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special slots for Members of congress - Arlington
special slots for Members of congress
by b1bob
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Rosslyn
  • Tip Rating:
    • b1bob
  • Updated By b1bob on July 2, 2006
  • Arlington Page by b1bob
    • Rosslyn skyline from the Key Bridge - Arlington
    Rosslyn skyline from the Key
    Bridge
    by b1bob
    In normal situations, the skyline of the Rosslyn district wouldn't stand out. However, these gleaming futuristic buildings don't seem congruent with the monuments of Washington, DC. Still, the contrast on taking the snap from the Key Bridge is noteworthy. What sets Rosslyn off from the surrounding neighbourhoods is that its skyline an island of normal America (as we know it at the beginning of the 21st Century) in a relative sea of the preserved past.

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    Congressional Plates
  • Tip Rating:
    • b1bob
  • Updated By b1bob on July 2, 2006
  • Arlington Page by b1bob
    • special slots for Members of congress - Arlington
    special slots for Members of
    congress
    by b1bob
    This isn't my favourite thing about Arlington, just something that stands out as unusual. The little-known secret is that Members of Congress have a special parking lot at both Reagan National and Dulles Airports which affords them easy access to the airport terminals. The Member of Congress' licence plate with the state and constituency number give him or her access to these convenient slots.

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    Crystal City
  • Tip Rating:
    • b1bob
  • Updated By b1bob on July 2, 2006
  • Arlington Page by b1bob
    • Crystal City: Arlington, VA - Arlington
    Crystal City: Arlington, VA
    by b1bob
    Did you ever notice how all the buildings seem to be the same height? Well, there is a good reason. Crystal City is so close to Reagan National Airport that the FAA imposes a strict height limit on buildings. The type of businesses in those buildings in Crystal City have a close correlation with the airport: airline headquarters, hotels, convention centres, and quite an unusual subterranean shopping centre.

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    A fastball away from the Pentagon
  • Tip Rating:
    • b1bob
  • Updated By b1bob on July 2, 2006
  • Arlington Page by b1bob
    • Great view - Arlington
    Great view
    by b1bob
    Our vantage point from the 16th floor of the Sheraton National gave us a bird's eye view of the Washington and Arlington skyline at night and during the day. I tried the previous night, but that didn't turn out well. This turned out fairly well, though. From this perspective, I could imagine the view from here on 11 September 2001. This was the side of the Pentagon where American flight 77 hit. I hear tell an employee took a photo and the FBI confiscated it. If it were me, I would hand FBI the original and I'd keep a copy, if, for no other reason, because I could.

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    b1bob's first VT meeting
  • Tip Rating:
    • b1bob
  • Updated By b1bob on July 2, 2006
  • Arlington Page by b1bob
    • The whole lot of us: thanks, Kristi - Arlington
    The whole lot of us: thanks,
    Kristi
    by b1bob, 1 more photos
    For my first 3 years on VT, I had been sceptical about attending VT meetings simply because you never know who might turn up. I didn't even plan on attending this one. The perfect set of circumstances came together to make it possible. For the previous couple of days, I was showing Matt and Urszula around my part of the world. I figured they would leave on Friday morning and that would be the last I would see or hear from them until their last night in the States when it would make perfect sense to stay here before driving the 100 miles (160 km.) to Dulles on the way home to Poland. The night before, Matt said, "Why don't you join us?" I said I would and I showed them Mount Vernon and I went with them to Dulles to make sure they could retrieve their lost luggage and get compensated for what they had to buy here the first night. The original plan was for me to go home on the train, but Northern Virginia traffic (see associated tip) intervened. I missed that train (the last one) and Matt said, "Why don't you stay with us?" I did and I ended up meeting Kodi01, balfor, and later Dabs. Despite the clear directions, we had a time finding both the hotel and the Jaleo restaurant (see associated tip). Poor Kristi waited for us for more than 2 hours (we were either caught in traffic or plumb lost). She was fixing to leave when we finally figured out what we were doing. I'm glad she stayed. Sometimes, the unexpected is better than when things go according to Cocker.

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    Welcome to America, Matt
  • Tip Rating:
    • b1bob
  • Updated By b1bob on July 2, 2006
  • Arlington Page by b1bob
    • Matt, Kathy and Chris having fun in 425 - Arlington
    Matt, Kathy and Chris
    having fun in 425
    by b1bob,
    2 more photos
    Although Matt had been on American shores for 3 days, nevertheless, Kathy presented Matt with an American flag when we got into room 425 in Sheraton National Hotel. It looked like a party was in the making, but first, we were all hungry enough to eat a wagon wheel. After making 3 circuits around that part of Arlington, we finally figured out how to get the the restaurant where we had our VT meeting. By the time Matt and I got to the room, it looked like a regular hospitality suite. There was wine and beer chilled down in the sink and a table full of goodies in Matt's honour. Kathy brought a bunch of good stuff from Texas (like hot and hotter salsa and tortilla chips) and Chris brought some stuff from Georgia. Because I didn't know I was going to the meeting until...an hour before...I didn't bring anything from Virginia. I probably would have brought along a tin of Virginia Diner peanuts or maybe a Smithfield ham. My favourite thing on the food table was the Tipsy Cake put out by Jack Daniels. Alcohol is in the cake, but once it is cooked, it evaporates as does the effects which sozzle you. We got back from Jaleo at about 11 pm. We went up to the 16th floor to take in the view. We tried to get into the pool area because that was the best vantage point, but security closed it after a certain hour. The health club was still open so we fiddled around in there. We found some cups and glasses in the ballroom and Matt, Urszula, Chris, Kathy and I were there just talking. They were drinking wine. The security guard asked if we were all kin and Chris said we were to keep him off our backs. We were only sitting there, most were drinking, and taking in the night view of Washington and Arlington. I got real tired and shortly after getting back to the room, I fell asleep. For all I know, my other VT friends took photos of me asleep...and they DID!

