The DC Traveler

If you have a hundred grand (or four) to spend on a hotel package to attend President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration in Washington, DC, here’s a few of the “Fat Cat” Presidential suite packages and some of the highlights of what’s included.
One might make the perfect last minute stocking suffer.

The most expensive inauguration package I found was the Omni Shoreham Hotel’s staggering $440,000 Commander-in-Chief package. Located near the near the National Zoo, it includes a $44,000 jewelry shopping extravaganza, and a private in-room dinner with a performance by well-known political satirist, Mark Russell.  Get to and from Washington, DC on …read more

2 Comments

The Embassy Circle Guest House in Washington, DC brings true meaning to the word – hospitality. This is not a bed and breakfast offering simply a room, but a place where you can feel at home while meeting interesting people from around the globe.
It’s hard to believe that when Laura and Raymond Saba, owners of the Embassy Circle Guest House, first purchased the 106-year old property in 2003, the building was at risk of collapsing.
The tired mansion had suffered fire damage and had been empty and abandon for close to twenty years.
Fast forward after an extensive 3½ year and …read more

Comments Off

This week I checked the several of the travel websites, such as Expedia for hotels on the night before (or week of) the historic inauguration of President Elect Barack Obama. 
If you are planning on attending the inauguration from out of town, start your planning now.  In fact, start planning two weeks ago, because most, if not all of the 95,000 area hotel rooms are already booked.  And expect to look hard for alternatives.  An estimated million and a half people are currently expected to attend what may be one of the largest events, and the largest inauguration, on the …read more

10 Comments

Besides price 5-star luxury hotels like the Ritz or the Willard,  Washington, DC has accommodations for the budget traveler as well.
If all you need is a safe and comfortable bed, and you’re on a student’s budget or have limited funds to pay for accommodations, why not try a hostel?
Most Washington, DC hostels offer dormitory-style rooms, with 4 to 10 beds per room, utilizing 2 or 3-level bunk beds. Private rooms use a similar layout, but may have only 2 or 4 twin beds, and generally cost more.
I checked the prices at six of the more popular Washington, …read more

Comments Off

Going green is all the rage, and you know, it should be. But you can’t really have a totally green vacation when visiting Washington, DC.  But you can reduce your carbon footprint, without too much effort.
Can you find a “green” hotel to stay at? And even if the hotel claims to be green, are they really all that green?  Or are their claims simply a PR team spinning out eco-friendly press releases on glossy recycled paper?
Most major hotel chains have developed policies or are developing goals that help build sustainability into their business plan, to reduce waste, energy …read more

6 Comments

What can I say?  The Ritz Carlton hotel chain is one of my favorite hotel chains.  And there’s a good reason.  They provide service as it should be.
I had the opportunity to tour and spend the night at the Pentagon City Ritz Carlton Hotel in suburban Arlington in mid-February. 
Attached to the Pentagon City Mall, the hotel is ideal for up-scale vacationers, business travelers and couples looking for a romantic get-away. Or anyone looking for a near-by hotel while hoping to avoid downtown DC hotels. 
Rooms – The 366 recently renovated guest rooms are very warm, comfortable and inviting. The king …read more

1 Comment

Now that the temperatures are  more typical of winter, it’s time to think about snowboarding and skiing.
Within about a 3½ hour drive from Washington, DC, are close to a dozen ski resorts. All offer traditional skiing and snowboarding, others include snowmobiling, snow-tubing and ice skating options. For relaxation and to comfort tired bodies, spa services and night clubs are available at a couple. And at Massanutten, non-skiers can enjoy the 85-degree water park. 
Lift tickets prices listed are for adult weekend full-day tickets during prime times/days. Discounts may be available for off-peak days and times.
A recent check shows …read more

4 Comments

In just under one year, on January 20th, 2009, failing a coup, revolution or a major legal battle over hanging chads, a new president will be taking the oath of office on the steps of the Capitol Building in Washington, DC.
Thomas Jefferson was the first president to take the oath in Washington. And Andrew Jackson the first to use the steps of the Capitol Building for the ceremony.
Following the inauguration parade, higher level campaign workers, movers & shakers, fund raisers, fat-cat politicos, Hollywood types, and deep-pocket supporters of the winning candidate, get to attend one of formal inauguration balls …read more

7 Comments

The neighborhood of Crystal City in southeast Arlington VA, is within walking distance of Reagan Washington National Airport, the Pentagon, Pentagon City Mall and the National Air Force Memorial.
This sparkling chrome and glass high-rise community was built on acreage comprising of mostly former industrial properties and railroad rights-of-ways. It now houses some of DC’s more desirable commercial properties, hotels, high-rise apartments and retail space.  
The first building to be erected in the early 1960s, the Crystal House at 1900 South Eads Street, set the standard for naming buildings in the area, using the word “crystal” in its name, and eventually the area became known as Crystal City.
The …read more

Comments Off

Perhaps the most unrecognized heroes of the Vietnam War were the 256,000 women who served in the Army, Navy, and Air Force during the war years.  Among them, 11,000, mostly nurses and medical specialists, served in-country and in or near combat zones. 
Working mostly in military hospitals, aboard ships and with evacuation squadrons, these brave women provided care, comfort, and a warm human touch to soldiers who were wounded in action. About ten percent of them were air traffic controllers, communications specialists, intelligence officers, or clerks working for all the branches of the armed services.

The first American medical specialists …read more

1 Comment