Request for DC Family Vacation Advice

[pamlet]

We're planning on late May - early June as well. Thanks for starting this thread.. it's very interesting reading!!

We're only going for a few days in conjunction w/a trip to North Carolina for my nephew's graduation. We've been to Washington a number of times when we lived in NC - but it's been years - and our 14 year old doesn't remember it at all - we thought it was about time to go again.

[witnesstothefall]

Arlington National Cemetary is not to be missed. WADR, it's much more powerful than the Viet Nam memorial, much bigger, and much more profound.

The Smithsonian just opened a brand new annex to the Air & Space Museum, housing a Concorde, a Shuttle, a moon lander, and other wonders. But it's out by Dulles airport. The Smithsonian will have bus service out of DC, no doubt.

Lots of off-the-beaten-path museums: Corcoran Gallery, the Naval Museum is fascinating, many others.

Don't miss the Holocaust Museum, but come prepared to question humanity itself.

[Prairie Pubbie]

Thanks everyone! Keep 'em coming!

[tarbuck]

We called our congressman and were able to get a tour of the Capital from one of his aids. They even let us on the floor of the house since they weren't in session. Security is up, but it is in every building in DC anyway.

Definitly try to spend some time at the Viet Nam, Korean and WWII memorials. The WWII isn't done yet, but enough is finished to get the idea. Its hard not to get choked up walking throught the Viet Nam memorial...still giving me goose bumps.

[ReleaseTheHounds]

For a city that's supposedly laid out in a nice simple grid pattern, it is surprisingly tough to maneuver through it.

Moose! It was never conceived as a grid... L'Effant (or however you spell it) envisioned all the grand boulevards intersecting with the round-abouts then overlaid with a bit of a grid (or the boulevards bisecting the grid).

Your other warnings are well made.

DC is a great town but tough to figure out for driving the first time.

One more piece of advice: if you don't want a car, I'd say fly into Reagan National and take a cab (2 minutes) to a Crystal City (Arlington) hotel. From Crystal City, you've got a Metro Stop that gives you great access to the whole mass transit system for most of your activities. You can also walk to a nearby rent-a-car for when you want to make a day-trip to lovely rural Virginia (Skyline Drive, battlefields, NRA Headquarters and Museum in Fairfax). May would be the ideal time to visit, but June shouldn't be too hot. I also would agree with the recommendations to plan a tour boat ride on the Potomac, and spend some time in Georgetown (there is a great warf area for outdoor dining, etc.).

[pageonetoo]

I wasn't paying attention before, but if you have older kids, think to take FRS radios. They allow the kids to wander, and they can be in constant radio contact. They are cheap, have lots of open channels, and keep them connected, while allowing you to browse your interests...

Plan on another trip, because you will never see it all!

[Truth29]

I think you are talking about the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (paper money). The US Mint strikes coins and is not in DC.

[TruthNtegrity]

Interleaving in and around a previous reply, here are some ideas I have. I have many more but will FReepmail you with some of those.

May is too late for cherry blossoms. They are in bloom around Easter usually.

This year, the cherry blossoms are "due" the 2nd week of April, I think. But DC is a madhouse and it's not a bad idea to miss this!

Spend at least two days in the mall area seeing the White House, Capitol, various Memorials and the Smithsonian. The kids will especialy like the natural history one, I'll bet.

You could spend way more than 2 days in the mall area. The Capitol is at the East end - there are tours there you can get from your Congress critters - write them and ask for Capitol building tours, a White House tour or ropeline visit. Next there is the Washington Monument. Someone else has described this - you get your tickets first thing in the Morning, go do something else until the time of your tour. Between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Monument, and closer to the latter, is the VietNam wall.

To the South of the Lincoln Monument are some new sites - and FDR memorial and another I can't remember right now.

There are tour companies that run around from all the sites - you can hop and off as you require and they are fun. You can find out about them from the sites that someone else sent.

Don't forget the Washington Zoo. The panda bears are just about the only attraction I go there for but that's me. I love Panda bears, having grown up in New York and having Pandas at the Bronx Zoo. I even visited the London Zoo, and yes, it was to see the Panda bear.

But there are birds, giraffes, elephants, all sorts of animals and they are in attractive cages or penned areas.

Ask the hotels for "Summer school is out" specials. They all run them. Some of the hotels that folks have mentioned are very, very pricey. However, there are always convention or summer specials - you just have to ask for them. The hotels/motels all have 800 numbers to save on long distance.

Check when the Commandant Drum and Bugle Corps/Silent Drill Team performs at the Iwo Jima Monument--I believe it's Tuesday evening in the summer. That is a must see - it's free.

There are also Army tatoo's and the Navy puts on a veritable Broadway show quality production for the Summer. These are memorable and free; they usually only require tickets. Again ask your Congress critters for tickets to these special productions.

