mtolar5

Just wanted to share our agenda and ask if this looks like a reasonable itinerary? I think I'm close but may be missing some important things and/or may have some things out of order. We are a family of 5 - mom, dad, and 3 sons ages 19, 18, and 12. We will be spending 3 nights in DC next week before heading to NYC via Amtrak. Any answers to my questions, suggestions or tips would be appreciated. Thanks so much!!

Wednesday 27th
Arrive Reagan airport late morning. Buy 5 Metro tickets and put about $20 on each card?? Is this best option??
Check-in (store luggage) at hotel Cambria Suites and then grab Lunch somewhere??
Air & Space Museum
Spy Museum
Dinner somewhere??
Evening: Top of Doubletree

Thursday 28th
Breakfast somewhere?
Trolley??? What is the best way to get around to everything besides only walking??
Monuments, Capitol (not guided tour), White House (from outside), Library of Congress, National Archives, Supreme Court building
Arlington National Cemetery (Tomb of Unknown) -- if time
Somewhere in this day have Lunch and Dinner
(Really feel this day isn't organized well). Help?

Friday 29th
Museum of Natural History
Lunch ??
Newseum
If missed on Thursday, visit Arlington National Cemetery (Tomb of Unknown)
Iwo Jima (at night)
Dinner?? Where?

Saturday 30th
Union Station early so have time to eat breakfast and shop before train to NYC

I think we are going to depend on the Metro to get us everywhere. Please help me make sure we get that correct. Everywhere I've read says to not do the HOHO busses anymore due to wasted time in traffic? I hope that's the correct decision. But should we take the trolley?? Again, any advice is welcome. Thanks again!

TravelinFeet

Do not miss the Holocaust Museum. They have a special section for younger folk, if your youngest is too young for the rest of it.

The metro in DC just isn't as handy as you might wish it to be. If you can get a last minute deal on a car you might consider it. Then you can drive by all those places you want to see. Otherwise I would definitely take one of those hop on hop off trolley things. The Capitol is worth a tour, or at least a good long look around. Many of the others are, well, just old buildings. Always a thrill to drive by the Whitehouse.

You can't get to Georgetown by metro but it's a great place for food the kids will enjoy. Beautiful houses. lovely small canal to walk along.

Air and Space will take a lot of time, and well worth it. Definitely do the TO FLY film, it's a classic! Ditto Natural History. This is where you find the trucks to get the 3 for $10 t shirts -- buy them 3 sizes too big as they shrink. Great take back souvenirs.

Old Town Alexandria across the river is also lovely with old streets and old houses. Very walkable once you get there.

Again, you don't say where your hotel is... or where you are from...

Going up in the Washington Monument if it has reopened is nice. Spending sunset with a picnic dinner at the Jefferson or Lincoln memorial is great, especially in the summer they might have a band playing. Definitely stop at those monuments, do not just drive by. They are wonderful! And good places to talk to your kids about what freedoms we have here and how many people died so that in fact we do have them.

Hope that helps!

TF

mtolar5

Thank you TF! Definitely helps! We are from North Louisiana and are staying at the Cambria Suites at the Convention Center. So, we should either rent a car or buy 5 tickets for the trolley....

mtolar5

I think renting a car may bring headaches for parking, right? Perhaps we should just try the trolley just for Thursday's touring?

TDudette

Hi again, mtolar5. Take a look at the Circulator link also. It's very inexpensive and looks convenient. There used to be a hop on/off site-seeing trolley--I don't know if that is back or not. We picked it up at Union Station many years ago and it went all the way to the Cemetery. Do check at your hotel about your options. Because DC isn't as large as New York City, and school isn't out yet, I don't think the HOHO system would be too snarly.

http://www.dccirculator.com/ Look at the Georgetown/Union Station route.

If you google "899 O St NW" and look at the map, you can see a blue M at 7th and M Streets NW (remember there are 4 quadrants in D.C.), That station (Mt. Vernon Square/Convention Ctr.) is a straight shot to the one at Gallery Place/Chinatown (Spy Museum) and Archives (Newseum nearby). Smithsonians an OK walk if weather is nice.

Have an excellent time. Trip report, please!

obxgirl

Breakfast. There is a grocery store within a block of your hotel. If your room has a fridge, I'd go that route. If you prefer a larger sit down breakfast, use the hotel's restaurant or ask at the hotel for neighborhood places.

