Point Me to the Miles

Trip Report: DC For 4 Days Introduction

Introduction, PSC-SLC, SLC-DTW, DTW-DCA, Ritz Carlton Pentagon City Review, Exploring Washington, DC-Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4; DCA-ATL, ATL-MSP, MSP-PSC, Conclusion

Introduction

Washington, DC has become one of my favorite places to visit since my first visit there almost two years ago.  I know alot of travel hackers tend to focus mostly on international destinations, but as I have discovered, this great gigantic country has a lot to see for travelers too.  The things I love about the city are its vibe, how commuter friendly it is, the great architecture and ton of great museums–especially if you are a history buff, like me.

On the fly last spring, I decided to depart the Pacific Northwest (the PacNor as I call it) for a mini-vacay/mileage run in DC.

My father was going to be there in May, and I was getting every other Friday off at work, making a perfect opportunity for a short jaunt.  That said with another trip on the horizon, I was on the fence about whether or not to go.  Ultimately, though I knew if I wanted to make Medallion status, I would need to plan more travel.

For a long time I debated where to stay, as I thought my dad would be  at a separate hotel while on business.  I figured I would stay at Marriott as I was trying to re-qualify for status for this year but was indecisive for a while about where exactly to stay.

I should mention that I booked the entire trip two weeks before departure, driving the cost a little higher than it probably should have been.  I figured I could rely on the Metro and save a little bit of money by staying a little ways out, I found a great rate for a suite out in Bethesda but debated if I really wanted to stay there 20 minutes outside of town, especially during such a short trip.

As it turned out, my dad ended up not being able to go.  I told him that although I had booked a room, I was deliberating about where exactly to stay.  Feeling sorry that he could not make it, he decided to use 120,000 Marriott Rewards to book me a room out at the Ritz Carlton Pentagon City.  While actually across the Potomac from Washington DC, there is a Metro station literally right outside the door.  While I wanted to make headway on my Marriott status, I was very happy to enjoy a free stay at a nice hotel like the Ritz Carlton.

So please sit back and take time to enjoy the report.  Expect about one report per day.  I’ll be picking up on my flights to DC in Delta Domestic First class soon..