April Washington DC itinerary help..
 

I would appreciate feedback on our itinerary.

Sat 4/19: Driving from NY to DC arriving at Spy Museum approx
1pm. Do you think I need to purchase tix in advance? The extra cost thru Ticketmaster has me thinking I'm better off waiting & buying them once we arrive since I'm not sure of our exact arrival time. Dinner at Five Guys. We'll be staying at the Spring Hill Suites in Gaithersburg.

Sun: Take hotel shuttle for 8:10 train. 9:30 1/2 hr tour of Washington Monument. 11:00 Holocaust Museum (I've already purchased tix) Not sure how much time to allow...3 hours?? Then walk to WWII, Lincoln, Korean & Vietnam Memorials. Since we finish up at the Vietnam Memorial, any suggestions for restaurants nearby? Nothing fancy maybe pub style.

Mon: Head for home.

Any advice would be welcomed, thanks!

That weekend might be a busy one in DC. Saturday 4/19 is the beginning of school vacation week for many kids in New England. All of the 8th graders will be in DC for school trips, and it's a popular destination for families, too, because the weather is nicer in DC than in New England in April and worse in the summer.

So it's definitely a good idea to buy tickets in advance, even though the Spy Museum is not popular with large groups because of the price. You might get the tix for later in the day, then if you do arrive in DC earlier, you could either try to update them, or visit one of the memorials.

I think three hours should be fine for the Holocaust Museum. Be sure to pick up a "card" (woman for women; man for men) who suffered in the Holocaust. It tells a bit about their origins and experiences.

You didn't mention the Roosevelt Memorial, which we thought was very impressive and well done. If you have time try to get there too.

I went to the Spy museum on a Saturday afternoon in late March last year (with pre-purchased tickets)and it was JAMMED. We went by a little earlier than our scheduled time and there was a sign out that it was sold out for the rest of the day. If it's high on your list of priorities, I would get the tickets in advance. If you end up with a couple of hours to kill you could walk a couple of blocks over to the American Art museum.

I enjoyed the Spy museum and am not sorry I went, but it was SO crowded it was difficult to see some of the exhibits.

Thanks for the info...sounds like I should splurge & buy the spy tickets in advance.