DC Daytrip with Kids
Aug 11th, 2007, 07:26 AM
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DC Daytrip with Kids
I'm thinking of taking a day trip to Washington DC next week with the kids while visiting family in VA. We'll be about an hour West in Winchester, so I thought we'd spend the morning/afternoon in DC...I've been there once or twice, but never with kids. What are some of the best things to do there that might interest a 4 yr old and 7 yr old? Also any good lunch or dinner spots near the monument areas?
Aug 11th, 2007, 12:05 PM
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How about seeing the pandas at the zoo or going to Great Falls?
Be aware that rush hour starts early and I-66 or Rt 7 back to Winchester at the end of the day can be a long trip if traffic is bad. During the summer traffic is not quite as predictable so it might not be as bad as normal.
Everyday in August in DC is not hot and humid as the myth seems to be on this forum. There are also beautiful weather days in the summer and August generally has more beautiful days than hot ones. It is just hitting those days with your visit and next week is forecasted to be a lot nicer than last week when DC was breaking records.
Be aware that rush hour starts early and I-66 or Rt 7 back to Winchester at the end of the day can be a long trip if traffic is bad. During the summer traffic is not quite as predictable so it might not be as bad as normal.
Everyday in August in DC is not hot and humid as the myth seems to be on this forum. There are also beautiful weather days in the summer and August generally has more beautiful days than hot ones. It is just hitting those days with your visit and next week is forecasted to be a lot nicer than last week when DC was breaking records.
Aug 12th, 2007, 12:35 PM
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The Air & Space museum is interesting, but a bit dated. Natural History is fun. I'd also add to the recommendations - the Spy Museum downtown. It's really fun and interactive for kids and they have a great gift shop and a sandwich place next door.
For lunch near the monuments, I'd recommend eating at a cafeteria inside one of the Smithsonian museums - the one downstairs at the National Gallery offers lots of kid-friendly options. The cafe at the Native American History museum is supposed to be excellent. For dinner, you could try something near Pennsylvania Avenue - some of the restaurants are a little fancier, but there are other choices too and you could easily walk there from the National Mall. Chef Geoff's and Les Halles spring to mind (both have googleable web sites).
For lunch near the monuments, I'd recommend eating at a cafeteria inside one of the Smithsonian museums - the one downstairs at the National Gallery offers lots of kid-friendly options. The cafe at the Native American History museum is supposed to be excellent. For dinner, you could try something near Pennsylvania Avenue - some of the restaurants are a little fancier, but there are other choices too and you could easily walk there from the National Mall. Chef Geoff's and Les Halles spring to mind (both have googleable web sites).
Aug 13th, 2007, 11:25 AM
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Traffic will most likely, as others have pointed out, make Winchester a longer trip than an hour, potentially much longer.
Are you looking for DC-ish things to do, or just something your kids will like?
My nephews (2, 5, 7) came to visit me last summer (along with their parents, who inexplicably would not just send me the kids). We had a picnic on Teddy Roosevelt Island one day and they loved it. It's a little island with well-marked easy trails and a monument to TR with a giant statue and some fountains in the middle. It is accessed from the GW Parkway (northbound only) near Memorial Bridge. Look for the little parking area on the right and the long wooden pedestrian bridge leading to the island. However, other than the statue and fountains, this could be hiking anywhere and probably not worth driving all the way to DC for.
I didn't get the chance to take them to Mount Vernon, but I think that's another great place for kids. You'll probably have to forego a tour of the house as the line can be quite long and kids would be too bored waiting 30 minutes and then touring a house, but the grounds are extensive and interesting. I believe they should have living displays going on right now with people dressed as in GW's time and doing farm work and such (but check the website to be sure). There is a cafeteria on the premises, but you can also picnic.
The Mall is of course what comes to mind when you think of DC. Air and Space and Natural History are probably the most exciting for kids. I also love the Botanical Garden off to the right of the Capitol; it is more flexible in terms of "outdoor voices" and running around for energetic kids than more traditional museums. When I took my nephews the children's garden was well staffed and they got to plant a plant. We ate at the National Gallery cafeteria on our museum day. The kids really surprised me by instantly loving the giant abstract modern art canvases near the cafeteria.
