We will be traveling the week of July 4th and are not sure where to go. We are considering Boston or Washington DC. we will have our 12 year old daughter with us.

Well we are there (where ever there is) we don't want to rent a car and we want to stay in a moderately price hotel (less then $250/nitht) that is conveniently located.

I would love to see the 4th of July fireworks in DC, but besides that what else is there to do that a 12 year old would also enjoy?

I have heard many wonderful things about Boston, but again what is there to do that a 12 year old would enjoy?

My daughter is fairly easy to please for a 12 year old and she does like history and museums.

Thanks

Both are great destinations, for you and your 12-year-old.

To name one place, the Natural History Museum in Washington DC should delight your daughter; I remember enjoying every minute of it in the 7th grade. 4th of July fireworks are very crowded, be warned!

In Boston, on the Freedom Trail, there is much to do that your daughter should enjoy, interactive historical sights with sound that talk of Revolutionary, Colonial and other periods of Boston's history.

Either city, you won't go wrong.

Boston also has the zoo, the children's museum' lots of entertainment at fanuil hall and the fireworks are accommpanied by the great Boston Pops!

Washington gets my vote, and I've been both places. There's so much more to see and do in Washington. I loved the Arlington National Cemetery, Mt. Vernon, the Holocaust Museum, the tour of the FBI building, the Pentagon, etc., etc. Granted, I've been to Washington a lot more than I've been to Boston, but I always find something new to see. I also have a daughter who just turned 13, and she would choose to go back to Washington. We also drove to Williamsburg, Virginia and Virginia Beach and spent several days there after we left Washington. A refreshing change of scenery!

I live outside DC but have been to Boston many times. DC is definitely a little more hot and sticky but...if you're going anywhere for fireworks, DC is the place to be. Also all the Smithsonian museums are great, from Natural History to Air and Space, I guarantee your 12 year old will not be bored. In fact, when I was about 12, we took a trip to DC and the tour of the FBI building made a lasting impression. I can hardly wait for my 6 year old to get a little older so we can take him there! Also, she's probably old enough to appreciate a tour of the White House. There's also the Capitol Children's Museum which is extremely hands-on and don't forget the national zoo with the recently acquired pandas. As for accommodations, there are many nice hotels in Arlington, just a metro stop or 2 away from DC which are much more reasonably priced. You will not need a car at all.

Washington DC gets my vote. Where else would you want to be but at the Mall on the 4th of July, crowds or no crowds!

Call me dense but I can't remember which museum the display of the First Ladies is in, but your daughter will enjoy it.

Debie

I live in the D.C. area, and also just got back from a one-week vacation to Boston. Boston was terrific, but if it's your first time, I think that the D.C. area would be a first great choice for your family.

There are definitely an abdundance of museums here (the first lady's exhibit that the previous poster mentioned is located in the Smithsonian American History Museum, and is wonderful--never get tired of it, and it's great for a 12 year old).
Mount Vernon is spectacular for both adults and children. And of course we have our Planet Hollywoods and Hard Rocks that many 12 year olds would enjoy.

You may also want to visit the home where Lincoln died, which is across from Ford's theater. Maybe when you're here, you can also attend a play.

Annapolis is a good day-trip from D.C.--about 45 minutes. Lots of history there too--old coblestone streets to walk around and also take a nice boat ride.

Try going on to quickbook.com for good hotel rates. We've gotten some great deals from them for NYC in the past.

Oh-The metro (subway) system here is quick, clean and easy to use.

After Washington, Boston would be a great follow up trip--we spent 6 days there, and then went up the Northshore to Marblehead and Salem, and had a great time. But definitely do D.C. first!

Have a great trip!

I want to say thank you to Daniel Williams, Mimi Taylor, Mel, Karen, Debie, and Renee for your quick replies.

Now I have just a few more questions...

Is it possible to not rent a car in either city and get around easily using public transportation/taxis?

In the city I'm from our children's museum is geared more towards preschool aged children. Is this true of the children's museums in DC and Boston?

Can anyone recommend some good day trips from Boston or DC?

In both DC and Boston can anyone recommend reasonably priced hotels that are close to most of the major attractions or is everything so spread out that it doesn't matter where I stay?

For large cities are both of these cities relatively safe?

Karen or anyone else who might know:
I heard that it's very dificult to get a tour of the White House. How do you go about getting tickets for this?

My vote is for DC- I don't think anyone mentioned the zoo as an attraction. I'm sure your daugter would love to see the pandas. Most of the Smithsonian museums are more geared for children so it would definitely be appropriate for your daughter.

To answer your other questions-
**Yes, it is possible to get around both cities without a car. Both are great walking cities. I've never rented a car while I was in either city. Both have great subway systems and is also cab friendly.

I found both cities to be very safe and felt comfortable walking around at night. Just use common sense.

As for reasonably priced hotels, I found Boston to be more expensive- maybe it was just the time of year when I went. Try www.quikbook.com for great rates in both cities. I think DuPont Circle in DC is the preferred area to stay-- the downtown part of DC seems to shut down at night.

