 2 bedrooms, lockoffs? We are a family of 5. 2 adults, 1 teenager, and 2 under 10.
> Thanks!


Our family of five was very comfortable in a two-bedroom. I don't believe it was a lockout--just a straight two-bedroom. Our kids were teenagers then.


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## learnalot (Mar 5, 2011)

dogwood7 said:


> Could someone tell me what type of accomodations my family would need. I understand there are one bedroom, one bedroom deluxe, 2 bedrooms, lockoffs? We are a family of 5. 2 adults, 1 teenager, and 2 under 10.
> Thanks!



The 1 bedroom is the smaller part of the 2 bedroom lockoff; the 1 bedroom deluxe is the larger part of the lock-off.  Both will have a master bedroom and then a sleeper sofa, but the 1 bedroom will have a smaller kitchen and be more of a studio.  Neither 1 bedroom configuration could accomodate 5 people, as both have maximum occupancy of 4. The lock-off uses both sides, so you would have a total of 2 bedrooms and 2 sleeper sofas with an occupancy of 8.  The 2 bedroom has a king in the master and 2 doubles in the 2nd bedroom plus a sleeper sofa, so 3 beds and 1 sofa with occupancy of 8.


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## timeos2 (Mar 5, 2011)

*No car required*



dogwood7 said:


> Could someone tell me what type of accomodations my family would need. I understand there are one bedroom, one bedroom deluxe, 2 bedrooms, lockoffs? We are a family of 5. 2 adults, 1 teenager, and 2 under 10.
> Thanks!



Two bedroom would be very good for your group. It is a beautiful resort in a perfect (much better than the newer one they just opened & will try to sell you if you attend an "update") location. 

As others mentioned there is no need for a car for the vast majority of your trip.  If you had one for a day or two to catch the fw places not easy to reach by public transportation you'd have the perfect set up. Enjoy your trip!


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## jimeilert (Mar 6, 2011)

*Alexandria - August*



dogwood7 said:


> My family of 5 would like to spend some time in early August to visit Washington DC. From reading things, it seems that the Old Town Alexandria is the best place location wise. If I stayed here, would I really need a car to visit around Washington-Smithsonian, etc.? Would the metro be sufficient? Also, I read on this forum that it is very noisy. I could deal with that if the location is so great. Any suggestions and/or advice would be appreciated.



Good luck!  This used to be the only (I believe) timeshare in the DC area - it certainly is the most convenient for DC, Alexandria & all the surrounding sites.  However, it is extremely difficult to get reservations, especially when school is out.  

You might try Wyndham National Harbor across the river.  Bus to Metro station to get to DC; or, water taxi to get to Alexandria.


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## ronparise (Mar 6, 2011)

I had another thought since I wrote my post. ..A day trip to Annapolis or Baltimore is nice...and you would  need a car for that.


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## mecllap (Mar 6, 2011)

Old Town Al is a great location -- a couple of comments about it are on this page of my blog from a visit there last summer:  http://www.travelblog.org/North-Ame...-of-Columbia/Washington-D.C./blog-518479.html
We were on the train-side of the building, which DGS loved (he's a train fanatic), and noise was not an issue.   We did have a problem with late night noise from neighbors one night -- I finally had to call them (I think it was probably the connected studio unit).  The 1BR was definitely smaller than other TS 1BRs (even smaller than Disney's).

We had a rental car for other reasons, but it's not needed if you're doing the main stuff.  Having a car does increase your options, tho -- like going out to the part of the Air and Space that's near Dulles -- a major high point for DGS (they have a Transformers movie exhibit; some of it was filmed there).


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## dogwood7 (Mar 6, 2011)

This is the first time I have posted under this thread. I would like to thank everyone for the information.


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## Deb from NC (Mar 7, 2011)

ronparise said:


> I had another thought since I wrote my post. ..A day trip to Annapolis or Baltimore is nice...and you would  need a car for that.



Hi Ron,
We're heading to Alexandria at the end of the month and were thinking about a day trip to Baltimore.  Is there no way to get there w/out a car ?  I guess we could rent a car for one day, but would rather not!  I was hoping there might be some combination of metro & ???


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## Goofyhobbie (Mar 7, 2011)

*MARC Train Service*

Deb,

Although I have never had the opportunity to use public transportation between Old Town Alexandria and Baltimore it does appear to be possible.

