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Greetings from Washington D.C.! I was in our nation's capital to speak at an exclusive travel conference but I left with much more than just a bunch of new friends and invaluable contacts. I think I might have left my heart there. Seriously! This was my first time to D.C. in over 10 years and I completely forgot how incredible it is. If you are one of the many Americans who are looking for a staycation this year, then my vote for your next domestic vacation spot would be the District of Columbia and its surrounding towns. In short, the city's architecture and landmarks are remarkable and give this place a real European flair. The food is tasty and you can find every type of cuisine imaginable, cooked by new and exciting chefs. Best of all, there's so much to do and see for the whole family and almost all the museums and attractions are free! That's right, FREE! Of course, I'll go into a lot of detail, including what I learned at the conference and tell you the behind-the-scenes story about my photo with President Obama!
TWITTER
If you are following meTwitter or Facebook or if you're reading my blog, you'll know I like to give clues to my friends where I'm heading each week. It's fun, plus it gives all of us a better understanding of our world's geography. My clue for this trip: Johnny Jet is leaving on plane to a U.S. city that's not in a state. Most people guessed D.C. but some chose one of the other possible locations -- San Juan, Puerto Rico.
AMERICAN AIRLINES
I arrived at LAX at 8:10am for a 9:05am flight. The AA elite TSA check-in line was longer than I had ever seen but it moved quickly and I cleared in 10 minutes. I was testing out a new carry-on bag from Solo, which I'll provide more detail about in this week's Travel Product Review. We boarded the 757 shortly after I arrived to the gate and when you have the first row in economy like I had reserved (more legroom and space than first class) it's imperative to be one of the first on the plane if you want your bag near you in the overhead bins (I don't check bags).
ADVICE
The flight attendants were about to close the door five minutes early when the pilot got on the PA and said, "Unfortunately folks, I have some bad news." That's never a good sign. "The baggage guy noticed one of the cargo doors was malfunctioning so we are going to need to get a new aircraft," he continued. Everyone got off the plane in a huff but I was just thankful the baggage guy was so alert. One of the passengers in first class was the second in line at the desk and when I walked by her she said, "Johnny, I'm one of your weekly readers. What should we do?" I was flattered that she recognized me and my advice was … if you're not in a real hurry then wait and see if they're able to get a new plane as the pilot said. However, if there is no chance for another aircraft, you should get on the phone with the airline's 800- number or with your travel agent ASAP, while you're standing in line. If American wasn't going to get us a new aircraft (they did) passengers should lock down seats on the next available American flight or another carrier. TIP: Always be polite when asking and never make demands. You will more likely have your requests met this way.
ON THE BORDER GRILL
The gate agent got on the intercom and said it was going to be over an hour before another 757 made its way over from the hangar and requested that everyone be back at the gate by 10:15am. I was starving so I moseyed on over to the On The Border restaurant two gates down, grabbed a window table and ordered a veggie breakfast burrito ($7.89). It came out within five minutes and it hit the spot. The only thing I didn't like about the restaurant (which is really LAX's fault) was the fact that they didn't have electrical outlets so I drained my battery while checking email. I was using a Sprint wireless card I rent from RovAir.com.
LAX TO DULLES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
The new plane finally arrived at 11:20am and we boarded shortly after. You would think the second time around, boarding would go smoother and quicker than the first time but that wasn't the case. The biggest problem, besides the fact that people are slow and don't just pop their bags in the overhead bins and sit their butts down to clear the aisle, was the guy sitting behind me in 10F. Along with mine, it's one of the cherished seats in economy -- a window with lots of legroom. He made the mistake of trying to get on another flight and while doing that, the agent gave away his coveted seat. He was ticked that they'd given it to a savvy traveler who had requested a better seat during the delay. LESSON LEARNED: Before changing your flight, be sure they don't give away your original seat (if it's a good one). Or if you aren't happy with your seat, try and get a better one.
DULLES AIRPORT TO D.C.
Flight time from Los Angeles to Washington's Dulles International Airport (IAD) was a quick and smooth four hours and 18 minutes. We landed at 7:30pm and everyone not making a connection needed to take one of their many futuristic, people-movers to the main terminal. Dulles airport is located in Chantilly, VA, 26 miles from downtown D.C. There was no line for a metered taxi, which are comfortable sedans (WashFly.com, Tel: 703-572-8294) and you can pay with a credit card (my fare was $51.40, plus tip). My driver was Punjabi but the bad news was that he barely spoke English and he had no idea where the Willard Hotel or even the White House was located! Don't get me wrong. I'm all for everyone making a better life for themselves but don't start out by driving people around when you have no idea where you're going -- especially when you can't find major landmarks. NOTE: He did have a GPS so luckily I had the address readily available and there were no problems. The drive took just 25 minutes (no traffic) and it was really unbelievable seeing the Washington Monument and the top of the Capitol building all lit up.