Also plan an evening at Wolf Trap Farm. They have great shows there. Stop somewhere and get a picnic lunch (Greek chicken and the fixings is a great option) and picnic on the grounds before the show. You'll have a great time.

I can't add anything to that one. Wolf Trap is a regular Summertime event for Washingtonians. I attended numerous of them when I lived between Baltimore and DC, in Laurel, MD. It got even easier to attend when I moved here to No. VA. There are all price levels but "lawn" is cheapest and the most fun. You can show up early, picnic on the lawn, and then sit back and enjoy the concert.

If you want something more formal, check out offerings at the Kennedy Center -- very elegant setting right on the Potomac.

Don't forget - there's a US mint to visit, where they print dollar bills; the FBI building with a tour; the Supreme Court which may have a tour if the Court is not in session when you are here; as you can tell, there are tours for just about everything.

Productions at the Kennedy Center range from symphony concerts, plays, opera, to informal guitar or piano recitals on the roof. And the view from the terraces at night are spectacular.

Which reminds me, there are Potamac cruises to take, where you can see the DC shoreline from the water. But there is one company with ridiculously expensive prices - can't remember the name right now but you'll know it when you see it!

The Baltimore Harbor and Aquarium is just up the road a bit. That's a good choice for kids.

Baltimore Harbor, for me, was more fun when the McCormick spice company was there, and a tour of the plant was part of the trip. Mmmmm, can still smell the cinnamon mingled with pepper! But it's not there anymore. Baltimore Harbor and Aquarium would be a trip for the rail that someone else suggested. Easiest way to travel up and back, and you get to see some of the scenery between DC and Baltimore.

I'll take a look in the Sunday paper and see if there are items of interest for your trip. If there are any, I'll FReepmail you with the opportunities, as they arise.

I'd also suggest getting a copy of the Washingtonian magazine. They rate restaurants by price and there are a bunch of excellent restaurants where you and your family can eat on the cheap. My favorite restaurant on the corner of Chinatown appears to be a hole in the wall but after you wend your way around the takeout counter having gone through a singularly unattractive doorway, you are greeted with a 14 table restaurant with excellent food, with entrees topping at $14. That's spectacular in DC. Most are in the $9-10 range. It's on the corner of 8th and "I".

If I can be of any further help, let me know. I'll be glad to make some calls for you and save you the cost. I'm local - in No. VA, 7 miles West of DC.

[TruthNtegrity]

The Moonies are gone. They aren't even inside the Reagan Airport anymore either.

And there are now 3 tour companies that have buses that ride all around the main DC area. One of the new ones is a bus the shape of a duck. I kid you not. But they're all fun and all are cheap. Worth every penny to not have to worry about going to one or the other of the Metro Stations.

[TruthNtegrity]

Well, I live here and I have a disagreement with the weather that some FReepers have mentioned.

It does not get hotter than hell by June.

Most of June is quite agreeable. In fact, last Summer it was so cool through all of May and June, I couldn't get into my outdoor pool. In fact, it was after the 8th of July before the water had warmed enough to not form icecicles on me immediately. (ok, that's a slight exaggeration.)

June is only a little warmer than May and the humidity hasn't settled in yet. That doesn't appear until July, and then it's really bad for the dog days of August.

Watch, now that I've gone out on a limb over this weather thing, it'll be 98 degrees with 92% humidity from Memorial Day onward. I have that kind of luck.

[centexan]

Our family went the week of July 4th 2002. Ditto most of the posts so far. We flew into Reagan - the view is wonderful. The Metro is great, safe and clean. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Smithsonian - it's two blocks from the air and space museum and a metro station. Perfect for us. Contact your congress critter now for Capitol tours and passes. You can spend the entire week on the mall at the museums. The FBI tour is great. Mount Vernon via a boat trip is worthwhile. We walked the monuments by day and night - they are special both ways.

We were there a week and would have liked to have spent another four or five days. Have fun!

[TruthNtegrity]

I have lived in the area since 1972, and I have never felt a moment's fear.

That said, I don't go to the Eastern Market or in areas where there aren't a lot of buildings, workers, tourists, or whatever.

I've had problems in a toy store parking lot close to Potomac Mills from some young guys who thought they were going to get some of my food from my vending machine business for free - but I was ready for such an occurrance.

I can't imagine feeling afraid while visiting DC as a tourist.

[AGreatPer]

I did not read the entire post so excuse if it has been covered.

If you have transportation while in DC, there is the greatest seafood market in the world. How to discribe this?

You go to the Wash Monument and parellel the river. There are 16 20 foot long boats that sell and cook seafood. It is next to Phillips Seafood Restaurant. I recommend it.

[TruthNtegrity]

Whilst at the National Cathedral, about the middle of the nave, on the left hand side, is a dark blue stained glass window with a dark o in the middle of it. That "o" is a moon rock. The window is fantastic but the fact that it has a moon rock in it makes it something else completely.

