Pittsburgh PA and Washington DC

[debandbub]

We are headed to Pittburgh and Washington at the end of September, to see a Phillies game and a Nat's game and to do some sightseeing. Looking for advice or input about where to stay or fun things to do in either city. We were thinking of staying in Alexandria or Fairfax instead of DC- any preferences? Are both areas connected to the Metro?

What about Philadelphia? We are American History lovers, and would like to do some touristy stuff there. Where would you recommend staying? I understand that the stadium is a bit of a ways from the historic district, so we don't have to stay near the stadium, but would prefer to be closer to the sights. Looking forward to some info! Thanks!!

[Scott C]

Born in Rome NY here.......But I digress--took DW and kids to DC in '01. We stayed in Crystal City right on US1 across from Reagan Airport and also right on the Metro. Had a great time. We stayed in a Holiday Inn which was decent-but looking back I would have stayed closer to the Metro -- it was about 6 blocks to the nearest stop.

Hope this is of some help

Thanks
Scott C

[thrillme]

Can't tell you much about Pittsburg but we stayed at the Hampton Inn in Alexandria VA. Very nice. They had a shuttle that took you to the metro...about a 10 min ride. Old Town Virginia was worth a visit too. I "think" you can catch a boat that floated by the different memorials. We were too late to try it.

I really enjoyed Alexandria's Hampton. It was far enough away from the hassle but close enough to where you wanted to go. The shuttle was FREE to both the metro and to Old Town. I didn't use my car for 3 days and didn't miss it. Very nice because I was TIRED of driving.

[beksy]

We always went to DC on field trips (its only a couple hours so that was our big end-of-year field trip). It's been a couple of years for me, but I know that I loved touring the Smithsonian (I am a history major) and make sure to check out the memorials. My new favorite is the FDR memorial and is is great at night too. We rented peddle boats years ago that let us see the area from a different view. That was a lot of fun. The Holocaust museum is worth a visit but definitely not for kids and once was enough. The White House is interesting but get there early for tickets. I would skip the zoo; it is just not worth it anymore. I hope this helps some. If you want some more ideas/suggestions, feel free to PM me and I can check with Dad (the teachers used him as a tour guide ). Sorry I can't help with the others but I haven't spent much time in them.

[distips]

The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum Udvar Hazy Center for Flight is near Fairfax; it's right by Dulles Airport. It's much larger than the Air/Space museum in downtown DC and houses the Space Shuttle Enterprise. My son is demanding we stop there on our next drive to WDW.

[biodtl]

Pittsburgh has great museums - art, natural history, children's, science center. All are worth it. We also have the National Aviary and a nice zoo.

All around Pgh are historical areas - lots of early American history, as well as Meadowcroft (the oldest site of human habitation in North America).

Architecture - we have 2 Frank Lloyd Wright houses nearby - Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob.

And lots of great places to eat! For something casual, head to Primanti Brothers in the Strip District for some iconic Pgh sandwiches.

[DCDisney]

I don't know the details but I think there's a decent walking tour of the downtown area with alot of history. There's also the Just Ducky Tours (originate at the Station Square area) that are fun for all ages and give out alot of historical tidbits.

There's the John Heinz History Center that has a ton of historical info (and a nice little snack bar that is a secret to most, is frequented by local workers, so you know it's good).

[Lynn J Mc]

We were in DC in May. Did the Tourmobile tour that is sponsored by the National Park Service. Covers the Smithsonian, the monument and memorials, Union Station and Arlington, Holocaust Museum. Get the 2 day ticket if you will be there long enough. Takes a long time to hit all that stuff!

[MarkC]

You picked two of my favorite cities. First, if you are in Pittsburgh and a baseball fan you really need to go to a Pirates game. I've been to 11 different major league stadiums and I would rate PNC park at the top of the list, along with the new stadium in St. Louis. It's too bad no one goes to the games because it is really, really nice. You can park for $10 close and walk about everywhere downtown. I really enjoy Pittsburgh.

I was in just in Philly and D.C. a week ago. Go online to the National Park service and get an advance reservation for a tour of Independence Hall. There is a lot of free things to see in downtown Philly. Their stadium is also very nice and they have loyal fans.

As for D.C.- I just stayed at a Marriott in Fairfax, VA for $63 night. It was extremely nice and close to a metro station. I would really recommend it. Traffic is a bear in the area, but I had a rental car and I had to fly out of Baltimore, so I was worried about parking in D.C. However, I found a lot about 1 block south of the Holocaust museum for $10 for the day, which was great. Just be prepared to do a lot of walking. Walk the monuments, and see the Air & Space, Natural History, American History museums at the Smithsonian and the National Archives building. If you still have time walk through the US Capitol. If you don't already have White House tickets you can pretty much forget about going there. You can send me a personal email if you have any more questions-- I'll be glad to help. Mark

[DisneyDog]

The Westin in Philly is very nice and quite convenient. It is in the same building as the Shops at Liberty Place. You can easily get to all of the historic sites from there. My DH and I took a weekend in the city (we live in the Philly suburbs) last summer and stayed there. Very luxurious but the price was right. Great restaurants nearby in Rittenhouse Square. Go to the Comcast building and take a look at the HUGE HD screen. It's amazing.

