Really had a great time solving three challenges: the Tomb, Drago's Castle, and Espionage!!! Each…read morechallenge had amazing props and features wherein you were literally immersed in the game!! We went to celebrate J's BD!! Everyone was very accommodating and friendly! Made for a great experience overall!!

My family and I were so excited to come here and try out a new escape room and we're super…read moredisappointed at how quickly we were able to solve this(we chose the "hardest" level). Important to note that my family and I are escape room casuals and love to do them when we get the chance, but we managed to finish this in 15 minutes. I will say that I loved how immersive it was, the attention to detail, and the world building but it still wasn't enough to justify the cost. I think I wouldn't be as disappointed if we had done the three room pass but at the time we didn't quite understand how that worked(you are able to do all three escape rooms on your visit). It's definitely worth a try but I think it's best to go in with lower expectations if you're a seasoned escape room go-er.

Located across from the Fashion Centre in Pentagon City, The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)…read moreMuseum is excellent and a worthwhile visit. It's also free. Plan on taking an hour for your visit. But to enter the museum, you must go through airport-style security, i.e. show your ID, take all the stuff out of your pockets (plus take off your belt if you are wearing one) and go through a scanner. This makes sense because this also the headquarters of the DEA. Security is so tight that even after going through the scanner there's another security checkpoint at the elevators that go to the DEA offices (the museum is on the first floor so there's no need to take an elevator). The museum itself is clean, modern and attractive with lots of interesting exhibits. I liked the interactive exhibit where you role play as an agent seeking to nab the supplier of drugs that are dropped off at a car wash. I was kinda surprised to see a photo here of the sheriff from the Washington State community I grew up in picking/confiscating poppies in a field. I really appreciated that the language used in the exhibits was objective and matter-of-fact. You don't see hysterical 1930's-style Reefer Madness propaganda. I was the only museum visitor during my time there. Ironically, after I left the museum, I saw a woman wearing a government badge smoking a joint out on the sidewalk nearby (to be fair, I don't know if this lady was a DEA employee).

DC is always good for museums, and if you watch Law & Order or any other police shows on TV, this…read morefree museum is a good spot to spend an hour if you're in the Arlington area. Located in the lobby of the DEA building, I had to go through a security checkpoint to get in. The space itself is small, but doing the interactive exhibits makes it a full hour. The majority of the museum consists of static displays of items such as DEA raid jackets, weaponry and equipment as well as items seized during raids of (in)famous criminals. They also have various educational posters about drugs, their history and street names. It is similar to the DARE programs a lot of us took in Elementary School. The best part is the interactive exhibit where you get to take part in a simulated surveillance operation. The options and paths in the exhibit are pretty well organized. This museum would be better if there was someone, at least a Public Affairs Officer around for questions..or even cooler, a masked agent to talk about activities.

A Spectacular Journey Through Washington, D.C…read more The views throughout Washington, D.C. are nothing short of breathtaking. I started by taking in the skyline from a rooftop, which set the tone for what would become a truly unforgettable tour. The vantage point from the Marine Corps Memorial was powerful and inspiring, with Arlington Cemetery stretching solemnly behind it, reminding me of the deep history and sacrifice embedded in this city. Standing at the Lincoln Memorial, I was able to see the iconic sweep of the National Mall, the Washington Monument rising proudly in the distance. Walking down toward it, every step felt like strolling through the center of American history. Cutting across to the Jefferson Memorial, I was greeted by a beautiful structure perfectly reflected in the surrounding waters--absolutely outstanding. From there, I could look back across the Mall and glimpse the White House anchored in the heart of the capital. That view alone was gorgeous. Approaching the Washington Monument up close was awe-inspiring, its height dominating the city's horizon. The next day, I continued this incredible journey by seeing the White House from all sides--the north, the west, and the south--each angle offering a different look at one of the most recognizable buildings in the world. Finally, strolling down the streets lined with federal institutions--from the Department of Labor, to the IRS, to the Securities and Exchange Commission--really showcased the power and importance of the nation's government at work. And as a perfect finale, I arrived at the magnificent Capitol Building on Capitol Hill, standing proudly above it all. From start to finish, the views around Washington, D.C. are stunning, historical, and moving--a visual reminder of the incredible story of America.

What a cool place to show off the hub of the DMV! From 31…read morefloors up and not including the outside observation deck, you can see all of the DMV for several miles on a clear day. This is the perfect place to bring new visitors to this area to see all the major landmarks all at once. Ofcr. Adams was kind enough to escort me to the observation floor and point out all the cool places to show off on my next visit! Despite the city atmosphere, parking is pretty decent and the Rosslyn Metro is right across the street.

