My 14 year old daughter is a real history buff and has wanted for years now to go to D.C. her older sister got to go to Cancun for Spring break this year, so she gets her dream trip too, I don't want to miss anything important, and I have not been there since I was her age.

We have no idea where to stay (family of 4 with the 2 teenage girls 14 & 18) Moderate pricing, good location with a pool.

Two of the must do's are the White House and Arlington Cemetary (She is obsessed with presidents, especially Lincoln and JFK).

I'm reading alot about the Holocast Museum (I'm not sure what that is exactly). Aside from the Lincoln/Jefferson/Washington/Memorials, and of course the Smithsonian (is there a good website for them, to determine what is in each of the different museums) What are the other things not to miss???

We will have 4 days.

All suggestions, are appreciated, feel free to e-mail me.

See my post as "Citizen" on the "stupid question" thread -- what I say there is that it's definitely worth tracking down the office of your Representative (and/or Senator -- they're busier and less hospitable) on Capitol Hill, esp. for a 14-yr. old history buff. The undergound bus from Capitol to Senate Office buildings is fun, but much more interesting is going through the process of figuring out which building your rep's office is in, finding it, and seeing how you are represented.

If she's obsessed with the Presidents, she absolutely should not miss the National Portrait Gallery, since it has portraits of each of them, and some are very revealing. (It was under construction at one point, so make sure it's open.) And you'll never get away without seeing the First Ladies' inaugural ball gowns at the Smithsonian.

If there's time, do Mt. Vernon, too, but in a pinch, get over to Old Town Alexandria and find Gadsby's Tavern (G. Wash's headquarters) and have lunch, if it's still open as a restaurant.

Smithsonian on line: http://www.si.edu/

I'm a Brit living for 3 years in DC and doing my best to see all the sights.

Hotels? Will you have your own car or be relying on public transport? If it's public transport, I think Rosslyn might be a good bet, excellent for the metro (just a few stops from National Airport and one stop from Arlington Cemetery, plus good access into the Smithsonian/Capitol areas). Most of the main chains (Holiday Inn, Hyatt, Marriott, Best Western etc) are there, I think they might be cheaper than in DC itself. Don't know if any have pools. The AAA book lists all the hotels, under Virginia for Rosslyn.

Arlington Cemetery is of course a must, for JFK's grave, the whole place is really impressive.

The Smithsonian's American History Museum has a permanent exhibit on the First Ladies, and also a new permanent exhibit on the American Presidency.

We like the Roosevelt Memorial, just a short walk from the Lincoln Memorial. It covers all of FDR's terms of office and has a lovely statue of FDR and his dog.

For George Washington, Mount Vernon is 18 miles south of DC down the river. It makes a lovely day or part day out. Not sure how you get there without a car but I think there are frequent buses, maybe someone else can help here.

The Newseum in Rosslyn is good for young people, free, closed Mondays.

For the Holocaust Museum, look in www.ushmm.org. If you're going anytime other than middle of the winter, it would be worth getting a timed ticket in advance as it does get very busy, the website tells you how to do this and also helps you to plan the visit. It is certainly an important place to visit. They don't recommend it for anyone younger than 11 so your teens should be fine. There are some photographic exhibits quite sensitively hidden behind low walls, you don't have to look at them if you don't want to.

Hope this helps.

Forgot to mention - I think the National Portrait Gallery is still closed for renovations and likely to be so for some time.

Thanks to all, I really appreciate the info, I'm really glad I started to research this early. Yes we will have a car, but it sounds like the metro and alot of walking is the best bet.

Some suggestions.
Stay in a hotel that is connected to the Metro. [We did at Crystal Gateway Marriott and found Metro convenience necessary]

Write each of the 'sites' run by the National Park service, and obtain their printed "official" Brochures and trip planners. There are tens of sites, all on nps.gov. Actually get them in the US mail, not on the internet. Read them in advance, as this will really help you select your own must see's.