Take a look at the following link for more information:

http://dc.about.com/od/transportation/a/DCPublicTrans.htm


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## DrBopp (Mar 7, 2011)

Deb from NC said:


> Hi Ron,
> We're heading to Alexandria at the end of the month and were thinking about a day trip to Baltimore.  Is there no way to get there w/out a car ?  I guess we could rent a car for one day, but would rather not!  I was hoping there might be some combination of metro & ???



You could catch the Amtrak to Baltimore. There is an Amtrak station in Alexandria as well as Union Station, DC on the Metro. Once you get to Bmore, I'm thinking the Amtrak Station is downtown not far from the Inner Harbor. 

Gordon


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## Deb from NC (Mar 7, 2011)

Thanks!  Any advice on favorite things to do in Baltimore?   (Is the aquarium nice?)  Also any great restaurants (preferably Italian or seafood) !


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## paluamalia (Mar 7, 2011)

*We stayed there in November*

Hi, We stayed at this property in November, the night before we got on the Autotrain in Lorton, VA.  I would go back there again for a longer stay, it is very convenient to everything.
We went to Mount Vernon to see Washington's home and it was a very nice trip, I recommend the peanut soup in their restaurant.

We did not have a problem with noise.

Have a nice trip, it's great to visit the Capitol.


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## ronparise (Mar 7, 2011)

either Amtrac to Baltimore or one of the MARC commuter trains from Union Station (which is a great destination by itself) to Baltimore. Then light rail to the Inner Harbor and Downtown

Lots of good food in Baltimore But you are missing a treat if you dont have Maryland Steamed Crabs...at Obryckis


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## rrlongwell (Mar 7, 2011)

Deb from NC said:


> Thanks!  Any advice on favorite things to do in Baltimore?   (Is the aquarium nice?)  Also any great restaurants (preferably Italian or seafood) !



Have not been their since the kids were small.  The aquarium is great.


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## Deb from NC (Mar 7, 2011)

Thanks all..we've been to Washington DC many times (never tire of it!) but never to Baltimore.  Looking forward to both at the end of the month :whoopie:


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## macstepic (Mar 7, 2011)

The Inner Harbor (where the Aquarium is located) has a large number of good places to eat. The last time I was there I ate dinner outdoors on the patio of Tir La Nog Restaurant and Irish bar. Absolutely wonderful! 

You can check out some of the shopping and food at www.harborplace.com


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## dogwood7 (Mar 7, 2011)

Thanks to a fellow Tugger we were able to get 4 nights the first week of August. Our first time to Washington DC and the Wyndham Alexandria. We are so excited! Planning on visiting the Smithsonian, hopefully the White House tour, any other suggestions. We don't mind going nonstop.


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## ronparise (Mar 7, 2011)

4 days, even non stop is not enough to do the Smithsonian, let alone anything else. I used to take my daughter to the mall at least one day a month for several years. We always liked the First Ladies exhibit, The Hope Diamond, and other stones and The Hirshhorn 

Call your congressman's office, I think they have to  arrange tours of the White House

Bureau of Engraving and Printing: Something special about watching them actually print money.

Fords Theater  

Arlington Cemetery

Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial

We used to take a boat down the Potomac to Mount Vernon

You used to be able to walk up the steps in the Washington Monument. I think thats closed now, but you can take an elevator

If you remember the movie  "The Exorcist"... The steps that Father Karras fell down are in Georgetown (between Prospect St and M St) Just be careful  (I used to take those steps walking between "The Tombs" and "Old Macs", two Georgetown bars I frequented in my younger days)

You better plan on coming back next year.

Washington is god-awful hot in August..and you'll be doing a lot of walking dress accordingly


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## mecllap (Mar 9, 2011)

Can you add some days somewhere to stay in the area longer?  Depending on how you're travelling, 4 nights only gives you 3 full days -- which is nowhere near enough to even "scratch the surface."  The "Smithsonian" is several museums, each of which can take several hours (or more than a day even).  It takes a while to get around -- everything is big and somewhat far apart.
It will be extremely hot, and probably most places will be crowded; there will be lines at least some places, if not most.  A lot of buildings have security, which can take up time (wear cargo shorts and try not to carry bags). Access is a lot more limited now than it used to be.  Food, snacks, parking are expensive.

You will really need to plan ahead and do a lot of research and prioritize.  It is not easy to get a White House tour (well, maybe it is for some people -- I was unsuccessful).

You might want to opt for the Tourmobile to be able to get an overview and start planning your next trip -- there is an unbelievable amount of stuff to see and do.