I had never been here before attending a smaller/private show with a couple groups of kids over the…read moreweekend. I've been to a few planetariums, but this one was pretty great, especially given it's random location. I think the person putting on the show was named Bob? Anyway, he did an awesome job. I learned and saw things I had never learned or seen before and he did a great job of explaining things without boring me and the many children in the room to death. Planetariums can make me dizzy and nauseous, also I had to look away periodically, but he moved at a pretty good pace, so I actually could enjoy much of the presentation. It was about light and went into a bit more about planets and the universe later on. I would definitely return.

The Arlington Planetarium is back and open to the public! If you love science as much as I do or…read morejust want to learn a little more about what you are seeing in the local night sky, then come out to the planetarium. My husband and I attended for the first time last night and we plan to return for the monthly presentations. The planetarium provides a small and intimate environment for families to learn about different scientific topics and study our local night sky. The planetarium is part of the Arlington Public School system and as such, hosts school aged educational programming in partnership with local schools. However, most of the cost of operating the facility and programming comes from members of the community who support via membership in the Friends of Arlington's Planetarium nonprofit organization. Volunteers actually run the monthly public outreach events. This is a great place to rediscover the beauty of the world and universe around us. There is a small parking lot outside the building and they do offer restrooms, as well as a small gift shop (table) inside. Thanks for an excellent evening. We will be back next month! :-)

I typically come here during bar crawls. Stopped in on a Sunday afternoon, around 6p. There was no…read moreone in there but the bartender and dj. the DJ mix was recorded, smooooth good music! Bartender was super nice! She mentioned Fridays and Saturdays are the best time to visit. They also have hookah, but didn't try them

I ended up meeting some friends here after we closed out a different event. We came on the Sunday…read morenight if Memorial weekend. It was definitely a chill, laid back adult vibe with excellent music. I believe the music was by DJ BG. He definitely was playing the throwbacks that brought me back. They do have hookah for purchase and had a grill set up outside for food. Not sure if there is a kitchen inside for other cooked food. The place is small and intimate. We ended up just ordering drinks from the bar. Not sure if table service is provided on other n8ght when it is more busy but the bartender was quick and efficient. Definitely excited to return when I just want to chill and vibe to good music.

What a beautiful and easily access Botanical garden. There are several areas for each of the plants…read morelike tropical, desert, Hawaii, etc. Great place to sit and enjoy the flowers and some shades after a long day of walking around the national mall or capitol hill.

Never having been to the botanical gardens in DC, I decided to venture there with a friend. I don't…read moreknow what I was expecting, but the vastness of the plants and climate regions were shocking--as well as the humidity of the inside. Overall, the gardens is something to visit. However, (and maybe it was just us) the way one ventures thru the different areas/rooms was confusing as it felt as though when we left one area for another, we missed out on other areas. It wasn't an easy "loop" to follow.

This museum is so magical!…read more Our group of nine had a blast weaving our way from room to room. The museum is equally fun for kids and adults with topics like language, reading, translation and karaoke to make a few. Everything was so well thought out and interactive. I couldn't get enough of the library room where books come to life with video-like illustrations building off the pages. It felt like we were transported into Belle's massive and dreamy library from Beauty and the Beast complete with a secret hidden room off the side (tucked behind a bookcase door). We had kids ages 2-5 and it was perfect for them. Note that you'll need to park strollers in the basement level. To top it all off, we had a fabulous lunch at Immigrant Food located on the lower level. Oh, how could I forget to mention that the museum is free? Amazing!

Funny story - I was looking for kid-friendly ideas of things to do in DC and asked ChatGPT for…read moreideas. One of the responses was the Planet Word museum, which I never heard of. I looked it up and decided to try it! They recommend you get timed passes online ahead of time; it's free but they do recommend a donation. This museum is SO COOL! As someone who loves different languages and words I loved everything about this place! My kids loved all of the interactivity. There is a room with an interactive word wall and you can interact and answer and request more info on the history of certain words. For example, I learned that "ketchup" was named after a Chinese sauce even though they are not similar. There is also a magical library room where you can pick a book off the shelf and place it on a book holder and the book is read to you. There are also mirror shadow boxes that come to life if you read the inscription. Finally, the kids loved the karaoke room - you select a song and as you sing along you see the types of parts of speech at play in the song. Great experience, would for sure recommend and go back!