As for White House tour tickets, my understanding is that there are two ways to get them: stand in line the day of or write your congressperson for tickets. I think you are probably too late to write your congressperson. As for getting them the day of, you go to the White House Tour center and they give out tickets starting at 7:30am (maybe 8- I think). Anyway, most people start standing in line around 5:30am(!) to get tickets. Check on www.whitehouse.gov for more info. And, I think there has been a recent thread on this site re: White House tours.

Have a great trip!

I'm hopelessly biased in favor of DC, for some of the reasons already stated, especially for a 12 year old interested in history. In addition to the First Ladies' dresses, the Am History Museum has lots of nifty exhibits -- everything from those old tall bikes people used to ride to the real lunch counters where civil rights sit-ins occurred. I'll second the vote to visit Ford's Theatre where Lincoln was shot.

Here are some specifics:

In DC, public transit to places of interest to tourists is excellent. No need for a car. Take taxis and metro subway.

As far as safety goes, tourist areas are safe. Just use your head as you would in any big city.

I would definitely skip the Children's Museum. It is for younger kids, and it really isn't that great, IMHO.

Unless you know someone (say, George W. Bush), you'll find getting White House Tour tickets for July 4 period to be impossible. You need to request them many months in advance.

There are lots of day trips, but I think you might really like the Baltimore Aquarium. They have a special exhibit on sea horses this year that is really amazing. You can also stroll the harbor while you're there.

When you're ready to actually plan an itinerary, post again. Lots of people here have great ideas.

To answer your follow up question:

In Boston, you absolutely SHOULD NOT rent a car. I have lived here for 10 years and would never recommend renting a car in this city (especially if you live in one of those nice, orderly midwestern places where all the streets are straight). Boston's streets are extremely narrow, full of curves and loaded to the max with traffic (I make it sound attractive, huh?!). Actually, part of the charm of Boston is its scale. Yes, the streets are small and cramped, but you can just picture the ox carts and horses clattering on the cobblestones 400 years ago. Boston is extremely compact, so a car is absolutely not necessary - unless you want to travel out of town.

By contrast, every time I go to DC, I get the feeling that it is huge and spread out and I usually end my day with aching feet from walking so far. They're just different places (neither one is better IMHO); DC is more planned, Boston has evolved over time.

Regarding inexpensive hotels, I cannot speak for DC, but Boston is really (and I mean REALLY) expensive. For 4th of July week, you can probably expect to pay up around $250 per night at the better hotels. You can probably get cheaper rates at the following: The Radisson, the Wyndham Boston/Downtown, or the Swissotel. You could also consider Cambridge, which is right next door and on the same public transportation system. I would search on a web site for deals, but availability is probably an issue.

Regarding transportation, DC's Metro is definitely better than Boston's T. All our federal tax money has created a new and efficient system to get cushy bureaucrats to their federal jobs. Boston's system is the oldest subway in the country. But like I said, Boston is compact and you can probably walk everywhere. Otherwise, the T is good, cheap ($1 gets you anywhere), and taxis abound (no calling ahead required).

One aspect puts Boston ahead of DC - safety. There were only something like 30 murders in Boston last year, and other crimes (theft, etc) are extremely rare, especially in the touristy areas. I come from NYC, so maybe I am a bit jaded in the crime area, but I have never (EVER) felt unsafe in Boston, even when crime was more prevalent in the early 90's.

Boston's Science Museum is not for pre-schoolers. It is a real science museum with an IMAX theatre and a planetarium. Boston also as a children's museum, which is geared for the littler ones.

For day trips outside Boston, I would suggest Salem (witch hunts, etc), Plymouth (site of Pilgrim landing)/Plimoth Plantation. I would also recommend Newport, RI to tour the mansions (the movie The Great Gatsby was filmed in Newport) - the Vanderbilt mansion (the Breakers) is the best tour. All of these day trips would require a car. Another day trip would be to either Cape Cod or Martha's Vineyard (each would be a 1.5 to 2 hr drive, plus a 1 hr ferry to the Vineyard). Once on the Vineyrd, you can use public transportation. Both offer great beaches and seafood, very New Englandy.

Also, you cannot beat the 4th of July in Boston (sorry, DC). Every year the Boston Pops play on the Esplanade along the Charles River (televised by A&E each year), and about 450,000 people cram along the banks of the river to see the show (not an exaggeration!).

Whichever city you choose, you will have a great ol' Yankee-Doodle time.

I'm not sure just how long it takes to get white house tickets - but it's certainly worth a try to write or call your congressperson asap! As for a car, you definitely won't need one to hit all of DC and Alexandria. Of course, if you want to do a day trip to Annapolis (about 45 min) or Charlottesville (to visit Jefferson's home, Monticello - 1.5 hrs from DC) you will need a car. Otherwise, the metro is clean and efficient. Hope this helps.

Both cities are worth the visit, but one thing you should keep in mind of you're a cheapskate like me: Many of the attractions in DC are FREE.

For instance, you could spend a few hours in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, which I think would interest a 12-year-old, and the only thing you'd have to pay for is the IMAX movie if you wanted to see it (and I think it's only a few bucks.)

