Plan Your Trip 12 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Washington, DC “All you’ve got to do is decide to go and the hardest part is over. So go!” TONY WHEELER, COFOUNDER – LONELY PLANET Karla Zimmerman Virginia Maxwell Contents PlanPlan Your Your Trip Trip page 1 4 Welcome to Top Itineraries ..............16 Eating .......................... 29 Washington, DC ............ 4 If You Like... .................. 18 Drinking & Nightlife..36 Washington, DC’s Month By Month ...........21 Entertainment ...........40 Top 10 ............................. 6 Like a Local ..................24 Shopping .....................43 What’s New .................. 13 For Free ........................26 Sports & Activities ...45 Need to Know ...............14 With Kids ..................... 47 Explore Washington, DC 52 Neighborhoods South DC .....................104 Columbia Heights ...... 165 at a Glance ....................54 Downtown Upper Northwest DC ..186 National Mall .................56 & Penn Quarter ........... 128 Northern Virginia ....... 195 White House Area Dupont Circle & Foggy Bottom ........... 76 & Kalorama ................ 143 Day Trips from Washington, DC .......208 Georgetown ..................92 Adams Morgan ........... 156 Sleeping .................... 224 Capitol Hill & Logan Circle, U Street & Understand Washington, DC 237 Washington, History .........................240 Architecture ................ 259 DC Today .....................238 Arts & Media ...............254 Politics ......................... 262 Survival Guide 267 Transportation .......... 268 Directory A–Z ............273 Index ........................... 280 Washington, DC Maps 292 KAMIRA / SHUTTERSTOCK © SHUTTERSTOCK / KAMIRA © SHUTTERSTOCK / SEAN PAVONE (left) Library of CHANSAK JOE / SHUTTERSTOCK © SHUTTERSTOCK / JOE CHANSAK Congress p109 (above) Spring cherry blossoms (p132) at the Washington Monument p63 (right) Washington National Cathedral p188 Logan Circle, Upper U Street & Northwest DC Columbia Heights p186 p165 Adams Morgan p156 Dupont Circle Georgetown & Kalorama p92 p143 White House Area Downtown & & Foggy Bottom Penn Quarter p76 p128 National Mall p56 Capitol Hill & South DC p104 Northern Virginia p195 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 16 Top Itineraries Day One Day Two National Mall (p56) Capitol Hill & South DC (p104) You might as well dive right into the Do the government thing this M good stuff, and the M morning. Start in the and Lincoln Memo- Capitol rial is about as iconically DC as it gets. It’s tour the statue-cluttered halls. Then walk also a convenient starting point, since Abe across the street and up the grand steps to sits at the far end of the Mall. Next up as the Supreme Court; hopefully you’ll get you walk east is the powerful Vietnam to hear a case argument. The Library of Veterans Memorial. Then comes the Congress and its 500 miles of books blow Washington Monument, which is pretty minds next door. hard to miss, being DC’s tallest structure and all. Lunch Have a burger amid politicos at Old Ebbitt Grill (p86). Lunch Munch sandwiches by an artsy waterfall at Cascade Café (p75). White House Area & Foggy Bottom (p76) National Mall (p56) R Hopefully you planned ahead and R After lunch, it’s time to explore the booked a White House tour. If not, National Museum of African make do at the White House Visitor American History and Culture (assuming Center. Pop into the Round Robin to see you’ve procured a ticket) or the National if any bigwigs and lobbyists are clinking Gallery of Art. Pick a side: East, for mod- glasses. Zip over to the Kennedy Center ern; or West, for Impressionists and other to watch the free 6pm show. classics. Afterward, mosey across the lawn to the National Air and Space Museum and gape at the stuff hanging from the ceil- Dinner Have French fare at Chez Billy ing. The missiles and the Wright Brothers’ Sud (p97) or pizza at Il Canale (p97). original plane are incomparably cool. Georgetown (p92) Dinner Hop the Metro to Bistrot du After dinner, sink a pint in a friendly Coin (p149) in Dupont Circle. N pub like the Tombs. On warm nights the outdoor cafes and boating action make Dupont Circle & Kalorama (p143) Georgetown Waterfront Park a hot spot. N Dupont parties in the evening. Sip And check if anyone groovy is playing at cocktails at Bar Charley, hoist Blues Alley. brews with locals at Board Room or hit one of the dance clubs. 