Friday, January 1, 2010

About What are our options for traveling from the Convention Center, to Arlington N. Cemetery, then Mount Vernon

What are our options for traveling from the Convention Center, to Arlington N. Cemetery, then Mount Vernon?
My husband and I will be visitig DC in May. We do not intend to rent a car. Our Inn is near the Convention Center. I want to go from our Inn to Arlington National Cemetery on a Wednesday morning. Then travel from Arlington National Cemetery to Mount Vernon late morning or early afternoon. Which Metro lines do we use to get to Arlington? What is a good way to travel from Arlington to Mount Vernon?
Washington, D.C. - 3 Answers
People's Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
Answer 1 :
Google 'washington dc subway' for a map of the routes. Arlington Cemetery is on the blue line. You will probably have to take a bus to get to Mt. Vernon. A cab is going to be EXPENSIVE!
Answer 2 :
The only Metro line that goes to Arlington is the Blue Line. Catch the Yellow or Green line at the Mount Vernon station (a different Mount Vernon) to L'Enfant Plaza Station and transfer to the Blue Line in the direction of Franconia Springfield. There's a stop at Arlington Cemetery and a shuttle that will take you to the actual cemetery grounds. As for getting from Arlington to Mount Vernon, I don't recommend you go late in the day as Mount Vernon closes at 5 p.m. I understand there is a shuttle bus from the Huntington Station at the end of the Yellow Line. You would take the Blue Line from the Arlington Cemetery station (towards Franconia Springfield), and transfer at the next station, which is Pentagon, to the Yellow Line. You can actually transfer anywhere between Pentagon and King Street to the Yellow Line. It might be better to go to Mount Vernon in the morning--you can take the Yellow Line straight down--and then Arlington Cemetery in the afternoon, transfering to the Blue Line (in the direction of Largo) anywhere between King Street and Pentagon. Keep in mind that after sunset, the trains don't stop at Arlington and just express through between Pentagon and Rosslyn. But I really suggest you do this on two different days, if possible, just so you can see everything you want to.
Answer 3 :
You could also do a tourbus thingie....Tourmobile takes you to both places (plus hopping on and off through the city) but the Greyline tour has a stop at Christ Church (Gen. Washington's church juuust in case you didn't know) here's the link from Mt. Vernon's website: http://www.mountvernon.org/visit/plan/index.cfm/pid/824/ I've never taken the Greyline tour, but I've done the Tourmobile with visiting family, and it was relatively painless....just no where near as fun as DC Ducks http://www.dcducks.com/index.htm