Disneymom2hann

Hi.

Still working on plans for our December DC trip. It now looks like we're coming in by Amtrak on 12/21 and we need to be back on Amtrak on 12/29. Reservations are currently at the Embassy Suites, Alexandria.

We've never been to the East Coast and I can think of a million places I want to show our daughter (15) but I need to narrow it down.

Should we just concentrate on DC? Or should I change the reservation and maybe add in a side trip? New York City (hotels are a little expensive)? Boston (seems too far)? Williamsburg (a little pricey and the reviews are just okay)?

This is sort of a "once in a very long time" trip.

Also, if we stay in DC for Christmas, is the only thing really open Mount Vernon? Any other suggestions? We could possibly rent a car for a couple of days if needed. I don't want to do Chinese food and a movie on Christmas Day.

Thanks. I know we'll figure this out.

azzure

I spent 7 days (not including travel days) in DC recently and never lacked for things to do. (See trip report under my name if you're interested.) The only side trips I would recommend are Mt. Vernon, of course, and if you feel you have time, add a trip to Monticello -- that one might require an overnight, however.

NYC needs to be experienced on its own, and not as a side trip. Boston is too far away. I've never been to Williamsburg, so can't comment, but it seems as though it might be nice over the holidays. I would expect you'd need to make reservations soon, though.

padams421

You could spend a couple of days in Philadelphia or you could day trip to Baltimore. My almost 15 year old son wouldn't want to spend a full week in DC. We did a 5 day trip to DC and that was plenty of time to see the major sites. If your daughter likes to shop, you could check out the shops in Georgetown and the malls in northern Virginia (McLean/Tysons Corner) in addition to the usual tourist attractions of monuments and museums. If you spend a full week in DC, you could wander around the campuses of Georgetown, George Washington and American Universities for early college touring. The campuses will be quiet since it's winter break but she can get a feel for the layouts, etc.

bardo1

Yes, there is plenty to keep one occupied and interested in DC for 8 days...

HOWEVER, if you have never been to the East Coast, you really need to include some time in - NYC 2 or 3 nights. (and just bite the bullet re. high hotel costs).

That or PROMISE yourself you will come back and see NYC very soon (hopefully for a full week).

maitaitom

We did an eight day trip to DC last year. Still didn't see everything we wanted.

We took a day trip to Arlington and Mt. Vernon.

Below is my trip report (with photos) from my website. Have a great time.

http://web.me.com/tomfielding1/Tom_%...n_DC_2009.html

nytraveler

This sounds like you taking Amtrak across the country? If so, be prepared for very long delays - in either direction - since the freight companies own the tracks and their trains get priority. I won;t comment on conditions - since I assume my only experience (ghastly) was not the norm - or no one would ever take it.

If you really have 8 full days you can spend it in DC - but you would be seeing it very thoroughly. If you add in Mount Vernon, Monticello (you'll need a car) and/or Colonial Williamsburgh (also need a car) it could easily take up the time. for Christmas Day few things will be open but you can get dinner (do reserve a couple of weeks in advance) and spend the day doing the mall and the monuments.

Be sure to get White House tour tickets from your senator or congressperson far in advance - it's the only way to get in.

If you prefer you could take 3 days and spend then in NYC (the days right before Christmas are slightly less expensive since there are no business travelers and many tourists head for home from the 22 or 23 rd on. Amtrak to NYC is easy and reliable (the NE corridor from Boston to DC is the only route on which it works at all).

sf7307

Yes, you could fill 8 days just in DC, but you can also see all the major sights in less time and go somewhere else, too -- Philadelphia is only a couple of hours by train, NY a little longer (not much!). The price of hotels in NY generally drops for the few days AFTER Christmas (they go up again for New Years but you'll be gone by then). Especially if you have time on the 21st and 29th in DC (not quite sure what you mean by "back on Amtrak" on the 29th -- are you coming from home on Amtrak?), I'd probably either rent a car and drive out to the Williamsburg-Jamestown-Yorktown area, or take the train to Philadelphia or NY for a couple of days (maybe spend the first 4 nights in DC, then the next 3 or 4 in NY?).

sf7307

I was typing at the same time as nyt posted - I wasn't contradicting her information about NYC hotels -- I'm sure she's right that they're less expensive for the couple of days before christmas, but I'm pretty sure that continue for the few days immediately after chrismas as well.

yestravel

I think spending a few days in NYC would be great. NYC is enchanting at Xmas. DC has a lot to see and do, but if this is your first time up this way I'd want to see something else and with 8 days u could definitely split the trip between 2 destinations. Does your daughter like water parks? Willliamsburg which is supposed to be lovely at Xmas has one that kids often love. If neither of those appeal to you a day trip to Baltimore on the train would be nice. The Baltimore National Aquarium is fabulous and worth the trip alone. The Inner harbor where the aquarium is located has a bunch of activities your daughter might like. Google it and see if there are things that might interest you all.

