gail

Husband is in DC on business and adult son is flying down tomorrow to spend long weekend "doing something interesting". They have hotel 1/2 block from Metro, so can get anywhere.

Have done the usual 1st visit basics (Capitol, Air & Space, National Gallery, Supreme Court, Arlington, Spy Museum).

Any thoughts on something to do to at least tolerate the heat that is a little unusual or in 2nd or 3rd tier of usual tourist sites. They may go to Nationals baseball or possibly Mt. Vernon.

MikeT

Mt. Vernon is nice, except there is no place to escape the heat into AC except their new visitor center.

There are plenty of other museums in town, depending on what they like. The Building museum--about architecture and urban design--is off the beaten path and less crowded.

What do they like to do? What are their interests?

gail

Thanks. Son is a computer art student college student (I posted earlier and got art suggestions). He says he wants to see things that "are authentic to Washington" - whatever that means. Husband will go anywhere son wants to go since he is thrilled 21 year old son wants to spend any time with him.

emd

Did you get suggestion for the new Museum of American Art (which shares the wonderful old Patent Office bldg. with the National Portrait Gallery)? Your son might like the neon and video art displays (things like the big neon map of the USA with video screens representing each state, etc., and folk art (esp the foil art the man worked on in his garage for 30 yrs, that is so incredibly different) there. And the National Portait Gallery is very Washington w/all the official portraits of the Presidents. The inside of the old Patent Bldg. is very cool; part of it looks like a street in New Orelans to me, w/wrought iron balconies inside the bldg. There is a neat outdoor cafe to get a drink in that bldg where you can see out over Penn Quarter.

It is all very D.C. and very unique.

emd

http://americanart.si.edu/museum_info/index.cfm

and

http://www.npg.si.edu/

travelgirl2

What a lucky father and son to get to spend some time together. They'll probably have a great time, no matter what they do...

We liked the National Cryptologic Museum. It's outside of DC. We drove there - not sure if you could get there by metro/bus.

"The National Cryptologic Museum (Colony Seven Road, Fort Meade, Md.; 301-688-5849; www.nsa.gov/museum), operated by the National Security Agency, is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on the first and third Saturdays of the month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free. From Washington, take Maryland Route 295, the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, or I-95, north to Route 32 East. Exit onto Canine Road and turn left onto Colony Seven Road."

maddognj

I grew up in DC suburbs. I spent many summers entertaining visitors. Key to surviving is staying indoors during the day hitting the hotel pool late afternoon and touring the monuments at night. Indoor suggestions. May seem strange but they are worth the trip: 1. Library of Congress. Huge place. Every book imaginable.Cool.
2. The new Indian Museum.
At night you must hit the Vietnam Veterans memorial and the others nearby (Lincoln, Korean, etc...). People always there all hours of the night.
If your son wants to get a taste of DC at night, take the Metro to

maddognj

I grew up in DC suburbs. I spent many summers entertaining visitors. Key to surviving is staying indoors during the day hitting the hotel pool late afternoon and touring the monuments at night. Mt Vernon in August during the day will make you cry.
Indoor suggestions. May seem strange but they are worth the trip: 1. Library of Congress. Huge place. Every book imaginable.Cool.
2. The new Indian Museum. On the mall.
At night you must hit the Vietnam Veterans memorial and the others nearby (Lincoln, Korean, etc...). People always there all hours of the night.
If your son wants to get a taste of DC at night check out the Birchmere in Alexandria. Its a local club that has launched many careers. Actually, hit the Birchmere followed by the monuments. Thats a great night.

basingstoke2

Friday and Saturday will be ONLY 96-97 dropping to a cool 88 on Sunday. You might like to metro over to Alexandria, VA and visit the Torpedo Factory where you can watch artists working in their studios. Also ditto on the new American Indian Museum - the architecture is special and IMO their cafeteria has the best "fast food" in town. The cafeteria is divided into sections each serving a semblance of native food of a different north and Central American regions. It is good and different than usual fare. Btw, there is a good possibility of thunder storms on Saturday.

RandyK

Mount Vernon's new museums could take a better part of the day. Certainly makes the visit here even more worthwhile. Admission to everything is $12.

Also, EVERYONE we've sent to the International Spy Museum (800 F Street NW) has had a great time. If I remember correctly it's about $16 per person.

As an fyi, Nats game is a night game both Friday and Saturday with an afternoon game on Sunday. Enjoy!

Anonymous

Mt. Vernon wold be at the very bottom of my list of things to do on a very hot day. As mentioned above, stay in the air conditioning during the day if possible. Look into various Smithsonian museums, we enjoy the Museum of Natural History, Postal Museum and the Building Museum (which has the best gift shop in DC).

petitepois

Old Town Alexandria is charming and there's a water taxi that will take you down the Potomoc to Mt Vernon.

gail

Thanks everyone - this is exactly the kind of info I wanted.

smetz

gail, if your husband and son like history, I have found that one of the most interesting things in DC is Ford's theater, scene of Lincoln's assasination by JW Booth. It's a national park, so you can check their US website. You can tour the theater including the presidential box, and about every half-hour a "park ranger) comes on to the stage and tells the story of the events leading up to the assasination, the shooting itself, and the aftermath. It's a fascinating story, and given that it was only about 150 years ago and you are sitting in the very same place it happened, its quite vivid. Then, they also have a museum which used to be in the basement, containing amazing artifacts such as the gun Booth used, and the outfit that Lincoln wore that night. Then once you complete the theater tour you can walk across 10th street and tour the house where Lincoln was taken after the shooting, containing the bedroom in which he died the following morning.

Ruff

Actually a 21 year old might prefer the 9:30 Club to the Birchmere, but Dad might not!

I love going to see the Nats, but RFK when it is in the 90s is not my idea of fun.

Dukey

OK..."authentic to Washington" often means the monuments (yes, it will be hot and humid...get up early) such as the FDR, The VietNam, The WW II, The Korean Conflict.

Holocaust Museum a possibility or too grim an idea?