Fairfax to DC on the Metrorail then take a walkabout, dumb idea?

[JodyH]

Exactly how dumb of an idea is it to catch the Metrorail Orange from Vienna/Fairfax to Farragut West, then walk from there to the Smithsonian Metro for the ride back to Fairfax on a weekday evening?
Say leave Fairfax around 7pm and return around 10pm.
Any issues having my P'kal on the Metro or on my walking route?
What about a concealed 4" fixed blade?

[mnealtx]

Exactly how dumb of an idea is it to catch the Metrorail Orange from Vienna/Fairfax to Farragut West, then walk from there to the Smithsonian Metro for the ride back to Fairfax on a weekday evening?
Say leave Fairfax around 7pm and return around 10pm.
Any issues having my P'kal on the Metro or on my walking route?
What about a concealed 4" fixed blade?

Quick search shows 3" blade limit - don't know if fixed blades are allowed.

More info here (http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/424571-Washington-DC-knife-question?highlight=washington) - looks like pocket knives only.

[JodyH]

Spyderco lists the P'kal as a 3" blade so thats gtg.
I wont be entering any buildings, just riding the Metro and walking the National Mall.
Metro have metal detectors?

[jetfire]

Not at the Fairfax stations they don't. I can't speak for the DC stations except for the one by the Nationals ballpark, which doesn't.

[derekb]

Metro have metal detectors?

I didn't run into any when I stayed in Fairfax and took the metro into the same area you're headed.

[LittleLebowski]

Where are you going in DC?

[Dropkick]

A walk from the one station to the other to see the sights on the Mall in the evening shouldn't be a big deal. You might want to pack a poncho.

[JodyH]

Where are you going in DC?
Ill be in Fairfax/Fair Oaks all next week for work.
Ill be free everyday after 4pm or so and thought the National Memorials would be a must see.
Probably hit the NRA range one evening as well.

[F-Trooper05]

There's no metal detectors on the Metro. That walk is perfectly safe (I lived in DC for 6 years).

[LittleLebowski]

I should be up for a range session. I don't go to DC if I can help it.

[JodyH]

I figured that area was pretty secure.
More worried about the metro than I am the walk.
Public transportation after dark tends to fill with roaches.

[LittleLebowski]

Oh, I don't blame you for seeing DC; I just hate people.

[Matt O]

I figured that area was pretty secure.
More worried about the metro than I am the walk.
Public transportation after dark tends to fill with roaches.

The DC metro's not too bad in terms of the roaches aspect, particularly on the portion of it you will be traveling on - I ride from VA into DC everyday to commute to work. The orange line seems to have more of a problem with broken down trains and people attempting (often successfully) to use public transportation to commit suicide.

[Leozinho]

Ill be in Fairfax/Fair Oaks all next week for work.
Ill be free everyday after 4pm or so and thought the National Memorials would be a must see.
Probably hit the NRA range one evening as well.

They are must-sees. (Not sure if the anti-DC vibe you get here is from the gun politics, anti-Obama feelings, or just paranoia about crime. Either way, it would be silly to miss the National Mall due to any of the three.)

That area is very safe.

[JodyH]

I plan on going... I just want to see how heavy I can roll without catching grief.
:cool:

[LittleLebowski]

They are must-sees. (Not sure if the anti-DC vibe you get here is from the gun politics, anti-Obama feelings, or just paranoia about crime. Either way, it would be silly to miss the National Mall due to any of the three.)

That area is very safe.

I hate people and large cities. That's it.

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[RoyGBiv]

If you've never been, "a few hours" is not nearly enough time to spend on the Mall. You'll need to choose.
Lincoln Memorial is cool, Vietnam Memorial is better than the best you've read about it, Korean Memorial was quite a surprise (very, very well done, IMO).
Not sure if the Washington Monument is open yet following the quake damage last year.
WWII Memorial was a WOW. If anyone is wading in the WWII fountains, please kick them in the nuts and tell them it was from me. :mad: :D

The better Air and Space Museum is the one near Dulles, the Udvar-Hazy. Awesome, if you're into stuff that flies. The one on the Mall is just ok.

Off the Mall... Holocaust Museum... Don't go without a box of Kleenex. Spy museum was also very interesting.

Have fun.

[TGS]

If you've never been, "a few hours" is not nearly enough time to spend on the Mall. You'll need to choose.
Lincoln Memorial is cool, Vietnam Memorial is better than the best you've read about it, Korean Memorial was quite a surprise (very, very well done, IMO).
Not sure if the Washington Monument is open yet following the quake damage last year.
WWII Memorial was a WOW. If anyone is wading in the WWII fountains, please kick them in the nuts and tell them it was from me. :mad: :D

The better Air and Space Museum is the one near Dulles, the Udvar-Hazy. Awesome, if you're into stuff that flies. The one on the Mall is just ok.