OTHER TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS
The easiest thing to do was to take a cab but it's also the most expensive option. I could have taken a SuperShuttle ($30 or so) but who wants to make stops and the drivers never tell you the truth about which number you'll be. The cheapest option would have been the Metrobus, which departs every half hour but I would have had to get dropped off at the Rosslyn Metro Station, then take a train to Metro Center, which is the closest stop to the hotel (two blocks away). Total time: Just under an hour. Cost: $4.75 (using WMATA's online trip planner is easy).
WILLARD HOTEL
The Willard InterContinental is located on Pennsylvania Avenue in the heart of the nation's capital. It's the second closest hotel to the White House, which is just three blocks away. The hotel is basically an American institution and is full of history. The old Willard opened in 1850 and President Lincoln stayed there the night of his inauguration. It was also the scene of the peace convention, the last major effort to restore the union and prevent civil war in 1861. Walking through the revolving door felt like I'd spun myself both into the past and into Paris. I was taken aback by the marble lobby, its decor and especially all of the fresh flowers. The bloomed cherry tree branches were breathtaking. My mom would have loved it so much, she would have painted it.
MY ROOM
I later learned that the GM is from France so no wonder the hotel has a French feel. It also explains why one of the two restaurants is a French bistro called Cafe Du Parc (Tel: 202-942-7000). Behind the front desk were a couple of young, friendly (one was from Holland) staffers who were either just out of college or interning while going to a nearby hotel management school. The 12-storey hotel has 332 well-appointed large guestrooms. I loved the hotel and the room. First of all, they are one of the leaders in D.C for being environmentally friendly. The bed was super comfortable and there was a large flat screen. Internet was a reasonable $9.95 a day. Every time you call the front desk or room service, they address you by your surname and they are one of the few hotels that I found to actually obey the "do not disturb" sign even when they're bringing a gift from the management or conference organizers. Usually when it's the latter and they know you're at a dinner, they still come in.
WHITE HOUSE
I was on the fifth floor and the biggest bummer was the fact that I could hear the whistles of bellmen hailing taxis and buses driving by. They also have one of those evil mini bars that charge guests instantly and a bottle of Fiji water set me back $7. TIP: Buy water during the day from the nearby street vendors for $2). I was so excited to be in Washington that I quickly dropped my bags off, grabbed an umbrella and cruised around the block. I quickly learned there's not a lot open around here at night so I walked by the Treasury Department, which was less than a block away. Then I strolled by the White House to see if I could get some food from the President.
TOURING THE WHITE HOUSE
The White House is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. It was originally constructed 1792-1800 and reconstructed in 1815 after being burned by British soldiers. Tours are available and free but requests must be submitted through your Member of Congress and are accepted up to six months in advance. These self-guided tours are available from 7:30am to 10am, Tuesday through Saturday (excluding federal holidays). Here's more information.
ROOM SERVICE
The guard didn't think it was funny that I was there because I was hungry so I went back to my room and ordered room service. I was on hold for three minutes, which feels like an eternity when you haven't eaten since L.A. but fortunately it took less than 10 minutes to bring up my melted cheddar and tomato Panini with side salad ($13 but with fees it was $22). Other notables: The hotel is popular with conventions and for its afternoon tea. Willard InterContinental Washington, 1401 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington DC, Tel: 202-628-9100.
SATW CONFERENCE
I was in D.C. to speak at the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) Editors Council meeting. All the top travel editors from the big media players (USA Today, L.A. Times, Chicago Tribune) were there. I stuck around and listened to the other speakers and panelists, which included Roger Dow (U.S. Travel Association) and Wendy Perrin from Condé Nast Traveler. Demonstrating the power of social networking sites like Twitter, she and Chris Elliott "tweeted" some of my talk and when I checked my email, I had a ton of new followers within minutes.
TWITTER TIPS
It took me a while to figure out Twitter but it's really an amazing and fun tool, especially when used for business. Wendy got me all fired up on Twitter so I figured out how to sync up my Facebook status with my Twitter account and learned how to have my Twitter feed go directly to my blog and website. Those were the two most useful websites I found. If you have any more ideas, please let me know.
