Posted on 03/08/2006 7:57:28 AM PST by IamConservative
I am planning on taking the family to DC this year for Spring Break. As a bonus, we will be there during the Cherry Blossom Festival. Family consists of spouse and two teens, a 14 year old boy and a 17 year old girl.
Thanks in advance for your opinions on stops that made your DC trip memorable. My family will appreciate it and perhaps others going in the future can benefit from your experience as well.
My kids would certainly rather go to Florida, but I think the DC experience is an important part of being an American.
The Constitution, obviously.
Then the Air and Space Museum.
I recommend the Spy Museum. My 10 year old daughter and I went over the summer and spent hours there. We could have stayed longer but we had plans later.
George Washington's Mt Vernon.
1) DO NOT go to the Whitehouse. Very boring, incredibly long lines, likely much worse during the Cherry Blossom Festival.
2) DO go to the new annex of Air and Space Museum, the Udvar-Hazy Center, which is not in DC proper, but in Virginia near Dulles Airport.
Arlington...........
It depends on how much time you have and what the kids really like.
Consider Fort Washington in Maryland if they like exploring. There's quite a bit of that around the fort.
Very inexpensive to do as well.
You can spend days in the Smithsonian but I'd suggest breaking it up with other things.
Bingo...
Also, get on the tour bus - it will take you by the best sites, and you can get off any time you want, then reboard later.
The Smithsonion is a must!!
http://www.house.gov/doolittle/dc.htm
National Gallery of Art, one of the finest collections in the world. Thank you Mellons.
Supreme Court, WWII Memorial, and try to go to top of Washington Monument. It is free but you have to get there early to get tickets for a later ride up.
The Holocaust Museum will haunt you for years, but it's good for young folks to have a point of reference of how badly things can get out of hand. Just don't plan much afterwards, you won't feel to well.
Of course if you're out purely for family fun, then perhaps another time.
The Smithsonian Museum of American History.
The Jefferson Memorial is a place I always visit when in Washington. I find it inspirational and beautiful.
You're going at a great time of year. Have fun.
Contact your congressman and senators now. They can get you passes to the floor of the Capitol. Also, order tickets for The Washington Monument today. The price is worth not having to get on line at 6:30 for an afternoon tour. The Holocaust Museum is great also and your kids are at a good age.
The previously-mentioned Smithsonian is actually a bunch of museums. If I were coming here from somewhere else,and had to pick one of them- I'd take the Museum of American History.
I hope you go to the Viet Nam Veterans memorial and come back here to describe the feelings it gave you.
Right now out the Smithsonian proper I think Natural History is tops because it's been redone recently; a lot of the other ones on the mall have the same exhibits I saw as a kid in 1978.
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