Visiting on Memorial Day. Advice? ( trip , crime, college)

[schmidt486]

Hey all:

I'll be coming to DC this Memorial Day Weekend, 23rd-26th. I'm making the trip with my college, to see some sights and what not. I'll have a lot of free time to explore with friends... and was wondering what I'm going to be looking at cost wise..

smithsonian?
subway card?
Nats game?
a good dinner out?

Also, are there any areas to avoid either day or night? I'll be in a group of 4 all weekend. Should I be fine? Where is safe for 19-20 year olds?

Anything special down there on Memorial Day weekend? I'm assuming Arlington Nat Cemetery will have something.

Any advice or suggestions would be great!!

Thanks everyone!

[LDNMAN85]

I would need to know more about you to really tell you what to do but as a student from the area I have some general advice.

DC inst cheap, however if its your first time its definitely worth it. If you are going with your school I would assume that more government monuments would be included than you can handle. I also think they would take you to at least one or two Smithsonian museums, which are free. I hear great things about the Spy museum (not free) but haven't been there yet. Definitely check out the Air and Space Museum and the American History Museum. I would also recommend the Holocaust Museum if you can handle it ruining your day.

If you have the time I would do a Nats game. I haven't been to the new stadium yet but tickets shouldn't be too bad (just get tix beforehand as it is a holiday). I would eat beforehand or after as food and drink is really expensive and much worse than in most restaurants. Metro is great but regarding the fare card, it depends how much you want to walk and how active you plan on being. I would also be aware that it gets very crowded on tourist holidays and for sports games, as DC is one of the few American cities that actually relies largely on the public transit system.

If you aren't 21 and want to drink, DC is tough. If you are of age or have very good fakes (I have seen them taken on multiple occasions) check out Dupont Circle or Adams Morgan for bars and clubs. There are some fantastic beer bars (Brickskellers, Big Hunt, Pizzaria Paradisio in Georgetown) and while the club life is not like Miami, LA, or New York, let alone Europe, there are some really good places (mostly in Adams and Dupont, but some trendy places in Georgetown).

If drinking isn't your thing these neighborhoods have some great places to eat as well. Id recommend trying some Ethiopian food on U street or some other ethnic food, as that is a big strength of DC compared to other cities. I would be adventerous, for instance i had some amazing Burmeese food a few weeks ago and also there is a great Turkish place right off of Dupont (cant remember the name but the lamb was just as good as it was in Istanbul) The average beer in DC is 5 bucks but don't be surprised to pay ten for a mixed drink. Dinner should run 15 bucks at a a decent place.

As for safety, crime in DC is a problem, and sometimes they go after tourists. However, if you are only here for a few days and dont stray far from the Mall, or NW you will be fine. Most of the crime is in the gentryfying areas of NE or SE and I highly doubt you will be wandering around there. Nonetheless be careful and keep to areas with the tourist signs.

As to the Cemetery, I have no clue how to get access to it but I would search online. Its worth checking out regardless of when you visit.

As a student, DC is a great place to hang out, but it is not as bustling as NYC so you really need to know where to go. Good luck.

[claremarie]

There is a ceremony at Arlington Cemetery at 11 am on Memorial Day, including a 21-gun salute. We took our kids a few years ago. There is also a free National Symphony concert on the West Lawn at 8 pm the same day.
Check the Metro website for information about special one-day passes.

[5stones]

Check on-line to see if Arlington cemetary is doing a sunset parade during this time. The Marine honor guard does this (with the spinning bayonettes and a bugle playing taps at sunset) VERY moving. We saw the one at 8th andI last year and it was fantastic.

Spy museum is good, it takes alot of time and involves reading etc...( suggest leaving 1/2 through for lunch break and then returing to do the rest) It's pretty costly per ticket as well, maybe you can get student rate. Fords Theater is right around the corner and you can go into the museum for free.

The old post Office has a food court inside for cheap eats and usually a musician paying. Also you can go up to the top of the clock tower for free and view the city. Pretty cool lunch break!

Check to see if any of he art musuems have a special collection for viewing. The Nation Gallery of art usually has something of note. We saw the Renoir one and it was great.

Go into Old Town Alexandria, great resturants and fun bars.

The National Geographic museum is supposed to be neat, we never made it.

Have fun!