The only confusion we encountered at the start of the tour, as someone else has already mentioned, was finding our Metro Tours guide. I understood that someone would be at the Old Town Visitors' Center, where I looked first, but instead, we found our guide across the street at the corner of Market Square, a simple misunderstanding (probably mine).
Natalie, our DC Metro Tours guide, was pleasant, articulate (we could understand her very clearly), and well informed. She described the tour before we began our walk, then kept us informed, not only about the sites we were visiting, but about what was coming up: how long until the next stop, whether there would be a WC available, etc. This information was very helpful for a long-ish tour (3.5 hours).
We enjoyed all of our stops, whether a historic site or a restaurant. It was especially nice to walk to the waterfront and through the Torpedo Factory, where we encountered a glass harmonica player giving a performance outside! Our favorite stops were Bilbo Baggins and Union Street Public House, as the food was hearty and flavorful at both. Pita House, our last stop before dessert, was more of a challenge for two reasons: (1) a couple of people in our party are not particularly adventurous eaters, so they tried the shwarma and falafel, etc. but weren't particularly impressed; (2) the amount of food served at this last stop was partcularly generous, and by this time, we were pretty full from the previous two restaurants.
All told, though, we had a great time in perfect weather (not too warm, and slightly overcast - great walking weather) taking a well organized tour. |