So we've pretty much decided that next year's "go somewhere and do lots of stuff" vacation is going to be to take the kids to our nation's capitol and see the museums and monuments. TheBoy has had enough American History to have a sense of the basics, plus they've both seen Night at the Museum II which loosely features the Smithsonian. Obviously we're pushing the historical angle for this trip - we'll be hitting the monuments (at least those that still allow mere mortals to approach); we're going to try to hit most of the Smithsonians; I'd even like to take the kids to the DC Zoo if possible.
The last time we visited DC was pre-kid - we have friends in the Baltimore area, and we visited them in the mid-to-late-1990s and visited DC for a day trip. Before that I think I was in junior high (which is now called middle school, shows how old *I* am!) and we went down with my folks over April vacation. I remember it being a good time to be in DC - it's not quite too hot yet, but it's definitely beyond the reach of winter's chill.
The plan will be to leave early Saturday morning with the hope of reaching the general DC area sometime before dinner on Saturday. We'll need to leave a bit early - the Cub Scout overnight camping trip is scheduled for the second weekend of April vacation, so we'll need to return by Thursday night. That will give us Sunday through Wednesday, four full days, in which to see as much as we can. We'll also have Saturday evening (we would like to catch up with our friends) and Thursday morning for any last minute sightseeing - the trip is 8-9 hours depending on traffic and where exactly we leave from.
I know there's a good number of bloggers in and around the DC area (Countertop, T-Bolt, Newbius, and Old NFO come to mind immediately); if anyone has any thoughts on lodging, places to eat, areas to avoid, etc. that would be greatly appreciated. I remember one trip with my folks where we wound up in a roach-infested motel just south of DC that looked great in the brochures (this was light years before Al Gore invented the internet), and I'd really like to avoid having to relocate my family at 1AM in the morning after hearing gunshots right outside the motel...
I've already warned the Mrs. that I might get shanghaied for a dinner out one night (if I may be so presumptuous); I don't know if anyone in the area would be interested in a get-together or not but at the very least we could have a few beers in a nearby bar for sure. Saturday night might be a possibility depending on what time we hit the DC area - if we can leave really early and be down around 3 or 4, I might be able to slip out sometime after 8 or 9 for a nightcap or so. Otherwise I might be able to fit dinner in one night that week if the fates allows...
So, what's to do in DC with the family in tow?
That is all.
The last time we visited DC was pre-kid - we have friends in the Baltimore area, and we visited them in the mid-to-late-1990s and visited DC for a day trip. Before that I think I was in junior high (which is now called middle school, shows how old *I* am!) and we went down with my folks over April vacation. I remember it being a good time to be in DC - it's not quite too hot yet, but it's definitely beyond the reach of winter's chill.
The plan will be to leave early Saturday morning with the hope of reaching the general DC area sometime before dinner on Saturday. We'll need to leave a bit early - the Cub Scout overnight camping trip is scheduled for the second weekend of April vacation, so we'll need to return by Thursday night. That will give us Sunday through Wednesday, four full days, in which to see as much as we can. We'll also have Saturday evening (we would like to catch up with our friends) and Thursday morning for any last minute sightseeing - the trip is 8-9 hours depending on traffic and where exactly we leave from.
I know there's a good number of bloggers in and around the DC area (Countertop, T-Bolt, Newbius, and Old NFO come to mind immediately); if anyone has any thoughts on lodging, places to eat, areas to avoid, etc. that would be greatly appreciated. I remember one trip with my folks where we wound up in a roach-infested motel just south of DC that looked great in the brochures (this was light years before Al Gore invented the internet), and I'd really like to avoid having to relocate my family at 1AM in the morning after hearing gunshots right outside the motel...
I've already warned the Mrs. that I might get shanghaied for a dinner out one night (if I may be so presumptuous); I don't know if anyone in the area would be interested in a get-together or not but at the very least we could have a few beers in a nearby bar for sure. Saturday night might be a possibility depending on what time we hit the DC area - if we can leave really early and be down around 3 or 4, I might be able to slip out sometime after 8 or 9 for a nightcap or so. Otherwise I might be able to fit dinner in one night that week if the fates allows...
So, what's to do in DC with the family in tow?
That is all.
