DETAILS

Red Hook, Brooklyn

GETTING THERE: Red Hook is about a four-hour drive from Washington. Amtrak's fares to Manhattan's Penn Station start at $126 round trip weekends, $168 weekdays. From there, it's about a 45-minute, $26 taxi ride to Red Hook. Or you can take the A/C subway to downtown Brooklyn and the No. B-61 bus to Red Hook (a bus is recommended, since it's about a 20-minute walk from the closest subway station, at Smith and Ninth streets).

WHERE TO STAY: There are no hotels in Red Hook, but a couple of good Brooklyn lodging options are 10 to 20 minutes away by bus or cab. The New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge (333 Adams St., 800-228-9290, http://www.marriott.com/ ) is a nicely decorated property. Doubles start at $229 on weekends, $359 weekdays. The Akwaaba Mansion Bed & Breakfast (347 MacDonough St., 866-466-3855, http://www.akwaaba.com/ ) is an exquisitely decorated four-room inn in the Bedford Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn, about a five-mile drive from Red Hook. Doubles, including a full breakfast, start at $150 a night on weekdays, $165 on weekends.

WHERE TO EAT: Red Hook eateries run from barbecue to gourmet. The Hope & Anchor (347 Van Brunt St., 718-237-0276) draws a mixed crowd of blue-collar workers and artists. You can get a decent burger and fries or more substantive options such as herb-roasted chicken. Entrees average $12.95. Dinner for two runs about $35. 360 (360 Van Brunt St., 718-246-0360) offers excellent French cuisine in a quiet, candlelit setting. A prix-fixe menu, which changes daily, features three courses for the hard-to-beat price of $25. Reservations recommended. Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pies (204 Van Dyke St., 888-450-5463) serves up chocolate-coated frozen tarts and other desserts, but it's the creamy lime desserts that draw the crowds. Those who can't make the trip can order a pie for $59.

HANGING OUT: At Sunny's (253 Conover St., 718-625-8211), a popular local tavern, writers read from their books, bluegrass bands jam and the crowd quaffs brews and other drinks. Open only Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Pier Glass (499 Van Brunt St., No. 2A, 718-237- 2073, http://www.pierglass.net/ ) is one of several glassworks in Red Hook. The work of a small cluster of artists is featured, including paperweights, vases, goblets and bowls. Open Wednesday through Friday, 2 to 6 p.m. Among other events, an open studio, including glass-blowing demonstrations, is scheduled April 29 and 30 from noon to 5.

INFORMATION: Brooklyn Tourism and Visitors Center, 718-802-3846, http://www.brooklyntourism.org/ .

-- Gary Lee