DC vacation

[HGM]

Got a question for you guys(and gals, if you prefer)...

I've decided to take the family to DC for vacation this year.. My 11yr old has never been on a plane(so that will be interesting) and other than my 24hr work related trip last year, none of us have ever been there..

So, my question to you is do any of you guys have recomendations for "must do" activities.. We plan on the Smithsonian, Arlington, the monuments, then ??? I guess I'm not really sure whats available.. Are there tours that take you through everything? are they worth the trouble? or should we just play it by ear like we do most vacations?

Guess that was more than one question, but thought if anyone could give pointers on that area, someone here could...

All I have decided on is flying in to Reagan and trying to stay near by so we dont need a rental.. I hear the traffic and parking is tough.. Nothings in concrete though...

 

[Cityboy]

Can't offer and advice since I haven't been there, but we will be doing the DC vacation within the next 12 months or so. My kids are 11 & 14 so it's time to make it happen. I'll be watching this thread develop with interest. Can't wait to hear about your trip. Please post some photos when you get back.

BTW - What part of Georgia are you from?

 

[HGM]

Looking forward to it myself... I'm just south of Newnan(SW Atl).. How bout you?

 

[Cityboy]

Just north of Macon.

 

[California]

So, my question to you is do any of you guys have recomendations for "must do" activities.. We plan on the Smithsonian, Arlington, the monuments, then ??? I guess I'm not really sure whats available.. Are there tours that take you through everything? are they worth the trouble? or should we just play it by ear...
All I have decided on is flying in to Reagan and trying to stay near by so we dont need a rental.. I hear the traffic and parking is tough..

When Younger Daughter was in fifth grade her class went on a week-long field trip to DC. We joined them for the last two days. (several years ago - we're going to her Berkeley graduation this Sunday.)

You are doing the right thing using the subway. We had rented a car, but the subway worked much better for local destinations. Parking was extremely costly.

Get a pass to sit in the gallery of the Senate or House. (from your congressman?) By chance we witnessed the vote where foreign aid was banned to all third-world clinics who include birth control information in their services. The gleeful celebration of the clowns who wrote that bill was a spectacle I won't forget.

The White House tour is worthwhile. It takes some advance planning - I don't know what my wife did to get us tickets. Maybe ask a travel agent.

We went down to see colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown Colony. For us westerners, that got the kids thinking about parts of American history they had never considered before.

You might grab a day-tour brochure out of the hotel's literature rack and see what looks interesting.

For me, the Smithsonian was the high point of the trip. All the history and political stuff we had seen in DC clarified what everyone learns in school, but the Smithsonian was a real eye-opener that got me thinking about the inventiveness and genius that is also a major component of American history. I would schedule a couple of days there, or at least portions of two days. There's too much to absorb in one visit. The Smithsonian gift shop is the only place in DC that is worth spending significant $ in.

Research which demonstrations, conventions, or events are scheduled on your visit dates. Watching a public event up close, you are seeing history being made.

 

[HGM]

Cityboy, youre not far from me at all... I'm at the other end of hwy 16(from Griffin)....

California,
Thanks for the tips, I wasnt aware that you could be in the audience for such voting.. You shay I shold write my congressman for an invitation or pass..?.. How would I word something like that?

 

[bczoom]

You shay I shold write my congressman for an invitation or pass..?.. How would I word something like that?

Check your congressmans web page. Most have everything right there.

 

[Dutch-NJ]

Greg:

Wear COMFORTABLE shoes.

Without knowing how many days you plan on being in Washington, or what your budget is, I’ll just give you some ideas.

There are many different tours. Not a bad idea to take a general tour for first time visitors.

I always stay at the Willard Hotel. It’s not the cheapest, but it is really centrally located and has a history of it’s own. I think it’s well worth it.

From the Willard, the following are within walking distance.

The White House
The Capitol

Spend some time in the Rotunda​

The Mall
Washington Monument
Jefferson Memorial
Lincoln Memorials

Mall and memorials are beautiful at night.
Consider a carriage ride with wife.​

Smithsonian Institute

Several buildings
Males may enjoy Air & Space Museum
Females may enjoy Gallery of Art
consider splitting up for a while
​

National Archives

amazing amount of info on ancestors​

FBI (J. Edgar Hoover) Building

interesting tour​

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

heart wrenching if you have any names of relatives or friends​

Iwo Jima Memorial

Fords Theater

interesting brief tour​

US Botanic Garden
​

***********************

Take the Metro to Arlington Cemetery

There is a tram to take from point to point and you can get off and sightsee at any point at your leisure

Must visit Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and witness Changing of the Guard
​

Make a map and plan your itinerary. Be flexible. Some of the lines may be long and not worth the time.

Wear COMFORTABLE shoes.

 

[Gatorboy]

Fantastic Vacation Destination!

My biggest recommendation would be to buy tickets for the Tourmobile. You can get on/off all day and they take you to all the 'must see' places. You will be tired from walking as it is and sitting on the bus from place to place is very enjoyable.