23 comments:
Top of the list: DO NOT attempt to stay in DC, or to drive in DC. Find a hotel that's outside the city and near a subway stop, then travel on the subway and walk to your final objectives.
If you're interested in things that fly, then don't miss the Udvar-Hazy Center, located out near Dulles Airport. It's the other half of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and contains numerous items that the main ASM building on the Mall can't hold.
If you go in summertime, be prepared for sun and heat. That tract of land was made the District of Columbia because neither Virginia nor Maryland wanted it -- it was a low-lying swamp with truly miserable summer weather, hot and humid and buggy, completely useless for any practical purpose such as farming. It still is.
Hope those cherry blossoms cooperate with you!!
Hey! I'm down here, too! Newbius is practically a neighbor. *grin*
The Cherry Blossom Festival for 2011 is March 27 - April 11. Book your hotel SOON. I also agree that you need to stay someplace near a Metro stop, and do it that way. You DO NOT want to drive around DC, especially with all the #^%!&@! tour buses that will be there for the Festival. If you stay in VA, you can at least be armed in your hotel room.
Don't forget a visit to Arlington National Cemetery. There's a Metro stop there.
Signed, Your Blogdaughter
The Metro is your friend, yes. Though there is nothing wrong with staying IN DC hotels. One near the zoo or one like the old Willard on the mall are great and dovetail with your planned iternerary.
You think you walked at Disney? You will walk. Especially if you don't realize the folly of trying to see EVERY Smithsonian. They are BIG museums. +1 on the Air and Space annex out by Dulles, which you and the Boy will like. Dunno about the distaff side of your fambly. You WOULD have to drive to that.
Botanic Gardens near the Capitol for the ladies?
Don't buy maps from homeless guys outside of Smithsonian metro station. Don't go to the Smithsonian via the Smithsonian metro station. Federal Triangle is prolly better. Or go to L'Enfant Plaza metro, hit air and space, arts and industries, cross to natrual history, american history, and HOME via Smithsonian metro.
I had a bad experience with the Legal Seafood in DC. Mixed up orders, greasy fried food, etc. Just a disappointment in general although they did send me a $50 gift certificate as an apology.
Your boy will love the Spy Museum and the Museumof Crime and Punishment. Dad can try the interactive shooting game as well.
If you plan ahead, you can get guided tours of the Capital Building from your senator. Check out his web site. You can get the White House but need 3 months advance notice for a background check. (ohhh, might not be a good idea for you!?) I did and it was the highlight of the trip for the grandsons. They got to ride the subway between the office building and capital.
Great flight simulators at the Smithsonian.
Duck tour is good - not as good as Boston - but good.
Try and take a stop by the Pentagon. They give regular tours (at least they did when I was stationed in that area) and just seeing it is pretty impressive. Most people just think "Department of Defense? They won't let us near there." but they do. In fact, there's a Metro stop underneath it.
Other activities.
Holocaust museum is excellent. A punch in the gut, but excellent.
NRA HQ has a nice range and museum, but you have to drive out to it. Maybe on the way to the Dulles Air and Space annex?
I like the National Cathedral, but that may be a little dry for the family.
Heh. Get Senator Kerry to arrange for you to get a tour. That would be great. But seriously, if you go someplace in DC, and there is a long line, give up on that activity unless you have VIP creds. Example: The Washington Monument is neato, but not worth a 2 block long line wait.
are ye planning to hit the zoo? it's definitely worth a day, just make sure it's not high summer while you're doing that...or you'll die. in puddles of melted peopleness.
oh, and have fun. :)
ok, ignore me. i'm blind: i didn't see where you said you'd like to hit the zoo. scuse me while i shamble off to the caffeine dispensary.
As others said, either stay in VA near the Metro, Alexandria or Arlington, or near the zoo if you want to stay in DC.
Old Town Alexandria is a good place. You can get to a couple Metro stops easily and there's also a water taxi to take you into Georgetown that's nice.
Crystal City (Arlington) is another good place. It's near the airport so there are plenty of restaurants, it's a couple Metro stops from DC and it has some fantastic restaurants. Both Ethiopian and Eritrean (both fantastic), 3 or 4 excellent Kabob places, some Afghan some Pakistani, and a bunch of other stuff. The Nepalese ice cream joint closed unfortunately.