ONLINE MEDIA
Here are some of the things I learned from the conference (other than tips on using Twitter). Something we all hear about in the news is that newspapers, including the major ones, are in serious trouble. Some of the stories told at the conference about people losing their jobs and about cutbacks brought tears to my eyes. What was fascinating (and unexpected) is that all 60 of us had to get up and speak for two minutes or less and almost every newspaper representative was in dire straits, while the five to 10 people working on websites said they (including JohnnyJet.com) had had their best year ever (more traffic and more revenue). What's crazy is that when I first began taking press trips, some tourism boards and PR firms didn't accept me because I didn't write for a print outlet. Now I'm getting calls to recommend other bloggers and journalists for trips because they only want online media. Talk about coming full circle.
TRAVEL INDUSTRY
Roger Dow, who is the president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, spoke about how the travel industry is the darling of the U.S. economy. Out of 27 states, travel and tourism is in the top three for revenue. He explained that the reason why the U.S. Department of Commerce's recent numbers were 650,000 fewer travelers today than in 2000 (before September 11) is because it's getting more difficult for our visitors to get visas to the U.S. And it's not because they fear terrorism. They are afraid they will stay here. The rest of the world gained four percent while we denied 17,000 people. That's over $130 billion since the average tourist ends up spending roughly $4,000 a trip. He informed us that it takes 85 days for Brazilians just to get a visa interview! It takes 32 days for a Chinese person. That's just to get an interview and only three out of four get approved. Dow pointed out the AIG effect, which happened last October. Now businesses are canceling meetings and conventions in leisure destinations like Orlando, Las Vegas, Hawaii and Arizona. Hotels are stripping off the name resort and not showing what conferences are in town on the reader boards.
LUXURY IS OUT
The head of PR for the Ritz said the Ritz doesn't want to be known as a luxury brand in this current economic environment. They want to be known as relevant luxury; great service but not over-the-top. There are no more bath butlers but if you need one, they can arrange it. Luxury hotels don't lower prices since it would take years for them to recover so instead they add value. For example, buy three nights get two free. Or how about a free breakfast, free parking or a spa treatment?
OTHER INTERESTING TIDBITS
I also learned that the AARP has three niche magazines. One is aimed at their readers aged 50 to 59; another 60 to 65; and 65 and up. The editor of Bride magazine said honeymooners are willing to spend more and are less adventurous. They just want to lie on the beach. They don't want to hear stories about how to be a savvy traveler or about reality really. They are dreaming. The editor of Zagat said he doesn't get any free food. He said Tuesday is the best night of the week to go out (no wonder all the restaurants in my neighborhood offer two for one deals). If you fill out a Zagat survey, you'll get a free book.
CRUISE TRENDS
A representative from one of the cruise lines said cruisers want to stay closer to home. But Alaska has had a tax increase so there aren't as many ships there. Casino revenue on cruises has slowed down the most but alcohol revenues are rising because passengers are drinking more. People are now booking their travel (not just cruises) three to six weeks in advance, sometimes even just 24 hours. Before it was six months to a year.
JOHNNY JET AND PRESIDENT OBAMA
Regarding the picture I posted last week with President Barack Obama: If you bought that he came in to hear me speak, then what can I say but April Fool's! That was my first April Fool's joke I've ever pulled off on you but I just couldn't resist since it was April 1st. That picture was taken the morning of the conference at breakfast, where the folks from the nearby Madame Tussauds brought him over since we didn't have time to go there. My whole story wasn't a tale; he (well, his wax figure) did pop in unannounced (to me, at least) and I did see police with bomb sniffing dogs around the property (but the day after). But it was fun to take pictures with the life size figure but it was weird to see them put him on a dolly, place a blanket over his head, then wheel him into the elevator. FYI: They unveiled a Michelle Obama figure yesterday and President Obama has seen his clone. Admission: Adults $18, seniors (60+) $17, children (3-12) $15.
GEORGETOWN
What's great about the hotel is that pretty much all the major sites are within walking distance: The White House, Washington Monument,
Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam War Veterans' Memorial,
The National Mall,
Museums (the majority of the museums are along the mall). If you don't feel like walking or want to go somewhere
further like Arlington National Cemetery, the metro is just two blocks away and taxis aren't too expensive. In fact,
I took a 10-minute ride to
Georgetown for Sunday brunch at
and it cost only $7 without tip. It was a warm day so I sat outside at the
Peacock Café (corner of Prospect and Wisconsin)
and had French toast with balsamic syrup and
strawberries ($10.95).
