First time to DC!!
 

This is going to be my first time in DC and I just wanted some ideas about what I should see. I arrive next weekend on saturday around 4pm and I leave on Sunday at 6am. I will be renting a car and I just wanted to know what I should see or do while in DC for the first time. All suggestions would be appreciated.

Where are you staying that you've rented a car? That might be an extra (and wasted) expense. Look through threads in this forum and you'll find a lot of information on things to see and do in the area. Post any specific questions, there are a lot of DC based (and non-DC based) folks on FT that can provide information.

Idem that, if you are staying central, a car would not be necessary. This year was also my first trip to DC and really for DC downtown, a car is not necessary. From your timing indicated, seems that you will not have much time to move around. I thnk the best would be just the White House and the whole mall thingy, all the way from Capitol to the Lincoln memorial. Most probably you will have to do it evening time which could be nice.

The only advantage that I see with the car would be for you to drive around these attractions to get a quick sightseeing tour (if you don't get lost). Advises given to my when I asked the forum the last time was that lots of streets there are one way streets and seems that parking can be a pain even on the weekends.

But as mentioned, there are lots of info already on this subject.

:)

I have lived in DC now for a few months and still have a hard time driving anywhere! I find the streets in DC very confusing. I agree with the others that you should probably skip the car if you can and just use the metro. If you are flying into DCA there is a metro stop at the airport.

Since you have so few hours here I would recommend looking into one of the prearranged night tours of the monuments. They are very beautiful at night. If you are staying downtonw somewhere around Dupont Circle area you can walk down and see the White House / Treasury / State Dept and all those buildings within about an hour.

Im renting a car because Im staying at the Sheraton Reston and I will be arriving IAD. I thought that to get to downtown it would be better to rent a car and I dont want to bother with the hotel shuttle at like 5am on Sunday. I was also looking at the night tours through Grayline but I think maybe I could do the same myself by maybe driving to the union station and going for a walk.

From Reston, I'd drive to DC or a metrostop, park and then rely upon getting around by metro and/or foot. Going from place to place and parking in DC is not easy except at the best of times. And a lot of visitors get messed up by a combination of the roundabouts and the state-named streets while dealing with some frustration related to one-way streets and other obstacles.

so instead of the hotel shuttle, you'll have to go early to return the rental car and deal with their shuttle ... not sure I'd be in favor of that trade-off.

I agree with the above poster, plan on driving in and parking - hopefully near the mall area. Walk around the monuments (plan a drive route if you go in the evening, they are pretty when lit up at night) ... go to some museums and that'll take up your day in DC pretty quickly.

If you want something to do in the evening, head to the Adams Morgan or Dupont Circle areas.

Drive to the East Falls Church Metro station. Head for the Mall and walk around the monuments after dark.

It's a wonderful experience for anyone and particularly moving if you're American.

Should I get off on the metro center station?

I think the smithsonian or gallery place are better stops to go for (or navy fed) depending on what you want to see first. metro center is good if you want to start at the spy museum

Yeah, I was going to recommend tours too. One that you can get on and off as needed at Mall etc. locations is good (e.g., Old Towne Trolley). You might be able to get miles by booking it at www.viator.com

Look at the Metro maps and station information on http://www.wmata.com/
Click the links to Stationmasters for maps of what's around each station.
(Smithsonian station is in the Mall. Federal Triangle is just north of the Mall. Metro Center is the next station north of that. Capital South or Union Station are Capitol Hill (kind of pointless, though, unless you have a weekday res from your Congressperson for a staff led tour).

Check Smithsonian.org for special exhibits. Also, I think the museum of American history is closed for renovation.

There is much more (e.g., holocaust museum, not a happy experience, but a must-do in this lifetime).

And my all time favorite place in DC: http://www.phillipscollection.org/.
Dupont Circle Metro stop, use mapquest or equivalent to locate the address from Dupont Circle.

PS: hope you are getting the $69 special for September weekend nights that hotel offers. Otherwise why stay way out there.

