Bethesda, MD Road Trips

Bethesda was a quiet suburb until 1984, when the Red Line of the Metrorail was extended. This brought an explosion of growth, and many high rise office and apartment buildings were built. Bethesda became the major suburban destination in Maryland for wining and dining, and is much more family-friendly than anywhere in D.C. Bethesda is one of the richest and most educated areas in the U.S. Bethesda Urban Partnership website

Bethesda is not known for its sights; it's known for its restaurants and bars. Nonetheless, you might be interested to see: 1 Bethesda Fine Art, 4931 Cordell Avenue, ☏ +1 240-800-3628, [email protected]. By appointment only. To schedule an appointment, contact Lori Rapaport, +1 914-806-1979. Art gallery 2 Gallery B, 7700 Wisconsin Avenue, ☏ +1 301-951-9441. W–Su noon–6PM. Art gallery. 3 Madonna of the Trail statue, Wisconsin Ave & Old Georgetown Rd. The Madonna of the Trail memorial was dedicated at Bethesda in 1929 by the Daughters of the American Revolution. It is one of 12 identical memorials that mark the National Old Trails Road, also known as the Ocean-to-Ocean Highway. Each Madonna of the Trail monument stands 18 feet tall and weighs 17 tons and is constructed of algonite stone. The statue depicts a pioneer woman clasping her baby with her young son clinging to her skirts and is a tribute to the women that headed west with their pioneer husbands. Free. 4 National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike (north on Wisconsin). The mammoth collection of buildings housing the majority of the nation's government bio-research. Due to worries about the security of the bio-weapons research programs here, admission of non-employees to the grounds requires a security screening. 5 Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The view from Wisconsin Ave of the main building is plenty impressive. If you see a helicopter landing on that main building, it's probably the president or one of the top cabinet officials — this is where they get their repairs.

Bethesda Urban Partnership sponsors many events including free concerts, movie showings, and art exhibitions, all of which are posted on the website. 1 KID Museum, 3 Bethesda Metro Center, Suite 140 (Above the Bethesda Metro station), ☏ +1 301 941 4905, [email protected]. Open only Sundays 10AM to 4PM. Hands-on learning center and museum where kids learn how to make, build and design things and objects with science and technology. Open to general public only on Sundays 10AM to 4PM. $15 per child. 2 Elm Street Urban Park, 4600 Elm St. Sunrise to sunset. A 2.1-acre park in downtown Bethesda. There is a playground, a picnic area with an open shelter, and a stone and metal statue by Jenny Read titled Girl with Hoop. Occasionally, this is the site of free dance classes on weekends. Bowlero Bethesda, 5353 Westbard Ave, ☏ +1 301 652-0955. M 5PM-2AM, Tu-Th 5PM-midnight, F Sa 11AM-2AM, Su 11AM-11:30PM. A big, 34-lane upscale bowling alley with two large and popular bars. $4-9/game depending on time, Monday night special: $14 all-you-can-bowl +shoes 8PM-close. 3 Bethesda Theater, 7719 Wisconsin Avenue. Strathmore Hall (The Music Center at Strathmore), 5301 Tuckerman Lane North Bethesda (Adjacent to "Grosvenor-Strathmore" Metrorail station), ☏ +1 301-581-5100. A fantastic hall for seeing concerts because of its state-of-the-art acoustics and great seating. Even the last row has great sound and viewing lines. Check the schedule to find everything from classical music symphonies to rock concerts to kids music performances. Bethesda Row Arts Festival.

Bethesda is known throughout the Washington D.C. area for its nearly 200 restaurants. Bethesda Bagels, 4819 Bethesda Ave, ☏ +1 202 804-5548. 6:30AM-3PM. A DC-area chain. New York-style take-out bagel shop, which offers bagel sandwiches with generously portioned toppings, as well as a smattering of other items. As cheap as it gets in this neighborhood; bagel sandwiches around $4. 1 California Tortilla, 4871 Cordell Ave, ☏ +1 301 654-8226. M-Sa 11AM-10PM, Su 11AM-9PM. A DC-area chain. Large tortillas filled with delicious and creative ingredients. The most popular choice is the blackened chicken caesar burrito. Any menu item can be made vegetarian upon request. For customers who like spiciness, customers can help themselves to any of the hot sauces on their Wall of Flames. Occasionally, the restaurant's social media accounts will announce a free item for anyone saying a particular word to a cashier on a particular date. Federalist Pig, 4856 Cordell Ave. Craft barbecue. 2 Gringos & Mariachis, 4928 Cordell Ave, ☏ +1 240-800-4266. Tacos and margaritas. 3 Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams, 4918 Elm St, ☏ +1 301 312-6785. F Sa 11 AM–midnight, Su 11AM-11PM, M-Th noon-11PM. Offers many creative ice cream flavors not usually found elsewhere. Pike El Diamante, 4906 St. Elmo Ave. One of the best in the D.C. area. It has relatively inexpensive food served in a warm, inviting atmosphere. 4 Tastee Diner, 7731 Woodmont Ave, ☏ +1 301-652-3970. 24 hours daily. Cheap eats any time of day or night. $3-11. 5 Vace's Italian Deli, 4705 Miller Ave, ☏ +1 301-654-6367.