My list of MUST SEE things:

- American History Museum
- Arlington Cemetary
- Ford's Theater
- The Capitol
- National Air & Space Museum
- National Archives
- Mouments: Lincoln, Jefferson, Washington, etc.
- Vietnam Veterans and Koren War Memorials

Most of the museums open at 10a, so do some of the monument stuff earlier. Most are open 24 hours a day, and others may open at 8a (i.e. FDR Memorial).

Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. Pack your own lunch if you can.

How many days will you be there?

 

[Gatorboy]

You got me thinking more on how to visit DC. If you are going to visit for a few days, then use the Tourmobile for the first day. Visit all the non-time consuming stops (i.e. Monuments, Memorials, Ford's Theater, National Archives, etc.). You will get a feel for the District after your first day and then go back on the next day(s) and only hit a couple places each day. You can walk to take the Metro to get around.

Arlington Cemetary takes a few hours to get through and you can spend a couple to several hours in each museum depending on how much you wish to absorb. The line to get into the Capitol can be very long, so try and get in line for the opening one of your days.

If you plan on being there more than 3 days, make sure to walk around the Tidal Basin, visit the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, FBI Building, Union Station and the not typically on one's list -- The Old Post Office. The Old Post Office Tower used to be the tallest building in DC before the Washington Monument. You can get a great view from up there and it's not as crowded as the Washington Monument.

 

[dzalphakilo]

Make sure you get on the Metro as well (subway).

Used to work at the Smithsonian during the summer of my high school years, and hate to say it, don't miss Washington at all.

Not sure if Walter Reed is open to civilians, and since it's closing may not "be open now", but worth seeing it if you have the time since it's going to be closed "forever".

 

[HGM]

Great suggestions guys .. We're looking at 5-6days right now so we'll have plenty of time to get tired...Keep em coming if you have other ideas, I'm taking notes.. Sounds like an overwhelming yes to the subway,tour, and walkinng over renting a car, so that should save me some money (thats always a good thing.).. Gota get some new shoes, I guess ..

 

[spiffywebcreations]

I'd love to check out this http://www.nasm.si.edu/museum/udvarhazy/

its out near Dulles airport, about 30-45 mins west of the downtown part of DC

 

[bczoom]

I'd love to check out this http://www.nasm.si.edu/museum/udvarhazy/

its out near Dulles airport, about 30-45 mins west of the downtown part of DC

That does look like a good place to visit.
I'm going to be in the DC area for a couple weeks coming up soon. Too bad their hours are so short (and I'll be working), otherwise I'd go there.

 

[HGM]

Yea, that looks like a definite for one day..Dad will have as much fun there as Jr..

 

[kensfarm]

All I have decided on is flying in to Reagan and trying to stay near by so we dont need a rental.. I hear the traffic and parking is tough.. Nothings in concrete though...

I worked in DC for 10 years til 1996.. my parents did over 35 years before retiring.. I was actually born in S.E. Washington. Traffic is like the Indianapolis 500 race in the early morning.. after that it's a parking lot.. better to just pay for metro passes for the week's stay.

Once you've taken the metro to the Mall(gravel walkways that parallel Independant & Constitution Ave.. the Capitol's at one end, Lincoln memorial at the other.. Washington Monument in the middle).. there are more places to go & see then you could visit in a week's time.

Everything's w/in walking distance(lot's of walking).. White House, Air & Space(go early), Smithsonian,... Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson memorials.. Vietnam & Korean War memorials. I believe the botanical gardens are not to far from the Capital.. in that area too.

Metro is the key to getting around.. you could head out to the Pentagon, Pentagon City(shopping), or go visit the National Zoo.. a lot of the embassies are in that area too.. Georgetown's(eating & shopping) nice.. I like Old Town Virginia better.. makes a nice evening for dinner(it's by the water).. lot's of places to eat.. lot's of shop's for the Mrs.. nice place to walk around & enjoy.

I've worked as a contractor at the FAA, DOT, DOE, mostly the Navy in Crystal City, NEA. I really enjoyed working there when I had the mind-set to deal w/ idiots & high stress. We played softball on the Mall for FAA leagues, & rollerbladed w/ WAR(Washington Area RollerBladers) all over Washington,VA.. it was a good time.

 

[HGM]

Cool info... Thanks..

I like Old Town Virginia better.. makes a nice evening for dinner(it's by the water).. lot's of places to eat.. lot's of shop's for the Mrs.. nice place to walk around & enjoy. .

Does the Metro take you there as well?

 

[kensfarm]

I believe so.. check out this link to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Look at the menu on the left hand side.. they have a "Trip Planner" under Maps & Stations.

http://www.wmata.com/metrorail/systemmap.cfm

 

[HGM]

Wow.... Guys, we just returned from 5 days in DC...First thing I'd like to say is thanks you for all the responces and ideas.. As you most likely know, it rained for about 48hrs straight(Monday and Tuesday).. We saw 11" of rain in a 24hr period which flooded downtown DC and the surrounding areas.. The National Archives building reported 10' of water in the basement and was the only thing we planned on that we couldnt see..