17 ORHAN CAM / SHUTTERSTOCK © SHUTTERSTOCK / ORHAN CAM PLAN YOUR TRIP Arlington National Cemetery p197 Day Three Day Four I TOP E ti Northern Virginia (p195) Upper Northwest DC (p186) N Walking around If you have kids, get to the M Arlington M National R you can’t . Even without kids, the zoo ARI National Cemetery Zoo help but be moved, from the Tomb of the entertains thanks to its giant pandas E Unknown Soldier’s dignified guards to and brainy orangutans. Earmark some S John F Kennedy’s eternal flame. One quality time for Washington National Metro stop south, the Pentagon offers Cathedral and its Darth Vader gargoyle, another affecting memorial to those who moon rock and Helen Keller’s ashes, died in the September 11, 2001, attacks. among other esoteric offerings. Lunch Treat yourself at Central Michel Lunch 2 Amys (p191) serves excellent Richard (p138) or Rasika (p137). thin-crust pizzas, antipasti and craft brews. Downtown & Penn Quarter (p128) R It’s an abundance of riches Adams Morgan (p156) downtown. See the Declaration of Adams Morgan is Washington’s Independence at the , R National Archives party zone, but during the day and the seat where Lincoln was shot at Meeps and Idle Time Books provide Ford’s Theatre. The Reynolds Center plenty to do. Plus you’re well situated for for American Art & Portraiture hangs happy hour at Songbyrd Record Cafe & sublime paintings. The Newseum has Music House, a cool retro bar. the Unabomber’s cabin. You’ll have to make some hard choices about which Dinner Share Mediterranean small sights to visit. plates at Tail Up Goat (p161). Dinner Seek out Compass Rose (p172) National Mall (p56) for a romantic global taste-trip. N End in the ’hood where you began your Washington trip, but experi- Logan Circle, U Street ence it from a different perspective. Walk & Columbia Heights (p165) along Constitution Ave from east to west. N Mosey around 14th St and U St NW, The dramatically lit monuments glow and there’s nightlife galore. Sip ethereally at night. Climb the steps of the beneath the Elizabeth Taylor mural at Lincoln Memorial and turn around for free-spirited Dacha Beer Garden, split one last, long fantastic view. That’ll do it, your eardrums at the rock-and-roll Black until you and DC meet again. Cat, or grab a beer at neighborhood favorite Right Proper Brewing Co. ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 278 Behind the Scenes SEND US YOUR FEEDBACK We love to hear from travelers – your comments keep us on our toes and help make our books better. Our well-traveled team reads every word on what you loved or loathed about this book. 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WRITER THANKS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Karla Zimmerman Climate map data adapted from Peel MC, Finlayson Deep appreciation to all of the locals who spilled the BL & McMahon TA (2007) ‘Updated World Map of the beans on their favorite places. Special thanks to Kate Köppen-Geiger Climate Classification’, Hydrology and Armstrong, Virginia Maxwell, Ryan Ver Berkmoes, Earth System Sciences, 11, 163344. Amy Schwenkmeyer and Bill Brockschmidt. Thanks Illustrations p64-5 & p80-1 by Javier Zarracina most to Eric Markowitz, the world’s best partner-for- Cover photograph: Statue of Thomas Jefferson, life, who kindly indulges my Abe Lincoln fixation. You Jefferson Memorial, Holly Looney / AWL © top my Best List. Virginia Maxwell Thanks to DC locals Barbara Balman and Bob Bresnahan for their convivial company and insider tips; to Trisha Ping for giving me the gig and supply- ing interesting leads; to DC expert Karla Zimmerman; and to traveling companions Eveline Zoutendijk, George Grundy and Ryan Ver Berkmoes. At home in Australia, thanks and much love to Peter Handsaker, who coped with apartment renovation chaos and didn’t blame me for my absence (well, not too much). 279 Destination Editor Trisha Carly Hall, Victoria Harrison, THIS BOOK Ping Alison Morris, Rosie Nichol- This 7th edition of Lonely Senior Product Editors son, Charlotte Orr, Monique Planet’s Washington, DC Kate Mathews, Vicky Smith Perrin, Simon Williamson guidebook was researched Product Editor Amanda Cover Researcher Nicholas and written by Karla Colicchia Williamson BEHIND THE SCENES Zimmerman and Virginia Mark Thanks to Steen Ballegaard, Maxwell, with contributions Senior Cartographers Griffiths, Alison Lyall Imogen Bannister, James by Amy Balfour. The previ- Hardy, PST, Ross Taylor, Rob Virginia ous two editions