Alongside the Georgetown park development there are some lovely parks fairly recently developed. I’m not sure if it’s a classic “what you don’t know should not really bother you” scenario, but the lovely fountains, designed for kids to play in, and making for great photos, are also next to a rat infested area. The combination of waterfront with the fact that the sanitation people are not great about keeping the trash picked up on busy summer weekends leads to simple equation: water plus trash = rats. There would be a lot of screaming from the tourists if they knew that rats were scurrying around 10 feet from where there kids were running around barefoot.

An areas of Georgetown that most tourists miss is the canal, between the water and M Street. This is a really lovely path along the canal running the whole length of Georgetown. Years ago the park service ran a boat along the canal pulled by horses; they no longer do this, but it’s a very pretty path with lots of views, and far less congested than either M street above or the Potomac below.

Penn Quarter is on the other side of town, about 20 blocks from Georgetown, and really centered around 7th street between F and G? One night, or perhaps none, is fine in this area. It has the reputation as being trendy, but it’s really the same old huge chain restaurants, hotels, and retail dressed up in trendy clothing. (As opposed to, say, the lower east side of Manhattan, where the hotels, restaurants, and retail are typically one –offs owned and managed by locals.) The area is built around the DC Convention center and the Verizon Center; any place that is built around these is going to cater to the masses, because it’s the short and tee shirt crowd that goes to conventions and performance centers like Verizon. And even though Washingtonians are not a beautiful people, that is, for some reason, particularly in evidence in this area. Having said all that, the mix of standardized suit wearing Washingtonians, tourists, and the much poorer blacks that are on the economic fringe of this gentried area is a slice of life. But really, the best thing about this area is that its very near to the museums on the mall.

If you enjoy art, a trip to the Mall is a must. But you must plan. The densest concentration of museums on the planet are located here, far more per square walking foot than New York’s museum mile, so just walking to the mall without a plan doesn’t make sense, as any one of these behemoths could occupy the day. Like the Met in New York, the National Gallery is overloaded with treasures, and you really need to plan not only which museums to visit, but what to visit in each museum. What can we say; Washington is a town for careful calculation, and you need to think that way if you plan a visit to the Mall. Where to visit simply depends on your personal interest, as there is a museum or memorial for every interest: the Air and Space Museum, African art, modern art, traditional art, natural history and much more. The Freer and the Sackler are small and intimate for devotees of Asian art. All the museums on the mall are free. The Vietnam Memorial is a famous and innovative means of memorializing those who died in that conflict, among the many memorials in this area it is the most interesting, though very simple. If you want to see famous art, you can’t beat the Mall. The hotel nearest the mall is on L’enfant plaza, but we can’t comment on it as we’ve never stayed there. If you want to buy art, rather than just stare at it, the Torpedo Factory in Old Town Alexandria is your best bet.

Dupont Circle was known as the gay refuge for many years, but now its just one of many gentried areas that with both gay and straight locals as well as the usual mix of tourists. If you happen to be in the area it’s worth a stroll along Connecticut Avenue, although you’re really not going to find much here that you can’t find elsewhere, although this strip does house one of what seems to be the last full service independent bookstores, Kramer Books, a local institution.

If shopping is your thing there are many malls. The most interesting design was Georgetown Park, on M Street in the heart of Georgetown. Of course, because it was interesting, it failed, and is now being redone. The most successful malls are very conventional huge enclosed malls at Tysons in Vienna, Va, about a half hour form the core of DC, much longer if traffic is bad. Tysons One is huge and aimed at mid-tier shoppers, or at least mid tier by the standards of wealthy Washington. Tysons Two is less crowded, and truly upscale, with a focus on women’s high end fashion, and other offerings as well. Both of these malls have plenty of dining options, Tysons One also has movie theatres. If you’re really hardcore about shopping, and want to get right down to it, you can stay at the Ritz Carlton that is attached to Tysons Two. An extension of the Metro, the Silver Line, is now being built in Tysons, so the whole area is a mess, with huge construction sites interrupting traffic flow. Don’t even think about driving here at rush hour.

There are 3 airports serving the Washington area; BWI, near Baltimore, is about an hour’s drive from Washington and is the low cost option. Dulles is about 45 minutes from Washington, but a pretty drive. Budget plenty of time to navigate through Dulles, as you have to take a people mover to get from the main base to your terminal. Reagan is just outside the city in Alexandria and is the easiest option, but most international flights are via Dulles. You can use the Metro system to get to and from Reagan and BWI, and, hopefully by 2018, Dulles.

Washington area hotels:

Hotel Lombardy – great location about 6 blocks from the white house and in a generally nice area with lots of eating and drinking options. But hey, there are plenty of well located hotels; don’t stay at this one. Sure, it’s historic, which some might find charming, but the age of the building means that you hear everyone walking in the room above yours; the elevators are tiny, water pressure in the showers is weak, there basically is no lobby, and the fitness room is just a few cardio machines. The building is generally nicely kept up, and the Venice bar is an unusual hidden spot, excellent if you're planning a coup. And the standard rooms are tiny, although the larger ones include a small kitchenette area. Staff is nice and helpful. Free wifi in the rooms.

Georgetown Suites – These aren’t fancy; in fact, they’re just a few steps up from seedy. But the one bedroom suites are quite large, and a great value for the the money. The location is great; about one block from Georgetown harbor and just a couple blocks from M Street. Somewhat confusing as there are two buildings; one with an entrance off 29th street and one with an entrance off 30th street. The building are kept clean, the service is fine. Unfortunately, they tend to keep the TV on in the lobby, but they have a decent continental breakfast, and free wifi in the rooms. This is not the 4 seasons, and there aren’t a lot of amenities, but for space and location are great values. If you‘re a long term traveler like me you’ll find that this place has the most important thing in the world; washers and dryers. (Not in the unit, but on the floor). Also have a nice patio off the lobby for coffee.

Embassy Suites (900 10th Street) – This hotel is both the very definition of generic, and also what makes America great. In direct contrast, to, say, the Kimpton chain, everything here speaks to anonymous corporate or tourist travel. But if you time your visit right, you can get a suite with a small bedroom and a separate sitting room that is clean and modern at a great rate. If you like Starbucks and the Gap, this is the hotel for you. Even if you don’t, it you’re short on cash it may still work. Includes breakfast, but not wifi. All in all, a great and soulless value, which is the way many people describe America.

Hotel Rouge – In keeping with the Kimpton theme of over the top design, this red hotel Is apparently an attempt to recreate a slightly tired brothel. So if you’re in DC for a dirty weekend, as the Brits like to say, you’ve fond the right place. Location is central, just a couple blocks from the uber trendy 14th and U street corridors, and a few blocks in the opposite direction from Dupont Circle. They provide a pass to the large YMCA facility a couple blocks away if you’re in need of a work out. Try to get one of the larger rooms in the back corner; rooms in the front of the hotel overlook busy and noisy 16th street. Like most Kimpton hotels, this can be an excellent value if you book at the right time.