We started off Saturday morning(late, after arrival and check in at the hotel) by going to Arlington.. That alone was worth the trip.. We saw a good bit of it, including the changing of the gaurds(impressive).. We were still getting our bearrings and didnt do the Tourmobile because of the late start and doubting we'd get to the monuments so we did miss a few things like the Rober E. Lee house and a couple of other monuments and headstones, mainly because we didnt know how much was there.. One could easily spend a whole day there, just be prepared that they dont sell water(or drinks) there and the fountains are few and far between .. That was a good suggestion to start with the Tourmobile with the monuments, though we did that Wed and it worked out good, shoulda followed that suggestion and saved Arlington for later allowing more time though..

Sunday, we did the Museum of Natural History and of American History... UNBELEIVABLE ....Good thing we went because they were the best museums we saw there and closed due to the rains on Monday..Incredible amount of history there including the original flag the Star Spangled Banner was written about, very powerful display and history behind it.. And the displays of the wars we have been involved in, WOW......

Monday, we did the Air and Space Museum at the Dulles Airport(Udvar Hazy) wich was kinda tough to get to.... The Metro doesnt go there and allot of people werent aware it existed.. I recomend that one over the one in downtown, though there is a buss between the two.. I recommend a cab(directly) to the Udvar Hazy for the 10am opening, see it all then take their bus downtown to get a start there(the Metro will get you back to the hotel from there).. I found, for us, that we couldnt do more than two museums in a day.. Each museum(all of them) took at least 3hrs to really see, if you are really into certain things an read everything, it would take longer...

Tuesday(still raining) we went back to the Air and Space downtown and finished it, pretty good, though I prefered the other one.. We finished up around noon and began walking(GOOD GOD what alot of walking) between the raindrops, ducking into cover whenever we needed to... We walked down to the National Aquarium, most dissapointing part of the drip, even worse than the rain... I've seen better displays in pet shops, it was a terrible waste of time and money.....We then walked around the corner to the White House visitor center then in front of the White House for some photo opps.. Then, taking F street down to 10th, we found the Fords Theater closed so dropped into the Hard Rock for an early dinner... The Spy Museum was interesting... It was a little different than most, more interactive activities and displays.. My son loved it...

Wednesday we decided to do the Tourmobile arround town seeing and hearing about the sights, the Capitol, Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Lincoln, Korea, Viet Nam, WWII memorials and even got to see the choppers coming to pick up the President.. That was pretty cool, seeing the choppers come in with decoys and security, including snipers on the roof... We ended the day at Union Station.. That was verry impressive in itself... The shear size of the bulding and craftsmanship was incredible... We then headed back for check out and back to the airport..

So, again, thanks for the advise.. It was a very rewarding vacation, we all enjoyed ourselves and wont soon forget it.. May have to make a weekend trip back to see the Archives, Fords Theater, Printing and Engraving and the Naval Museum, White House and Capitol(last three requiring advanced clearance and reservations)..

My recomendations allong with the above are to make sure you stay within walking distance of the Metro.. We stayed in Tysons Corner, not a bad thing, but the hotel shuttle limited us a bit.. Look at the Metro map before choosing a hotel, plan the trip around that.. I'll add my recomendation(as the many before) to wear comfortable shoes and bring water...Awsome vacation, though I would also recomend that you would wait until the children are old enough to appreciate it first.. We saw alot of young kids there(newborn-6) that just wanted to play and really had no clue what they were seeing, but to ewach his own I guess... If anyone has a question, let me know, I learned allot about that town..... BTW, i'll have some picture coming later....

 

[Gatorboy]

We walked down to the National Aquarium, most dissapointing part of the drip, even worse than the rain... I've seen better displays in pet shops, it was a terrible waste of time and money.

If I knew you were thinking of seeing this I would have advised against it. It's too bad you didn't substitute Ford's Theater in place of the Aquarium.

All in all, it's sounds like you did very well in your first trip to DC. I actually thought about you during the heavy rains over the past week here. It could have been 100 and humid, so maybe the rain wasn't so bad.

If you ever venture back, you'll be an ol' pro!

 

[Doc]

Sounds like you had a good trip overall, in spite of the rain.
I look forward to seeing the pics.

 

[bczoom]

Sounds like you had a great visit Greg.

I too was in DC this week (and last). My work schedule was such that I couldn't do any sight-seeing.

Brian

 

[HGM]

Over all the rain was probably a good thing...I'm used to dealing with rain from living in South Florida where we had toretial downpours every afternoon, so it didnt stop us.. Like I said, I was glad we chose the order we did, I'd have been really upset if we missed the Natural and American History Museums..

So, here's a couple from Arlington..

 

[HGM]

The flag that covered the damaged Pentagon wall... Prety cool display as you walk into the American history Museum..

 

[HGM]

Couple from the Viet Nam display..

 

[HGM]

Air and Space(Udvar Hazy)..

 

[HGM]

One thing that made it so neat is the fact that you can be in the exact place that many famous photos have been taken.. Including pictures on our currency.. It's just cool...

 

[HGM]

Korea...

 

[HGM]

Viet Nam..