The buzz in the capital these days is (almost) as much about baseball as politics: Major league baseball is returning to Washington after a 33-year absence. D.C.'s mayor and business leaders have managed to lure the Montreal Expos to come play here, promising to construct a $440 million stadium on the waterfront and to renovate the current Robert F. Kennedy stadium in time for the new season in April 2005. RFK will act as the team's temporary home for the next 3 years, until the new stadium is complete. And the name for the D.C. team? Suggestions at the moment range from the Watergators to the Nationals to the Presidents to the Supremes.
Meanwhile, the presidential race is on fire, as Election Day approaches, November 2. Be prepared to declare and defend your allegiances, should you be visiting Washington, D.C., in the coming months. If you're planning to be here for the inauguration on January 20, better book your hotel reservations now.
Whether you're a Democrat, Republican, Independent, undeclared, or underage voter, you will want to know about two of Washington's newest attractions: the World War II Memorial, which was dedicated on Memorial Day, 2004, and the National Museum of the American Indian, which opened with much fanfare, on September 21 on the National Mall. Whatever else brings you to D.C., don't miss these two remarkable sites.
Getting There
The proliferation of discount airlines is making it increasingly easier and cheaper to get to Washington, D.C. Major players at Washington-Dulles International Airport include Independence Air (tel.800/FLY-FLYi; www.flyi.com), which currently offers 301 flights to 35 destinations, and JetBlue (tel.800/JET-BLUE; www.jetblue.com), whose flights, for now, travel between Dulles and Oakland, Long Beach or Sacramento, in California, and between Dulles and Fort Lauderdale, in Florida. Baltimore-Washington International Airport may as well be called Southwest Central, since Southwest Airlines (tel.800/435-9792; www.southwest.com) accounts for half of all domestic flights at BWI.
Reagan-Washington National Airport, the most conveniently located of D.C.'s three area airports, just added its first nonstop daily flight to Los Angeles: on Alaska Airlines (tel.800/252-7522; www.alaskaairlines.com), leaving at 8:15 every morning.
Also to note: As of Thanksgiving 2004, travelers at Dulles Airport have the option of using a moving walkway to reach concourses A and B, instead of boarding the beastly mobile lounges. And at BWI, a brand new terminal opens in spring 2005, adding 11 new gates to help handle all those Southwest Airlines flights.
Getting Around
Washington's Metrorail service remains the best way to get around, even if its trains break down at an alarming rate and delays are more and more frequent. To help finance maintenance and repair costs, fares have gone up, the second time within the past year: to $1.35 base fare, $3.90 the maximum fare for one-way travel. On November 20, 2004, the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority (www.wmata.com) opens its New York Avenue Station, on the Red line, between the Union Station and Rhode Island Avenue stops; and on December 18, 2004, adds the Largo Town Center and Morgan Boulevard stations, both of which lie at the end of the Blue line, a short walk away from FedEx Field, where the Washington Redskins football team plays its games. In an effort to accommodate its record-breaking ridership, Metro recently started running trains one half hour earlier, at 5am, weekday mornings.
Where to Stay
Two very different events have inspired some of the city's hotels to offer special packages. At least 10 D.C. hotels are participating in a promotion tied to the theme of the movie, National Treasure, which debuts November 15. The film stars Nicholas Cage as modern-day adventurer Benjamin Franklin Gates, who searches for clues hidden by the country's Founding Fathers throughout the capital, including on the back of the Declaration of Independence, all leading to the discovery of the "greatest treasure" and a secret from our nation's past. The National Treasure promotion runs from November 1, 2004, through March 31, 2005. Participating hotels include the Jefferson (1200 16th St. NW; tel. 202/347-2200; www.loewshotels.com), whose rates start at $189 on weekends and $229 weekdays; Loews L'Enfant Plaza (480 L'Enfant Plaza SW; tel. 202/484-1000; www.loewshotels.com), with weekend rates starting at $135, including continental breakfast for 2 adults and 2 children, collapsible cooler with drinks and snacks, and a disposable camera; and the Mandarin Oriental (1330 Maryland Ave. SW; tel. 202/554-8588; www.mandarin.com), with rates starting at $315 on weekends, $375 weekdays, including breakfast for 2, valet parking, and a Declaration of Independence-themed amenity. (By the way, D.C. is jointly promoting National Treasure with the city and certain hotels of Philadelphia, where the movie also takes place.)
The presidential inauguration is Washington's ultimate event and most of the hotel packages available currently are for those planning a grand celebration. At the high-high end of the scale is the Mandarin Oriental's Presidential Privilege, whose $200,500 price tag covers the costs of a stay January 17-21 in the 3,500 square foot Presidential Suite, private jet service to and from Washington, designer outfits for inaugural events from Neiman Marcus, a personal chauffeur for 5 days, a dinner for 8 guests at the hotel's signature restaurant, CityZen, daily spa treatments, tickets to an inaugural event...and on and on.
