Going to America
 

Going for an 11 day trip to washington DC. I'm looking at the quality of educational provision (Obviously I shall be making copious notes!:eureka: )
However.....
I GET THE WEEKEND OFF!:cool:

What can I do? Where can I go? Should I hire a car? Where are the good bars without lapdancers!? What sights SHOULD I NOT miss?

Been looking on t'internet...but I'd like some proper, been there, done that information!

Lisa xxx

Not been to DC, or a bar without lap dancers.

Wouldn't have expected any other from you mate...(about the bars I mean!;):devil: )

You never said you were going to Washington Lisa...

have a fine ole time y'all

can you bring some helibars back ;)

Washington ... hhmmm?

Full of muggers, pimps, rapists & yardies.

Lots of lap dancing clubs, tacky bars and salmonela traps.

Just like Nottingham really :D

Seriously go careful in DC. We went there a few years ago and were told that NY was now safer and not to go walking at night, i.e. take a cab everywhere. Great during the day though!

Don`t forget my stick of rock!

And a set of Cycle Cat bar risers and one of there orgasmic top yokes in Titanium for my 998s.

Please, kissy kissy:D

Murder capital of the US, but on my last trip there I did the following

Lincoln & Washington Memorials & Reflecting Pool, Sunny afternoon's perfect for a visit.

The Wall (Vietnam Veteran Memorial) - Best at night, it gives it an even more austere air, if it's just been raining the ambience is spooky

Arlington Cemetary & JFK's eternal flame - may be closed on certain dates though, and is then restricted to relatives of people buried there.

The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum - http://www.nasm.si.edu/
(There's loads of Smitsonian sites in DC http://www.si.edu/museums/ )

Shopping at Tysons Corner

Couple of dinners in Georgetown.
Do Georgetown at least one night during the trip. Not necessarily on the weekend.


I really liked the place, as long as you get past the fact that it's a town focussed on politics.

Can I come too?

Jason

Recommended.

http://www.si.edu/museums/

See, two of us telling you to do the Smithsonians...

Forget all those site seeing touristy things, just get my cycle cat stuff..................................and my stick of rock!:D

KB
Nothing personal but:

Why would anyone intelligent wish to freely go to a country that treats a visitor as a criminal and guilty of a crime before they even set foot in the place, or even, if they simply wish to fly over their place to get to somewhere pleasant eg NZ?

Fingerprinting and Iris scanning - what happened to "innocent until proven guilty". And, I will not go into depth on the subject of what they will do with your personal data (banking, credit card details etc) which they will have gathered from the airline you travel with. Last year the companies that the "Homeland Security Dept" use to store that data admitted that they "lost" 3million records and have no idea where they are now. No wonder there is so much credit card fraud, identity theft etc..

Tale great care KB, and when you get back change your CC and Banking details. No I am not paranoid - I know a victim, and it took the whole family many months to resolve their losses!

KB, find some time to visit a nice family oriented bar like this one

:saint:

KB, can you get me as many bags of Fritos Corn Chips as you can carry? Thanks mate!

:pig:

As you talk about working, Is the Education system paying? (trying to ask as nicely as i can!):D

KB
Not been to DC myself, but this site has usually turned up the goods when I'm on my travels..

http://www.worldsbestbars.com/city/w...n-dc/index.htm

Rich

eh?, stuff the sightseeing bit you can do that on an evening. For a couple of hundred bucks you can grab a Friday night red eye flight direct to Vegas on Am West or the likes, it'll be about a 4 1/2 hour flight ( you'd have spent that in traffic in DC anyway), wind it up for the weekend and then head back to DC Sunday evening, time difference means you'll be even more wasted Monday morning :)

Don't forget to put a DSC sticker on the Lincoln Memorial or something and photograph it for Pronto!

:)

Oh can you get me some big red chewing gum and some cinnamon crest toothepaste :D

When are you going. Weather can be hot and muggy in the summer up to the end of Sept. Gets pleasant after that. You can rent a bike there and go up in the mountains of Virginia and West Virginia. Pretty country.
Safety is an issue, but then again most major cities are. Brother got mugged in Amsterdam, I got hassled in Paris, friend got robbed in Hamburg, I almost had a run-in with a druggie in Zurich, my CC numbers were absconded with in London and major purchases made, had a friend robbed on a train to Milano, another friend hit by gypsies in Rome, etc., etc., but I have never had any problems in DC. Lucky I guess, but always watch your back and keep your city sense on high. Lot of good places to go, try to get in Jeffersons old place at Monticello as well, maybe some of the civil war battlefields, of course the Air and Space museum. If you can, try to rent a bicycle as well and ride all over the place, especially along the river or the canal. Try to get in a baseball game, even if you don't understand it as the team is new and they are trying real hard to build up a fan base. A tour of the Capitol BUilding is worth while as well.
Don't expect much in great cuisine, but you might find some good things in Georgetown.
Enjoy!

I didn't realise Tyne and Wear was that popular

Actually yes they are...I do have to write a paper though about what I have learnt, how it will change my practice and how I can cascade and dissemminate strategies throughout Nottinghamshire Local Education authority.
It's through the Teachers' International Professional Development (TIPD) Programme.
I do have to pay for any transfer's, meals, entertainment, car hire etc
They pay the cost's of travel and accomodation. ANY teacher can apply to go on this...They are not guaranteed which country they will visit or how long the trip will be. It depends on how much your LEA value the professional development of staff and you submit as a group of professionals not individually. We are a group of 10. I am going in the October half term... so in effect I will be working during the half term break. I get the evenings free from 7pm and need to be up and ready for the school working day to be in schoolf for 8am.
However depending on the country (A colleague went to Nigeria) Your host MAY take up your evening in an attempt to show you customs of the country etc

October is great! Go out and see the countryside on the weekend if possible. We hosted some folks from Japan on a similar program when I was a grade school teacher and that was fun. Lot's to talk about.
Mentioned a bike rental, but a car may be more convenient and cheaper.

Your going to school? Make sure you're tooled up. And wearing body armour.

Naw, just pack a .357 mag and take the teachers entrance past the metal detectors...

Not greatly helpful, but a writer called George P.Pelecanos sets his books in Washington DC from fifties to present day. I recommended them to a friend going there and she said they were pretty good for local colour, atmosphere etc. BTW pretty good books IMHO