1 Barking Dog, 4723 Elm St, ☏ +1 301-654-0022. Dance floor upstairs. 2 Black's Bar & Kitchen, 7750 Woodmont Ave, ☏ +1 301 652-6278. M-Th 11:30AM-midnight, F 11:30AM-1AM, Sa noon-1AM, Su noon-10PM. A very nice place for a few drinks with some oysters on the half shell, particularly during happy hour (M-F 4-7PM), when there are good deals to be had on the oysters and on the drinks. It can get very crowded around meal times—make reservations. 3 Caddies on Cordell, 4922 Cordell Ave, ☏ +1 301-215-7730. A sports bar. 4 Rock Bottom Brewery, 7900 Norfolk Ave, ☏ +1 301-652-1311. Su-Th 11AM-1AM, F Sa 11AM-2AM. The food is fine, but this small but national chain is best visited for the excellent beers on tap, which can be ordered in sampling glasses. DJs show up F Sa nights, but this isn't really the sort of place for that. Great people watching from the outdoor seating in good weather. 5 Grace Street Coffee Roasters, 5021 Wilson Ln. Daily 7AM-5PM. Coffee, espresso, tea, and pastries.

1 Embassy Suites by Hilton Bethesda Washington DC, 6711 Democracy Blvd, ☏ +1 301-897-5600. 2 Bethesda Marriott, 5151 Pooks Hill Rd (not within walking distance to downtown or Metrorail), ☏ +1 301-897-9400. 3 Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center, 5701 Marinelli Rd, ☏ +1 301-822-9200. This hotel offers conference space and services for any event. It also offers a fitness center, heated indoor pool, restaurants, the largest ballroom in Maryland. 4 The Bethesdan Hotel, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, 8120 Wisconsin Ave, ☏ +1 301-652-2000. $100-260. 5 Hilton Garden Inn Bethesda Downtown, 7301 Waverly St, ☏ +1 301-654-8111. 6 Hyatt Regency Bethesda, 1 Bethesda Metro Center (on Wisconsin Ave, next to Bethesda Metro station), ☏ +1 301-657-1234. $140-260. 7 Residence Inn Bethesda, 7335 Wisconsin Ave (one block from the Bethesda metro station), ☏ +1 301-718-0200. $270-360.

Baltimore-Washington International (BWI IATA), Dulles International (IAD IATA), and Washington Reagan National (DCA IATA) airports are more or less equidistant by taxi from downtown Bethesda, usually taking about 30-45 minutes, without traffic. Budget an extra 30 minutes during rush hour. For information on getting from the airports to Bethesda, see Washington, D.C.#Get_in Bethesda is served by WMATA trains via its Red Line; travel time from central Washington, D.C. is just over 20 minutes. 1 Bethesda Station is located at the intersection of Wisconsin Ave and Old Georgetown Road. Eventually, the Purple Line will be built, giving easy access to Silver Spring and the campus of the University of Maryland. Tripper Bus, ☏ +1 718 834-9214. Service to Penn Station in New York City. Pickup/dropoff near the Metrorail stations in Bethesda and Rosslyn. $27 discounts available with multiple online tickets purchased. Elite bus service option includes leather captains reclining chairs. Vamoose Bus, ☏ +1 301 718-0036. Service to Penn Station in New York City Pickup/dropoff near the Metro stations in Bethesda and Rosslyn. $30 free ticket with every four purchased. Ride-on-Bus and MetroBus operate service between downtown Bethesda and other locations in Montgomery County, including Rockville, Silver Spring, and Wheaton. Wisconsin Ave (Route 355) and Connecticut Avenue run from Downtown Washington DC to Bethesda. The Capital Crescent Trail, which runs from Georgetown to Silver Spring passes through Bethesda.

Bethesda Circulator operates free bus service within downtown Bethesda. It runs every 10 minutes M-Th 7AM-11PM, F 7AM-midnight, Sa 10AM-2AM, Su no service. Ride-on-Bus and MetroBus operate service between downtown Bethesda and other locations in Bethesda, including Montgomery Mall and the National Institutes of Health. You can walk around downtown Bethesda — it's not so big. Parking is usually only available in the public garages, which have rates between $1.50 and $2.00 per hour. Parking meters cost $2.25 per hour. Parking enforcement is aggressive and fines start at $45 for an expired meter.

Bethesda, like most of the county, is very safe. This being an urban area, it wouldn't hurt to be watchful of your belongings, though.