Thanks for all the information. Im going to drive to the metro station nearest to my hotel and then go into downtown like others have suggested. Im staying at the Reston because of the starwood promo that is going on plus I leave the next morning at 6am so I want to be near the airport. I tried for the $69 rate but its not available when Im going to be in town. :(

Try a night bike tour. These are great. You can reserve a space on-line at their website.
www.bikethesites.com

For the mall and museums, you will be coming in on the Orange Line so easiest thing to do will be to get off at Smithsonian.

If you are craving something to eat first, your best bet for restaurants will be the Penn Quarter area - then get off at Metro Center and walk 4-5 blocks or switch from Orange to Red at Metro Center and go 1 block to the Gallery Place / China Town stop.

From the Sheraton Reston, as others have stated, you could drive to either the West Falls Church and take the Metro or try this --

Just a few miles away from your hotel, back towards Dulles, is the Herndon-Monroe Park & Ride. Amazingly, parking is free. From there, you can catch the Route 5A Metro Bus, which is an express bus that runs on the weekends. The buses stop at the Tysons-Westpark Park & Ride, which is about the same distance east of your hotel as the Herndon-Monroe Park & Ride is west and then head right into DC. The 5A bus is an express bus that stops in Rosslyn and the Metro station and at L'Enfant Plaza very near the Air & Space Museum.

The 5A bus costs $3.00 each way. The last bus leave L'Enfant about 10:30 in the evening, so you'd have more than enough time for an early dinner somewhere.

Here's the link to the bus schedule: Metro Bus 5A

Great time of year to visit us. Weather is nice, and not as jammed with school groups as it is in spring.

More info on events that might be on during your visit here:

http://www.washington.org

I wouldn't recommend this on your first trip to DC, but staying in Reston and having a car, you could do some scenic drives in Virginia and visit some wineries (but you should definitely head into downtown DC if it's your first visit).

http://www.virginiawines.org/

The DC street nomenclature is actually well thought. DC is divided into four quadrants, with the US Capital as the epicenter. Capital Street runs North-South and delineates between the East and West halves. Streets start at 1 and increment outwards from Capital Street.

The streets running East-West start run through the alphabet - first with just the letter, then single syllable words, double syllable words, triple syllable words and finish with flowers & trees. "I" Street is labeled as "Eye" Street to avoid confusion with between 1 and I.

Most of the streets name after States run diagonal and there is not standard. There are also a few exceptions - added streets, etc. just to confuse things a bit.

It's important to know which quadrant the address is located, so you'll see addresses such as 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Addresses also follow the street names - 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW is on Pennsylvania Ave between 16th & 17th Streets.

Cheers & Welcome to DC!

Jeff

For the more experienced DC visitor, it is helpful to know that some of the State Named Streets number with the letters and some go with the numbers. It depends upon if it is a more north/south street (addresses number with the letters) or a east/west street (addresses number with the numbered streets)

Personally, given the short amount of time you will have, I would drive into the city. On a Saturday evening it won't be too busy. Come straight in on I-66 and go across the Roosevelt Bridge. This will dump you on Constitution Ave. Constitution runs along the north side of the Mall from the Lincoln to the ghetto with lots of great stuff in between. There is no need for you to go past the Capitol. It's not dangerous, but there just isn't anything to see. If you aren't doing a tour, I would park on 23rd, 22nd or 21st street and check out the Einstein, Lincoln, Vietnam and Korean memorials. Then drive or cab down to the Washington Monument area (park on 17th street) and see the Washington Monument and the WWII memorial. I think the museums close at 5:00, so if you want to see one of them, you might try that first, in which case I would drive directly there. At 4 or 5 on Sat I think you will find parking pretty easy.

I agree - ESPECIALLY given your timing. Sat 4 PM to Sunday 6 AM. I would 100% drive.

You are hardly going to have time for the museums - Drive in - see the whitehouse, the washington monument and the capitol while there is still some light.

The monuments are all best done at night anyway (personal opinion). Then you can drive around and check out the jefferson (parking for just this one is a bit tricky), FDR, WWII, Lincoln Memorial, The Vietnam War Meorial Wall, followed by driving out to the Iwo Jima Memorial (which is just outside in Virginia) and then head back.