For anyone who lives nearby, or is planning on an Easter trip, the weekend before Easter, Holy Week, and from Good Friday on, the arranging of the flowers and the decorations for Easter are a sight to behold. You have never seen so many flowers in your life, nor seen them as artfully arranged as these dedicated Flower Guild folks from the National Cathedral.

Off on the right side of the nave, toward the front, as a matter of fact, I think it's directly to the right of the Communion rail, is the Children's Chapel. They always arrange a child-size garden there and it is worth the visit for this little treasure alone.

[Virginia-American]

Two places I always recommend (I'm a native of the DC area)

National Arboretum - has every kind of tree and bush that can grow here. Unfortuantely, no picnicking

The Textile Museum. Privately-owned, not far from the Phillips Collection (N. of Dupont Circle)

Neither of these places attracts a lot of tourists.

[RGVTx]

We visited in 1989. Didn't know anything about the Metro, but learned quickly, the hard way. It's easy once you understand it. We started at a station nearest Manassass, Va. The station was empty, no one around to ask for info. We wanted to get to the central station in DC. A train pulled up, but it's destination sign didn't have our destination listed. Hubby says, "Wait here, I'll ask passengers on the train." Big mistake!!!! When he found out this train would take us to our destination, he turned and motioned for me to get on the train...just as the doors slammed shut. Hubby began beating on the doors looking a little like a madman. That was the last I saw of him for the next 2 hours. The other passengers got a little leery of this Texan with cowboy hat and boots beating on the doors, but once he realized his behavior and calmed down, they were very helpful.

I had time to read some signs before the next train pulled up and figured out that any train would take me to the central station. I hopped the next train and got off at central station expecting hubby to be waiting there. Nope, he had gotten off at the next stop and was going to get on the next train expecting me to be on it. For some reason, my train didn't stop there. Anyway, it took about 2 hours for us to find each other at the central station. After that, we always held hands getting on and off the train. So, learn the Metro before you leap!

I agree with many of the suggestions already made. The Museum of American History was one of our favorites. Had to see Big Daddy's race car! The Tupperware display and 1950's era kitchen display were amusing. Collections of all kinds of American products are there...motorcycles, farm equipment, radios, TV's, and many more. It gives one a sense of the great American ingenuity throughout our history.

The Air and Space Museum was excellent. A capsule from one of the Apollo missions and the satellites on display puts things in perspective. I was amazed at how small they are.
Seeing the Apollo capsule was special for us because hubby was on the USS Ticonderoga during an Apollo capsule recovery mission.

The one thing I'm most thankful for not missing was the walk along the Viet Nam Memorial Wall. It was the most emotional event of our visit. My reaction surprised me. Take tissues. You will need them!

We did a bus tour of Arlington Cemetery. It was a great way to go. Get on and off at any stop and spend as long as you want at any stop. Don't miss any of it.

Mt. Vernon is a must see. Soak in the history of the Father of our country. I loved his pedal powered fan chair...cool idea! George Washington was many more things besides the Father of our country. He wore many hats.

A visit to DC and surrounding areas is a history lesson and something every American should do at least once in their lifetime. We spent two weeks in the area and still didn't see it all.

Oh yeah, the Skyline Drive is spectacular. Just don't plan to grill burgers during winter up there. We did. Of course we're south Texans, what do we know about mountains and winters? We learned you had to put your burger back on the fire about every 2 bites unless you wanted to eat it frozen.

We were totally out of our element and ill prepared, but it was still the best vacation ever.

[the OlLine Rebel]

Gosh, I forgot about the Arboreatum! I've not yet gone myself, but all I hear is how great it is!

[the OlLine Rebel]

Wow, I respectfully disagree! The last few years have been aberrations - cooler than normal. And I live a bit north (for all intents, always have for my 30+ years) of DC. We're usually broiling from June thru Sept - but again, the last few years have been strangely cool (in the Summer). So much for the global warming crap. Anyway my experience has been hi temps and some of the worst humidity in the nation all Summer, outside the swamp/shore of the Carolinas. And DC *is* a swamp, as some1 pointed out. Of course, it also depends from where they come! (Kansas?)

[the OlLine Rebel]

"I guess 80 years isn't bad in order to finish an authentic 13th century style cathedral."

Actually, the Nat'l Cathedral, while it copies the basic concept, is quite austere and more modernistic - its simplicity makes it less a true replica of anything medieval. You won't see a whole lot of intricacies in the masonry or the stained glass. It's very nice but not the complex art that real Catholic cathedrals were. Which surprised me when I finally visited several years ago.

[the OlLine Rebel]

This is the Maine Ave I was talking about where Phillip's and Hogate's are. The market is on the end toward the bridges over the Potomac.