Metro. Car. Trolley. The suggestion to rent a car for 3 days, pay to park it at the hotel as well as paying to park it anywhere and everywhere you will be going is terrible advice. Ditto the advice that the metro "just isn't as handy as you would like it to be" for the places you've listed on your itinerary.

The Mt. Vernon Sq metro station is a short walk from your hotel. If you look at a map you can plan your day so that you minimize lengthy walks or unnecessary backtracking. Purchase Smartrip Cards at the metro station at the airport. The card costs $10 -- $2 for the card and the rest in fare. Add more there if you like or add as you go when needed. And your Smartrip card will work on the Circulator Bus TDudette mentioned.

As far as the trolley goes, that's a HOHO thing right? I think the daily ticket is fairly pricey. I can't imagine you'd spend that much $ on the Metro so it's hard for me see the advantage. But for your family perhaps it is worth the price for the transportation and the commentary as well as choosing where to get on and off.

I can also see doing an evening bus tour of the monuments. Or a Segway tour. If you don't do an organized tour of the monuments, I suggest you look at a map and group and prioritize what you want to see. Early morning is a also good time to see some of the monuments. I run in the area around the Reflecting Pool and see plenty of people there in the 7-7:30 timeframe.

Wednesday. It's doable to see both the Air & Space and the Spy Museum in one day especially if one or both have started their summer extended hours. If you're going to pay $22 a person for the SM you'll want to get your money's worth. The SM is in Penn Quarter which is crawling with restaurants for lunch and dinner. Gallery Place/Chinatown metro station is one stop from your closest station, Mt. Vernon Square. L'Enfant Plaza is the third stop from Mt. Vernon Square and a short walk to the Air & Space.

Thursday. You're all over the place with probably more than you can accomplish and a fair amount of criss crossing. Prioritize your choices and group them by location. Do you have timed entry tickets for the Archives? They aren't required but you will stand in line for general entry. http://www.recreation.gov/tourDetail...d=292085&cat=1 The Archives Metro station is two stops from Mr. Vernon Sq. Same timed entry ticket advice applies to the Washington Monument or the Holocaust Museum. Both offer tickets for the day of but this time of year they are usually gone minutes after the ticket booth opens.

Friday. Doable plan if you leave the possible trip to ANC for late in the day. They have extended summer hours now. The Archives Metro stations is in-between Natural History and the Newseum and has a number of good lunch options. As well as the cafeterias & restaurants in the museums themselves.

It's going to be hot this week so pace yourselves. It's a lot of walking but there's plenty of AC at your indoor destinations. Hope you have a great trip and let the forum know how things went.

capecod73

I would dedicate a day to the Capitol side of the Mall/Monuments area - do Natural History Museum on this day combined with Air/Space and the Capitol etc. Holocaust museum is also a must do. Then on your Newseum and Arlington and other non-Mall on a different day.

One evening head to the other end of the mall and experience Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Wall at night. It is gorgeous and inspirational. There is something very special about standing where MLK gave his I Had A Dream speech. I have been in the day as well, but the evening seems more special to me.

We have visited DC a few times with kids and always used the Metro only even though we had our car. Never had an issue with it.

Georgetown and Alexandria are nice areas, but not must see - if you have time great, but I would focus on the museums. I doubt you will have time on this trip but the Air and Space Museum near Dulles is phenomenal. DC is one of those cities you can visit repeatedly and still not see it all.

Enjoy the trip - it's a great city for kids and adults!

ElendilPickle

You don't need to rent a car for this trip. Take the Metro and the Circulator as others have suggested.

We did a nighttime walking tour of the monuments with DC by Foot, which was excellent. http://www.freetoursbyfoot.com/washington-dc-tours/ It's tip-based, so you can give your guide whatever you can afford at the end of the tour.

You might also look into Capital Bikeshare; Mr. Pickle rented a bike one evening and went to a few monuments that weren't covered on the tour. https://www.capitalbikeshare.com/

Lee Ann

NewbE

Sorry, but I disagree with most of TraveinFeet's advice. Listen to everyone else: don't rent a car, don't take the HOHO, and don't stand in line to go up the Washington Monument. Don't buy t-shirts that will disintegrate after two wears, lol (they're that cheap for a reason).

