Request for DC Family Vacation Advice

[Prairie Pubbie]

Freeper Advice needed for DC family vacation

[SquirrelKing]

maily = mainly

[SquirrelKing]

Back to lunch.

Picnic if you can.

[FateAmenableToChange]

"(2) Mount Vernon (just south of Alexandria - you can actually walk there on a safe bike path that goes through town); " uh, That'd be a long walk.

I used to do it every week. It is a hike, though.

[Tribune7]

The Smithsonian Institution is the greatest museum in the world and it's free. You can spend days in it.

[Atlas Sneezed]

Taxis are unusually cheap compared to most cities.

I plan to visit the NRA firearms museum next time, but haven't seen it yet, so can't guarantee.

The library of Congress is definitely worth a quick peek into the spectacular lobby, and your kids should see insude the Supreme Court buliding, just to know where all that nonsense comes from. Same for viewing Congress in session. Get tickets from your Congressman, and plan it for when your feet will need 30 minutes rest.

If you are a political junkie, ride the Senate subway, and see how many famous Con(gress)men you can spot.

The Holocaust Museum is a must.

[VA is for Freepers]

Some of our relatives came to tour DC... while downtown they asked a uniformed security guard if he knew where Ford's Theatre was. He was not sure what Ford's Theatre was so they said, "...you know... where Lincoln was shot". When he realized someone had been shot there, he said, "Maam, that doesn't sound like a place you should be going"

Ford's Theatre sets you back in time... you get the feeling that it is the 1860s and Lincoln is about to take his seat in the balcony...

After you see the theatre head across the street to see where he spent his last hours.

Enjoy

[pageonetoo]

Bump to the $30 weekly metro pass. they have a daily pass, but you have to wait too late to use it (it is 9:30, or 10 am befor it is valid, each day). I live in nearby WV, and go down to the Library of Congress a lot for research. I drive to the metro stop furthest away, and park, then ride wherever...includes the buses, 'cause the Metro Subwayonly goes to where it goes... subscige to Travelzoo.com, for weekly specials. They list DC bargains all the time. Rent a car for the Weekend you are there, because you can find parking spaces, but during the week, parking is at a premium.

You can checkout the Washingtonian Magazine for happenings, a month in advance.

http://www.washingtonian.com/

Also, the Washington Times has a thursday "Weekend Mag", which gives the happenings. The Post has one on Fridays...

www.washtimes.com

www.washingtonpost.com

Explore the areas restaurants. There is quite a diverse of community, so there is a diversity fo food places. Lots of them aren't expensive, but have fab food. You can get anything from Russian caviar, to Bolivian Beef, southern-style pulled pork BBQ, to Starbucks coffee.

I heartily endorse the Smithsonians, and the art museums fascinated all five of my kids... My now 14-yr old daughter was captivated when they had the" Impressionists", and she fell for Dali, and Auguste Rodin's sculptures...

The Air and Space Musem has a Planetarium, and Imax, and shows worth seeing (even for us big kids)... Others have mentioned it, but you can spend a day in the natural History Museum. Orkin (the termite guy) donated a section that has LIVE WEIRD bugs, and they are Coooool! Tour their Websites, and make notes... You can miss a lot of stuff, and you will never see it all.....

http://www.mnh.si.edu/

If you want a little getaway, from DC, you may consider spending a night on The Appalachian Trail, at the Big Meadows Lodge, part of the Shenandoah National Park's "Skyline Drive". It was built during the 'Hoover Times", by the CCC, and offers a welcome respite from DC, with a view.

http://www.nps.gov/shen/

From there, it is an easy drive to Monticello, and visit the area that was home to many of our nations' founders...

A fun day with the kids could take you to Harpers Ferry, WV, for a day of tubing on the Shenandoah, or rafting elsewhere...and a chance to see 300 year old houses, and building, may built from trees that were made into 80 foot long rafts and floated down in the spring floods, then unloaded, disassembled, and made into buildings, and a town...

http://www.rivertrail.com/

http://wvweb.com/cities/harpers_ferry/

Most of all, plan on walking...and walking...and walking...

...then you get to go home, and deliver the film to the processors!

Good Luck, and hope you have as much fun as we do!

[Little Ray]

Go see the National Air and Space Museum annex. This is where they keep the really cool stuff.

Also, visit the aircraft museum at Dulles.

Finally, you are not that far away from the Aberdeen proving ground with more cool weapons and vehicles.

[Inspectorette]

Went all the way to Post 86 - what a treasure trove of valuable info for anyone traveling to DC.

Hope some other Freepers who are traveling to other areas will post looking for advice too!

[Prairie Pubbie]

Bless you, Freepers! There can't be a better bunch of trip advisors in the whole world! Each post is VERY helpful!

