Broadway's Marriott Marquis A Must For Theater Goers

If you're planning a theater night in New York and want to indulge yourself with services and convenience, The New York Marriott Marquis is the place to stay.  At $500 a night, not a the cheapest hotel.  Once a year you can treat yourself.  The hotel is on Broadway in the heart of Times Square with great restaurants and bars.  They offer a wonderful Italian buffet for lunch and dinner at around $25 a head.  Their exercise gym looks out onto Times Square and has to be the best view for working out on a treadmill.

America Restaurant At Washington's Union Station

This restaurant is a wonderful place for lunch on a cold rainy day. Their Santa Fe Chicken Chowder is perfect on a winter day.  Rich and creamy with just the right amount of kick to keep you wanting more.  Their chicken and fruit salad is delicious and huge with fresh melon, pineapple, grapes and raspberries.  We also recommend the vegetable fajita, with perfectly seasoned slices of grilled portobello mushrooms with peppers and onions, accompanied by a generous portion of black beans and rice, as well as the usual fajita trimmings.  Enough for two people, really.  

There are many great stores, for all in a shopping mood.  Unfortunately, the multiplex movie theater inside Union Station, which was always a great option during long waits between trains, is now closed.  The lower level food court is as popular as ever with travelers.  No matter when I visit this location over the years, about 10% of the food kiosks always remain unrented.  

Touring Washington...Consider Your Options

We thought the double-decker touring bus might be a good idea.  Not during cold and inclement weather. Many of the old English buses are without heat and leak, resulting in a less than ideal touring experience. At $20 a head, if there are two or more of you, take a cab.  In half of our attempts to get around in the cold rain, taxis were more available than the bus, which comes around every 20 to 30 minutes. Standing for that amount of time in the cold rain will kill the touring spirit.  If your hotel is downtown, a cab to the National Mall will be cheaper in many cases.  Our cabs averaged $8 one way from the Washington Monument to the Union Station area where our hotel was located.

Dinner & A Show in DC

The Washington Shakespeare Theatre Company's production of Ben Jonson's"The Alchemist" at the Lansburgh Theatre is hilarious.  And dinner before the show directly across the street at the District Chop House & Brewery is great.  Atmosphere is very clubby and traditional steak and seafood dishes.  Dinner for two under $75. Great homemade micro brews. Perfect rainy evening in the District.

A Rainy Weekend In Washington Can Be Romantic

The autumn months are a wonderful time to spend a weekend in DC.  Hotel prices are more affordable and the museums are less hectic.  We're here on a rainy weekend, which will find many of the museums next to empty because Washington goes into a hibernation panic at the smallest sign of weather.  Better for the weekend visitor.  The Amtrak Business Class was comfortable and uncrowded, while coach was packed.  Business Class is well worth the additional funds.  Will go to a production of "The Alchemist" while here.  For surface travelers we recommend the Phoenix Park Hotel, 520 North Capitol St, (202)393-3236.  Hotels.com will give you a great internet rate. Visit their Irish Dubliner Pub for traditional music and ales.  More to come...