Fodors City Pack Washington DC is spectacular. We used it to plan,a nd the map was all we needed. [IMO, the other Fodor DC books are average. City Pack are a series of outstanding books]

When you visit any NPS site, ask the ranger on duty for a tour. We did at Vietnam Memorial, as was treated to a 'private' description of the monument. Just us and the Ranger. Some tours require advanced planning; and other are as available basis. Just ASK!

Don't forget to see the National Zoo! And the Pandas

We found that many of the monuments (Jefferson and Linconl) were "open" late, so we saw them after 9pm. Where we needed to wait in line or take a tour, we scheduled those during biz. hours.

Marie, Definely try to contact your senator or representative. They can get you VIP tours with student intern guides that are extremely interesting. Just do a search and e-mail them. (Send all three-two senators and your re) because there is a good chance not all of them will respond or have any tickets.

We received a special tour of the State Department and both houses of Congress through our senator (now the U.S. Atty General). The State Department tour was great!!! I teach history, and was amazed to see the historical documents and artifacts at the State Department. (And it was free!)

The Holocaust museum is a great museum and a must to see. You might want to look at my Web site. I have a travelogue on Washington, D.C. that includes a fairly lenghthy description of the Holocaust museum. The address is www.oneeyed.homestead.com. Somebody else mentioned the Web site for the museum. It is a very nice Web site. You can order the timed tickets ahead online if you know when you would like to go. Plan on at least 3 hours to see the museum. Other great history sites: Ford's Theater, the American History Museum, Arlington National Cemetery (including Robert E. Lee's house), and the Vietnam Memorial. A trip to Manassas, Virginia, to the Civil War battlefield might also be of interest.

Definitely look at the Marriott Crystal City. There is a metro stop at the hotel, which means you never have to use your car. Crystal City also has an underground mall for some half-serious shopping. Very safe and convenient.

I don't mean to be a grump, but I'm surprised sometimes by how wide open this question is and how ineffectual it is to post something so general on a site like this. If I were travelling for the first time to a major city with many attractions and choices of lodging, I would first do a little research in a good guidebook or on the web, narrow down a few things, and THEN post specific questions. For instance, perhaps I've narrowed my hotel choices down; I then might post and ask for suggestions from those who know from experience. Someone just asking "Where to stay?" or "What to see?" for a city like DC -- or New York or similar -- just make me tired. Anyone with me, or do I just have Monday-itis?

In general I'm with you, but not on this forum.

No question is a dumb question, especially on an internet forum. [Exceptions are any posts from trolls, journalists, researchers or instigators].

Some of these general questions MUST be the person's initial "research" into a place. The tricky part is provide an answer that is helpful and not another question back to the initial poster.

Yeah, sometimes I really wonder about the posts...and want to fire off a retort. It may just be Monday-itis.

Marie,

I don't this this question is too vague. You need info on taking a 14-year old history buff to DC. No problem.

You've gotten great advice so far. I'll just add a second thumbs up for one of my favorite, most overlooked DC museums: Ford's Theatre. There is a wonderful, intimate museum underneath that has items related to the assination, such as the clothes Lincoln wore, the gun that shot him (I think), etc. Also, a few times a day, rangers give a presentation in Ford's theatre. Everyone sits down, and they lay out how the assassination happened. It is not to be missed. Just call ahead to find out the times, or ask the ranger when you get there.

Let's see. I think there is also an exhibit on Presidential memorabilia at the Smithsonian American History museum. I haven't been, but I hear it is great.

Finally, and I hate to suggest this when you only have four days, but if you daughter is a major civil war buff, I would suggest a day trip to Gettysburg. For about $30 plus tip, you can hire a private guide to drive you around the battlegrounds in your own car. Guide quality varies, in my experience. The best guide we used was Mike Phelps (or Phipps?), who was awesome. Really brings it to life. Call ahead and make a reservation with him or another guide.

Finally, try to pack a lunch with you every day. You don't have much time, and finding cheap, fast, uncrowded places to eat near the museums is difficult, especially during tourist season. Better, I think, is to pull a sandwich and drink out of your backpack, sit in the shade of a beautiful monument or memorial, and enjoy the surroundings.

The Crystal City mall is a dump. Avoid it. I hate even walking through there.