I would avoid the Newseum. It's such a whitewash telling you how great our journalistic betters are that it just pisses me off.
The Spy Museum is a blast.
You need to get tickets in advance if you want to go up to the top of the Washington Monument. They're free, but if you don't get them before you come here, you need to get on line at about 5am.
Mt Vernon is an easy drive south of Alexandria, that's cool.
The NRA firearms museum looks cool, I haven't been, but I've heard good things.
I meant,
"It's near the airport so there are plenty of hotels"
You would be best served staying somewhere outside the District. As others have said, Metro is your friend. I recommend northern Virginia across the river, perhaps in a hotel in Fairfax. Puts you close to all the major attractions via Metro or cab/shuttle/blogger ride such as the NRA Headquarters, National Harbor and Dulles Smithsonian Annex.
You want to avoid most places in DC except for the Mall and the nicer restaurants in the legal district. Outside of that, things can get rough fast especially in Southeast only a few blocks from the Capitol. Same goes for most of the Maryland side bordering the District save for southern Montgomery county.
My wife knows the District restaurants very well so if you're looking for specific fare, let me know and I'll ask for her recommendations.
The Zoo is more kid-friendly. Lots of walking though and every tourist and local loves the pandas. I think the bat house is neater but to each their own. Can't argue with the price though. Bring your own drinks and food unless you want to pay typical park prices there. It's a nice walk though and a pleasant way to kill an afternoon if the weather is cooperating.
I would be up for a get-together pretty much anywhere. I'll even off to provide shuttle services if they're needed.
I'm surprise no one has mentioned national archives. Actually seeing the Declaration, and the Constitution, and the draft of the Constitution with editing notes on it is pretty powerful. They also have one of the copies of the Magna Carta not sure how much that will mean to the kids. I still need to see the zoo sometime I hear it's awesome.
You absolutely must see the Udvar-Hazy annex. It's great. (Think of a military aircraft, it's there. Enola Gay? Check. A pretty much complete set of WWII/Korea/Vietnam aircraft? Check.) And, since it'll be on the way from almost anywhere you would be staying, hit the NRA range/museum (the range has funny hours, but the museum's free and open during normal hours) on the way.
I'm not sure about where to stay/avoid staying, I just live here. But I'll definitely buy you a beer or few if you're out my way (near the Udvar-Hazy center)
When I went back in the late 80s, we stayed in Arlington. The Metro station was one block east, the Marine Corps Memorial was two blocks west. And I second (or third or fourth) the suggestion to see the Udvar-Hazy Center. It wasn't completed when I went, and that, the NASM, and Arlington National Cemetary are about the only reasons I would go to that fetid swamp now.
Hey! You go go pour out one for your late Senator at Arlington while you're there!
Go to the Botanical Gardens! It's absolutely beautiful, and there is a room/greenhouse where you get to walk up in the canopy of the jungle. It's big enough that you can just kind of peacefully walk through it without the kids getting bored or making mischief. If anyone likes taking pictures, they'll leave with a memory-card full of flowers and leaves. The architecture is astounding, and there are some very rare plants there. I get super-bored when my mother talks garden stuff, but I LOVE the Botanical Gardens.
I was in DC for a wedding last year, and we only had time to do one thing, so we did the Botanical Gardens.
If you do the Holocaust Museum, don't play anything "fun" after that. Because it's not "fun", it's just haunting and terrible. I mean, informative as all hell, but as a 10-year-old, it made me cry for the entire rest of the day.
The zoo was okay- given the rest of the things to do in DC, I'd skip it. It might be a nice break for the kids from the museums and tours and monuments, though.
As a kid, Arlington Cemetery was incredible. I remember thinking how awful it was to be touring a cemetery in a big blue bus and watch funerals taking place, it seemed tacky, but then I suddenly realized that's a soldier who died. All of those white tombstones- those are the bodies of a soldier who loved his country.
I hated the National Gallery of Art as a kid, loved it as a teen. It's not very much fun if you don't care about Art History.
Touring the FBI building was boring. Do they even let you do that anymore? The only interesting part was the shooting demonstration- but I bet your kids won't find that as thrilling as I did, seeing as they're your kids.
Library of Congress was a nice tour, if your kids aren't too "toured-out".
