dc Travel Guide

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Army and Navy Set to Battle on the Field in Washington DC

December 1, 2011 at 10:55 AM | by | Comments (0)

They’re all part of one big happy family that is the US Military, but when it comes to football, members of the Army and Navy are far from friends. For the like one millionth time—actually it’s the 112th meeting—the two military academies are set to meet for a little game of football on December 10, just outside Washington DC.

The game has a long history of being played in Philadelphia, but this year a change of venue brings the teams—and the fans—to FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland. That won’t stop military men and women from making the road trip out to the DC suburbs to cheer for their respective branch of the Armed Services.

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Inside the US Airways Club at Washington DC's Reagan National Airport

November 29, 2011 at 4:00 PM | by | Comments (2)

Have you ever entered a fancier doctor's office and been directed to "take a seat," and then looked around and thought, "hey, this isn't all that bad?" Of course you have; an experience like this is common enough, but what isn't so common is finding that exact same feel in an airline lounge.

Every so often we fly through Washington DC's Reagan National Airport and, this last time, we actually had enough of a layover to warrant spending some time drinking the complimentary coffee and soaking up the tarmac views from the US Airways Club in Concourse C.

Getting there: The lounge is after security, but up an elevator before you head down the concourse to the gates. A simple silver plaque lets you know this, and upstairs you'll hit the regular reception desk. It's here however that you may encounter problems if you're a Star Alliance Gold member, but not with US Airways. The receptionist at first wouldn't allow us entry, because we weren't traveling on an international ticket.

WRONG. Star Alliance Gold members (*of airlines other than Continental, United and US Airways) are allowed up there, so long as they're traveling on a Star Alliance flight in any class that day. Explaining the right to enter a lounge is not only embarrassing but it also immediately sours our impression of the place.

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Three Hours at DCA and We Spot Four Special Airplanes

Where: Washington Reagan National Airport [map], Washington, DC, United States
November 10, 2011 at 4:51 PM | by | Comments (0)

When we have to fly US Airways we don't exactly jump for joy. After all, we've not had the best of luck getting our luggage back or even convincing friends the airline still exists. There's not a whole lot of options for one-ways from Detroit-Metro to New York-LaGuardia however, and thus we occasionally find ourselves stuck on a layover at Reagan-National Airport.

After yesterday's experience plane spotting from the US Airways club overlooking the C gates though, we must admit that we regret it doesn't more often. Four—count 'em—four special liveries were on the tarmac. We were like a kid in a candy store (an adult in an airport—ha).

Above is US Air's retro ode to PSA (Pacific Southwest Airlines) whom they merged with back in 1987. The plane is smiling! Here's the other three we snapped:

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A 9-Foot-Tall Ronald Reagan Will Watch You Run for Your Flight at DCA

November 7, 2011 at 2:15 PM | by | Comments (0)

Get ready to wave at—or high-five—former President Ronald Reagan on your way to and from the airport this holiday season.

Reagan National Airport in DC has just added a nine-foot-tall bronze statue outside the entrance to the airport. Just in case you’re not too familiar with presidential history—he wasn’t really that tall. Anyway, this is like the fourth likeness of the former president dedicated this year, as 2011 is the 100th anniversary of his birth.

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Think You Can Drink Washington DC's New 3-Pound Martini?

June 22, 2011 at 12:34 PM | by | Comments (0)

While this won't do much to undermine rumors that Washington, DC is a city of frat boys and sorority girls pretending to be adults, we have to confess that we find ourselves a little bit intrigued. The city's Dirty Martini bar—utterly predictable slogan, "Come Clean. Leave Dirty"—has unveiled their new "Big Dirty" martini option, which allows customers to supersize any cocktail on the menu to 48 ounces.

That's 3 lbs of alcohol served in what seems to be some kind of giant reinforced martini glass, all for the relatively affordable price of $79.99.

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Made in America Souvenirs Are Now the Only Option at One Smithsonian Museum

June 16, 2011 at 9:27 AM | by | Comments (0)

The Smithsonian Institute has plenty of museums and history to explore the best America has—and had—to offer, but unfortunately the museum gift shops weren’t necessarily showing off some of the country’s finest collectible thimbles and overpriced t-shirts.

Senator Bernard Sanders—he’s an Independent from Vermont—wasn’t too pleased about all the products made in China and elsewhere, so he kind of flipped out, saying that items sold at the National Museum of American History should probably be made in America.

