A one day long site seeing in Washington D.C.?

Are there any festivals or carnivals in D.C? Me and my girlfriend are going to be there on Wednesday June 6th. We're from Chicago so we're comfortable with public transportation. Also we've been in White House area before and this time trying to have a different experience. No museum suggestions please. And one more thing. Is there any area at Dulles airport that we can leave our luggage's for few hours? If not, do you know any place in the city area, like a train station or some where like that that has public locker? Also who know how we can get to Centreville,VA from Dulles or city center?

A one day long site seeing in Washington D.C.?
Someone pointed out that you are bit too early for the big festival in Washington, DC - that is the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. And the Silverdocs film festival is the next week, you're a week early for that.





So given that , what to do that is not museum-y or White House-esque. There is an awful lot, actually.





My first recommendation is to make it to a neighborhood and explore. Some of the best that come to mind are Adams Morgan, where you can check out the murals, have a great meal and if you are there late enough, catch some great music. In addition there are a number of international boutiques to pick up a few goodies at! You can get there by getting off Metro at the Woodley Park/Zoo station and going over the Duke Ellington Bridge then down to Colunbia and 18th street. Head down 18th Street and then back west on T street into the area of Adams Morgan. This is another great area for quirky shopping and good eating, and you can sit in the circle and use wireless internet for free!





Another option is to visit the U-Street and Shaw neighborhood, a historically black neighborhood that was the "Black Broadway" in the 20's and was the home of black luminaries like Duke Ellington and others. You can eat at Ben's Chili Bowl, visit the clubs, and check out the Ellington Mural. A bit north on U Street from the U Street Cardozo African American Civil War Memorial is an area with a number of Beaux Arts Mansions. To the west of that is a great park. I can't remember the name of it right now.





Another option is to visit Georgetown, the oldest area, and check out shopping, the C and O Canal, rent bikes to ride, or a canoe/kayak to float on the Potomac.





I know you said no museums, but I'd like to suggest that the Spy Museum is a great deal of fun, and has a new interactive area much like a live action role playing game, but with a spy theme. It's practically a carnival fun house!





If you like the memorials and all, you could check them out - they are on the mall, largely, from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial. South of the Lincoln Memorial on the mall is the FDR Memorial on the Tidal Basin, and there, on the other side, is the Jefferson Memorial. Better, maybe to rent a paddleboat from the boat house near the Jefferson Memroial, and paddle on the tidal basin for an hour?





There is a left luggage facility in Union Station - it's on the train level. I don't know if they will let you leave the luggage if you are not taking a train somewhere however.





Dulles to DC is doable via public transport - you have to take the Washington Flyer Bus to the West Falls Church Metro Station, then get on the orange line toward New Carrollton to get downtown. The bus costs, I think, $8 each way, and the metro to downtown will run between about $2 to $4 depending on the day of the week and time of Day.





Centerville is harder, but not impossible. I don't know where you want to go in Centerville, but the 12 series of busses (Centerville North and Centerville South) go out there. You take the orange line to the end of the line in Vienna, then get on the bus out to Centerville. I don't know which line you'd want to take, but this bus schedule should help.
Reply:i am from DC area, willing to be a tour guide
Reply:You are visiting a month earlier than one of the big festivals on the mall in DC, which is around 4th of July and includes a big arts and crafts fair and the fireworks over the river, which is probably the best Independence Day fireworks show in the US.





Unfortunately, unlike Reagan, Dulles is not that well connected to the city from a public transportation standpoint -- it isn't linked into the Metro system (DC's subway), so your best bet is to rent a car or find a friend in the area. Dulles is about 10 miles due north of Centreville (I think the road is route 28 that goes between the two.) Once you get to Centreville, you have two easy ways into the city -- you are right on I-66 which takes you straight into downtown by car, or you can take the Metro rail system, which is very safe, clean and relatively inexpensive.





Don't believe there is any public storage available at Dulles airport for luggage, although you might check with your airline, as they may be able to accomodate you.