The Ritz-Carlton Washington D.C. (1150 22nd St. NW; tel. 202/835-0500; www.ritzcarlton.com) offers two kinds of inaugural packages: the hoity-toity version (private jet travel to and from D.C., inaugural ball tickets, a personal butler and massage therapist at your service, and so on), for the couple who can afford to pay $150,000; and scaled down offerings, at $500 per night, but with a 4-night minimum.
Some hotels do deal in reality. The JW Marriott's (1331 Pennsylvania Ave. NW; tel. 202/393-2000; www.marriott.com) Family Presidential Package, available September 1, 2004 through March 31, 2005, is priced at $250 per night and includes a room with a view of the parade route, 4 tickets for an Old Town Trolley Tour, and a special children's book, Call Me Madam President. And the Hotel George (15 E St. NW; tel. 202/347-4200; www.hotelgeorge.com) presents its "American Hero" package, with rates beginning at $199 per night, to cover accommodations, two tickets to Mount Vernon, a sightseeing cruise on the Potomac, and other items.
Other hotels will likely start to market inaugural packages as time goes on.
Where to Dine
Restaurant Kolumbia (1801 K St. NW; tel. 202/331-5551) opened in the summer of 2004, making it a newcomer to Washington's restaurant scene, though its chef/owner, Jamie Stachowski, is not. The chef has gained a following over the years, from his early days working with Jean Louis Palladin at the famed Jean-Louis restaurant, through his cheffing at Pesce and at his own restaurant in Virginia. Stachowski's resume also includes a stint in Lebanon, so Kolumbia often incorporates Middle Eastern tastes in sensational food, serving moussaka with the horseradish-crusted lamb chops, for example, or grilled figs in the salad, or almonds and olives stuffed inside the quail.
The Mandarin Oriental hotel opened in spring of 2004, but its signature restaurant, CityZen (tel.202/787-6868), debuted in September. Much is expected, for the chef, Eric Ziebold, comes directly from working as chef de cuisine at a restaurant that some consider the best, or one of the best, in the world, The French Laundry, in Napa Valley, California.
Two new restaurants in Georgetown deserve some attention. Au Pied Bistro (2815 M St. NW, tel. 202/464-0465) is actually the fresh name and location for an old favorite, Au Pied du Cochon. Au Pied Bistro is bright and airy, where its original was dark and pubby, but the menu remains very much the same: traditional bistro fare of frites, croque monsieurs, and the like. Many of the staff from the old place have popped up here. And for anyone who likes to stay out late, you'll appreciate the fact that the bistro closes at 3am weeknights, 5am weekends.
Then there's the brand new Curry Club (1734 Wisconsin Ave. NW, tel. 202/625-9090), which serves up Indian classics, only done with a twist: How does tandoori salmon with spiced fries sound?
What to See & Do
Did I mention that a presidential inauguration is taking place on January 20, 2005? If you are interested in obtaining tickets to the inaugural swearing-in ceremony and inaugural parade, contact your senator or representative as soon as possible. The senators and representatives of the 109th Congress cannot start distributing tickets to constituents until January 2005, but some keep waiting lists in advance of the event. Two websites, in particular, provide information about the coming inauguration and how to obtain tickets to the various events, including inaugural balls: https://inaugural.senate.gov and www.afic.army/mil/PIC.htm. But don't expect substantive information until after the November 2 election.
The Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian (4th St. and Independence Ave. SW, tel. 202/633-1000; www.nmai.si.edu) debuted on September 21, 2004, an instant hit. Open daily from 10am to 5:30pm, the museum is attracting crowds eager to view traditional Indian ceremonies and participate in interactive events, and to examine the cultural artifacts and art, both ancient and contemporary, of the North, South, and Central American Indians. Because of heavy turnout, the museum requires that you obtain a timed entry pass to visit. Tickets are free and handed out first come, first served, starting at 10am. You can always reserve your passes in advance by calling tel. 866/400-6624, or going to www.tickets.com, but you'll pay a $1.75 per ticket service charge.
In other Smithsonian news, the National Museum of American History (on the north side of the National Mall, between 12th and 14th sts. NW, tel. 202/357-2700; https://americanhistory.si.edu) has drawn items from its vast permanent collection to stage an exhibit honoring the presidential election. On display through the 2005 presidential inauguration, "Vote: The Machinery of Democracy" explores the voting process and the evolution and progression of voting techniques and technology.
The National World War II Memorial (www.wwiimemorial.com), located on 17th St., between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial was dedicated on Memorial Day 2004, to honor all military veterans of the war, citizens on the home front, and the nation at large.
You should know about some closings around town: the FBI Building, and the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery, American Art Museum, and Arts and Industries Building remain closed throughout 2005 for renovation. The Washington Monument is closed to tourists through early 2005, as the National Park Service completes the task of installing security barriers.
And check out the self-guided tour route laid out by the Washington Convention & Tourism Corporation, as inspired by the movie, National Treasure. Go to www.movietour.org, click on "Washington," and print out the itinerary. It's not a bad way to see the city.