con_brio

Good suggestions all (though I don't know about water parks in Dec--and it doesn't seem like something a 15 yr old would want to do--with parents, anyway. I do think NYC is an expensive schlepp when you only have a week. You could take Amtrak for $100 each way or the BOLT or DC2NY luxury busses for about $25 each way. It does take an extra hour, but there is wifi and a movie or 2. DO NOT take the Chinatown bus or the Vamoose.
Do go to Mt. Vernon and the Woodlawn Plantation up the road. Old Town Alexandria is on the way and worth several hours. You could even take boat tour to Mt Vernon from the Alexandria dock at the foot of King St. (go through the Torpedo Factory--it is studios of working artists, interesting and free. I crack up when people talk about Arlington as a day trip. It is right across the river from DC. I've lived here for 34 years--it's not a day trip. sed to be part of DC. Combine Arlington Cemetary with the memorials on the Mall. It's just across the Memorial Bridge. You can get a day or two pass on the Tourmobile and get on and off at will. Some include Old Town Alexandria.

Tysons Corner is just like any other Mall--only with terrible traffic.

Rent a car and take for a few days. Annapolis is charming and interesting and the Naval Academy is moch more interesting than GWU or AU. Georgetown is a beautiful university, but you can grasp all of its gothic beauty from across the river in Arlington.
Go to Monticello. The docents are wonderful and the building is magnificent and fascinating. Jefferson was a brilliant architect, among other talents. The University of Virginia is a must--more so than any of the others I've mentioned, tourist wise (IMHO). Thomas Jefferson was prouder of being the founder of the University of Virginia than being President. Make a several day trip out of it and go to the Shenandoah Mountains. You can stay in one of the many country inns.

If you are colonial history buffs, go to Williamsburg and Jamestown and Yorktown. Wmsbrg makes a huge fuss over Christmas --it's wonderful there.

There is more to do in DC than you could possibly do in 8 days. and the area is rich in history and beauty and interesting things to do.

Everyone comes here and they "do the Smithsonian" in a day or two. The Smithsonian is like 27 museums. And they are FREE. The National Gallery of Art is FREE. There are two buildings--the old one and the newer East Wing. IM PEI designed the East wing (unless I have them backwards) and the design is wonderful. The glass roof that may remind you of the Louvre lights up a multistory waterfall type fountain between the buildings.

I think it's a mistake to try to go into every museum on the mall in one day. Choose the ones that interest you and spread them out over several days. I love the art museums (The Hirschorn contemporary Art is the Smithsonian too). But my favorite is the Renwick Gallery which has a wonderful craft collection. It's nearer to the white House than the Mall.

You can see all of the memorials on the Mall and Arlington Cemetary in one day. Don't miss the Franklin Roosevelt memorial which was finished in 1997 and spectacular.

There are other museums that are not the Smithsonian (hence not free) that you will definitely want to see. The NEWSEUM is wonderful. I've heard that the Spy museum is fun too.

I've gone on too long already and haven't begun to cover all there is to do. If you must go to NYC you could take Amtrak for $100 each way or the BOLT or DC2NY luxury busses for about $25 each way. It does take an extra hour, but there is wifi and a movie or 2. DO NOT take the Chinatown bus or the Vamoose.

Hope this helps. Can you tell I love it here?

yestravel

The Great Wolf Lodge which is the waterpark in Williamsburg, VA is indoors.
If you book in advance on Amtrak and don't go during the rush hours (early am and late afternoon/evening) u can get $49 each way to NYC. Other regular (versus Acela)train fares are about $75 each way. Train takes about 3.5 hours. The buses r a great bargain and very popular, but u can get caught in traffic.

Disneymom2hann

You've given me great suggestions. As far as Amtrak, we're coming from New Orleans. We use Amtrak relatively frequently as the teenager is gifted but also has high functioning autism. For whatever reason, she won't go near planes or boats but trains (and cars) are fine. We know Amtrak has issues. We need to back in New Orleans in time to celebrate NYE with family. We have a couple of options to get to the DC area - but going home, we'll definitely be on the Crescent which we can catch from a multitude of places. We need to be on it by 12/29. One reason why I'm trying to narrow down our plans is so that we can get the long distance train reservations done (they go up as time gets closer). We don't live in New Orleans but are within a few hours drive and it's the best place for us to depart from as family will hold our car for us and get us to and from the station.

Also, we live in a very small town so we tend to choose vacations to very big places. To give you an idea of how our town is, the only escalator within an hour's drive is at Kohl's - a department store - and it just opened.

My husband and I are college math professors. Our daughter definitely loves history (especially world history) but like a typical teen, she also loves shopping. She still enjoys vacations with us but for the last few, we've gone with a suite to give her some extra space.