If the weather is nice you can make it an outdoor day to see all the monuments. My "tourist death march" involves taking metro to the Cemetery, visiting it for a while, walking across to Lincoln, Korea, and Vietnam. Crossing back over to the Tidal Basin to visit FDR and Jefferson. Then coming back onto the mall for WWII and the Lincoln Memorial and getting back on the train at Metro Center or Archives. This is harder with a car because you have to walk the whole way back. If you are very lucky the Tidal Basin will have flooded and deposited a dead fish near the steps of Jefferson. The dead fish was certainly a highlight of my nephews' visit, and the whole time we were in Jefferson all they were concerned about was whether we'd see the dead fish again when we left it (we made sure to walk back by way of the dead fish).
I am sure your kids well enjoy whatever you do. The most carefully planned itinerary is sure to be upstaged in excitement by something small, like getting an ice cream treat from one of the vendor carts. When I asked my five year old nephew what his favorite thing he'd seen in DC was--and we had seen a *lot*--he said, "The ducks!" Because they don't have ducks in Texas or anything. *snort*
Are you looking for DC-ish things to do, or just something your kids will like?
My nephews (2, 5, 7) came to visit me last summer (along with their parents, who inexplicably would not just send me the kids). We had a picnic on Teddy Roosevelt Island one day and they loved it. It's a little island with well-marked easy trails and a monument to TR with a giant statue and some fountains in the middle. It is accessed from the GW Parkway (northbound only) near Memorial Bridge. Look for the little parking area on the right and the long wooden pedestrian bridge leading to the island. However, other than the statue and fountains, this could be hiking anywhere and probably not worth driving all the way to DC for.
I didn't get the chance to take them to Mount Vernon, but I think that's another great place for kids. You'll probably have to forego a tour of the house as the line can be quite long and kids would be too bored waiting 30 minutes and then touring a house, but the grounds are extensive and interesting. I believe they should have living displays going on right now with people dressed as in GW's time and doing farm work and such (but check the website to be sure). There is a cafeteria on the premises, but you can also picnic.
The Mall is of course what comes to mind when you think of DC. Air and Space and Natural History are probably the most exciting for kids. I also love the Botanical Garden off to the right of the Capitol; it is more flexible in terms of "outdoor voices" and running around for energetic kids than more traditional museums. When I took my nephews the children's garden was well staffed and they got to plant a plant. We ate at the National Gallery cafeteria on our museum day. The kids really surprised me by instantly loving the giant abstract modern art canvases near the cafeteria.
If the weather is nice you can make it an outdoor day to see all the monuments. My "tourist death march" involves taking metro to the Cemetery, visiting it for a while, walking across to Lincoln, Korea, and Vietnam. Crossing back over to the Tidal Basin to visit FDR and Jefferson. Then coming back onto the mall for WWII and the Lincoln Memorial and getting back on the train at Metro Center or Archives. This is harder with a car because you have to walk the whole way back. If you are very lucky the Tidal Basin will have flooded and deposited a dead fish near the steps of Jefferson. The dead fish was certainly a highlight of my nephews' visit, and the whole time we were in Jefferson all they were concerned about was whether we'd see the dead fish again when we left it (we made sure to walk back by way of the dead fish).
I am sure your kids well enjoy whatever you do. The most carefully planned itinerary is sure to be upstaged in excitement by something small, like getting an ice cream treat from one of the vendor carts. When I asked my five year old nephew what his favorite thing he'd seen in DC was--and we had seen a *lot*--he said, "The ducks!" Because they don't have ducks in Texas or anything. *snort*
Aug 13th, 2007, 02:54 PM
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DC-area father of a 6 yo and an infant here. A few thoughts:
The Spy Museum is probably better with older kids than your 4 and 7 yo.
Natural History Museum is our son's favorites due to the insect zoo, dinosaurs and the mammal exhibit. Imax here also. If you want to see Imax here or elsewhere, book ahead on-line.
Air and Space also has an Imax, and is the temporary home for some National History exhibits as that museum is under renovation. There is a planetarium show and an Imax here. You might also consider the HUGE Air and Space annex near Dulles Airport (also an Imax there).
We like the cafe in the National Gallery's sculpture garden, located along the mall in front of the Archives and between Natural History and the National Gallery. The food choices actually on the mall are pretty limited (mostly the various museum cafeterias), and this is one of the better ones.
