Probably wise to skip the zoo. My family ended up going to the zoo without me because I wasn't feeling well. My husband drove and thought it was probably a hike from either metro stop. The main reason to go is the pandas.

Going to the Library of Congress and just looking around on your own would be a relaxed thing to do instead of the zoo.

Just a note on National Archives--you had mentioned at the outset that it was too much for a relaxed trip. Have you already been? If you haven't gone, just seeing the main three documents takes about a half hour. Also, one of the few copies of the Magna Carta is in a case right nearby. If you book a timed entrance, this is not necessarily a major time investment.

The kids went to the Video Game exhibit while I held down the blanket on the 4th of July. They really enjoyed it. I think there may also be a Matthew Brady exhibit (the Civil War photographer) going in the same building which they did not find.

5alive, we went to the National Archives in February and really enjoyed it. Thats why its not on this list.

LOC is a hopeful for Monday morning.

We have been to the Zoo a few times but had read about the wine tasting so thats why it was an option.

5alive, I can see why they missed the Matthew Brady exhibit. Its on the Portrait Gallery side of the building. This museum was on our "Maybe List" on our first trip to DC and we ended up there on our first day. It was a highlight of our trip but its easy to get turned around and be in the opposite museum.

This museum should be a must-see for visitors to DC especially with how great of a building that it is in.

In regards to the White House tour, my tour was first thing in the morning so I left everything back at my hotel and went back for it after. While on the tour there were several people taking pictures with their cell phone. Nobody stopped them. If I remember correctly, the literature you receive at the door states that you can take pictures. I was very disappointed.

Then they were lucky. We were told that we could call my husband to tell him he could still come on the tour, but if they saw us taking pictures they would take our phone. I had a camera that I was not allowed to bring on the tour.

At the end, as we walked out the door, the guards told us, you can take pictures of the front of the house. But without my camera and the shade it was a challenge to get a decent shot with a cell phone.

Btw, the guards at the National Archives announced that all cell phones and cameras need to go away, and if they saw a cell phone in anyone's hand they would take it and fine them $600.

Tchoiniere, glad you had done Archives. I would have liked to make it to the American Art Museum, but they were done with that by the time we traded places. We went on the trip with the approach that we wanted the kids to have some good memories and we would be back again some day.

I know when I'm by myself I will do all the art museums in DC. I really wanted to see the Phillips Collection up by Dupont Circle as well, but it didn't happen either.

5alive, thats a great way to look at it. Its how we started after our first trip to DC and are now close to our 4th trip. Its become tricky to balance new stuff with just outright repeating everything (especially since our first trip, a friend of mine had a broken leg and skipped a lot).

We just bought our tickets for the Thursday night game - Dodgers (for my 3rd time this year) @ Nationals. Got them for $10 apiece but are first row of the 3rd deck in the LF Corner. This trip is becoming more and more all about baseball as we may add a 3rd game and a Nationals Park tour on...We may see the Nationals clinch the division with how close to the end of the season that it is.

Our White House tour was finally confirmed for 7:30 Friday morning...Hopefully the Thursday night game is a quick game so we can get back to the hotel to crash early. Our intentions are to go to the WH then circle back to the hotel and grab our cameras. We will have time to do this as our plans are to go to the Portrait Gallery that day which opens late. Depending on our turnaround time at the hotel, we may try to sneak into the Air and Space Museum at the Mall for an hour or so for just a few highlights as we are going to Udvar Hazy too (mainly Spirit of St Louis, etc). Or we may just hurry back to go to Paul or the Corner Bakery for breakfast.

We also bought Capitol Steps tickets for Saturday night at the Ronald Reagan Building which I am looking forward to.

Its going to be a busy trip.

tchoiniere, Just ot help you plan, the White House tour only takes about an hour, including security. Your trip back to your hotel will be during rush hour.

tchoiniere, when did you "apply" for the White House tour?

Gardendiva, i realize that but we have no choice....

Sf, we applied back in March or so

Some of you may remember a few years before my first trip to DC, a friend of mine that was going broke his leg and it slowed us down (http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...-sox-games.cfm)

Combine that with me hurting my left knee while in Chicago the year before, we always laughed. Yesterday, the 3 of us were playing Frisbee Golf and my friend threw the frisbee completely ignoring the tree next to him (Arm vs tree, tree usually wins) and smashed his arm against the tree. We finished the round and then his arm swelled up. He broke his arm and is having a pin put in today. Obviously this isn't going to hinder him walking but its just laughable at this point how 1 of us is always getting hurt.

The National Postal Museum is right next to Union Station.
It is one of the Smithsonian museums not visited as much as some of the others. http://www.postalmuseum.si.edu/museum/1a_visiting.html
I have even walked from Union station past the Senate office buildings to the Capitol building (and back).
If you can't get the tickets to an Orioles game, you can go see the Inner Harbor and the National Aquarium. Camden Yards is within walking distance of the Inner Harbor.

Tom, Baltimore is not on the agenda for this trip as we spread our itinerary for DC out over the whole time. As much as I love the Inner Harbor, we just couldn't fit it in.

Looking at the forecast, its going to be a great weekend in DC. I hit a football pool for $300 so its already been a great week. Tomorrow cannot come soon enough.

Have a great trip, tchoiniere, and report back! Speedy recovery to your friend after his collision with a tree...

The weather today is great. I hope it stays that way for your trip.

tchoiniere, I just realized that I did not finish my thought. You may want to grab breakfast or go to the Air and Space Museum before going back to your hotel. That way you will not be on the Metro at rush hour.

What ever you do have fun and be careful. LOL

They just had some terrible weather in the area. Let's hope that is over with for awhile.

Just got back to the hotel from the Nationals game. What a game!!! Got to see them clinch the first playoff birth for a DC team since 1933. We had a blast. Few beers at the Red Porch then up to our seats. Decent crowd tonight but way too many people left before the end of the game when it was clear the team was going to clinch. This makes me sick being a Sox fan who will not leave early.

1 thing I found at Union Station today was the SmartTrip dispenser was not accepting Credit Cards nor $20 bills. Had to throw a $10 in then go to another dispenser to add value to it. Talking with a Metro employee there, they said that this is a common issue and being rectified but no timetable. More of a nuisance than anything.

That is so awesome you got to go to a fun game!

I wasn't really a fan of the Metro ticketing or scheduling. The trains themselves were great.