Just in time for spring break road trips, fuel costs are hitting record highs. The current average cost of regular-grade gas is $4.11 per gallon, up from $3.44 a month ago and $2.73 a year ago, according to AAA. But that doesn’t have to spoil your plans. Here are six ways to escape without paying through the nose at the pump.
Leave the Car at Home
Take Metro to one of these locations with lots to do within walking or biking distance.
Penn Quarter
The Spring Fling deal at the 181-room Riggs Washington DC, formerly the historic Riggs National Bank, includes welcome drinks and up to $175 in dinner for two in the onsite café through May 31. Situated at 900 F St. NW, it counts among its neighbors the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery and Ford’s Theatre, and is a stone’s throw from Minibar by famed DC chef Jose Andres and Kraken Axes indoor ax-throwing. Or borrow one of the hotel’s four bikes and take some laps around the nearby National Mall. Bonus: Even your fur babies are welcome at this pet-friendly hotel.
Nationals Park
Major League Baseball’s 2022 season is in full swing, and fans can get a bird’s-eye view of Nationals Park from the Hampton Inn & Suites Navy Yard. If sports aren’t your thing, head out on foot to Yards Park, with dancing fountains and activities such as family-friendly movie nights and Earth Day yoga classes (April 22). Or lace up your sneakers and take a stroll along the 20-mile Anacostia Riverwalk Trail.
Embassy Row
Travel the world without the hassle of baggage claim by staying at the Churchill Hotel near Embassy Row, where many embassies open their doors to the public as part of Cultural Tourism DC’s free Around the World Embassy Tour. Happening the first two Saturdays in May, the event lets visitors sample native foods, music, art, fashion, and dance. Bonus: The hotel, close to the Dupont Circle Metro stop, has a DMV resident rate, so locals get up to 10 percent off their stay.
Take a Short Drive, then Leave It Parked
These three places are nearby but feel a world away.
Leesburg
Starting April 29, head to Lansdowne Resort and Spa in Leesburg for some R&R with its new Harmony Rejuvenate and Recover Retreat. Guests will receive a welcome box with a foot soak, eye mask, shower steamer, yoga mat, and notebook for journaling. Optional activities include a spin class, life coaching, nature walks, and meditations. For the more adventurous, the hotel can help arrange hiking or biking tours along nearby trails.
Old Town Alexandria
Find your revelation about the Revolution at the George Washington Town House in Old Town Alexandria. The 1,800-square-foot property available via Vrbo and Airbnb per night sleeps six in a reproduction of the first president’s home on its original site. Continue your history lesson on foot with the 89th Annual Old Town Alexandria Historic Homes and Garden Tour on April 23, a guided tour of the city’s African American history through Manumission Tour Company, or a nighttime ghost tour.
Middleburg
Escape the suburbian bustle in charming Middleburg, where you can stroll streets lined with art galleries, country boutiques, and coffee shops. Or book a room at the Salamander Resort & Spa and stay put. Adults can partake of three spring spa offerings, including a strawberry rhubarb hyaluronic facial, and then swim in the heated infinity edge pool overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains. Little ones can head to Camp Salamander for scavenger hunts, swimming, and learning to care for horses at the resort’s Equestrian Center.
Feature image, Tupungato/stock.adobe.com
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