Off the Mall... Holocaust Museum... Don't go without a box of Kleenex. Spy museum was also very interesting.

Have fun.

I just about saw the face of my grandfather in the Korean War memorial. The facial expressions and body language say a lot and were striking...at least for me. My grandpa was a BAR gunner with 2nd ID in 1951, and had some extremely harrowing times as well as amazing stories of leadership, dark humor and general lessons on life. The VFW even interviewed him and did a story on a particular battle he was in, where some 80 troops were left out of his entire battalion after one night.

I really need to learn the art of story telling in order to keep his legacy alive, and in order for the Korean War memorial to be as striking as it should be to everyone.

Given that I'm doing a degree in intelligence, I feel like a traitor for having not visited the spy museum. :p

[JodyH]

If you've never been, "a few hours" is not nearly enough time to spend on the Mall. You'll need to choose.
I'll have 2 or 3 evenings from around 7pm until as late as the trains run.
Unfortunately this is a business trip.

[JodyH]

Next week is Police Week so expect to be literally surrounded by cops on the Metro (assuming it's anything like it was when I've been out for Police Week).
So 5.11's, a dark blue Polo and a fresh haircut will let me blend in perfectly.



Too bad I'll be wearing jeans, T-shirt, Doc Martens and looking shaggy.
Although I may have to look into getting me one of those Colombian hookers, I hear they've seen a drop off in business over the last week or two and could use the money.
:cool:

[RoyGBiv]

I just about saw the face of my grandfather in the Korean War memorial. The facial expressions and body language say a lot and were striking...at least for me. My grandpa was a BAR gunner with 2nd ID in 1951, and had some extremely harrowing times as well as amazing stories of leadership, dark humor and general lessons on life. The VFW even interviewed him and did a story on a particular battle he was in, where some 80 troops were left out of his entire battalion after one night.

I really need to learn the art of story telling in order to keep his legacy alive, and in order for the Korean War memorial to be as striking as it should be to everyone.

Given that I'm doing a degree in intelligence, I feel like a traitor for having not visited the spy museum. :p
The surprise for me when I first visited the Korean War Memorial was that I had no idea what to expect. I'd heard it was open, but that was about it. The "movement" of all those bronzes was really well done.... Walking among them was very impactful (not really a word, but you get it).

The downside of the spy museum was that it's very kid friendly. The upside of the spy museum was that it's very kid friendly. ;)
It's really interesting stuff. I could have spent all day there. I'd say it's a bigger (and different topic) version of the museum at Los Alamos, if you've ever been there. Similarly interesting, factual and hands-on. IIRC, the spy museum was bigger than the Los Alamos museum.

[LittleLebowski]

So 5.11's, a dark blue Polo and a fresh haircut will let me blend in perfectly.



Too bad I'll be wearing jeans, T-shirt, Doc Martens and looking shaggy.
Although I may have to look into getting me one of those Colombian hookers, I hear they've seen a drop off in business over the last week or two and could use the money.
:cool:

Pick me one up too, thanks in advance.

[jc000]

Exactly how dumb of an idea is it to catch the Metrorail Orange from Vienna/Fairfax to Farragut West, then walk from there to the Smithsonian Metro for the ride back to Fairfax on a weekday evening?
Say leave Fairfax around 7pm and return around 10pm.
Any issues having my P'kal on the Metro or on my walking route?
What about a concealed 4" fixed blade?

I used to walk that route (actually l'enfant to Farragut west) as part of my commute. Nice walk. You can swing by freedom plaza and enjoy what's left of occupy dc (there's another occupy camp at McPherson square).

I think leaving ffx at 7 to return at 10 is not nearly enough time.

[JodyH]

I think leaving ffx at 7 to return at 10 is not nearly enough time.
Work until 4-5, change clothes at the hotel, eat dinner.
The clock don't stop and the day starts up again at 8am.
7-10 is about all the time I can spare.

[jc000]

Work until 4-5, change clothes at the hotel, eat dinner.
The clock don't stop and the day starts up again at 8am.
7-10 is about all the time I can spare.

No, I get it. Just saying, approx 40 minutes in/40 minutes out, plus 30 min walk from FW to Smithsonian...

[JodyH]

Lucky for me I walk several miles a day and have a 37" inseam.
I can cover some ground when I need to.

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