Kids like the Navy Memorial, across Pennsylvania Ave from the Archives--big map and relief sculptures of boats and such. (And you can walk a few blocks north from here, in the area around the Verizon Center, and have many more food choices than on the Mall itself).
They might also like the outdoor sunken sculpture garden in front of the Hirshorn (that's my son screaming "Look at her big butt!"). Or maybe try the African art museum under the garden behind the Smithsonian Castle building--that sort of representational "folk" art can be more accessible to kids. And there's an old carousel in front of the Castle.
You can usually find parking at the FDR memorial, which is a nice place to walk through, particularly after dark; then walk back along the Tidal Basin with lovely views of the Jefferson Memorial and Washington Monument. And there are bathrooms here (also at Lincoln Memorial and WWII Memorial, but harder to park there).
For some reason the bathrooms on the Ellipse south of the White House are not open in the evenings.
The National Zoo has been spruced up with the opening of the new Asia trail.
Teddy Roosevelt Island has been mentioned and is one of our off the beaten path places. Another is Claude Moore Farm National Park, a recreation of a colonial-era farm, located right off of the George Washington Parkway behind the CIA headquarters in Langley.
Mount Vernon's grounds (including the farm) are a nice choice as discussed above, but it's a long way from downtown for just a short visit like yours.
I think distances along the Mall are decieving; walking from Air and Space to the Washington Monument could really wear you out, let alone going further to the Lincoln Memorial. Maybe consider an on-off bus like Tourmobile or Old Town Trolley if that appeals to you.
The Spy Museum is probably better with older kids than your 4 and 7 yo.
Natural History Museum is our son's favorites due to the insect zoo, dinosaurs and the mammal exhibit. Imax here also. If you want to see Imax here or elsewhere, book ahead on-line.
Air and Space also has an Imax, and is the temporary home for some National History exhibits as that museum is under renovation. There is a planetarium show and an Imax here. You might also consider the HUGE Air and Space annex near Dulles Airport (also an Imax there).
We like the cafe in the National Gallery's sculpture garden, located along the mall in front of the Archives and between Natural History and the National Gallery. The food choices actually on the mall are pretty limited (mostly the various museum cafeterias), and this is one of the better ones.
Kids like the Navy Memorial, across Pennsylvania Ave from the Archives--big map and relief sculptures of boats and such. (And you can walk a few blocks north from here, in the area around the Verizon Center, and have many more food choices than on the Mall itself).
They might also like the outdoor sunken sculpture garden in front of the Hirshorn (that's my son screaming "Look at her big butt!"). Or maybe try the African art museum under the garden behind the Smithsonian Castle building--that sort of representational "folk" art can be more accessible to kids. And there's an old carousel in front of the Castle.
You can usually find parking at the FDR memorial, which is a nice place to walk through, particularly after dark; then walk back along the Tidal Basin with lovely views of the Jefferson Memorial and Washington Monument. And there are bathrooms here (also at Lincoln Memorial and WWII Memorial, but harder to park there).
For some reason the bathrooms on the Ellipse south of the White House are not open in the evenings.
The National Zoo has been spruced up with the opening of the new Asia trail.
Teddy Roosevelt Island has been mentioned and is one of our off the beaten path places. Another is Claude Moore Farm National Park, a recreation of a colonial-era farm, located right off of the George Washington Parkway behind the CIA headquarters in Langley.
Mount Vernon's grounds (including the farm) are a nice choice as discussed above, but it's a long way from downtown for just a short visit like yours.
I think distances along the Mall are decieving; walking from Air and Space to the Washington Monument could really wear you out, let alone going further to the Lincoln Memorial. Maybe consider an on-off bus like Tourmobile or Old Town Trolley if that appeals to you.
Aug 14th, 2007, 11:47 AM
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DancingBear made an excellent point I should have been more explicit about--the choices I presented are definitely either/or for a one day visit. No way could you do Mt Vernon *and* anything else in a day.
Aug 15th, 2007, 09:36 AM
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I think Mt Vernon is a good idea, and the Air and Space, probably. I don't think four year olds are really into tourism myself.
I don't know where you got the idea that Winchester VA is an hour from DC, it's 75 miles away so even with no traffic (which never occurs), you couldn't do that.
I don't know where you got the idea that Winchester VA is an hour from DC, it's 75 miles away so even with no traffic (which never occurs), you couldn't do that.
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