Hello!

My husband and I are traveling to Winchester, VA for a conference in mid-July and traveling over to stay in Arlington for a couple nights to go see Washington, D.C.

First, where do you suggest staying? We want to park the car and leave it at the hotel. Cheap or fee parking preferred, of course! But we also prefer convenience to the tomb of the unknown soldier and the metro to get into D.C. I would like to budget around $150/night for the hotel including parking is possible.

Second, what do you suggest we see? We will really only have two good days to see stuff in D. C. Our last day will be a partial day before we have to start driving home. I'm thinking our last day will be spent doing things near where we stay in Arlington. My husband has never been to D. C. before and he is very excited and LOVES history. I have been before so I definitely want to plan this trip for him. Smithsonian is a must in my mind. Where else?

Thank you so much in advance for your help!

Hilton Garden Inn Courthouse Plaza.
And do visit the National Portrait Museum, it's a must.

Can't help with the hotels, I usually stay in one of the Crystal City Marriotts on top of the metro, but I don't have a car.

As for what to see, it's entirely dependent on what interests you, and there are loads of choices. I visit the Sackler and the Freer, but hardly anyone else does. But I also like the Newseum, which is usually packed. Pick up a couple of guidebooks (try your library or settle in at Barnes and Noble with a cup of coffee) and pick what interests you and your husband.

If you want to tour Congress and/or the White House you need to arrange that ahead of time. Again, the guidebooks will tell you how. If you visit Congress don't miss the Library of Congress across the street.

Look up the Smithsonian online. It is not one museum, it's a lot of museums, and you will need to choose since your time is so limited.

See the monuments at night, to save time. It will be beastly hot in July, but far more tolerable after dark.

We have enjoyed docent-led tours of the Supreme Court and the Library of Congress as well as the US Capitol Visitor's Center. You can set up a tour with a staffer through your representative's office, or just go on your own. It's too late to arrange a White House tour, I bet, but again, your time is so short, that's really not a big deal.

Arlington Cemetery can take half a day in and of itself.

The great thing about the Smithsonian museums is they're free, so you can pop in and out.

For a less-than-two-days visit, I'd probably visit the Museum of American History, maybe Air & Space if the topic is of interest, the monuments (in particular Lincoln and Jefferson, but all of them are worth the time/walk) walk by the White House, Capitol and Supreme Court, Arlington cemetery. I love the Newseum, but I need at least a half day there. The Holocaust Museum is something I think everyone should visit, as is the National Archives. I love the Portrait Museum, in particular the presidential portraits. The Library of Congress is an amazing building, which I didn't see until at least my 10th visit to DC.

As NewBe says, in July you're better off seeing the monuments at night. They look good lit up in any case. I was there in July last year (my sister was visiting or I wouldn't have been there then) and we took the Grey Line coach tour. I had done it before and it saves an awful lot of walking.

I agree with this.

And yes, DC is, in general, a lot of walking! If the OP is concerned about that, there are workarounds...