Washington, D.C., Insider Travel Planning Tips

Pastoral Georgetown

Not accessible by Metro, Georgetown is definitely worth the trip, but we avoid it on the weekends as the crowds on the narrow sidewalks can be stifling. While the shopping on Wisconsin and M Sts can be rewarding, try to tear yourself away to enjoy the beautiful escapes Georgetown offers. Georgetown Metro Connection is a shuttle that connects you to the neighborhood from stops throughout the city. Fare is only $1 unless you remember to grab a receipt from the Metro stop, then it’s only 35 cents.

• Dumbarton Oaks Garden, www.doaks.org. 1703 32nd St. NW in Georgetown. (202) 339-6401: The historic home was the site of the 1944 Peace Conference held by FDR that eventually led to the formation of the United Nations. Beyond the house is a spectacular formal garden. Let your imagination flow back in time to Georgetown’s glorious past as you wind along a brick path scented with flowering trees and roses. Kids will love the many fountains, reflecting pools and paths. Strollers are allowed but there are several areas with steps making it less than ideal. 
• Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, http://www.nps.gov/choh Georgetown Vistors Center: 1057 Thomas Jefferson St., NW Washington, D.C. 202-653-5190: You’ll never believe it but make a turn off of M Street and in minutes you are removed from the Georgetown melée and emerge onto the C&O Canal and adjoining towpath, formed when mules pulled the barges along the canal. The towpath is now a Washingtonian favorite as a hike and bike trail.
  
• C&O Barge Rides: The Park Service also offers guided tours along the canal in a boat pulled by a mule. Gliding along a small canal while we learn about life back in 1870s and listen to old river songs helps me picture Georgetown as it once was and can still be seen in its historic buildings buried underneath commercial success. Public boat rides are offered during the spring, summer, and fall months. The boat season usually lasts from early April through the end of October. Canal boat rides run five days a week, Wed.-Sun., $7 adults, $5 senior citizens & children, for one-hour ride.

• The neighborhood of Georgetown lies alongside the Potomac River waterfront in D.C.
• Courtesy of Washington, D.C. Convention and Tourism Corporation

Beyond the Capital

Boat Ride from Georgetown to Alexandria, Va.
Potomac Riverboat Company: www.potomacriverboatco.com, tel. 703-684-0580 or Toll Free 877-511-2628.

For me, the very mention of a boat ride in any other city screams “tourist trap” and sends me running for the nearest dicey neighborhood for a more “authentic experience.” However, chugging alongside the monuments from your view on the Potomac River can be the best way to travel from Georgetown to Alexandria, Va., another beautiful historic neighborhood with great shopping, restaurants and horrendous traffic. Spend the afternoon in Alexandria, enjoy an early dinner at one of the many bistros or pubs, then return along the Potomac to a spectacular view of the city at night.