Thanks for all the help.

con_brio

Does she do busses? The tourist busses make the mall way easier. If she likes world history definitely go to the Newseum and the Holocaust Museum (if she can handle that). I have no problem with Amtrak (I have to go to NYC every 6 weeks and generally take it), but I think you can have a wonderful vacation here and within beautiful 3 hour drives of here. and if you all are math types, you should be sure to look for the wonderful statue of Einstein in front of the Academy of Sciences on Constitution Ave and about 23rd--catty corner from the Vietnam Memorial. It's by the same sculptor who did the bust of JFK at the Kennedy Center. (there are excellent free tours of the KC by the way which show you rooms used for receptions, not performance. And free performances nightly on the Millenium Stage in the Grand Foyer.) If your daughter insists on a Mall, Pentagon City is accessible by Metro. (And next door to the Mall is Pentagon Row--more shopping but also restaurants around a square which has a skating rink that time of year. So you could have great mezze at the Lebanese Taverna--or less exotic at one of the other restaurants) and watch the skaters. There's also skating in the sculpture garden across from the National Archives.)
If you can, get the Washingtonian magazine before you come and check out the Weekend Section of the Washington Post on Fridays.

Daniel_Williams

Hi Disneymom,

Since you'll be there in winter and expressed an interested in being in cities and given that the train seems to work as mode of transport, if you decide to mix things up, my first suggestion would be:

PHILADELPHIA. Not AS expensive as New York, and with quite a different feel from Washington DC (feels more spread out to me). Check out Independence Hall, the Reading Terminal Market, bring your daughter shopping on South Street, the Art Museum (is terrrific!), the Rodin Museum, the Italian Market, explore the side streets between Rittenhouse Square and Society Hill...some real gems! Philadelphia's 30th Street (train) Station is quite grand, adds to the ambience of arriving.

Philadelphia is one of my favourite cities in the USA! I'd spend two nights.

Second idea would be:

NEW YORK CITY. Bite the bullet, possibly using my suggestion below to save on train fare.

Third idea would be:

BALTIMORE. Advantage: a cheaper commuter train than Amtrak (the MARC Train) goes from DC-Baltimore. Exploring Fells Point, Federal Hill, the Cross Street Market, Lexington Market, Walters Art Gallery are some of my favourite things to do there. Perhaps spend one night.


BTW I've taken the Crescent Train around that time of year maybe 6 times and in my experience, delays have NOT been outrageous, 2 hours late.

Just a thought: the Crescent goes all the way up to New York City, stopping in Philadelphia. This December, I'm going on another southbound Amtrak train (the Silver Meteor) one way Washington-Fort Lauderdale and the other way Fort Lauderdale-New York Penn and noticed that the fare is NOT more expensive going all the way to New York. You could perhaps take the Crescent one way all the way from New Orleans to NYC (or Phila) with that added comfort of having your room, take one of the regional trains (or bus) to Washington, and then return via the Crescent from Washington to New Orleans, splitting up your trip that way and possibly saving some $$$.

Best wishes, Daniel

Dreamer2

The Annapolis harbor area has tons of great shops! Very pretty, too. Definitely worth a trip. Monticello is very interesting, so you may want to try to do an overnight side trip there or Williamsburg. Check to see which has more interesting stuff scheduled for the week after Christmas.

Philadelphia is a great city, but I think you'll have more than enough to do in DC!

Best Wishes!

Birdie

There are Amtrak trains that run from DC to Williamsburg. You don't have to rent a car to get here but it would be nice to have one once you are.

Busch Gardens Williamsburg will be open over Christmas. A limited number of rides will run but your daughter might enjoy it.
http://www.christmastown.com/homepage.aspx

gardendiva

As everyone has said, there is plenty to do and see in DC to fill 8 days. I suggest taking one of the tour buses on your first or second day there. The night tour is wonderful. The tour guide points out all the points of interest along the way. From there you can plan what you want to see again or for the first time. They do not always stop at all attractions.

I am going to suggest skiping Williamsburg. I am sure that it is pretty at Christmas but I found it very boring after the first few exhibits. And it is expensive. I went in 2007 and it was $75/person to have access to all the buildings in Williamsburg, Yorktown and Jamestown. Very little shopping. I would stick to Mt Vernon or Monticello if you need more history.

Baltimore is a great side trip for a day. You can take the MARC train from Union Station for $7 on way. I was able to visit the aquarium, the Museum of Innovation(excellect and fun) and Fells Point(shopping & fun restaurants) in one day. You do not need reservations for the MARC and I believe that the trains run pretty much every hour or two.

Disneymom2hann

Thanks for the help. We ended up deciding on NYC for three nights and DC for six nights, skipping Williamsburg. We were able to get a great rate in NYC by going there first.

I'm still concerned about what to do on Christmas Day but am at peace with the fact that we'll make it work.

Daniel_Williams

Great plan! Have fun!

con_brio

Re Christmas Day, if you celebrate and are in DC, you might go to services at the National Cathedral which is so spectacular architecturally that the 5th graders studying Greek and Roman architecture take field trips there. In New Yor, maybe St Patricks Cathedral.
If you don't celebrate, then eat Chinese or Korean and see a movie with the rest of us. Maybe I'll see you there...