4th of July assistance in DC
 

My family has decided to go to DC for the forth of July to see the fireworks and do some sightseeing. I arrive at 11:30am (on the 4th) and just noticed that the parade starts at the same time. Since we are staying at the St. Regis I was planning on taking a taxi to the hotel. I was wondering if it would be best to take public transportation since the parade was going be active during our journey to the hotel. Also, is the St. Regis the best Starwood property to stay at for the fireworks?

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Good Luck on DC

But I think this is better suited for the Mid-Atlantic forum.

The parade will shut down Constitution Ave for much of the day which will back up traffic on the TR bridge. If you come from IAD/DCA, you may want to tell the taxi driver to take the Key Bridge instead. Otherwise, Metro is probably your best bet.

The fireworks (starts at 9:10pm this year) are launched from the base of the Washington Monument. If you can see the Monument from your hotel, you can probably see the fireworks too. Most people sit on both sides of the reflecting pool between the Lincoln Memorial and the WWII Memorial which has a dead-on view of the fireworks. The St Regis' advantage is its proximity to the Mall (the closest Starwood to the Mall, perhaps?) - about 10 blocks or so. Walking to and from the Mall for the fireworks display is advisable as Metro will be uncomfortably packed, if you can get on a train at all.

Have a great time and hopefully the weather won't be scorching this year! :)

Thanks

We were there for the 4th in 2002. It was HOT!

Traffic will be a mess during the parade.

They had pretty much locked down the Mall for the festivities that evening. If it is similar this year, allow time to get through security.

Bring lots of water, especially while on the Mall. Otherwise, if you can find any, you'll be paying like $5+ a bottle.

We sat on the Reflective Pool side of the Washington Monument.

As for Metro after the fireworks, fuggedaboutit.

Forget the points, etc, skip the St. Regis(it is not a fireworks hotel) and stay at the Hay Adams. The rooftop is one of the best views. check the special. It sells out.

Call for packages. The restaurant at the hotel Washington is another excellent place to view the fireworks.

The hilton embassy row has in the past had a 4th party on the rooftop.

Almost all restaurants other than hotel restaurants will be closed.

Traffic is impossible. Anything short of 100F and 80+% humidity is considered a Godsend.

How would I take public transportation to the hotel from DCA? We are going to have very little luggage, so a walk once near the hotel would not be a problem.

There is a blue line metro stop at DCA(don't take the yellow). It is up in the North end, near US.

The Blue Line has a stop two & 1/2 blocks either side of the St. Regis. farrigut or mepherson. very quick trip.

I have only taken the metro 3 times, so check my facts.

Regarding food. The St Regis Restaurant has undergone a very turbulent 5 years or so. Only the prices have not changed. If it is open(it was closed for the better part of a year), I have heard nothing about it.

There is a 4 points a few blocks east. The restaurant Corduroy is very good(probably the best in any 4 points) and close to most of the best in DC.

You can Metro from DCA to McPherson Square which is 2 blocks from the St Regis without having to change trains. Get on the BLUE Line at DCA in the direction of Addison Road/Seat Pleasant (important). Get off at McPherson Sq and take the Vermont Ave exit (not 14th St). At the top of the escalators, make a U-turn, then make a left onto I St and a right onto 16th St. The St Regis is on the right at the corner of 16th and K. Depending on travel times, Metro should cost you anywhere from $1.35 to $1.70 and take about 20 minutes. Cab will be faster and it'll set you back about $18.

We've been having very pleasant weather this week (cool mornings in the 60s and highs of 80s). The only thing to worry about on Sunday is rain and nasty storms! :)

July 4 Metro Changes
 

One thing to keep in mind regarding Metro is that last year on the 4th Metro changed the color system and destinations of some of the train lines to make it somewhat more efficient. As a local it was kind of odd to see how they switched some of the subway lines and colors from what they normally are! Be sure to look for the actual station when you arrive at DCA and not just the color of the subway line in case they have made this change again this year. If they do this again it will only be in effect for July 4th...it will go back to the regular map after the holiday.

Good point! In fact, they are doing it again this year which means on 7/4 (and only on that day), blue line trains terminate at Rosslyn whereby everyone gets off and transfers to orange line trains that snake through downtown (i.e. blue line trains will not be allowed into the city). In that case, it may be easier to take the yellow line from DCA to L'Enfant Plaza and switching to the orange line to get to McPherson Sq. At L'Enfant Plaza, go down the escalators and take any orange line train in the direction of Vienna. Either way, echoing the previous poster, make sure you look out for the actual station you want (McPherson Sq) instead of the colors of the Metro line.

Along similar lines, Mrs. alien and I are arriving DCA @ 11:30 AM on the 4th and departing DCA @ 8:30 PM. Our plan is to simply hop on the Metro, get off as close to The Mall as possible, walk around for about 5 hours, and return to DCA via the Metro. We are arriving on NW so I understand a shuttle is required to the terminals where the Metro stops.
So, the question is: Blue or Yellow Line and which stop would be most advantageous for The Mall?

Your best bet is to take the Yellow Line to Archives-Navy Memorial station and walk to the Mall from there. The exit dumps you onto Pennsylvania Avenue and you'll immediately recognize the US Capitol on your left as you emerge. The Mall is a block away and you'll be in the thick of the Smithsonian Museums and equidistant between the Washington Monument and the US Capitol. The Blue Line will only take you as far as Rosslyn on 7/4 which will entail a transfer to get to the Mall so you should stick to the Yellow Line. Be aware that the entire Mall will be fenced off and security will be very tight. Note that the Smithsonian Metro station (the only station on the Mall) will be closed all day.

NW arrives at DCA in Terminal A. The Metro station for DCA is between Terminal B and C. If you are up for it, you can actually walk from Terminal A to Terminal B in an enclosed walkway to get to the Metro station.

Thanks blueDC, very informative. We are up for the walk from Terminal A so that is another good piece of info. :)

The July 4 metro map:

http://www.wmata.com/riding/04JUL04_...p_brochure.pdf

You can walk from the NW terminal to metro in less than 10 min. all indoors. Go to US, and turn left. The shuttle is outdoors, and I am not certain of the path as they loop all over the place to get from one level to the next.