[drb9]

If you're going to tour the White House (and who comes all the way to Washington and skips it?), you'll need to arrange a tour through your Congressman's office. The catch here is that you have to be a group of 10 or more. So, you'll need to submit names, dates of birth, and SSNs for 10 people in "your group." If those people get "sick" at the last minute and can't show up for the tour, that's their tough luck, but you'll still get to go. Wink wink.

[Joe Boucher]

National Cathederal, National Art Gallery, National air and space museum, Robert E. Lees' home in the middle of Arlington Cemetary, Have fun.

[pageonetoo]

BTW, pardon my typos... The NEW Air and Space Museum is at Dulles Airport, and the best way to get there is by bus, or taxi (parking is ridiculous)...It will be quite busy, and you can probably be better served by NOT seeing it during this visit... it is very busy, and far away...

the A&S Museum downtown will keep you busy all day, and keep you downtown, where all of the good stuff is...

Crime is everywhere, not just DC. Don't run around scared, but be cautious. I drove to AZ last week, and on the way stopped at a rest stop to relieve myself. I was out of the car for maybe 3 minutes, but had left the drivers door unlocked. OOPS, I lost my camera bag, with my Canon EOS Elan, with 3 lenses, my new, Canon Digital Rebel camera, (which uses those lenses, also), my, almost-new JVC digital camcorder, and a great pair of Nikon binoculars. The $$$ weren't as much a loss to me as the exposed fim, and the 4 videotapes in there, with my Grandson' birth, and 1st birthdays, and my granddaughters' Christmas. (if anyone sees my stuff, with a black nylon bagf, I offer a $1000 reward)

Keep aware!

[drb9]

Oh, and if you take a tour of the White House, be prepared to show up with nothing on you. No cameras, no purses. Cell phones are okay, provided they don't have a built in camera.

Also, be prepared for unannounced cancellations of tours. It's just a fact of life here.

[Rebelbase]

I've been many times and have always stayed in Alexandria.

I agree with other who have said to use the Metro, its the most efficient way to get around town and there are a couple of stations in Alexandria to use.

Also, a day trip to Mt. Vernon will be well worth your time.

And, a side note, there is a pretty good cafeteria in the basement of the Sentate office building behind the Capitol building. Decent food and you have a chance of spotting some Senators. There is also an underground transport that runs between the senate building and the Capitol bld...small carriages that hold 4-6 people. My kids and I shared a ride in one with Senators Hal Heflin and Fred Thompson.

I was kind of funny, My son was about 8 or 9 and had a wallet with a chain to his belt. Hal Heflin asked him how much money he had in his wallet. My son pulled it out and opened it up to show him and Fred Thompson interrupted and said "Son, let this be a lesson, never open your wallet in front of a politician".

[Prairie Pubbie]

bttt;^)

[Rebelbase]

Oh yeah, I read another post and it reminded me....There are special tours of the White House avaiable by going through your congressman's office...its not the normal run of the mill touristy tour. Call them or write them and let them know you are coming to town and would like their help in arranging a visit.

[Inspectorette]

LOL - I still miss Sen. Fred Thompson. Wonder why he really left the Senate? He had a sure lifetime thing, there.

[Stu Cohen]

I lived in DC for many, many years.

In the city, not the suburbs.

I would recommend staying in the city ... maybe the Comfort Inn in Chinatown (around the corner from the MCI Center), the Holiday Inn in Thomas Circle), or the Renaissance or Holiday Inn in Scott Circle.

Staying in Alexandia is kind of like visiting NYC and staying in New Jersey. I would stay in the city if you could. The rates aren't much higher.

In addition to the monuments (most locals don't consider many of those areas to even be in DC since it is mostly federal land and not city land) ... maybe you should check out the city itself.

Adams-Morgan (the most densely populated neighborhood with 100 resturants in a five square block area), Eastern Market, Dupont Circle, Georgetown, Columbia Heights (stop by Ben's at 15th & U St. for probably the best Chili Dogs you'll find anywhere), Woodley Park and the Zoo, Chinatown (we called it China Block cause it is very small), the Farragut Square Downtown area, etc.

You don't need a car. You can get to all of these places via Metrorail. It's a simple color-coded train system. Practically idiot-proof. As a matter of fact, you can walk between most places (like from Farragut to Dupont to Adams Morgan to Woodley Park).

See the monuments, then check out the actual city of DC.

[Inspectorette]

I was out of the car for maybe 3 minutes, but had left the drivers door unlocked

Wow - you learned the hard way. These days, you need to ALWAYS lock your car, not only when you get out, but when you get IN. That's the first thing I do, even in broad daylight. Carjackings have become a common occurrence, and not just in large cities :-(