Things to Do in DC!

• City Tours: There are a number of bus and trolley tours that let you hop on and off to see the sights. This is an easy and comfortable way to see the city. Some of them include the Old Town Trolley Tours and the Double-Decker Bus Tour. One that we've always wanted to try is the Capital Segway Tour!
• Tours of the U.S. Capitol: Capitol tours are normally given Monday through Saturday but because of the current visitor center construction it's best to call 202-225-6827 before you come to see what days they are offered. The days before and after our wedding could prove to be really interesting up on the Hill. You can usually obtain a ticket through your home represenative or senator to go and sit inside the House or Senate visitors galleries just to watch the debate - it's fun!
• The Supreme Court: Visiting the Supreme Court is worth it, even when it's not in session. If you're lucky to still be in DC on Monday October 1st you could wait in line to try and get a seat to listen to the first oral arguments of the new session!
• Art Galleries: You could spend days going to DC's many art galleries. But we know not everyone has that kind of time! There will be a fantastic Edward Hopper exhibit on display at the National Gallery of Art starting September 16th. The National Portrait Gallery is newly renovated and worth walking through. We also really love the Phillips Collection which is situated in the Dupont Circle neighborhood just a few blocks from the Dupont Circle Metro station.
• The Smithsonian Museums: There are a ton of "must see" museums in the Smithsonian family. Check out http://www.si.edu/ to see all of the different kinds of museums the collection has to offer. The IMAX movies at the National Air and Space museum and the Natural History museum are incredible!
• National Zoo: The National Zoo is a great place to check out, especially in the morning. It opens at sunrise and is within walking distance from the Wardman Park Marriott and Omni Hotels. Best of all it's free!
• Other notables: If you have time to walk around the downtown Mall area, check out the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials, they are well worth the trip and don't forget to walk through the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial. If you are up near the Capitol building be sure to stop in the Library of Congress - it's a stunning building with fascinating exhibits.

Location and Directions

***Transportation to and from the wedding will be provided for out-of-town guests staying at the hotels***

Glen Echo Park is located at 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, MD, at the intersection with Oxford Road.

From downtown Washington: Take Massachusetts Ave. in the northwest direction toward Maryland until it ends at Goldsboro Rd. Turn left and continue until you reach MacArthur Blvd. Turn right on MacArthur and then make an immediate left on Oxford Rd. Follow signs for Glen Echo Park and the Clara Barton House.

From the Capital Beltway (Interstate 495): Take exit 40 on the outer loop or exit 41 East on the inner loop. Take the Clara Barton/Cabin John Parkway to the MacArthur Blvd./Glen Echo exit. Turn left onto MacArthur. Cross Goldsboro Rd. and then make a left onto Oxford Rd. Follow signs for Glen Echo Park and the Clara Barton House.

Parking: Please use the large parking lot off Oxford Rd. The pedestrian bridge leading into the park is near the MacArthur Blvd. side of the lot.

Airport information

Several people have asked which airport is the better one to use. We have links to the three major airports in the area on the left-hand side of the blog, but here are some other helpful tips:

• National Airport (DCA): National airport has a metro station so you have a taxi and metro option for getting to downtown DC. A cab ride will cost roughly $20 (with tip) to the downtown hotels or you can take the metro (with one change at Metro Center) and get out at the Red Line Woodley Park stop to access the Wardman Park Marriott or the Omni Shorem.

• Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD): Dulles is about a 40 minute cab ride from downtown DC. The cost of the ride is approximately $50.

• Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI): BWI is about an hour from downtown DC. It's worth looking into this airport however because flights into BWI are typically a little cheaper. There are a couple of options for getting to DC or Silver Spring. A cab will run you about $80 if you are going into downtown Washington. You can also take a free shuttle from BWI to the train station and grab an Amtrak train which will drop you right in the heart of DC at Union Station. You can take a cab or the metro from Union Station. Finally, another option is to arrange a Super Shuttle ride either prior to your trip or upon your arrival at BWI.

Trip to McAllen

We all made a trip down to McAllen in early March to celebrate with the Murrays and their Texas friends! It was a fantastic party and a great adventure. We especially loved the food!

Where to Stay

We have room blocks at three hotels - two in Washington, DC (Woodley Park) and one in Silver Spring, MD. The three hotels are along the DC Metro system's Red Line. Most of the rooms are available on Friday 9/28 and Saturday 9/29 but we have a handful in the DC hotels that open up on Thursday 9/27. We will be providing transportation for out-of-town guests from the wedding hotels to Glen Echo, so if you choose to stay elsewhere it would be good to pick a location near a Red Line Metro stop to easily make the bus to the wedding. When you call to make reservations at the following three hotels the room blocks can be found under the "Johnson/Murray Wedding":

• Marriott Wardman Park: Located two blocks from the Woodley Park Metro stop and a few short blocks from the Omni Shorem Hotel. The wedding rate is $229 per night. You can make reservations by calling the hotel directly at (202) 328-2000 or the main Marriott reservations line at 1-800-228-9290. Please make reservations by Monday August 27th.


• Omni Shoreham Hotel: Also located two blocks from the Woodley Park Metro station. The wedding rate is $159 per night. You can make reservations by calling (202) 234-0700. Please make reservations by Friday September 7th.


• Courtyard By Marriott Downtown Silver Spring: Located in the shopping/restaurant area of downtown Silver Spring and a ten minute walk from the Silver Spring Metro station. The wedding rate is $129 for a standard room and $149 for a double. You can make reservations by calling (301) 589-4899 or the main Marriott reservations line at 1-800-228-9290. Please make reservations by Friday August 24th.

If you need help with reservations or need advice about other hotels please don't hesitate to get in touch!

Wedding Location!

We're getting married in Glen Echo Park - a historic amusement park right across the District of Columbia line in Maryland. The reception will be held in the park's Bumper Car Pavilion - home to the first bumper car ride in the world! The park's atmosphere is unique and whimsical and its incredible history makes it a very special place. We hope you'll read more about it: http://www.nps.gov/glec/