GETTING TO THE DISTRICT
BY AIR
Located just on the other side of the D.C. state line, Reagan is the closest and most convenient airport to D.C. by far. It's a short 15 min. cab ride from any of the reserved hotels. The metro also has a stop at Reagan.
Dulles is about 25 miles outside of D.C., and anywhere between 40 minutes to 1.5 hours by car from the hotels depending on traffic. Definitely a viable option if airfare is significantly less than Reagan.
BWI is located just outside of Baltimore, and is still considered a DC area airport. It can take anywhere between 1-2 hours by car from BWI to the area of D.C. the hotels are located in. Another viable option - just a little farther out of the city.
BY AUTOMOBILE
FROM THE SOUTH (to the Kimpton Donovan)
From I-95 N, follow signs for I-395 N towards Washington D.C. Take the US-1 N exit towards Downtown. Continue onto US-1 /14th St SW. Continue straight onto 14th St NW. The Kimpton Donovan will be on your right, at the SW corner of Thomas Circle.
FROM THE NORTH
From I-95 S, follow signs for Baltimore-Washington Pkwy. Once on the Pkwy, follow signs for US-50 W/New York Ave NE. Continue onto New York Ave NW, which becomes Mt.Vernon Place NW, and then Massachusetts Ave NW. At the traffic circle, the Kimpton Donovan will be on your right.
BY TRAIN
ACCOMMODATIONS
We've reserved blocks of rooms at the Kimpton Donovan Hotel, Loews Madison Hotel, and Courtyard by Marriott Embassy Row. All 3 hotels are within close walking distance of one another, and are approximately 15 minutes driving distance to the venue.
Just mention the Ashworth–Paris wedding when you reserve.
Discounted room rates listed below will be applied until October 29, 2017.
THE KIMPTON DONOVAN HOTEL
1155 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 737-1200
King Deluxe Room: $119 + taxes/fees
Double Double Executive Room: $169 + taxes/fees
Overnight Parking is $48.00 + taxes per day
Pets stay for free!
THE MADISON WASHINGTON D.C., A HILTON HOTEL**
1177 15th Street NW
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 862-1600
Deluxe King Room: $109 + taxes/fees
Deluxe Room, 2 Queen Beds: $109 + taxes/fees
Overnight Parking is $50.00 + taxes per day
** Ownership recently changed to Hilton Hotels (lucky for all you rewards members!). Room rates have been adjusted as indicated above.
courtyard by Marriott, embassy row
1600 Rhode Island Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 293-8000
1 King Room: $139 + taxes/fees
2 Queen Room: $149 + taxes/fees
Overnight Parking is $42.00 per day + 18% Service Charge
things to do
RESTAURANTS
Churchkey is an award winning craft beer bar that we love, and they have great snacks & small plates as well! Just below them is Birch & Barley, which is a fantastic farm to table New American restaurant - reservations recommended!
Trendy New American small plate spot, with fantastic cocktails & an amazing penny floor. Russell and I have been here for both brunch and dinner many times! Walking distance to both hotels.
Amazing wood-fired pizza & salads! Great for groups - reservations recommended.
The sister cafe & bakery to Baked & Wired in Georgetown. Nothing against Georgetown Cupcake, but they have the best cupcakes and baked goods in DC - hands down! Russell loves the lemon cupcake & Caroline is a big fan of the carrot cake.
DC OUTSIDE!
CITY SEGWAY TOURS - WASHINGTON, D.C.
Russell treated Caroline to the best DC tour experience on her first b-day in DC. Rain or shine, it's a great time :) And you see all of the major sites in a short period of time, all while riding a sweet segway! Make sure to take lot's of pics!
It may not have a Claire's or Auntie Anne's, but it sure does have a lot of beautiful monuments, landscape & picturesque views...all for FREE! The National Mall spans 1.9 miles from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial all the way to the steps of the Capitol Building. When walked from end to end, you'll see The Reflecting Pool (think Forrest Gump), the World War II Memorial, the Washington Monument, FDR Memorial, MLK Memorial, DC War Memorial, Vietnam War Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Constitution Gardens, Smithsonian Museums, and a lot more...
Right around the corner from our little slice of DC, the National Zoo has awesome exhibits and habitat that are also completely FREE! Not only that, but you all will be here during the most magical time...ZOO LIGHTS! Also free, the National Zoo lights up all of it's exhibits and pathways with fun and festive holiday lights. Grab a spiked hot cider from Open City DC & walk around the twinkling splendor!
Located in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, Eastern Market has a great weekend outdoor & indoor market with local artisan goods, antiques, artwork, sweet and savory treats, and more!
DC INSIDE!
Throughout DC, there are many Smithsonian museums and art galleries (AGAIN, ALL FREE!) ranging from the Air & Space and Natural History to the new African American Museum & famous Renwick Art Gallery. Some of the private museums in the city do require admission tickets or payment - i.e. Spy Museum & Newseum. We recommend going when they first open or on week days.
CAPITAL ONE ARENA - DC CAPS & WIZARDS
We can't guarantee either will be in town, or will have a good game, but the Wizards & Caps are always a fun time! Both play at the Capital One Arena (formerly known as the Verizon Center), which is walking distance from all of the reserved hotels. We've also seen many esteemed music artists perform here, such as Miley Cyrus or Justin Bieber. As the wedding weekend gets closer, check out the arena's website for any cool happenings!
Located near the wedding venue, we want to spread some more Ivy City love to Union Market - an awesome indoor market/food hall filled with eateries, locally made home goods & apparel, a wine shop & bar, and more! There's always some cool new pop up or event happening there.
Tours happen Mon-Sat, and are usually around 2 hours long. Tickets are cheap & easy to score via the link (all of the blue names are links, if you haven't already figured that out :)). A great way to see the beautiful newly renovated rotunda!
LAST BUT NOT LEAST...BREWERIES & DISTILLERIES
Also right around the corner from the wedding venue, Atlas makes some of our favorite local beers. The brewery has fun tours & tastings, and sometimes they even have live music! You can't go wrong with one of their IPA's or Stouts.
One of the first breweries in DC, Brau also does great tours and tastings. We recommend trying a classic lineup of The Public, The Citizen & The Corruption!
A beautiful new craft cocktail bar & distillery, Cotton & Reed makes delicious rum and creative concoctions using it! They have tastings on Sundays - great way to get a 'hair of the dog' after our party ;-)
They make both bourbon & gin - win win for everyone! If you're looking for a great Sunday Funday, start here with a cocktail (or 2) in the tasting room and then stumble over to Atlas for some brews. We speak from experience.