The pool at WA/OTA is inside, small, and stuffy (it's actually at the connected hotel) so it's not even a cooling off fun thing for the kids.

I don't want to discourage you -- taking the kids to DC is a wonderful thing to do -- but planning a short trip in August is challenging to have it be a fun, worthwhile experience.  Good luck!


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## Deb from NC (Mar 10, 2011)

When we went to DC last year, we spent a whole day on one FLOOR of the American History Museum !


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## JimMIA (Mar 10, 2011)

Deb from NC said:


> When we went to DC last year, we spent a whole day on one FLOOR of the American History Museum !


Yep!

If you haven't been to the Smithsonian -- as someone noted earlier, actually a collection of HUGE museums -- you simply have no idea how vast they are.

_One hint about the Smithsonian -- the first Smithsonian museum you enter, before you buy a thing, join the Smithsonian!  Your membership will more than pay for itself in discounts on merchandise and tickets like the Imax movies at Air & Space._

The main Smithsonian components are Natural History, American History, Science and Industry (?), Air and Space (phenomenal!), the Museum of the American Indian, and multiple art museums.  All of these are on either side of the Mall, between the Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol.

You could easily spend 2-3 days at Natural History, American History, OR Air & Space.  If you paid attention to the stunning displays, you could easily spend a full day at the Museum of the American Indian.

The Smithsonian, however, is just the most famous set of museums.  But there are others, notably the Holocaust Museum.  The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (right down the street from the Holocaust Museum) is one of those odd sidelights that you'll talk about for years.  And then there are the National Archives -- not really a museum, but what do you call the place where you can see the actual Declaration of Independence and the actual Constitution of the United States?

So, that's a couple of weeks to see that kind of stuff.

But then, you have to do the Monuments!  The Big Three -- Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln are all spectular in their own unique ways...but there are dozens of other monuments that are inspiring.  

The Vietnam Memorial strikes me as the most reverent place I've ever been -- even moreso than St. Peters or the Sistine Chapel in Rome.  Another must-see, for me, is the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington Cemetary.

And then, there are the government buildings -- the White House, the US Capitol, the US Supreme Court and others.

And then, when you get done with that, there is the city of Washington DC, which is quite a tourist attraction itself!


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## Millisara (Apr 1, 2011)

*Old Town Alexandria Ebay*

There were several Wyndham Old Town Alexandria listed on Ebay recently that were bought for $1 each I believe.  Do you think it was because of the MFs or the resort location? Thanks


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## vacationhopeful (Apr 1, 2011)

ronparise said:


> ...You used to be able to walk up the steps in the Washington Monument. I think thats closed now, but you can take an elevator



Walking up -NO. Walking DOWN -used to be able to do that by seeing the Park Rangers and signing up for one of the same day tours. Tells more of the history of the monument from the inside.


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## ronparise (Apr 1, 2011)

Linda

are you saying no one could walk up the monument or just that you never would?

I did.. several times, sometime several times in a day. When the older family members were in line to ride the elevator, we kids would run up and down the stairs, some times more than once, before our parents got to the front of the line.


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## vacationhopeful (Apr 1, 2011)

Ron,
When we all were kids, you could run up those steps. Years ago, they stopped allowing people to go up the steps - I believe both up and down. I know I was doing the walk-down for in the mid-1990s for multiple summer visits. Don't know it that has changed due to budget cuts or 911 security...

I had exchange students from France for 7 summers. There are about 15 French adults who mostly likely still curse me out every time they see a photo or news report showing the Washington Monument. I also took them on the White House tour, but it was not as much of a memory maker as the monument - all the steps down, with no way out.  :hysterical: :rofl: :hysterical:


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## Holiztic (Apr 1, 2011)

Millisara said:


> There were several Wyndham Old Town Alexandria listed on Ebay recently that were bought for $1 each I believe.  Do you think it was because of the MFs or the resort location? Thanks



Really, nothing now and on the other resale sites it's all 6-10k for modest points!


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## JimMIA (Apr 2, 2011)

vacationhopeful said:


> Walking up -NO. Walking DOWN -used to be able to do that by seeing the Park Rangers and signing up for one of the same day tours. Tells more of the history of the monument from the inside.


We just did the Washington Monument in October.  You can't walk up or down anymore, although it was permitted for many years.   I think they stopped it because of visitor damage to the interior of the monument when they refurbished the monument a few years ago. 

