The Potomac center point is approximately 2 miles northwest of Congressional Country Club and 2 miles northeast of Great Falls Park.
Potomac's location on the Eastern Seaboard lends it a moderate temperature year-round. Summers are hot and humid while the winters are cold with the occasional sharp blast of frigid air. The best time to visit is June, but skip July if you're averse to heat. Things cool off enough in August for a comfortable visit and hold through the end of September. However, if you want to go see the cherry trees blossom, you'll want to plan your visit for late March through mid-April and bring along a jacket to stay warm.
The hottest portion of the year starts at the end of May with an average temperature of 78 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures keep climbing until they get to an average high of 87 degrees around July 21. They don't go down a whole lot until the end of October and even then the averages are in the 60s and 50s. Temps reach a low of the low 40s around the end of January, then start their climb back up between February and May.
There's a strong chance of rain between April and the third week of August with an average daily chance of 30 percent and higher. The air dries out towards the end of August and the chance of precipitation goes down to an average daily of 20 percent. Snow is known to fall in the area and the most snow lands between the middle of January and the middle of February. However, it's not going to stick around long with daily highs above freezing. You still want to pack appropriately, though, if you're arriving during the winter.
The Sleep Inn Shady Grove is one of the highest-rated hotels in the Potomac area. It's located about six miles north of Potomac in Rockville, Maryland. Here you'll find rooms that include amenities such as free Wi-Fi, mini fridge, desk with ergonomic chair, flat-screen TV with cable channels, alarm clock, and private bathroom with toiletries. The hotel offers a seasonal outdoor pool, on-site laundry, free hot breakfast served daily, free parking for cars, busses, and trucks, and business services.
Another highly rated hotel is the WhyHotel Tysons Corner Greensboro Drive located a little over six miles south of Potomac in McLean, Virginia. This extended-stay hotel feels more like an apartment than hotel room and features a full kitchen with island, dining table with chairs, living area with furniture and flat-screen TV with premium and cable channels, free Wi-Fi, bedroom separated from living area, private bathroom with branded toiletries, and in-unit washer and dryer with laundry supplies. The hotel property features a fitness center, and hosts are on-site 24/7.
The best discounts are found at the Quality Inn Tysons Corner located about six miles south of Potomac in Vienna, Virginia. Members of AARP and seniors can get up to 10 percent off the daily rate, and members of the military are eligible for discounts. If you're a member of AAA, you can get up to 10 percent off the room rate as well. Your discounts enable you to take advantage of room amenities that include alarm clock, phone, easy chair, free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TV with cable channels, mini fridge and microwave, and en-suite bathroom. The pet-friendly hotel offers a seasonal outdoor pool and sun deck, newsstand, multilingual staff, meeting space, business services, and 24-hour front desk.
Drive about six miles north of Potomac to take advantage of discounts at the Courtyard by Marriott Rockville. Deals at this hotel include discounts for members of AAA/CAA, 15 percent off room rates for those 62 and older, and discounts for those who are members of the military or government employees. Enjoy amenities that include free Wi-Fi, coffee/tea maker, flat-screen TV with premium and cable channels, radio, mini fridge, sofa, desk with ergonomic chair and electrical outlets, and a private bathroom with marble features and toiletries. The hotel offers an on-site laundry facility, beauty salon, car rental and limousine service, on-site restaurant, national coffee chain on-site, business services, and fitness center.
Omsted Island, named after landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, is located near Great Falls and situated within the C&O Canal National Historical Park. The island is devoted to the preservation of rare, threatened, and endangered plant species. It's also home to native birds and the occasional lizard. What makes the island unique is the fact that regular flooding changes the landscape on a regular basis. Floods wipe out existing plants and a new species grows in that location until the next flood wipes them out.
The Glenstone Museum is a privately owned museum that focuses on contemporary art. It has a rule that all works of art date to the post-WWII period and have already been exhibited for 15 years in other museums or galleries. The contemporary architecture of the buildings flow with the natural landscape that surrounds the buildings. In fact, the museum is also a conservation center that focuses on planting native and regional species. The lily pond and large pond also act as rainwater traps that feed reservoirs used to irrigate the grounds when necessary.
Don't miss the Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center to learn more about the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. The C&O was once a canal for barges carrying goods from one end of the canal system to the other. Walk along the tow path to see where the men and mules pulled the barges along, and check out the locks that act as watery elevators to move barges from one level to the next.
Potomac, Maryland, may be a bedroom community for the wealthy, but it's not without attractions. Make sure to investigate its history and experience local flavor while you're in town. There's a hotel with everything you need waiting for you to make a reservation for your visit.