You definitely don't want to stay near the stadium complex. You can take SEPTA to get there and you won't have to worry about parking (which will save you time and a small fortune. LOL.)

If you decide to venture outside of the city to Valley Forge, let me know. That is my neck of the woods and can tell you anything you need to know

[LibertyTreeGal]

Pittsburgh has fabulous museums, some of my most memorable childhood moments were from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History!

That time of year you should be able to catch fireflies at night too

[PlutoToo]

I second the museums, Fort Pitt is downtown at the point and used to have a museum. If they are still running, you have to ride the incline. They are a wonderful piece of history.

[mudpuppysmom]

Yes to the museums in Pgh.....also the Zoo is a nice place to spend a few hours.....and I second having a Primanti Bros sandwich!!! You know you have visited Pittsburgh if you have had one of those!!! It's in the Strip District.....on Smallman Street.

[Sylvia]

RE visiting DC:

There is an Embassy Suites right across from the Alexandria Metro station. It will be very easy for you to travel back and forth to DC.

The Tourmobile is a great way to get around the city.

The Smithsonian includes many wonderful museums. Don't forget to visit the zoo to see the pandas.

-------------------------------------

RE visiting my home town - Philadelphia:

There are so many things to do and places to see in the Historic Area, you'll need a couple of days - more if you plan to visit cultural attractions. There are hotels in the Historic Area (Holiday Inn, Sheraton, Omni, etc.) which are convenient to public transportation to cultural attractions, restaurants, shopping, etc.

Independence Hall is the only location in the Independence National Historical Park (INHP) which requires timed tickets for entry. Tickets are free and are distributed daily at the Visitor Center, which opens at 8:30 AM daily. As has already been mentioned you can order tickets at least one day in advance; however, there will be a service charge of $1.50 per ticket. Advance tickets are not required for any other INHP location.

Don't forget the Liberty Bell Center.

The Independence Visitor Center (6th and Market Sts.) should be your first stop. There are 2 information desks. One is operated by the National Park Service and is the source for INHP information; the other is the concierge desk with information on Philadelphia and the surrounding counties.

If you google "Independence Visitor Center" "Philadelphia", the website is full of information that will help you plan your visit. Another site to google is "Greater Philadelphia Tourism and Marketing Corp", which also contains a wealth of information, including hotel specials.

There are several tours which will include the areas of the city of particular interest to visitors, including many of our world-class museums, and the country's first Zoo.

If you have specific questions, feel free to PM me and I'll try to help.

[Tigger&Stitch]

Wait...are you going to Pittsburgh or Philly? Or both?

[NJGIRL]

In Philly you will want to stay in the historic district. The Omni Hotel is great! It's only one block from Independence Hall.... The liberty Bell, Betsy Ross House, Ben Franklin's burial site and many other sites are all in the same short area!
At night do the "lights of Liberty Tour" it's really cool. You can also take the ferry to the NJ side and tour the battleship.


In DC my favorite hotel is the Lowe's right in the National Mall Area. It's a great hotel with a Metro station right in it's "basement". There are actually shops and restaurants down there too. It is only 2 blocks from The American, Natural History and Air & Space Smithsonians.

DC my favorites are American and Natural History, The Old Post Office (for the view),Lincoln, Franklin & WWII Memorials. I agree the "tourmobile" is the best. It lets you get on and off all day for one price.

[debandbub]

Thanks for all the great ideas, everyone! We are leaving a week from tomorrow. (on a side note, if one more person asks me if we are going to Disney this vacation, I think I will cry!) We have tickets for next Sunday's Nat's game in DC and a Wednesday night game in Philly. I think we are definitely going to do a tour or two in each city, as well as some sightseeing on our own. We're staying in Arlington for the DC portion of our trip and in downtown Philly when we get to PA. It doesn't look too far from the historic district where we will probably spend most of our time,
Anyway... just wanted to say a quick thanks for all the great ideas!

[NJGIRL]

If you have more than one day in Philly and have enought time try the Franklin Institute if you have kids with you. It's a nice museum with lots of interactive stuff for everyone. Have a great time! Maybe when you get home you can do a trip report for us.

[debandbub]

NJGirl- no kids with us, but we are just big kids ourselves- Franklin Institute sounds like it could be right up our alley! thanks!

[NJGIRL]

I know that I mentioned this before but the "Lights of Liberty Tour" is so cool. It starts after dark and your tour guide is in Colonial dress with a lantern. It's an hour tour that takes you through the historic district and leads you through the American Revolution with music and laser pictures that are actually on the buildings themselves. It's much better than I am explaining. It's about $20 per person.

Also, if you want something scary Eastern State Pen has started their halloween tours. If your not familar with the prison take a look at a past "ghosthuners" if you can. Even very scary during the day.