Weekend: Get Away at the MGM National Harbor

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD -- Whether you're a mom who needs a little R&R, a couple wanting to get away but not too far away or just want to go have a little fun, you can really get away from it all in just one day at the new MGM National Harbor. Here are some tips to enjoy your stay, after a recent media visit (less than 24 hours) at the property:

Driving: If you're driving from Virginia, try to arrive before the evening commuters take over the Woodrow Wilson Bridge (even with traffic, it didn't take all that long). If you plan to spend the night and need help with your bags, you can valet park for $45 overnight. (It's steep, but I was traveling with someone who had recently had surgery and it was a lifesaver.) You can also request a wheelchair if you need one and they'll have it waiting for you. You can also park for free in the garage.

Check-in: If you are an M life Rewards member, you'll enjoy a VIP check in, in a separate lounge a few steps away from the front desk, where you can grab a seat and enjoy a glass of champagne or your favorite beverage. M life Rewards is MGM Resorts International's loyalty program; you earn benefits for every dollar you spend.

Hotel rooms: You can check out MGM National Harbor restaurant menus on your TV. Rooms come with fully stocked mini-fridges. The views are pretty phenomenal.

Dining: For something new, try the Maryland Fry Bar at FISH by Jose Andres (and be sure to make a reservation ahead of time). It's a great way to spend an evening -- chatting with the chefs and watching them prepare a variety of ingredients – from wild mushrooms and local oysters, to exotic sugar toads (aka Northern Puffer fish) and luxurious scallops with truffles and caviar.

You sample a large variety of tastes, but with just one or two bites. Each item on the menu is lightly fried tempura style.

There are two tasting menus to explore an array of lightly battered and fried bites: José’s Way ($50 per person) includes 11 courses and features some of the more adventurous offerings, including live sea urchin. The Classics ($40 per person) is eight courses highlighting local fare, such as Berkshire pork belly and quail eggs with ham. A supplemental à la carte menu is also available. Each menu can be paired with a selection of Rieslings ($20) by the restaurant's Master Sommelier, or you can select from the full wine and cocktail list.

We finished the evening at the Maryland Fry Bar with a refreshing dessert: Freshly sliced grapefruit on crushed ice, drizzled with local honey and sea salt.

After dinner, you might be heading to a concert (ZZ Top will be there next Sunday; check out who's coming up here, at MGM National Harbor's The Theater). If you are going to be heading to the MGM on the night of a concert, even if you're not going to the concert, you REALLY need to make restaurant reservations or you likely won't get a table.

For breakfast the next morning, we opted for room service and enjoyed the Western white-egg omelets, fresh-squeezed orange juice, coffee and tea. The hotel keeps room service fare warm with a special compartment built into the serving cart.

If you're spending the night at MGM, make time the next morning to visit the spa. If you have one treatment (there are a large variety of massages and facials to choose from), you can come early and spend a few minutes with the newspaper in the lounge (fresh flowers are everywhere and there are several beverage choices including hot tea). After your treatment, make time for the dry and wet saunas and the whirlpool.

Here are some promotions to take note of if you're planning a visit soon to the spa (on the fourth floor) or salon (on the third floor and accessible a few stairs down from the spa):

• Manicure Mondays Enjoy a complimentary Martini with any Manicure of your choice from 4- 7 p.m. every Monday. As usual, all of our Essie Lacquer Manicures include a complimentary bottle of nail polish to take with you.

• Thirsty Thursdays Quench your dry hair with a complimentary hydration treatment when you book any cut or style service every Thursday from 4-7 p.m. PLUS – enjoy one complimentary adult beverage of your choice to get you ready for the weekend.

• Skincare Sundays Their gift to you any given Sunday – a complimentary full size Clarins product with any Clarins Skin Solutions Facial of 50 or 80 minutes.

After your visit to the spa, salon or fitness center (the fitness center is for guests only, FYI), you'll want to recharge your batteries with some lunch. A good choice is Marcus, where you can enjoy views of the atrium (it's currently decked out for the Chinese New Year, through March, but will soon be changing, we hear, to reflect the cherry blossoms about to bloom all over the DC metro area) if you're seated in the patio area. The restaurant is open from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m., so it might be a good spot to hit after a concert (The Theater is just a few steps away, across the atrium).

Some good choices for lunch include the Deviled Eggs or Jumbo Shrimp as an appetizer; entrees (we tried the steak and the salmon) were delicious with healthy sides, cauliflower puree and broccoli.

Before heading home, we had to stop by the casino, where we have to admit we're not high rollers, but it was fascinating to see the number of folks who were on the floor and enjoying themselves in the middle of the day on a Friday. We tried our luck at a slot machine, The Wheel of Fortune, and after a few spins, landed on three "lucky 7s." We took home our winnings of $92, after paying the valet, and headed back home across the Woodrow Wilson Bridge -- just a few minutes drive, but a world away.

Find out more about the new MGM National Harbor resort here on their Web site.

PHOTO: MGM National Harbor celebrates the Lunar New Year, the Year of the Rooster. Designer Ed Libby has decked out The Conservatory’s Lunar New Year display with 200,000 flowers and a rich palette of gold, red and orange through March. As visitors venture down the grand staircase, they're greeted by a 30-foot tall fire rooster, citrus trees and “Lady Luck,” the Chinese empress, all covered in thousands of flowers. The Conservatory is complimentary and open to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Patch photo