akwill

We are a family with 2 toddlers going from Baltimore to DC/ McLean, VA area this weekend for a shopping stop at the mall (Mazza Gallerie or Tyson's Corner... as I have to return a Christmas gift at Neiman Marcus).

We are travelling with 2 kiddos and it's always nice to find some fun diversions on our outings. We don't want to shop all day. We are new enough to the Baltimore area and the mid-atlantic region that we honestly have no idea of what might be in that area that we could visit (absent d.c).

Any interesting things to do in this area? We've been to D.C. several times and would prefer not to go that route this time. We don't necessarily require kid focused activities, just kid friendly. BTW, any opinions on Mazza Gallerie vs. Tyson's Corner (ease of parking , etc.)

I appreciate any suggestions. Thank you for taking a look at my post. Have a great day!

schlegal1

Tyson's isn't really close to anything worth touring except suburbia and office buildings. But it would be feasible to get to Great Falls park and have a walk if the weather's planning on warming up again. Also, tyson's will be horrible as far as parking on a weekend. It's a great mall and they have actually added a kids' play area so if you get there early you will be able to park, return, play and get out.

schlegal1

Oops--Tyson's I has the play area--Tyson's II (where the Nieman Marcus is) is more upscale store-wise and doesn't have anything that would appeal to toddlers. Parking here is a nightmare, too.

Budman

They have an Air & Space Museum out at Dulles Airport that might be interesting to visit.

Also in the area is Manassas Battlefield, if that's not too much walking.

I can't recall anything else interesting in the area except shopping.

sprin2

Tysons Galleria where the NM is located is not as crowded or as busy as Tyson I. It is also pretty easy to get to from the beltway - Route 123 Exit, then a right into the mall.

After the shopping I agree that Great Falls Park is a good stop. If it is a pretty day it can get very crowded.

Just west of Great Falls on Georgetown Pike is a big playground. I think it is in the community of Great Falls at a county park, on the right just before you get to the commercial strip. My kids always loved it. There are usually other kids and you can get a cup of coffee in Great Falls (key for playground sitting).

We also like Colvin Run Mill out Route 7 about 5 miles from Tysons. It is a pleasant Fairfax county park with a gristmill and good space to run.

Sully Plantation on Route 28, almost across the street from the Air & Space Annex, is another nice place to run around. It is a historic Lee family home. Pretty small and never crowded.

Near Sully is Ellanor Lawrence Park with a nature center and some easy trails, my toddlers always enjoyed this park.

Glen Echo Park is on the Maryland side of the river inside the beltway. It has an inventive playground and some special events including Puppet Shows on the weekends. Check the website for times. It is a National Park facility.

Cabin John Regional Park in Maryland, (7410 Tuckerman Lane, Rockville, but near the river), is also a good play area, although it is pretty big and might be hard to watch the kids depending on their ages. This is an excellent playground though.

These are all pretty easy and fun ideas that have kept my kids busy during trips to the area. If you end up at Mazza post again, I have some good playgrounds for that area as well.

MikeT

If the weather is reasonable, Mazza Gallerie is only three Metro stops from the zoo. You could park your car, shop, and go to the zoo.

marymarra

I know you don't want to necessarily do the Washington thing, but if you are coming from Baltimore to go to Neiman's, I think it would be easier to go to Mazza (it is max 10 minutes from the CT Ave Beltway exit) and there are many more kid-friendly things to do than at Tyson's which is the mall and office buildings. The suggestion of Glen Echo is a good one and you would be really close to Glen Echo if you go to Mazza and of course there is the zoo, etc. etc. in D.C.

Good luck

Mary

cwojo99

Are you into ice skating? Not too far down 267 is the Reston Town Center area - in the middle they have an ice skating rink where kids and adults can rent ice skates. Nice places to eat as well as some shopping.

8-)

Travel_Fan

For clarification. Mazza Gallerie is at the DC/Montgomery County border line. Tysons Gallerie (Tysons II)is in Virginia in McLean across Rte. 123 from Tysons Corner (Tysons I)

Christina

I live in DC and have never had any big problem parking at the Tyson's where Neiman Marcus is. Maybe I was just there at good times, but parking didn't seem any more of a problem than a lot of malls.


I think it is better shopping than Mazza but it really depends on what your shopping goal is. Mazza is okay if you don't have any goal in mind and it's closer to Baltimore. The NoVA area around Tyson's is awful, it's nothing but traffic, roads, offices and residential areas, and more traffic. It's simply terrible, so many people work there than the traffic gets backed up all the way onto the beltway just to go there in the morning rush hour time, and that lasts probably until 9:30 that it's backed up. It's not so bad on weekends.


I don't think toddlers exactly are good at sightseeing, so maybe the zoo would be good for them. If it weren't for having toddlers, I'd recommend going to Mazza and then something in northern Maryland around Frederick. There is an interesting old stone house up there, the oldest in Maryland or something like that, and Frederick has some history to it.

repete

Probably too late for OP, but for others, I'd offer this ...

Mazza seems like such a natural option instead of heading out into the NoVa. sprawl.

A pretty good rule for visiting DC is to do whatever you can to minize your time on the Beltway.

Sure, on a good day you can (sometimes) breeze out there and the drive will go easy with the kids happy. . . . Or you could end up with kids -- sometimes cranky and sometimes not -- in traffic that flat out stinks. Plus there are no kid attractions at Tyson's that don't require additional drives in that traffic. Tyson does have a better selection of stores.

And doesn't it always seem that even the best of kids have bad moments when the traffic is at its worst?

The Mazza-Zoo combo is a very good and easily do-able suggestion.