best museums and sight seeing in dc? (restaurant, price)

[oleo]

I want to take the metro into dc and want to spend a day going to museums and going sight seeing.

What are the best museums to visit and best things to see?

What's a nice restaurant to do to that is near by?

Thanks.

(I'm basically looking to take my girlfriend on a date and looking for some good places to go)

[ceejamon]

It depends on what you're into. If you're taking the metro in, focus on the mall area (Smithsonian Metro Station). The Smithsonian museums all in there are worth looking into. I'd suggest going to their website (si.edu) and look around to see what you might want to check out.

My all time favorite museum in the area is the Udvar-Hazy Center out by the Dulles airport. It won't be accessible by metro until they build the Silver line, if that ever happens.

As for food, anything in or near the mall area is going to be horribly overpriced. I'd suggest hopping back on the metro and eat somewhere else in DC.

[akorosdc]

Regarding the restaurant, if you walk up 7th Street north of the Mall (right by the National Archives) you'll run into a bunch of places to eat. I really like Oyamel (Mexican small plates), but there's a lot of good places around there (Jaleo, Rosa Mexicana, Proof, Zaytinya, Matchbox, etc).

[Bluefly]

For a little off-the-beaten-path right under your nose fun, check out the original FDR Memorial - a slab of stone as big as a desk tucked away on Pennsylvania Ave near the Capitol. FDR said that if they ever built a memorial for him, he didn't want it any bigger than his desk. So, that's what they did.

The best statue in DC is at end of Hains Point (which is not too far from all the monuments). It's of a man emerging from ground.

Or track the masonic symbols in the architecture and and layout of the streets and the alignment of it all with the cycles of the sun and stars.

....or...there's always the Natural History museum

[PenguinSix]

Originally Posted by Bluefly

The best statue in DC is at end of Hains Point (which is not too far from all the monuments). It's of a man emerging from ground.

I thought 'the Awakening statute moved to PG County and National Harbor (has already or is moving soon).

[akorosdc]

Originally Posted by Bluefly

The best statue in DC is at end of Hains Point (which is not too far from all the monuments). It's of a man emerging from ground.

Originally Posted by PenguinSix

I thought 'the Awakening statute moved to PG County and National Harbor (has already or is moving soon).

I think they did already move it

[oleo]

We are going to the Newseum on 555 Pennsylvania Ave.

Where else should we go? What is the best restaurant in this area?

I want to take my lady somewhere nice.

[JimGriffith]

Portrait museum.

Then to eat at Zaytinya.

If she ain't impressed with all that, that's a serious red flag brother.