Get Away

by Christine Koubek Flynn

New in NoMa

Opened in the fall of 2022, a short walk from Union Station, the 10-story CitizenM Washington DC NoMa hotel is a study in art, design and efficiency. The colorful and spacious lobby is adorned with works by D.C. artists and has tucked-away booths and comfortable seating areas. The adjacent bar opens to an interior courtyard. Try CanteenM bar & kitchen’s signature cognac-based sidecar, or the DC old fashioned, made with honey blossom water and locally sourced whiskey.

Most of the 296 rooms (save the 16 that are ADA compliant) are a snug 150 square feet and designed to maximize space. Each includes a compact desk, a safe, an extra-large king bed with underbed storage, and a tablet that controls the TV, lights, blinds, blackout curtains and LED shower lighting.

The colorful lobby at the CitizenM Washington DC NoMa hotel

Visit the lobby barista for coffee 24 hours a day. An $18.95 breakfast buffet includes unlimited espressobased drinks. The small hotel gym, open 24/7, includes two Pelotons and two higher-end Woodway treadmills.

The colorful lobby at the CitizenM Washington DC NoMa hotel

Rates begin at $134. Save 6% when you book on the hotel’s website or app and select the mycitizenMrate. While requests can’t be guaranteed, courtyard view rooms are quieter, and outer rooms on higher floors have a view of the greater NoMa area. Note: The hotel has no parking. citizenM Washington DC NoMa hotel, 1222 First St. NE, Washington, D.C., 202-9983851, citizenm.com

The Safari Suite at the Logan Inn

Unwind, Rock Star Style

Set in the heart of artsy and walkable New Hope, Pennsylvania, the historic Logan Inn reopened in the summer of 2021 after a two-year expansion that added 22 contemporary guest rooms and suites to the original 16-room inn. Ferry + Main, the new open-kitchen restaurant, has a large bar at its center and many delicious dishes, from butternut squash soup to arugula potato gnocchi. The main floor’s warm-toned stone walls, cozy nooks, leather sofas and whiskey lounge with a wood-burning fireplace—plus a small movie theater downstairs—make it easy to find your ideal respite. Framed photos of Freddie Mercury plus coffee tables dotted with books on the Rolling Stones and John Lennon infuse the place with a rock-star vacation vibe.

Swanky accommodations include the vibrant Safari Suite (Room 211), which has a zebra rug, a decorative fireplace and a balcony. Room 202 features Keith Haring art. Three suites offer a soaking tub and two have balconies. King rooms and suites have a retro fridge and mixology station with artisanal spirits and housemade mixers (pricing varies). All rooms, including the historic spaces, offer a Lavazza coffee/espresso machine, high-end toiletries, Sour Patch gummies and chocolate-covered raisins in big boxes ($5), and a “Love Box” ($10) with massage lotion and other intimacy items.

Rates begin at $180. Dogs allowed in select rooms ($100 fee). Logan Inn, 10 West Ferry St., New Hope, Pennsylvania, 215-862-2300, loganinn.com

Inside the Army museum at Fort Belvoir

Learn Army History

Located off I-95, roughly 17 miles south of Arlington in Fort Belvoir, the National Museum of the United States Army tells the history of America’s oldest military branch, established in 1775. Freestanding pylons—each with an etched image of a soldier and accompanying biography—stretch from the museum’s exterior into the entryway, through the lobby, and to the Army Concourse.

Opened on Veterans Day 2020, the 185,000-squarefoot museum chronicles both Army history and the history of the United States through art, artifacts, audio tours, talks with docents and more. Themed exhibit areas include Founding the Nation, Army and Society, Global War, Cold War and Preserving the Nation.

An entire visit could be spent in the Experiential Learning Center, where visitors of all ages can hone their geography, science, technology, engineering and math skills through immersive activities. In the “Fort Discover” play space, kids can climb an Army tower, drop cargo supplies, launch a space rocket and drive a jeep. Animated Army mules Buckshot and Blackjack share Army innovations across history— from the creation of interstate highways, to the Panama Canal and satellite communications—via interactive video games.

Open daily (except Dec. 25) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free timed-entry tickets are available online or at the museum’s entrance. The building is located outside of Fort Belvoir’s restricted area. National Museum of the United States Army, 1775 Liberty Drive, Fort Belvoir, Virginia, 800-506-2672, thenmusa.org