We went down for a long weekend with a 2 year old last year. Would second the item about not driving and also about being ready to walk a lot. In hindsight we would have got a bus/shuttle pass to get around the different sites on the mall.
One tip is that you can get very cheap flights down from Providence to BWI or fly to Reagan and you can take the metro right into downtown. On that point I would not suggest staying out of town. We spent a bit more on a hotel near the white house and really found it convenient to take the subway right from airport to the hotel. Then you're a short walk to the sites and places to eat. The subway was easy and people on it were very friendly and helpful...a small shock compared to public transit in MA or NYC!
If you do the Zoo, be aware it is a huge one-way hillside. We spent the morning slowly working our way down it and then had to walk back up, pushing a stroller, in the mid-day sun. Not the way to end a visit there.
I did that trip with my folks when I was 10. My favorite part of the trip was visiting the Naval Academy in Annapolis. Beautiful grounds and great museums. Came away with a great respect for our naval traditions. Fun watching Plebes run around getting yelled at too.
Holocaust museums everything the people here have said it is. Please note, however, that when the heirs of Argent come along, I will likely escort them single-handedly through, as my wife has stated repeatedly that she will not subject herself to it again. Ghosts, and I don't blame her.
Air and Space, and Annex are both must-sees. I wish I could tell you the ice cream parlor in American History was a must-vist as well, but the last time I was in, there was a Subway franchise there...
If you don't mind a bit longer of a Metro trip and drive, there's a cluster of hotels in Springfield, VA right close to the metro station there.
If your schedule allows, the NSA's museum is MUCH better than the one on the Mall; my father says there's no comparison.
For the sake of $DEITY$ don't try and get onto the Mall for the 4th of July fireworks. If that's the weekend you go, park in the Pentagon's North Parking lot and watch from Lady Bird Johnson park (assuming that the Park Service has opened the footbridge back up again). If you are going to be around for that weekend, you can drop me a line; I usually visit the folks that weekend.
NRA range is nice (@#$#@$ NRA hadn't finished the renovations to the range the last time I was down, and I think there are more non-membership ranges near me in NJ than in NoVA).
Speaking of Metro, I believe they have tourist passes now.
WV: goolins - goblin infants?
The Pentagon does tours, but they must be requested well in advance. Search for "Pentagon tour" online.
Spy Museum is interesting, but not cheap for a large family.
Get a car, go to the National Crypto Museum at the NSA facility!
Come down to NAS Patuxent River (Lexington Park, MD, where I work) and see the Naval Air Museum. It's small, but there's some very unique stuff. One-of-a-kind test aircraft, etc.
While here, see Point Lookout, a large Civil War internment camp and hospital. Lots of ghosts there.
Go to Annapolis and see the Naval Academy and surroundings.
Definitely DO NOT try to drive in DC. Use the car for outside of the area, DC Metro within the Beltway.
For adults, there is a Segway tour in central DC.
Also, Aberdeen Proving Grounds has the US Army Ordnance Museum, a couple of hours outside DC, on the East side of Baltimore.
Washington Navy Yard has the US Navy Museum.
Must have a meet-up for bloggers and lurkers.
The American History Museum has this
How's that for patriotism!
If you got the time, head south a few hours and take in Busch Gardens. Lots of rides for the kids, and you don't get that Disney World crap were every "Adult" exhibit is just a store. Think they still have the Brewery Tours, and Grown-ups get a couple of cold ones. Also, try to get to Mt. Vernon and see how a REAL President lived (plus you can pay your respects to the Man who lived the Truth that "Freedom isn't Free").
I'd suggest stopping off at Independence Hall on the way down to give the kids a sense of where things started. Go out to Ft. McHenry in Baltimore, stop at the National Crypto Museum at Ft. Meade. I'd tour Arlington and the Tomb of the Unkowns before you go to the war memorials on the Mall to give the young ones a little perspective.
I was turning eight when I made my first trip to PA(Gettysburg and relatives) and DC. I can still picture scenes in my mind from the Capitol, the White House, the Washington Monument, the Tomb of the Unknowns (saw the changing of the guard), JFK's grave and the eternal flame, Ft. McHenry and Gettysburg. I think your kids will soak in more than you realize.
I'd suggest taking in the Antietam and Gettysburg battlefield parks on the way home if you have time.
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