Sightseeing Itinerary
Oct 18th, 2004 | 10:25 AM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 14
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Sightseeing Itinerary
My husband, 2 sons, and I are visiting Washington D.C. for the first time this weekend. I looked at the recommended 3-day visit on this website and I think it had good ideas, but wanted some additional input.
We will have a 1/2 day Thurs, and full days on Fri and Sat. The website suggests walking the entire Mall and looking at everything there one day, then on the next day visit two museums, the third suggestion is visiting Georgetown to shop, eat, and do a bit of sight seeing. I don't think that will interest our 10 and 13 year old, and I'm not sure it's making the best use of our very limited time. Any further suggestions?
We will have a 1/2 day Thurs, and full days on Fri and Sat. The website suggests walking the entire Mall and looking at everything there one day, then on the next day visit two museums, the third suggestion is visiting Georgetown to shop, eat, and do a bit of sight seeing. I don't think that will interest our 10 and 13 year old, and I'm not sure it's making the best use of our very limited time. Any further suggestions?
Oct 18th, 2004 | 12:43 PM
#2
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 268
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The Spy Museum is a good bet with teenagers. You can do the mall in one day but you will be tired.
I would split it and do Arlington Cemetary and the bottom half of the mall one day. Then the requisite White House peek/White House Visitor Center and the rest of the mall and Archives to the Capital on the second day. Depending on your time, you could do the Washington Monument either day.
Everyone likes Air and Space for some reason. I prefer American History. Both A&S and Natural History have Imax Theaters. Depending on the museum you pick, you throw it in on whichever day you are near it (A&S is near the Capital).
For a 1/2 day, you could visit Jefferson Memorial or the zoo if we are having nice fall weather. Bureau of Engraving and Printing is also a good place to get a tour.
Have fun. (For food - bottom half of mall - Old Post office pavillion on Penn Ave. Top half - Union Station Food court)
~gnr~
I would split it and do Arlington Cemetary and the bottom half of the mall one day. Then the requisite White House peek/White House Visitor Center and the rest of the mall and Archives to the Capital on the second day. Depending on your time, you could do the Washington Monument either day.
Everyone likes Air and Space for some reason. I prefer American History. Both A&S and Natural History have Imax Theaters. Depending on the museum you pick, you throw it in on whichever day you are near it (A&S is near the Capital).
For a 1/2 day, you could visit Jefferson Memorial or the zoo if we are having nice fall weather. Bureau of Engraving and Printing is also a good place to get a tour.
Have fun. (For food - bottom half of mall - Old Post office pavillion on Penn Ave. Top half - Union Station Food court)
~gnr~
Oct 18th, 2004 | 07:50 PM
#3
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 257
Likes: 0
Dont forget to reserve online for your trip to the Washington Monument. It will save you lots of time waiting in line. Also, check with your Senator for tickets to Bureau of Printing and Engraving so you dont have to wait in line for them. It is kinda late, but your Senator might also be able to arrange a tour of the capital for you. That is very worthwhile if you can get it worked out for Friday afternoon! Have fun!
Oct 18th, 2004 | 10:13 PM
#4
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,266
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Decide which museums will really appeal to your group. Check out websites for the museums, so you can see exactly what they have, or check an Eyewitness guidebook out from your local library. Definitely get input from your kids.
For our kids, 5 and 8 at the time, we decided on Air and Space, the National Gallery (really), the American History Museum, and the Natural History Museum only for the Gems exhibit. We ended up spending most of a day at the Air and Space Museum; we all enjoyed that. The Bureau of Printing and Engraving, I think, was closed when we were there, or some such thing. We didn't feel the Holacaust Museum was appropriate for our age group, but I'd consider it for older kids.
We visited the Capital, which I enjoyed but the kids were bored with. We walked past the Supreme Court (not in session at the time) and visited the Postal Museum (only fun for younger kids).
We spent half a day visiting most of the monuments. We had a cab drop us off at the Lincoln Memorial, then visited the Vietnam Memorial, then over to the Jefferson Memorial, ending up with our internet-ordered tickets to the Washington Monument. We'd visited the FDR memorial the evening before. (The WWII memorial wasn't completed when we visited.) All of those were worth the visit.
My 8-yr-old loved the Spy Museum, and I liked it too, but we all burned out on the first (top) floor, and didn't give the other floors the time we could have. It's open later than the museums on the Mall, so you can time this one for later in the day.
For our kids, 5 and 8 at the time, we decided on Air and Space, the National Gallery (really), the American History Museum, and the Natural History Museum only for the Gems exhibit. We ended up spending most of a day at the Air and Space Museum; we all enjoyed that. The Bureau of Printing and Engraving, I think, was closed when we were there, or some such thing. We didn't feel the Holacaust Museum was appropriate for our age group, but I'd consider it for older kids.
We visited the Capital, which I enjoyed but the kids were bored with. We walked past the Supreme Court (not in session at the time) and visited the Postal Museum (only fun for younger kids).
We spent half a day visiting most of the monuments. We had a cab drop us off at the Lincoln Memorial, then visited the Vietnam Memorial, then over to the Jefferson Memorial, ending up with our internet-ordered tickets to the Washington Monument. We'd visited the FDR memorial the evening before. (The WWII memorial wasn't completed when we visited.) All of those were worth the visit.
My 8-yr-old loved the Spy Museum, and I liked it too, but we all burned out on the first (top) floor, and didn't give the other floors the time we could have. It's open later than the museums on the Mall, so you can time this one for later in the day.
Oct 19th, 2004 | 06:59 AM
#6
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 268
Likes: 0
Karen - This is the first post he made but since he didn't post on this thread that he started a new one, I saw this one and answered it. Then mommybryant came along and answered as well.
On the one you answered he says he started it because this one had a non-specific title, however, his mistake was not "closing" this one, not starting a new thread.
~gnr~
On the one you answered he says he started it because this one had a non-specific title, however, his mistake was not "closing" this one, not starting a new thread.
~gnr~
