washington DC under construction
Day One: Getting there
- 3:50-5:10PM. Direct flight from Columbus to BWI, Baltimore Washington International, aka, Thurgood Marshall Airport.
- 6:10-6:40PM. Amtrak from BWI to Washington Union Station. This was much better than expected, only about $10. A bit of a hassle to take shuttle from Airport to the train station but way better than renting a car or taking a LYFT. TIP: forget the car when visiting DC, parking is expensive, most hotels charge 30/40 a day for parking. The train was faster and when in DC, bikes, subways, and Lyfts are the way to go.
- 6:40-7:10. Yotel Washington DC (415 New Jersey Ave). DC is expensive, there is no way around it. Initially, planned to stay Bethesda, then bike or train into DC, but this hotel was pretty good deal (relatively speaking) and walking distance to everything including Union Station. Also, the Airbnbs were not plentiful and not really walking distance for the most part.
- 7:10-9:00. The Dubliner (4 F St NW). Okay, this is my kind of place, good food, good beer selection, an drive music. Irish Pub with wood panel and green everywhere. see more below.
Day two: Bike Tour, Museums, WHitehouse, Zoo, Georgetown
- 8:00-9:30AM. Pearl's Bagels (1017 Seventh St NW). Great Bagels, like NY. Coffee was good as well. see more below. NOTE: we took the subway there b/c we wanted to buy the 3 day pass and figure out the subway system straight away. We walked back, only 20 minutes.
- 10:00-1:00PM. Washington DC Monuments Bike Tour (701 D St). Great way to see most of the monuments and memorials with stories, see more below.
- 1:00-1:30PM. Whitehouse (1600 Pennsylvania Ave). Lots of construction, couldn't see much, we had requested a tour by contacting a local senator in Ohio but were too late. We used Capital City Bikes. Downloaded the app, pretty simple. Only $8 for a day pass, the catch is, you ride only 45 minutes at a time. If you don't park your bike and take another every 45 minutes, you pay a penalty. There are lots of stations which can be located on the app.
- 1:30-2:15PM. Old Ebbitt Grill (675 15th St NW). We lucked out, the wait for a table was long, we found a spot at the bar as a couple was just finishing up. Steak salad was excellent, highly recommend this place but wait list may be long.
- 2:30-4:15PM. Quick Subway ride to Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and National Air and Space Museum. Admittedly, we are not patient museum people. You could spend a whole day or more in the multiple Smithsonian museums. Experiencing Dealey plaza and Appomattox Courthouse is much better than seeing those events in a booth. Nonetheless, we ripped through the two we wanted to go to quickly. (yes, saw the ruby slippers).
- 4:30-5:30PM. Smithsonian National Zoo (3001 Connecticut Ave NW). Took subway up to Woodly Park, nice neighborhood with restaurants. We just wanted to see the Panda's on loan from China. Everything is free, so we just did what we wanted to.
- 5:30-6:15PM. Rock Creek Trail. We took Capital City Bikes down the Rock Creek Trail to the C&O Canal towpath to Georgetown. Nice ride until we had to go up hill from the river to Georgetown. NOTE: Capital City Bikes has Pedal assist e-bikes, save your legs and go 15+mph.
- 6:15-6:45PM. Exorcists Steps (3600 Prospect St NW). Yes, finally made it here, see more below.
- 7:00PM-8:00PM. Georgetown shopping on M St.
- 8:00PM+. Mr. Smiths of Georgetown (3205 Prospect St NW). Huge menu, burgers, sandwiches, Italian, steaks, etc. Recommend the Cajun Chicken Egg Rolls and Fish and Chips. Great wood panel atmosphere, Karaoke Piano Bar at 9:00PM on Friday and Saturday.
Day Three: angels landing then onto Bryce
- 7:00-9:30AM. Angels Landing. WOW!. This could be a half day hike, could pack a lunch and eat at the top just below the chains. Maybe for a longer trip. Stunning views, fairly unsafe. IMPORTANT: you need a permit to hike Angels Landing due to popularity. This must be done in advance through a quarterly lottery process. Scroll down for pictures.
- 9:30-10:15AM. Back to Lodge, showers, check out.
- 10:30-11:15AM. Oscar's Cafe (948 Zion Park Blvd). Fantastic local spot for Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner.
- 11:15-12:45PM. Canyon Overlook. The drive from the lodge to the Canyon Overlook is stunning, we pulled over a couple times to look at the canyon. The trail and parking are just past the Zion-Mt Carmel tunnel, only 1 mile. Scroll down for pictures.
- 12:45 to 2:15PM. Drive to Bryce Canyon. As you near Bryce, you drive through Red Canyon. Next time we go, we will go for a week and bike in Red Canyon.
- 2:15 to 3:00PM. Bryce Canyon Visitor Center. Museum, information and a 22 minute film.
- Tip: Do not do a trial into the canyon on the same day you hiked Angel's Landing. We made this mistake, the switchbacks on the way back up from the bottom are rough.