Their smoothies are popular and they have unique flavors like Banancino (banana, espresso and honey with skim milk) for $5.95.
Service is quick and I was in and out within 30 minutes.
TIME WARP
Next door to the Peacock Café is Café Milano, which I was told is the equivalent to The Ivy in Los Angeles. It's where all the young celebrities and politicians go to be seen and enjoy good Italian food. Walking around Georgetown on a warm sunny day got me all fired up. I felt like was in another country or era. I had to rub my eyes when I saw an old boat being pulled down the river by horses and people dressed in colonial clothing following behind. A few blocks down, along the banks of the Potomac River is Kennedy Center and next door, the Watergate buildings. There's so much to see and I was surrounded by so much history that I was begging for more time.
CHERRY BLOSSOMS
I've always wanted to go to Japan this time of year to see their cherry blossoms but if you can't find the time or resources to go there, the second best place is D.C. The 3,000 famous trees that line the Tidal Basin around the Jefferson Memorial were a gift of friendship from Japan in 1912. When they are in full bloom, there's no greater sign that spring has arrived. No one knows exactly when the buds will open each year but the National Park Service provides updates, which have proven accurate in the past. No need to check this year because they are in full bloom and there are just a few more days left of the annual two-week National Cherry Blossom Festival, which runs this year through April 12.
CAPITOL VISITORS CENTER
I was fortunate to be able to check out the brand new Capitol Visitors Center (CVC), which opened on December 2, 2008. This tastefully done, modern, nearly 580,000 square feet underground facility is 36 feet below ground – right in front and to the east of the Capitol. It's underground so it doesn't detract from the appearance of the Capitol and of the grounds. The most memorable features are its two huge skylights that give a clear view of your location and plenty of sunlight. This new building makes visiting a lot more enjoyable. In the past, it would take 25 minutes to get 100 people into the building (through airport-like screening). These days, it takes 2.5 minutes for every 100 people. Instead of one bathroom there are 26 and they now have a food court, which is also something new. They get about 15,000 visitors a day. Admission to the CVC is free and does not require a ticket. However, tickets are required for tours of the historic Capitol and may be needed for other special events. To avoid a long wait, reserve a time slot online. Last-minute visitors usually wait between 30 minutes to one hour but unlike in the past, they haven't turned anyone down so far.
CVC EXHIBITIONS
The 16,500-square-foot exhibition hall is dedicated to the story of Congress and the Capitol. It's organized into sections with displays of original documents from the National Archives and the Library of Congress. They have 40 to 50 documents rotating and I saw the 19th amendment, which is the 1920 ruling granting women the right to vote. There are also interactive computer stations that allow visitors to investigate Congress as an institution and take a "virtual tour" of the Capitol.
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Next door is The Library of Congress; no need to go outside since there's an underground passageway. This is the world's largest library in the world with millions of books (560 miles of stacks), recordings, photographs, maps and manuscripts in its collections. It's the nation's oldest federal cultural institution and serves as the research arm of Congress. Its mission is to make its resources available and useful to the Congress and the American people and to sustain and preserve a universal collection of knowledge and creativity for future generations. The building is beautiful and after a briefing film, it was time to tour around with our guide using whisper technology. Each of us had a headset like an iPod and we could hear our guide perfectly even though she was speaking in a soft voice, many feet away.
LINCOLN BICENTENNIAL EXHIBITION
The Library of Congress just added a new interactive visitors experience and is the first stop of the national Lincoln Bicentennial exhibition. It ends May 9 and the other cities include Sacramento, Chicago, Omaha, Indianapolis and Atlanta. I learned a lot about our 16th president. First of all I didn't realize that Abraham Lincoln
(1809 –1865) was born in rural Kentucky. He was a self-taught man with only one year of formal schooling. The exhibit has 200 items including his schoolbook and the first known photographs of him in 1846. There's also the caned chair from his law office and 1860 campaign buttons. One of the most interesting is a letter from 11-year-old Grace Bedell from New York who suggests he should grow a beard. Of course, his bible is also on display and it's the hot attraction since President Obama used it when he was sworn into office on January 21. Other notables: His stationery didn't say White House; it reads The Executive Mansion. His wife Mary Todd spent $80,000 on jewelry and almost bankrupted the family after his death.