You pick up a ticket at a window at the rear of the visitor center and then meet at the appointed time for an elevator ride to the top.  You can stay at the top as long as you like.  When you are ready to go down, you walk down one level and catch the elevator, which makes a couple of stops on the way down to look at some of the plaques about the history of the monument.


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## HudsHut (Jun 2, 2013)

*Restaurants?*

We are traveling with two other families. The 5 kids range from 9 - 11.
Looking for restaurant recommendations in the vicinity of Old Town Alexandria and in the DC area.


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## Luanne (Jun 2, 2013)

hudshut said:


> We are traveling with two other families. The 5 kids range from 9 - 11.
> Looking for restaurant recommendations in the vicinity of Old Town Alexandria and in the DC area.



Years ago when we were in Alexandria we ate at what might be the original Five Guys.  I remember it being the best hamburger I'd ever had.


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## comicbookman (Jun 2, 2013)

hudshut said:


> We are traveling with two other families. The 5 kids range from 9 - 11.
> Looking for restaurant recommendations in the vicinity of Old Town Alexandria and in the DC area.



Hard times chili.  a block or so from wyndham.  I and my kids love it.


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## HudsHut (Jun 2, 2013)

Thank you, those sound like fun places. I have seen a Five Guys, but I have not yet eaten there.

Does the Wyndham have any barbecues?


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## Bucky (Jun 3, 2013)

hudshut said:


> Thank you, those sound like fun places. I have seen a Five Guys, but I have not yet eaten there.
> 
> Does the Wyndham have any barbecues?



No bbq's and I second Hard Times. We've had their chili, burgers and wings and they have always been great. The first time we were there we just thought it was like a neighborhood bar that served food. We were mistaken. This last time just about every table had parents with their children. We talked to the waitress, who has been there 35 years, and she said most of them were local families that would come in a couple of times a week.


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## Twinkstarr (Jun 3, 2013)

I'll third Hard Times and farther down King St, Red Rocks for pizza. I forget what weeknight we were there, but they had 1/2 off on bottles of wine. 

Also stopped at Whole Foods and got dinner to take back to OTA. That's about as close as I get to using the kitchen in a time


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## rwethereyet (Jun 3, 2013)

We just stayed there for 7 days including Memorial day. We had a 1 bdrm. deluxe for the whole week and a 1 bedrm. for our son and daughter-n-law for 3 of the nights. Our units were not adjoining but only a short walk away, on the same floor.  Unfortunately, I was unable to get a 2 bedrm. for the stay. (booked the the 1 bd. deluxe in Dec. and the 1 bd. in May as it came available, with 1/2 points)

We had a rental car because I mistakenly booked our flight into IAD Dulles and needed wheels to get to Alexandria.  I did save some $$ by using Priceline.com for the car - $11 per day. We also were able to see National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles - great experience!

The Metro is less than 2 blocks away from the resort if you walk out the back exit from the FREE parking garage... located under the Hilton but is available to Wyndham guests.  The only time we used the car was to go to Mt. Vernon one day and to/from Dulles airport. There are tours to Mt. Vernon or you can rent a car for 1 day.  It is only a 15-20 min. drive away.

Fly into Reagan and you can take the Metro to & from the resort as well as most all of the sites in DC.  I have a list of the best Metro stops to reach each site. Some are closer to various Metro lines (ie: Blue, Orange, Yellow, etc.)  PM me if you would like a copy of the list. 

The Metro card is $5.00 and you can add money in the beginning and more as needed.  We went through approximately $20.00-25.00 each person, for the week of traveling on the Metro.  There is also a weeks pass available for $35.00.  Also, note: it does cost a bit more to ride it during "rush hour" times.  The fare is lower after 9:30 AM, most museums open at 10:00 and are a 20-30 min. ride, then walking, walking & more walking to get to everything.

There are not any White House tours available at this time, due to sequestration and budget cuts. You can see it from the fenced/gated areas and get some photos.  We set up appointments with our Congressman back in January for constituent tours of the State Capital, Library of Congress -they had a display of all the items in President Lincoln's pockets when he was assassinated, interesting! and the Bureau of Engraving. They were all very informative and we enjoyed them thoroughly.

Be sure to schedule a night time tour of the DC area, we went with Zoherys.com.  $39.00 if picked up at Wyndham lobby at 6:00 PM; $19.00 if you meet at:  Hyatt Regency Hotel- 400 New Jersey Ave.  Departure Time: 7 PM from Approx. 3 – 4 hrs.  Or the Old Town Trolley Tours does one as well, about the same cost.  We rode the Old Town Trolly around the first day to get our bearings of the city - you can get on and off.