DC lost its status as Murder Capitol of the World several years ago. DC has become a lot safer. And the tourist areas have always been extremely safe. Obviously, you need to use common sense as you would in any large city, but Boston isn't any safer than DC.

Of course, I'm biased, as I live in DC, and you're always going to feel safer in a city you know well.

For the 4th, you can't beat DC. I've always wanted to take a year to travel around the world and spend time in appropriate cities/countries for certain holidays (Christmas in Bethlehem, for example), and it would have to be DC on July 4. There's also lots of stuff for kids. And some of the travel editors at the Washington Post wrote a book on what to do with kids in DC.

I'm a lifelong (just about) DC resident--so I am biased--but DC is THE place to be on the 4th of July! Fireworks, free museums, and the National Folklife Festival all make the city a really happening place to be. enjoy your vacation wherever you go!

Hi,

One thing I forgot to mention that your family might like is the fairly new IMAX theater, located in the Smithsonian history of Natural History. We've seen a couple of shows there, and it's really a great experience.

When you're here, be sure to spend a day in Georgetown. There's not a metro stop in Georgetown, but the closest is Foggy Bottom/GW and a 10-15 min walk, or a short cab ride. Lots of interesting shops, reastaurants and sort of an "old world" atmosphere. Many of my friends from London really like it--they say it reminds them of parts of London.

Baltimore, as one of the other posters mentioned, would be a nice day trip. There's the Baltimore Aquarium that many people like, plus an interesting Science Museum for children. I personally think that Annapolis is prettier--both sit on the water, and are definitely worth going to.

You definitely don't need a car in D.C. We take the metro here, everywhere we go in the city. If it's your first time here, driving in D.C might be a little confusing, depending on what you're used to, because there are a lot of one-way streets, and traffic circles. Plus, parking is difficult to find. If you take a day trip, you could easily rent a car from your hotel.
If you come here, and go to Georgetown, a good place that a lot of people like to go to, is a restaurant called Sequoia's. It's sits on the water, and has a great setting, overlooking the Kennedy Center. I heard that former President Clinton rented the place out for Chelsea's birthday party one year.

Another good place for a great atmosphere is a restaurant called 1789, which is also in Georgetown. The restaurant gets its name from the year the building was built. It's rated as one of the top restaurants in the area.--more dress-up than Sequoia's--a quieter atmosphere.

For hotels, try www.quickbook.com As I mentioned before, we've used them for NYC, and my sister-in-law used them a couple of months ago for her trip here to D.C.

You might also want to check out specific hotel sites of hotel chains that you like. Marriott has a lot of good specials, many times, for long weekend stays.

Hope that helps!

I've lived in both places, and I would go to Boston if only that the weather is likely to be better. DC on the 4th is invariably very hot and sticky- I've never had any interest in the fireworks under those conditions. Boston's fireworks are terrific, on the Esplanade with the Boston Pops (although the 1812 Overture might frighten the kids). Either place has great places to visit, and many options for day trips.

Again I want to say thank you to Jane, Cindy, Daniel, Karen, Elcheapo, Ann, Sara, Renee, and Ellen. You are all a great help.

CINDY-The Baltimore Aquarium sounds great. Thanks for the tip.

DANIEL-How did you know I was from a nice orderly midwestern town? Can you hear my midwestern twang in my writing? Everyday I have to drive and absolutely hate it. So when I'm on vacation I try to go to cities where I don't have to drive. Your right about Boston being safe with only 30 murders last year. My orderly midwestern cith had well over 100 murders last year(and no I don't live in Detroit or Chicago). Thanks for the daytrip ideas. They sound great.

ELCHEAPO-In my family my husband is the cheapskate, but everyone likes to save money. Can you give more details on which attractions are free.

ANN-What is the name of the book by the Washington Post travel editors? I would love to read it.

Again thanks to everyone.

I can't remember the name of the book. You might be able to e-mail the Post travel section, and they can tell you (www.washingtonpost.com). There's a weekly travel chat, too. Check the online chat schedule on the website. You could post your question there. I think the book came out last year.

You can take the train from DC to Baltimore from Union Station (which also is on the meto).

If your husband's a cheapskate, you probably won't be eating at 1789 (it's a great restaurant). And I wouldn't recommend Sequoia. People go there more for the view and to meet people, not for the food.

In your hotel price range, you can find something well-located in DC. Try the JW Marriott, Phoenix Park Hotel, Embassy Suites, Jury's Doyle Hotel. There have been a lot of other recommendations on different threads. Try a search.

Renee - good call on Sequoia. I took a few colleagues there for dinner while on a business trip 2 years ago. We had a great time and the view on the Potomac is great.

To Not Sure - you are welcome for the advice, but I seem to be outnumbered by DCers, so you they have probably swayed you to go there. Just as well, DC is very visitor friendly and is a great city. Someone I know once compared traveling to Boston like traveling to Rome: it's somewhat intimidating and confusing to the outsider.

One Boston day trip I did not mention is a whale watch. The boats sometimes get very close to the whales, which are magnificent (and something you cannot see in the midwest).

If you opt to go to DC, don't forget about Boston for your next vacation (save the best for last!!! just kidding).