Want to Get Away From the RNC? It’s a Great Time to Come to Washington D.C.
July 7, 2016
By: Sabrina Eaton and Stephen Koff, The Plain Dealer
July 7, 2016
WASHINGTON D.C. -- The political universe is coming to Cleveland for the Republican National Convention. That means a whole lot of Washingtonians are leaving their town for a week.
What better time to visit D.C.?
A beautiful, vibrant and international city, it's even better when it empties out. "They're gone" are words that bring smiles to residents' faces, because it means that Congress is on break and the city has slowed down. Many in the political class have left town, and lobbyists are on vacation. You can get a seat on the Metro and you won't have to wait for a table at a restaurant. Crowds are smaller but the sites are all open.
With that in mind, we – the two reporters in cleveland.com's Washington bureau, both of us longtime residents of the D.C. area -- decided to tell you about our favorite haunts in the city. We asked Northeast Ohio Congress members to do the same.
We don't list all the usual tourist stops here, such as the White House and the changing of the guard at Arlington National Cemetery, but it's not that they're unworthy. They're magnificent, in fact, and must-see stops for first-time visitors.
But you can get those tips from any guidebook. What follows are personal favorites and bits of advice, plus some tips from U.S. Sens. Rob Portman and Sherrod Brown, and from Reps. Jim Jordan and Marcy Kaptur. Kaptur, the longest current serving Ohioan in Congress -- and soon to be the longest-serving woman in all of Congress -- knows the town well.
Check out the photo gallery above for a sampling of our selections, and see our fuller advice below. Then click on additional links in the story package for more -- not only from us but also from more members of Congress representing Northeast Ohio, including Reps. Marcia Fudge, Dave Joyce and Jim Renacci -- on places to eat, neighborhoods to see and things in D.C. that should be experienced.
Favorite things to see:
Sen. Sherrod Brown: "Go to the Lincoln Memorial at night, sit on the cool marble, and read two of the greatest speeches ever delivered: the Gettysburg Address and the Second Inaugural Address. Then follow that with a visit to the Dr. King Memorial."
Sen. Rob Portman: "When my kids were younger I used to be bring them to Washington with me during the week. They had to listen to a lot of boring floor speeches, but then we also did some fun things, like go to the National Zoo. It is an awesome zoo, including pandas, orangutans and weird insects my kids loved."
Rep. Marcy Kaptur: The congresswoman whose district includes Cleveland's West Side and suburbs offered several tips:
- The United States Botanical Garden (near the Capitol)
- A Potomac River cruise (available in a number of places, but for a short cruise, Washington Harbor on the Georgetown waterfront is a good place to start)
- Friday evening parades at the Marine Barracks (near the Eastern Market Metro stop). They start with a concert by the esteemed "President's own" United States Marine Band
- Art galleries at the Torpedo Factory in Old Town, Alexandria, a good place to start a stroll (restaurants, shops, cobblestone streets) of Old Town
- Friday farmers' markets outside the U.S. Department of Agriculture
Rep. Jim Jordan: "One of the best memorials in the city is the Navy Memorial, which is a few blocks away from the National Mall," says the congressman from Urbana. "It features friezes of various naval battles, and pays fitting tribute to the great service of the men and women of the U.S. Navy. While you're visiting Washington, make sure you stop by the statue of former Ohio president and Civil War general Ulysses S. Grant. The statue is located across the street from the Capitol on the west front, looking down the National Mall toward the Washington Monument."
Stephen Koff, cleveland.com Washington bureau chief:
- Be selective about museums: Nothing makes a kid hate Washington more than a hot day of traipsing from museum to museum on the Mall. Pick one or two, based on your interests, and split up if traveling with a large family. I like the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, whose breadth spans from the flag that inspired the Star-Spangled Banner to Dorothy's ruby slippers from the Wizard of Oz. Others pick the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum first.
- See monuments at night: The water features, statues, rocks and walls in the near-darkness are powerful at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial. They touch on despair, economic ruin, unspeakable tyranny and ultimately triumph, a reminder that puts the current political noise in perspective. A combination stop of FDR and the Lincoln Memorial make for an ideal night. But a Capitol Hill source recommends two nearby memorials for an after-dark experience: The Korean War Veterans Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
- Head to the Hill: The U.S. Capitol and the old Library of Congress (not to be confused with its newer annex across the street) are gorgeous. Take the tours to see chambers otherwise off-limits. The Supreme Court is on the same block (First Street NE) of Capitol Hill, but with the court out of session for summer, just seeing the plaza and steps -- site of many a protest and rally -- should suffice.
- Gargoyles are fun: The National Cathedral (Wisconsin Avenue NW just off Massachusetts Avenue) impresses adults with its splendor, stained glass, gardens and grand scale. But you can make the visit fun for kids by scouting for gargoyles – 112 of them -- and grotesques atop the towers and roof. Get tickets for a cathedral tour. Best route to the cathedral is up Massachusetts Avenue from Dupont Circle; you'll see Washington's foreign embassies, many in grand, immaculately maintained structures.
Sabrina Eaton, Washington correspondent, cleveland.com:
- Bike the city: I like staying active and dislike spending money, so I find biking is a great way to get around D.C. while also getting exercise. It keeps one from having to park a car, which can be expensive, or facing delays on the area's Metro rail system, which is currently undergoing extensive reconstruction. Because a fair number of DC streets have bike lanes (see map) it's easy to get around the city and see the sights if you've got a bicycle, helmet and lock. Or you can rent bikes easily throughout the city from Capitol Bikeshare.
- Bike the trails: In addition to being a good way to navigate DC's downtown touristy areas, bike trails go through some of the area's more nature-y spots. I particularly enjoy the Capital Crescent Trail – which runs to Bethesda from Georgetown's Potomac River and C&O Canal areas. Parts of Rock Creek Park are closed to car traffic on weekends and are great for bicycling on those days. And the Mount Vernon Trail follows the Potomac River in Northern Virginia,
- National Zoo: Folks with children may want to stop by National Zoo, which is off Rock Creek Park. The ever-popular panda exhibit is packed this year with people who want to see Bei Bei, a cub born last August. The zoo is also accessible via the Metro; get off the Red Line at the Woodley Park Zoo/Adams Morgan station. Admission is free, but there are charges for car parking.
- Playgrounds and parks: Families with children who don't mind venturing to Maryland's suburbs might want to check out a massive adventure playground at Wheaton Regional Park, which was a favorite with my children when they were smaller. The park's beautifully landscaped Brookside Gardens are a short walk from the playground. From April through September, a greenhouse houses a "Wings of Fancy" tropical butterfly show, with hundreds of beautifully colored fluttering insects. Admission to the playground and gardens is free but the butterfly exhibit costs $8 for people over age 13 and $5 for those between ages 3 to 12. Children 2 and under can see the butterflies for free.