heading to washington to watch the flames, any advice

[YYCSledge]

Hey guys

Not sure where to put this thread, so i hope this is alright.

I'm heading to Washington, DC to watch the flames game on November 25th.

Although this is an afternoon game that the flames almost always lose, i am pretty excited about it.

I don't know anything about the area, has anyone been? any advice?

Also debating going to the Commanders game on the 27th or the Maryland Terrapins game on the 26th. Slight chance we take the drive to Raeligh for the Flames vs Hurricanes on the 26th instead. What would you do if you were making this trip?

[activeStick]

Besides some of the obvious sites which might interest you there like the Capitol, I hear there are lots of great museums there. I want to say I've heard many of them are free but I could be completely wrong. It'll be just after midterm elections down there when you go, so hopefully there's no funny business at that time like Jan 6th!

[tvp2003]

Originally Posted by YYCSledge

Also debating going to the Commanders game on the 27th or the Maryland Terrapins game on the 26th. Slight chance we take the drive to Raleigh for the Flames vs Hurricanes on the 26th instead. What would you do if you were making this trip?

I'd do both football games, but I guess it depends on what else you have scheduled for your trip (normally I wouldn't bother with the Terps but apparently they have Tua's brother starting at QB this year). Otherwise, lots to see in the Washington DC area I'm sure.

For that reason I probably wouldn't spend the time driving to Raleigh unless there was something specific you wanted to see in Raleigh or along the way. But if you're not a football fan and have nothing else scheduled for those days then sure, why not!

[mennoknight]

haven't been there since January 6th, don't know how much has changed

[Derek Sutton]

Was just to DC this summer, at least you won’t have to deal with the heat and humidity. Museums in the mall are free and have AC and bathrooms. Although the museums are free, some still require a ticket to get in. You can print off a self guided walking monument tour which is what we did, all the monuments are pretty cool. We stayed out near Reagan used one Uber ride and their rail transit system the rest of the time which we found easy and efficient.

[CroFlames]

I have no advice since I've never been to DC, but I love going to enemy rinks. It's so much fun.

I've been to several away rinks when the Flames play and it's fun to get razzed by other fans. Just don't be a dink to people.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Watergate Hotel.

[Monahammer]

I am a dork, but I believe the Smithsonian is a must do if you have time.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

I am a dork, but I believe the Smithsonian is a must do if you have time.

Dougie is that you

[MPE907]

We stopped in DC last year to catch the Flames game during a road trip to the Smoky mountains last October. Traffic in and out was pretty bad (as is normal for that area). We used SpotHero for a parking reservation at an underground garage a few blocks from Capital One Arena. Had a great experience there, and the Flames winning in OT was the cherry on top No issues wearing a Flames jersey there.

Can't speak too much for nearby attractions as we hit the road right after. But the arena looks close to many museums and attractions like the national mall and the different monuments.

[BigRed]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

I am a dork, but I believe the Smithsonian is a must do if you have time.

As someone who's in DC now and then for work, I'd say the Smithsonian, the National Gallery of Art (if that's your kind of thing) and the National Museum of African American Culture are all among the very best museums in the world, all worth whatever time you have for them.

The Capitol District is cool -- worth a wander to the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument for sure. But downtown DC feels like a small town -- neighborhoods like Adams Morgan and Georgetown are fun and lively places for food and drink.

This site seems to have a pretty good lowdown on some of the more interesting neighborhoods:

https://washington.org/dc-neighborhoods/adams-morgan

Enjoy!

[MrMike]

Boo Ovechkin!

[JBR]

Founding Farmers is a great place to grab breakfast or lunch. In the GW area but definitely walkable. Plan ahead - it lines up especially on the weekend.

[_Q_]

I lived there for a couple if years. Well, in Alexandria, VA to be certain.

DC is incredible. Aside from the Smithsonian and monuments, which are a must and have been mentioned here, what other type of stuff are you in to?

Check out Georgetown (which isn't a town, but a neighboirhood in DC). It has the namesake University as well as a great shopping and dining area.

There's also the Navy Yards area which is a cool newer district, close to the waterfront.

If you're into parks, you can check out Rock Creek Park, though it might not be really worth visiting in the winter.

There's also Arlington cemetery across the river in Virginia.

Alexandria is also a really cool city that is right on the metro line.

If you're wanting to get out of the city a bit, the national parks in the area are incredible as is Annapolis.

Oh and expecting the weather in November to be cold and snowy. I mean Calgary levels of cold and snow, possibly worse. Be prepared. Don't listen to anyone that tells you it'll be nice, because it's further south.