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Free Stuff Alert: Austrian Airlines Takes to the DC Streets to Give Away Coffee and Flights

April 25, 2011 at 4:14 PM | by | Comments (0)

Hey—would you like to fly to Austria for free, or at least score a complimentary cup of some nice Austrian coffee? Apparently Austrian Airlines is putting some pilots and chefs out on the street of Washington DC and New York City these next couple weeks to get people thinking about Vienna, via their tastebuds.

First up is Washington DC. Starting today, "dashing pilots" will dispense free Julius Meinl coffee from rocketpacks, stationed in high-traffic areas around the city. They'll also tell you how to enter to win a pair of tickets direct from either DC or NY to Vienna.

Here's the full schedule of where to find them in DC, April 25-May 1:

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Washington's Cherry Blossoms Will Be Blooming from March 26 to April 10

March 16, 2011 at 12:03 PM | by | Comments (0)

The nation’s capital is busy as always, dealing with budgets, politics, and assorted crises. However, at the end of the month, residents, visitors, and even politicians will take some time to stop and smell the roses—or at least the cherry blossoms.

Scientists and horticulturists working for Uncle Sam have tallied the numbers and computed the statistics, and they think they know when the pink and white cherry blossoms are ready to bloom this season in Washington, DC. The big day is supposedly March 29, as this is when the blooms will start looking their best. The time period will continue through April 3, but we all know that Mother Nature can play tricks—so plan accordingly.

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Megabus Releases 10,000 Free Tickets to Announce 10 New Routes from Washington DC

November 16, 2010 at 10:48 AM | by | Comments (0)

One of our favorite ways to travel the Northeast of the United States is by budget bus. That may not sound glamorous, but hey—there's free wifi, legroom, we get to zone out while watching the scenery, and buses leave from and arrive to city centers. Megabus has long been at the front of the budget bus pack, with their tickets starting from $1 and their cheery blue buses, and now they're expanding even more.

Starting December 15, Megabus will add Washington DC as a hub, with new routes from DC to Boston, Buffalo, Charlotte, Hampton, Va., Harrisburg, Penn, Knoxville, Tenn, Pittsburgh, Raleigh/Durham, N.C., Richmond, Va., and Toronto. Tat last route sounds too long for our tastes, but the more cheap rides, the better. Megabus already has hubs in Chicago and New York, but this DC announcement is big—and do you know what that means? Free tickets!

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Will DC's Cherry Trees Blossom in Time for Their Own Festival?

March 11, 2010 at 8:30 AM | by | Comment (1)

If the pockets of warmer weather around the country have been infiltrating your neighborhood, you’re probably starting to think about spring. The folks in Washington, DC are thinking the same and already have Mother Nature on speed dial as they try their best to predict when those cherry blossoms will do their thing.

There’s been loads of snow in DC this winter, but despite all the harsh weather, experts are predicting that the cherry trees will be back to put on a show in only a few more weeks. The National Park Service is thinking that things will start on March 31, but the peak blooming should be between April 3 and April 8. That’s pretty good as the official festival is set to run from March 27 through April 11 this year.

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After 15 Years, Washington-Dulles Airport Has a Working Aerotrain

February 4, 2010 at 1:20 PM | by | Comments (3)

We’re kind of looking forward to our next layover at Washington-Dulles. It’s a little strange to say that, but we want to check out their shiny new underground trains. The AeroTrain has been a work in progress for almost 15 years, but a couple weeks ago construction finished and passengers hopped aboard.

In the past, the airport has been using those mobile lounges things—which we like solely because of their history. However, in practice the old buses didn’t really do too well or offer too much convenience. We’re thinking that most travelers won’t be shedding any tears over their departure, and will be looking forward to gliding to the next concourse at about 40mph.

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How To Get Tickets To Witness The National Christmas Tree Lighting

November 2, 2009 at 12:14 PM | by | Comments (0)

A trip to the local discount store over the week confirmed things: Christmas has arrived. The Halloween candy was marked down to free, and scavengers had already stripped the shelves of the remaining discount pet costumes. We’re kind of ready for the holiday season, as we’ve accepted that it now officially begins on November 1. Now that we understand things, we're eager to get tickets for the National Christmas Tree Lighting.

This week is your only opportunity to enter for a chance to witness the lighting of the huge tree in Washington, DC. If you miss out this week, you’re going to need some good luck or have your Congressperson on speed dial. The ticket lottery opens up this Wednesday at midnight and runs through 11:59 pm on Friday evening. Almost 10,000 free tickets will be distributed, but remember to some bring good shoes, as 7,000 of the tickets will be standing room only.

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