- Another Tip: Unlike Zion, I don't think staying at the lodge in Bryce is necessary. It is great and convenient, but unlike Zion, seems like you can drive in daily and park close to the hikes or maybe we were just lucky with small crowds.
- 3:00PM - 4:00PM. Rim Trail. From Sunrise Point to Sunset Point is very easy, paved and level. The total RIm Trail is over 5 miles. This is one place where you want to watch the shadows move across the canyon as the sun gets lower in the sky.
- 4:00-4:30PM. Check in, relax on balcony for a second.
- 4:30 - 6:00PM. Scenic Drive. 18 mile with several stops. Rainbow Point, Yovimpa Point. The Bristlecone loop is a one mile hike at the end of the drive.
- 6:00-6:30PM. Contingent upon time of year, you could catch the sunset at Sunset Point.
- 7:00PM. Showdowns (80 S Main St, Tropic, UT). BIg Menu, Steaks, trout, burgers, sandwiches. Enjoyed this place b/c food was good, beer was cold, and live music, a guy doing covers with an acoustic guitar.
Day four: Hike Bryce then back to Vegas
- 7:00-7:30AM. Rim Trail, Sunrise Point. We just had some coffee and quick snacks, energy bars, for breakfast, wanted to get hiking.
- 8:00-10:00AM. Navejo Loop/Queens Garden starting at Sunrise Point, down into the Canyon and back up at Sunset Point. This is combining two trails for a 3.1 mile hike. See Queens Garden, Two Bridges, and Thor's Hammer, and up the famous switchbacks, very difficult workout. NOTE: there is a fork in the trail where you can take "two bridges" or "wall street". both are great. Scroll down for pictures.
- Option: Fairyland Loop. This is 8 miles, probably 4 hours, wish I would have done this one. Also, wish I had hiked Mossy Cave.
- 10:00 - 10:45AM. Shower up and check out.
- 10:45 - 1:30PM. Drive to Ceder City Utah. The Grind Coffee House (19 N Main) in the charming downtown area. The town is home to Southern Utah University.
- 1:30 - 3:00PM. Drive to Vegas, it's about 2.5 hours but you gain a time zone hour.
- 3:00-5:30PM. Checked into Caeser's Palace went swimming, some blackjack and slots, watched the fountains. Thought the boys would like Caesar's b/c of The Hangover.
- 5:00-7:00PM. Dinner. Yardbird Table and Bar in the Venetian. Could take the Gondola ride, the Venetian is fun.
- 7:00PM +. Another show/concert.
- Option: Old Vegas, The Golden Nugget, Fremont Street.
More tips for a Zion_Bryce_Vegas visit
- More Suggestions, maybe take several 3dayvacations: So many more hikes in both parks. Antelope Canyon is within 3 hours of Bryce and Red Rock Canyon is near Vegas. Also, one time we took a helicopter ride form Vegas to the Northern part of the Grand Canyon, we landed in the Canyon and ate lunch, flew over Hoover Dam and Lake Mead. Also, many famous musical acts perform in Vegas, so you could plan a trip around that. You could easily spend a week, or take a few 3dayvacations.
- Check out the National Park websites, trails may be closed at times. Parks may be too crowded in the summer. The permit for Angels Landing is a new thing, we did not need a permit in 2020.
Details & Descriptions
The Dubliner
The Dubliner is an Irish Pub with live music. Good news, they have Irish food and beer but also have more choices. Had a tasty Philly Cheesesteak and local beers. LIve music was semi-Irish themed, guy with a guitar who took requests, Van Morrison's Moondance was in order.
Pearl's Bagels
Pearl's Bagels is the highest ranked bagel spot in DC (according to some website I saw). Chewy crunchy just like NY. Coffee was excellent as well. Fortunately, we hit this spot just before the line extended out the door.
Washington DC Monuments Bike tour
Washington DC Monuments Bike tour
The Washington DC Monuments Bike Tour was a real time savers, with back ground stories to boot. Why are two lists of states on Lincoln Memorial?, What is the architectural meaning of the Vietnam War Memorial?, MLK and FDR memorials were built to tell historical stories.
Vietnam War Memorial
Washington DC Monuments Bike tour
The Washington DC Monuments Bike Tour was a real time savers, with back ground stories to boot. Why are two lists of states on Lincoln Memorial?, What is the architectural meaning of the Vietnam War Memorial?, MLK and FDR memorials were built to tell historical stories.
exorcist steps
Awesome. Someone used red paint to look like blood at the bottom. The house is at the top of the stairs, just like the movie.
ANgels Landing
Angels Landing is the top of the rock formation behind me and the boys. Challenging and somewhat dangerous hike, so popular you have to get a permit well in advance.
Canyon Overlook
Canyon Overlook,,,, actually this is a view of Zion Canyon from halfway up the Angel Landings hike, Canyon Overlook is on the other side.
Bryce Canyon Rim Trail