You don't have time to do everything, and the Holocaust Museum is not a must for everyone.

You don't have time for Old Town Alexandria or Georgetown.

And you CAN"T DRIVE BY THE WHITE HOUSE! Sorry to shout, but honestly, that hasn't been possible in years. And again, you won't be renting a car anyway, right?

The Capitol IS worth a tour, but the Library of Congress, National Archives, and Supreme Court are a lot more than "just old buildings", as TravelinFeet puts it. OP, keep them on your list if time allows, and try to do the free tours at the SC and the LoC.

To save time during the days, check out the monuments at night. If I were to ax anything from your list it would be the Newseum, not because it's not good--it is--but it's a lot of reading to do it properly, and IMO unless someone is a newshound, other museums (which are free) are more exciting.

tchoiniere

I will second all of NewBe's advice and agree that you need to respectfully disregard most of TF's advice in this thread and the NYC (not to walk Brooklyn Bridge, etc).

sf7307

We've been to DC many times (kids live there, and had been on occasion before). We always find something new and interesting to see and do - last trip it was the Library of Congress and the Capital BikePath (along the canal from Georgetown to Bethesda). Time before that it was the National Portrait Museum, and before that, the Newseum. We were lucky enough to get into the OEOB because our son worked there. There are endless interesting things to see and do. We never rent a car, in fact, we find it a liability within the city.

gardendiva

NewbiE and obxgirl got it right. No car. You will be paying for the car to be parked. I to Dc many times in the last few years. My most useful tool is a map by Map Easy. You can get them online or at your bookstore. It has all the Metro spots, points of interest and restaurants. As mentioned not all Metro stops are as convenient as you would expect. I have found that, like the exits on the airplane, the most convenient stop may in the opposite direction of where you want to go.

Although the National Archives is just an old building, it does house the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Some of the other stuff is also interesting. However, The Library of Congress is just a pretty old building.

sf7307

A pretty old building that houses Thomas Jefferson's library, among many attributes!

NewbE

<However, The Library of Congress is just a pretty old building.>
This is spoken by a person who, I guarantee, has never taken a docent-led tour there. If you take one, and they are free, you will leave with an appreciation for not only what it houses but for its architecture and decorative elements (and their meaning) as well. It was built to be what it is, after all., which is the people's library.

NewbE

I would add that DC Metro stops are farther away from each other than their counterparts in other cities I've been to, and the National Mall is huge. People who set out to walk from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial and stop at a museum or two along the way find themselves hiking a looong way. Unfortunately, driving yourself is no solution.

gardendiva

"<However, The Library of Congress is just a pretty old building.>
This is spoken by a person who, I guarantee, has never taken a docent-led tour "

You would be wrong in your thought process. The Library of Congress is beautiful inside. However, if I only had 2 1/2 days in DC, there are many more interesting things to see especially for teens. Many of the buildings in Dc have great architecture.

flygirl

It's too late to do this, but, if you write your Congressperson you may be able to get a smaller tour of the Capitol - and get a tour of the White House.

andyrenee

Just wanted to say that the Newseum is amazing! You should start the morning there and anticipate a full day. The things housed in that museum are beyond the imagination. I was perpetually fascinated.

Are you going to New York after this? You could always see the Museum of Natural History there and pop into the one in DC just to say you saw the Hope Diamond.

BigRuss

"Drive by the White House" - where? From four blocks away glimpsing it through the intersection maybe.

DC is walkable. Easier to split the Mall in half - Capitol side one day (includes A&S museum, National Gallery, various others), Lincoln Memorial side (including the various war memorials, atrocious FDR memorial, commie-sculpture-at-its-finest MLK memorial, and south to Jefferson Memorial) another.

msrva

1. No car. It's a very walkable city and the Metro will take you anywhere you don't want to walk. With a car you will pay $$$ to park and risk getting towed if you miss one of our less-than-clear signs.

2. If you get bored of monuments and museums, venture over to Nats Park for a ballgame. The Nats are home next week against Toronto and then the Cubs.

3. There's lots of great places to eat in the neighborhood near the Convention Center (it's where I work) ... some favorites are Matchbox (pizza and great tap list), Luke's Lobster (Maine lobster rolls!), and Taylor Gourmet (Philly style sandwiches).

Enjoy DC!!