[YYCSledge]

Originally Posted by _Q_

DC is incredible. Aside from the Smithsonian and monuments, which are a must and have been mentioned here, what other type of stuff are you in to?

i don't expect to have a whole lot of time to explore. so i appreciate all the insights into the museums and monuments. We are staying downtown washington, about 10 minutes from capital one arena.

I'm confident we will grab some tickets to the commandors game on sunday. So really it's just fly in thursday, friday night on the town after the flames game and saturday exploring the area, sunday football and a quick trip back on the monday.

[_Q_]

Originally Posted by YYCSledge

i don't expect to have a whole lot of time to explore. so i appreciate all the insights into the museums and monuments. We are staying downtown washington, about 10 minutes from capital one arena.

I'm confident we will grab some tickets to the commandors game on sunday. So really it's just fly in thursday, friday night on the town after the flames game and saturday exploring the area, sunday football and a quick trip back on the monday.

Well the Smithsonian museums are all on the national mall. Realistically you can see all of that and the monuments on the same day. You can be a bit picky about which museums you want to visit, or see a bunch of them as they're all free. The White House is also a must and isn't very far from that part of town.

The national art gallery is right by the arena, and personally was my favorite museum. I believe it's one of the only Smithsonian museums outside of the national mall area.

If you have time, do check out Arlington Cemetary and Georgetown. Speaking from experience, those are very memorable parts of the DC area for me.

[looooob]

not much to add, went to a caps game once and loved the atmosphere. first visit to DC I'd really just focus on walking the mall - so many iconic things to see, but I think I'd also just stay put in the DC area, football or no

[tripin_billie]

I live in DC and go to all of the Flames games here. Some basics:

- Take metro to the game or get a hotel in walking distance. Parking can be a bear and it's not really like Calgary where everything is car-centric. DC is a walking and metro city. Capital One Arena is literally above the Gallery Place/ Chinatown station which services Red, Green, and Yellow lines. Metro Center is 2 blocks away and gets Red, Blue, Orange, and Silver. All the lines, all in easy proximity. One thing to note, service hasn't really recovered from COVID due to reduced ridership and an issue with the 7000 series train cars. Expect some delays on Metro.

- Neighborhoods to stay in: All of DC north/ west of the Anacostia have basically gentrified like Manhattan. That said, staying close to the Red line is easy advice to give and I would recommend the NW side of the city as it is the nicer, and insanely safe areas. Staying downtown gets you close to all of the museums and sites along the National Mall which is what I would assume you'd want to see if it's your first visit. If you want more of a local feel, pick something like Dupont or Cleveland Park. Nice, easy access to downtown, and lots of restaurants and bars.

- Crime... DC still has a bad rap stemming from the 80s and 90s. There is petty crime, just like any city, but if you're not involved in drug deals, it is remarkably safe. I've lived here, in gentrifying neighborhoods, for 13 years and have experienced 2 package thefts from my porch and that's it. All that said, the area right around Capital One is a popular hangout area for pick pockets and conmen. Keep your your head on and you'll be fine. It's basically like having street smarts around the Stampede grounds.

Food: DC has really become a foody city. It sucked hard when I first moved here, just steak houses and old fancy stuff like that. Now it's got a huge food scene. For the best food, you can get some of it in downtown, but heading to H Street NE or up to U St, 14th St, Dupont, and now the SW Waterfront (the Wharf) is highly recommended. It's Black Friday for the game, so I think there will be a lot of restaurants doing a brunch. Anything run by José Andrés is amazing, and Oyamel is 2 blocks south of the arena and has insanely good food and drinks (pricey though).

Transportation beyond metro: If you are down with it, there are rental bikes (Capital Bikeshare) all over the city. Likewise, we are lousy with scooters too.

Weather: crapshoot - could be like +2 and raining or +20...

That's about the basics. PM me if you want more info.

[tripin_billie]

Originally Posted by looooob

not much to add, went to a caps game once and loved the atmosphere. first visit to DC I'd really just focus on walking the mall - so many iconic things to see, but I think I'd also just stay put in the DC area, football or no

Agreed - getting to UMD or Fedex could be challenging.

Word of note - we don't drive like people in Calgary here in DC. In DC, we basically drive like it's MadMax times and if you don't gun it right as the light changes, be prepared to be violently honked at.

[tripin_billie]

Also - if at all possible, fly into DCA and avoid Dulles like the plague.