During RT, Danielle Gorman (link) mentioned that Apollycon (link) was coming to Washington, DC, in March 2018. I invited her to come early/stay late to soak up the local sites.
I was touring Philadelphia the day the tickets sold out for Apollycon. Hence, I will not be attending unless the organizers accept my offer to volunteer. Still, I joined the Facebook group, where the organizers asked locals to post recommendations for dining, sightseeing, etc. Note Apollycon takes place at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City - south of Washington DC in Arlington, VA with easy access to the Metro (mass transportation of bus routes and rail lines).
What better way to spend Fourth of July than chatting about Washington, DC?!?!
For those coming to the DC metro area for Apollycon (or other events), we have three airports:
- Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (Reagan) is located along the Potomac River just south of Washington, DC and east of Alexandria, VA. Reagan is on the Yellow and Blue lines of the MetroRail (subway). Crystal City is one stop north on either lines (Yellow in the direction of Greenbelt, Blue in the direction of Largo).
- Dulles International Airport (Dulles) is 26 miles west of Washington, DC, near Reston, VA. The airport offers the Silver Line Express - bus service to the Silver Line back to Washington, DC. Change to the Blue Line (south to Springfield) at Rosslyn.
- Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI) is 32 miles northeast of Washington, DC. You can catch a shuttle to Washington.
While Reagan is the most convenient, it tends to be the most expensive. My favorite airline - Southwest - flies into all three airports. But it is cheaper to fly into BWI. I happen to live near BWI. Watch those fares!
Washington, DC is also served by Amtrak at Union Station. From Union Station, take the Red line "south" (direction of Shady Grove) two stops to Gallery Place, change to Yellow line south to Huntington. Crystal City is five stops.
Washington, DC is also served by Amtrak at Union Station. From Union Station, take the Red line "south" (direction of Shady Grove) two stops to Gallery Place, change to Yellow line south to Huntington. Crystal City is five stops.
Note: MetroRail uses the end points for direction purposes. Always consult the Metro map to ensure you are on the right train in the right direction!
For those driving to Crystal City, just park your car. You can Metro to most places. Parking at the conference hotel is $32 per day. Or you can find alternate parking via Parkopedia (link).
Note: The Apollycon website also provides information about transportation and parking specific to Crystal City at this link (after the hotel info).
What to do in Washington, DC? Let's start with free stuff:
- National Archives (link), as featured in the Nicolas Cage movie NATIONAL TREASURE, is home of the US Constitution and other valuable documents. The National Archives are located near the National Mall, accessible to the Metro, but can get crowded during spring break and summer holidays. I recommend you go early.
- Outdoor monuments honoring presidents (Lincoln, FDR, and Washington) and veterans (WWII, Vietnam, and Korea) are all located near the National Mall . The Jefferson Memorial is near the Tidal Basin. They are open area memorials maintained by the National Park Service.
- Walk along the National Mall to soak up the nation's history and the capital's vibe. Here is a map (link) courtesy of the National Park Service.
- The National Cherry Blossom Festival is already scheduled for 2018 at this link. The blossoms peak between late March and early April - depending upon the weather. The blossoms and the festival are worth a visit.
There is much more to discuss ... in a future blog post. I am giving away a book choice from my convention stash to one randomly selected commenter. To enter the giveaway,
1. Leave a comment about Washington, DC - what do you know about our Nation's Capital?
2. Comments are open through Sunday, July 9, 10 pm in Baltimore.
3. I'll post the winner on Monday, July 10.
Mahalo,
Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City
