Travel Thread

[shafnutz05]

which muesums/tours would everyone recommend in dc

Holocaust Museum is a must, unless you want to focus on happy stuff. The International Spy Museum is fun but doesn't reopen in its new location until May. It's not a "museum" but Arlington Cemetery is well worth the visit too. I also like the Newseum.

[Dickie Dunn]

I'll echo shad's Holocaust Museum and Arlington Cemetery recommendations. As DG66 said, everything along the mall is excellent. Air and Space, History, Art, whatever they are all excellent museums with free admissions so it's easy to leisurely spend a day walking along the mall and hitting up whatever museum interests you. The African American Museum is excellent but the last time we were there you had to buy tickets in advance so that takes some planning. I've always found that DC is good for just doing whatever seems like the most touristy ****. See the monuments, walk along the mall and visit the museums, walk along the Tidal Basin, see the White House, eat at the Old Ebbitt Grill, etc.

[blackjack68]

I'm an Air&Space, American History and Natural History guy.

And the monuments, National Zoo (bus or metro ride), and Arlington Cemetery.

[DigitalGypsy66]

Yeah, I need to get to the National Zoo to see Giant Pandas.

[blackjack68]

This isn't the company I used, but there are several that offer Night-time Monument Tours that are pretty cool.

https://www.trolleytours.com/washington-dc/night-tours

[dodint]

National Gallery is great if you're able to enjoy it at your pace. If you're taking young kids then stick to wandering around the National Mall and just doing whatever strikes you in the moment.

[shafnutz05]

I've always found that DC is good for just doing whatever seems like the most touristy ****. See the monuments, walk along the mall and visit the museums, walk along the Tidal Basin, see the White House, eat at the Old Ebbitt Grill, etc.

That's a good point. Most of the "touristy" things in DC are legitimately great, and like you said, everything on the Mall is awesome. Politician-spotting at the Old Ebbitt Grill is a fun time, and the food is legitimately awesome.

[tifosi77]

which muesums/tours would everyone recommend in dc

Everything is awesome in DC.

Air & Space just began a 7-year renovation project of the main building on the Mall, with phased closures of the exhibition spaces. So check their website before going. I've never been to the Udvar-Hazy annex at Dulles, but feel confident recommending it to anyone.

American History Museum, Archives, Library of Congress. Contact your congressperson to arrange a tour of the FBI HQ, which is fantastic. Ford's Theater/Petersen House is interesting. Outside the District, old towne Alexandria is fun. You can schedule a guided tour of the Pentagon. There's a car park near Reagan National where you can plane spot and watch aircraft shooting the River Approach, which is fun if you have no life (like me).

Do not take littles to the Holocaust Museum, or if you're planning on doing literally anything at all afterwards. There are things on display that have to be viewed over a 4' high enclosure so younglings can't look at the images. I went as part of a field trip in college (fascism/Nazism history class), and it messed me up for a couple days. It's just very intense. Be prepared.

[shoeshine boy]

any non-Disney suggestions for the Anaheim area? already have the Anaheim Packing District and 4th Street Market on my list......

[blackjack68]

Anaheim sucks. It's probably my least favorite city that I have to travel to for work.

[tifosi77]

There is a House of Blues across the street, might want to check their show schedule. Same with the Anaheim Convention Center; any cons going on? Honda Center and Angels Stadium are both in the neighborhood..... ooh, and over that way is a place called Flight Deck that does VR flight sim stuff.

Knott's Berry Farm is fun if you're into that sort of thing. Also out that way is a Medieval Times, and similar style restaurant that's pirate-themed. Woohoo.

[robbiestoupe]

any non-Disney suggestions for the Anaheim area? already have the Anaheim Packing District and 4th Street Market on my list......

We'll be there in May. Looking at Legoland, San Diego zoo (apparently there is a safari type excursion we may do), beach, Joshua Tree NP. Some are 1-1/2 to 2 hour drives, but we'll be there for a week so trying to mix it up a bit.

[NTP66]

any non-Disney suggestions for the Anaheim area? already have the Anaheim Packing District and 4th Street Market on my list......

We'll be there in May. Looking at Legoland, San Diego zoo (apparently there is a safari type excursion we may do), beach, Joshua Tree NP. Some are 1-1/2 to 2 hour drives, but we'll be there for a week so trying to mix it up a bit.

SD is a hike from Anaheim, but if you do go down, I recommend the Safari Park, my wife and I did that back in 2012 and enjoyed it. The SD Zoo is okay. Didn’t live up to the hype for me.

[tifosi77]

I'm not a zoo person, but the Safari Park seems cool.

Didn't realize day trips were on the table. If you go to SD, there's the USS Midway Museum, which is cool, and Coronado, which is chill. You could also day trip it to Catalina Island.

[dodint]

+1 for Coronado.

[Sam's Drunk Dog]

Everytime I see Catalina, the scene from Step Brothers pops into my head.

[Freddy Rumsen]

Same

[shoeshine boy]

Anaheim sucks. It's probably my least favorite city that I have to travel to for work.

we're headed there for USA Hockey National Championships so the choice was not ours. I'll take it over some of the places USA Hockey rotates this to though like say, Rochester.

[shoeshine boy]

ooh, and over that way is a place called Flight Deck that does VR flight sim stuff.

I was looking at Flight Deck yesterday actually. one of my teammates is an Air Force/Fedex pilot so I'm pretty sure she'd smoke us!

[MrKennethTKangaroo]

Wow Air has apparently ceased all flights according to a trib headline. I'm a lazy millennial so I didn't actually read the article, but I hope this doesn't ruin anyones plans

[willeyeam]

Wow Air has apparently ceased all flights according to a trib headline. I'm a lazy millennial so I didn't actually read the article, but I hope this doesn't ruin anyones plans

my brother's girlfriend went to iceland last week and had to drive to Newark for her new flight after the PIT one was canceled. I suppose she didn't have to, but you know

[willeyeam]

oh sht ALL flights? I was just thinking you meant PIT. Jesus

[nocera]

Charleston update: so far I've eaten at Tattooed Moose and Hank's Seafood. Tonight's the last night and I'm looking for a restaurant that's near/on the water. Any ideas?

Sidenote: Charleston is cool as hell.

[Dickie Dunn]

Charleston update: so far I've eaten at Tattooed Moose and Hank's Seafood. Tonight's the last night and I'm looking for a restaurant that's near/on the water. Any ideas?

Sidenote: Charleston is cool as hell.

If you want literally on the water (and like oysters or low country boil), I always recommend Bowens Island Restaurant. It's about 20 minutes from downtown Charleston, heading toward Folly Beach and down a dirt path until your only options are eat or turnaround.

https://bowensisland.com/





Other recommendations would be Fleet Landing (Downtown), Coda Del Pesce (Isle of Palms), Red's Ice House (Mt. Pleasant), Charleston Harbor Fish House (Patriots Point), and Morgan Creek Grill (Isle of Palms).

Coda Del Pesce, Charleston Harbor Fish House, and Morgan Creek Grill are more uppity; Fleet Landing is more casual but nice; Red's and especially Bowens Island have more of a "we caught some seafood out back, y'all wanna eat some?" lowcountry casual appeal.

[tifosi77]

Jesús Marimba, those oysters look like the size of small pork chops. lol