Travelkitty

I'm taking my parents to Arlington, VA at the end of September for a family event. We'll have two free days for site seeing or other activities.

I know lots of good things to see in Washington DC, but my parents are in their 80's and can't walk long distances. Any suggestions for activities in the nearby area that I can drive too and wouldn't involve too much walking? They love historic sites and museums, although they're generally easy to please.

Any hotel suggestions either around the Ballston area or nearby in Arlingon? Something modern and reliable (such as a Residence Inn or Courtyard) would be great.

longhorn55

A few years ago I drove my 80-year-old father on a day trip from Arlington through part of Shenandoah National Park stopping to see the exhibits at the Byrd Visitor's Center and to have lunch at the Big Meadow Lodge. He really enjoyed the drive and all the scenery as well as the historical exhibits at the visitor's center. My father especially enjoyed lunch at Big Meadow lodge--the food is good and the view from the wall of windows is spectacular. Next to the restaurant is the Great Room which also has a wall of windows overlooking the valley. The room has some comfy chairs as well as a row of rocking chairs that face the windows. A nice place to relax before or after lunch.
I know there's a Westin at Ballston, but I'm not sure what other hotels are there. (Since I live here, I don't pay much attention to hotels.) You might want to check TripAdvisor and find something that appeals to you. Arlington's not that big, so no place that you find will be far from Ballston.

Dukey

There's a Hilton Garden Inn across the street from the Courthouse Metro stop; there's a regular Hilton which sits directly over the Ballston Metro stop. There's a Holiday Inn a few blocks down the street from the Ballston stop as well as a brand new Westin.

poudrecanyon

When I went to DC with my mom we took the Old Town Trolley tour. She thought it was great. You get to see a lot of the city highlights (all the memorials, Arlington Cementary, National Cathedral etc) and can get on and off whenever you want. By the afternoon, when she was tired, we just stayed on the trolley and enjoyed the narrator's stories.

You also can contact your congressional rep to see about the special tours they give constituents. This saves you from having to wait in line. The White House tours go fast, but you can usually get a special tour of the capitol building as well as a gallery pass (if the House is in session). There should be info on your rep's website.

Debi

Not sure what your budget is - and not sure their real interests (historic and museum - can't throw a dead possum without hitting 5 of those in the DC area), but I have 2 suggestions. First, there's several "hop on/hop off" services (look on the web), and that's a great way to see all of DC and get some good historical information and only walk where you want to. Also, you might want to get a private tour (or at least, more private). We found a guy outside one of the information stations, and he did a great job of driving us around, and letting us spend a few minutes at the key places.... It's more expensive - but it was great (actually, it was fairly cheap, but I don't have the name/number any more......). If your parents like plants - the Arboriteum is awesome, and my favorite memorials are the FDR, and the Korean and Vietnam War memorials.... The museums are great, but are very, very big and take full days by themselves.... You'll have fun, whatever you do....

Travelkitty

Thanks very much for the suggestions and the hotel options. I may come up with a couple different alternatives and let them choose, but the on/off trolley and the Blue Ridge drive both sound wonderful. I'll also check the hotels mentioned on Trip Advisor, but it's great to have a few specific ones to start. Thanks!