JEFFERSON EXHIBIT
Lincoln isn't the only one with an exhibit. Thomas Jefferson (1743 – 1826) our third president, has an impressive one as well. Jefferson was one of our founding fathers, a farmer, architect, inventor, slaveholder, book collector, scholar, diplomat and traveler. Jefferson had the largest collection of books during his time, which he started collecting at the age of 22. He taught himself how to read in different languages and he had books with 17 languages. He wrote the Declaration of Independence at age 33 (makes me feel like an underachiever BIG TIME). After the British burned Washington D.C. during the continental North-American War of 1812, they came to Jefferson and paid him $23,000 for 6,500 of his books. The collection included a copy of his Koran. He believed in world religion. For more on the Jefferson Exhibit, check out these links.
LUNCH AT ART AND SOUL
For lunch, I headed to one of Capitol Hill's newest neighborhood hotspots: Art and Soul. It offers guests a chic setting while they enjoy "food for the soul." Two-time James Beard-award winning chef Art Smith is the chef and owner of this 221-seat restaurant, which serves up fresh and modern regional cuisine with southern accents. I had the fried chicken Maryland-style with buttermilk mashed potatoes ($16). If you recognize the place, it might be because this is where Oprah filmed her post-inauguration program. Art and Soul, 415 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C., Tel: 202-393-7777.
INTERNATIONAL SPY MUSEUM
I toured the International Spy Museum for about an hour.
I wasn't that into it but the place was packed and people of all ages seemed to really enjoy themselves. It examines the history of espionage
(they bill it as the second oldest profession) and the importance of espionage in winning the Cold War. This museum is not free but if you
like seeing a chronicle of espionage throughout history, then check this place out. The coolest thing I saw was James Bond's gadget car.
Admission: Adults $18 (ages 12-64), seniors (65+), children (ages 5-11) $15.
FORD'S THEATRE
I remember when I was a kid, my parents took me on a tour of
Ford's Theatre,
which was the site of the assassination of President Lincoln on April 14, 1865. The
theatre didn't
reopen until 1968 and the entrance was just given a facelift.
I read that the theatre supposedly has 400 plus historic objects to tell the story of Lincoln's assassination but I only saw his bloodstained coat.
I hear the other 399 items are in the basement but for some reason my guide didn't take me there. The intimate theatre still has plays today
and I had a chance to sit in on the rehearsal for the current one entitled,
The Civil War (running from March 27 to May 24, 2009).
As you know, Lincoln didn't die in the theatre; he was taken across the
street to the Petersen House
where the closest
bed could be found since it was known he wouldn't
survive. He died there early the following morning and
the tiny, well-preserved house is run by the
National Park Service (Tel: 202-426-6924).
Admission is free but you need your ticket
stub from the Ford Theatre. BTW: The play Lincoln was watching was a comedy entitled Our American Cousin.
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
The National Museum of American History collects artifacts of all kinds -- from Julia Child's complete kitchen to gowns of the former first ladies and even the flag that became the Star Spangled Banner. The museum has more than 3 million artifacts in its collection. Admission is free.
REAGAN NATIONAL DCA
I ended up switching my flight from Los Angeles to West Palm Beach. I figured I was so close to my dad, I should go see him for a few days in south Florida. I found a last-minute ticket on USAir (using JohnnyJet.com's search engines, of course) for $165. I was in Georgetown so I took a taxi to the Rosslyn station across the bridge in Arlington, VA. That cost $10 with tip and that was with traffic. I hopped on the blue line train to Reagan National (DCA); fares are $1.35 on weekends, $1.85 during the week. It took 10 minutes and four stops. The one thing that's different about these machines is that you need to put the ticket in the machine and then take it with you so you can get out of the turnstile at your destination. It was my first visit to DCA in a while and they did a fantastic job with the R terminal. What a great airport.
D.C.
There's so much to see and do that I will need to go back and spend a month there. Besides the memorials and a tour of the White House and Capitol, I really wanted to see the National Air & Space Museum and The Newseum. I also want make a visit to nearby Mount Vernon to see where George Washington made 11,000 gallons of unaged rye whiskey.
VIDEO
Here's a Johnny Jet video of my trip to Washington D.C..
We also have all the other Johnny Jet videos ever made on YouTube.
NEXT WEEK
Next week, we'll probably go to some far off land but you'll have to stay tuned to find out the exact location!
*PLEASE tell us what you think of this week's newsletter!
Note: This trip was sponsored in part by
US Airways and
Montelucia Resort & Spa.
Copyright 2008 JohnnyJet, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.