Incredibly, I never ended up reviewing Arlington Drafthouse. I used to go there all the time when…read moreI lived in Arlington from 2014-2017. A lot of good memories here. Last time I was here was in March 2023. Representing February in this series, I went back to February 2016 without a Yelp review. I saw my old credit card bill had charges on Feb '16. When I lived in Arlington at this time, I paid for a year movie pass, & sometimes I would eat at Arlington Cinema & sometimes eat beforehand. Sadly, they were having financial problems in the later part of 2010's with 2nd run movie model as people were either watching movies new in the theater or waiting to stream. At some point, Drafthouse sent an email saying they weren't doing the movies anymore & just shows, special events, & the occasional themed movie night like a classic Christmas Story (at Christmastime) or whatever. I went for a couple of comedy shows & special events, but the vast majority of the times was for movies. Service was a bit of hit or miss. Sometimes the food took a while to get served, but the food was usually good. I got a variety of items over the years like the burger, sandwiches, wraps, wings, pizza, etc. Nothing was top notch, but nothing was bad either. It was on average pretty good. Servers were sometimes friendly, but not always. They are called Drafthouse because they serve Beer & alcohol, & I remember I put a few down back in the day! But in all honesty, I'm not sure I ever had more than one in a sitting; otherwise, I'd be drunk, broke, & even more broke needing to Uber home & Uber back to my car the next morning. So, I'd never do such a thing. There was one time when I lived on Columbia Pike in Arlington near the Fairfax County (Bailey's Crossroads) border, my car was in repair, & I was determined to see a movie that I want to say a Monday night & wanted to use my annual movie pass. So, I took the bus! The Columbia Pike line bus was very efficient, not much difference in timing as if I drove myself there. I continued with the 2nd run movies into 2017, but I moved from Arlington to MD in Fall 2017, so I generally stopped going here. However, I did continue to come on a few occasions for comedy shows. In 2019-2020, I was on INWEGO, which was an event based app, you paid $19 for one event in the month, $39 for 3, or $59 for 5. I generally did the $39 for 3, but sometimes did $19 depending on what they had for the month. It was cool things like concerts, plays, comedy shows, & sporting events. I took advantage of all of the above. My girlfriend at that time & her friend/other friend husband traveled from Wheaton, MD to Arlington on Friday, February 22, 2020 for a good comedy show. That was the only time I used INWEGO to go to Arlington Drafthouse. I joined INWEGO in mid-April 2019, & we know what happened in mid-March 2020. INWEGO sadly went defunct in September 2020 as they couldn't operate under the Covid environment. I joked the INWEGO era was the best 11 months of my life. I went on a couple of dates here over the years in the 2010's for movies. Prior to October 2014, I lived in Alexandria & sometimes went to Arlington Drafthouse. One time in January 2013, I had a first date at Lost Dog Cafe across the street & saw [deep breath] Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying & Love the Bomb. We kissed at the end. So, that was a good example of a date. A funny example of a date was shortly after from February 2013 (see my November 2013 Bangkok 54 Yelp review), where we went for dinner & then a free comedy show. Here's that experience: "My experience was on Saturday, February 9 (2013). It was a date with an awesome black chick I met a couple of weeks earlier. We had a nice time & walked next door to the Arlington Drafthouse Cinema for a free comedy show in the Green Room. Check it out if you are over at Bangkok 54 or other area restaurants on a Friday or Saturday. During the comedy show, I had my arm around her, & one of the comedians pointed out to me in the audience & said 'you are a lucky guy to be with her. I never have any luck with black chicks. This guy is doing something right. We need to talk after the show.'. This made me feel great since it was only a first date. This was confirmation that the date went extremely well. However, we could never schedule a 2nd date. She later told me that she didn't feel the chemistry...at least she was honest, but after all that, I thought for sure it was an excellent date." Also, went here on another date in June 2016 & saw Zootopia here. My dating life was bad in 2016, & she was no exception. In January 2023, I went to a comedy show with a friend I hadn't seen in a while. I was bold talking to one of the female comedians who was local to the DC area, got one of the comedians Instagram & asked her on a date; not surprisingly no reply. Last time I went was March 2023 for Oscar party. Won a DVD in contest. Not a bad time.

Kind of an odd layout for a comedy venue but we greatly enjoyed our show and the staff was very…read moreattentive! The popcorn could use more butter, especially considering butter is $1 extra.