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    Meeting with friends, part 1
  • Tip Rating:
    • b1bob
  • Updated By b1bob on June 5, 2003
  • Arlington Page by b1bob
    • Fernando, T.K., b1bob, James - Arlington
    Fernando, T.K., b1bob, James
    by b1bob
    Fernando (leftmost in more ways than one) and I arrived in Alexandria on time and my university friend James McGarvey (rightmost) was waiting for us at the King Street metro station. We took the metro straight away for Ballston where yet another university friend T.K. Gore was to meet us. Some will remember that T.K. put me up in his house the night before I went to Greece the previous year (see my McLean page). He wasn't there when we arrived in Ballston, so I rung him up. T.K. had been to a party the previous night and got thoroughly plastered and he hadn't gotten up by 11.00. Although he tried his best to hide it, he looked like two miles of bad road and appeared clearly hung over when he showed up. I can empathise with that feeling as I have gotten plastered a few times whilst I attended university. I promised James (who just had a birthday) and T.K. (who was fixing to have one) that I would take them out to eat. We took a light lunch at Slade's in the Ballston Common shopping centre in Arlington. (That location of Slade's has since closed- Chevy's Tex Mex is in that slot.) Unfortunately, T.K. had to work for a bit that Saturday afternoon, so he left us as soon as we finished. However, James hung on a bit longer and we were off to the Smithsonian. We toured the American History museum which contained exhibits on New Mexico, First Ladies, transport, coinage, Civil Rights, and World War II amongst other things.

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    Meeting with friends, part 3
  • Tip Rating:
    • b1bob
  • By b1bob on March 29, 2003
  • Arlington Page by b1bob
    • richiecdsisc & b1bob - Arlington
    richiecdsisc & b1bob
    by b1bob
    There is no shortage of restaurants in Arlington in which to meet friends. I had a spur of the moment VT meeting at Capitol Brewing Company in the Shirlington district with "Kentbein" and "richiecdisc". We had plenty of good food and they had plenty of good beer (I don't drink). We only intended for this meeting to last 2 hours because Richie needed to avoid the beltway traffic, but it ended up being 3 hours.

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    Plumb knackered
  • Tip Rating:
    • b1bob
  • Updated By b1bob on July 2, 2006
  • Arlington Page by b1bob
    • b1bob in repose - Arlington
    b1bob in repose
    by b1bob
    If you ever were curious on why I have such few nightlife tips, the included photo will tell the story by itself. The included photo wasn't staged, folks. No, I wasn't sozzled like I was my last night at university. I declined all offers of wine both here and at the restaurant. I was dog tired because I can never sleep the night before I know I have to get up much earlier than normal. Matt's invitation to go with them and personally show them Mount Vernon and then off to Dulles Airport to reclaim their lost luggage (and get their due compensation) made that necessary. I had planned on spending that night in my own bed in Mechanicsville, but I ended up missing my train and staying with Matt and the rest of the VT contingent at the Sheraton National hotel. I thought they would only stay up HALF the night. I collapsed up in the ballroom on the 16th floor. I don't know how I mustered the strength to take the lift down to our room on the 4th floor where I fell asleep for the rest of that night while they were still partying.

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    Get A Map And Prepare
  • Tip Rating:
    • lmkluque
  • Updated By lmkluque on November 22, 2005
  • Arlington Page by lmkluque
    • Tomb of the Unknowns - Arlington
    Tomb of the Unknowns
    by lmkluque
    Before going to Arlington National Cemetery, get a map with the placement of the various heros you'd like to visit.

    The Kennedys, John F., Robert F., and Jacqueline Onassis are probably the most celebrated, but there are many more American and brave souls from other countries who have served this country well and you might want to visit their sites too. God Bless them all.

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    More Arlington Tips
    Overview
         		Hotels and Accommodations
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    Things To Do
    Tips: 136 - Photos: 222    		Nightlife
    Tips: 41 - Photos: 60
    Transportation
    Tips: 46 - Photos: 61    		Restaurants
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    Shopping
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    Tourist Traps
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    Local Customs
    Tips: 26 - Photos: 29    		Packing Lists
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    Sports Travel
    Tips: 5 - Photos: 7    		General Tips
    Tips: 49 - Photos: 103
    Flights
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