I would suggest staying in the Courthouse area in Arlington. There's a Quality Inn (or maybe it's a Comfort?? One of those) within walking distance of the Courthouse Metro. This (and Rossyln) are much closer to D.C. than Crystal City. Also, there's a Holiday Inn in Ballston (also Arlington) that seems to get good marks from tourists (good rates, walk to the metro).

I've never been to this, but you might want to go to the National Cathedral (not to be confused with the National Shrine, although if you dig churches, it might be worth the trip to Catholic University. It's on metro's Red Line). Construction lasted more than 100 years.

If you have more than a couple days..my son and I really enjoyed the National Cathedral..As it's off the beaten track (but you can take a bus) it wasn't so crowded as other places..The windows are spectacular.. I've seen many churches in Europe and I was impressed.
Very relaxing and a nice change. I also liked the Library of Congress..for the architecture..the inside was restored..it's beautiful..and less crowded than many places..got a tour just walking in ..no reservation..in July. My son liked it too. DC is a great experience for kids..your daughter will love it.

As a resident, may I offer my two cents worth/ All of the advice on this thread is great. One idea: try to stay downtown, no more than a 10-minute walk to the Mall. What about the Marriott on Pa. Ave. at about 13th Street. It may eb a bit expensive, but you're here only four days. The ride in on Metro is just fine, but it's takes time.

Try to divide up the city and allocate one day to each piece. For example, devote one day to the Lincoln Memorial end of the Mall ... see Lincoln, Vietnam (Wall, Nurses, Traditonal), Korean, FDR, Arlington Cemetery (JFK, Changing of the Guard), Tidal Basin and Jefferson. Full day.

Do Capitol Hill one morning, and see both House and Senate sides, plus the Capitol Builidng. Then come down onto the Mall and see the Air and Space, and corss to the other side to National Gallery (incl. East Extension).

Spend one day seeing everything between Capitol Hill and Lincoln. Museums, and us the morning of this day to go to the White House on their tour. If you stay at Marriott, you can walk there in five minutes.

Then use your fourth day to see Rosslyn (Newseum, for example), ride the subway out to National Airport and see the new terminal (a lot of original art!), then continue out to Old Town (exit at King Street Station). Have lunch, take a boat trip back to DC and get off in Georgetown, and see that area. Then Metro from Foggy Bottom back to Metro Center, and walk to the Marriott. Or walk Pa. Ave. back to your hotel (about 45 minutes), a chance to see downtown and go past the front of the White House.

Anyway, you get the picture. It does work to see DC this way ... and you will go home exhausted, but happy. Have fun in DC. Ciao

Wow, I'm overwhelmed with the responses, and great advise. Thank you to all who responded.

As I said I have not been there since I was a teen, and completely forgot the Ford Museum, although I'm sure my daughter would not have let me.

I appreciated the info on the ballgowns of the first ladies as well as the website information.

Breaking out the city in sections was a great suggestion as well.

Visiting places like D.C. there is too little time and too much to do, and would like to see as much as possible.

Thanks again.

I took my girls when they were 9 and 12. Stayed in Arlington and Alexandria. Hotels a little less expensive, safer neighborhoods, and within a block of subway. Take subway - its easy and no hassle. FBI building was their favorite, mine Smithsonian. Holocaust Museum is quite graphic. Not a good choice for young kids. All government buildings are free. FOod is expensive in Capital Mall. Pack a lunch!! Go early to Washington Monument. If you want to go to Old Exec. Office building you must contact your senator!! Be sure to take in Mt. Vernon and outlying areas.

I was just in DC this past weekend. Just wanted to let you know that the Washington Monument was closed for renovations. I wanted to go to the top, so I was really disappointed.

I am planning a trip to DC in June. These responses are all very helpful. My son has been studying government, US history, Presidents, etc. this year in school and that is the main reason for our trip. He's very interested in the Lincoln Memorial, Fords Theater, the White House,and especially the Smithsonian.

Does anyone have any information/comments about the Summerfield Suites Hotel Embassy Square on N Street NW ? We prefer a suite for a little more room plus we are taking my mother-in-law with us. We are also driving to DC.
Thank you for your help.

Becky