Other must sees: Arlington - changing of the Guard, Kennedy's grave; Martin Luther King Memorial, National Archives, all of Smithsonian Museums on the Mall Highly recommend the Spy Museum and Newseum. We visited all of the war memorials during the day and again on the night time tour.  Pentagon - hard to get appointments in to see it.  The George Washington Masonic Memorial is located near the resort. We did not have time to visit it but plan to on our next visit. Also we didn't have time to get to all of the Smithsonian museums. There is so much to see and do in DC...we can't wait to go again!


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## timeos2 (Jun 3, 2013)

Alexandria is an ideal location. I think it's much better than National Harbor even though NH is the newer of the two.  It is too isolated and requires a car for virtually everything you want to do. Plus the services around Alexandria are much more available by walking. We stayed there twice and enjoyed both trips.


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## Free2Roam (Jun 4, 2013)

Nice... I've lived 20 minutes away from DC all my life and haven't done most of this stuff... the things we take for granted. I've thought about doing the Old Town Trolley Tour... but it hasn't happened yet. I'm going to keep an eye out for last minute availability at Old Town Alexandria and plan a little weekend 'staycation' and do a few things from your list! 

Thanks for sharing!! 



rwethereyet said:


> We just stayed there for 7 days including Memorial day. We had a 1 bdrm. deluxe for the whole week and a 1 bedrm. for our son and daughter-n-law for 3 of the nights. Our units were not adjoining but only a short walk away, on the same floor.  Unfortunately, I was unable to get a 2 bedrm. for the stay. (booked the the 1 bd. deluxe in Dec. and the 1 bd. in May as it came available, with 1/2 points)
> 
> We had a rental car because I mistakenly booked our flight into IAD Dulles and needed wheels to get to Alexandria.  I did save some $$ by using Priceline.com for the car - $11 per day. We also were able to see National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles - great experience!
> 
> ...


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## HudsHut (Jun 6, 2013)

Thank you all for a most informative thread. I appreciate the local restaurant recommendations too.
We're flying into Dulles (non-stop & good price), so we'll probably go to the Air & Space near Dulles before returning our 1 day rental car.


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## vckempson (Jun 11, 2013)

Another great restaurant is King St. Blues.  It's on a side street about half way down King St.   It's a southern food place that's very colorful with characters of all sorts adorning the walls.  It's a bit of a cross between New Orleans and Disney World.  The food is very good, if you like southern food, and reasonably priced.  Lunch time is pretty empty there but dinner can fill up.  It's 3 floors with a pub on the bottom floor.  Kids will love the atmosphere.


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## Deb from NC (Jun 11, 2013)

We ALWAYS eat at Hard Times at least once when we go to Alexandria.
Great food & great price.  We also like Hank's Oyster Bar just a little further up King Street.  Also very reasonably priced and delicious!  
Enjoy your trip !
Deb


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## HudsHut (Jun 12, 2013)

I now have a question about the METRO.

As I understand it, there is a discounted weekly pass for about $35. But if we travel during designated peak commute times, we have to pay a surcharge.

Does that mean, if we enter the station before 9:30 am we incur the surcharge? or if we exit before 9:30 am?

_7-Day Short Trip Pass $35  
Pass is activated the first time it is used. It is valid for seven consecutive days of unlimited rides on WMATA Metrorail for trips costing up to $3.50 when peak fares are in effect. During these times, if your trip costs more than $3.50 , the additional charge will be deducted from the SmarTrip® card's Stored Value. There is no charge for rail trips at other times. A positive Stored Value is required to enter the Metrorail system.
_
So, if the additional charge is deducted, does that mean 7 day pass may expire prior to 7 days?

Cheers,
Maria


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## Free2Roam (Jun 12, 2013)

The fare (peak/non-peak) is determined by when you exit.

I've never used one of these, but based on that last sentence _"A positive Stored Value is required to enter the Metrorail system."_ it seems you need to add add'l money to the card so you have a "Stored Value."


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## HudsHut (Jun 12, 2013)

Thank you. 

I did call METRO during the day and they explained that the $35 is an  "add-on feature" of the SmarTrip card that allows unlimited use for 7 consecutive days during non-peak, and that I should have some additional stored value on my card in order to avoid having to add cash at the add-fare machine in order to exit.

It took several go-rounds to get this explanation out of her, however 
I initially thought the $35 was the stored value on the card, but that is not the case.


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