>>8/12 (Sun.) – Visit Colonial Williamsburg or Jamestown Settlement and have dinner at King’s Arms Tavern. <<

Since you have one day dedicated to this and if budget is an issue, I'd chose Jamestown Settlement over CW. The difference in ticket price for a family of four between the two is substantial. if your kids were slightly older or if you were going to be around for more than a day, I'd give the nod to CW.

Jamestown has plenty to engage a 6 & 8 year old for a few hours. You can still visit some of CW without a ticket -- things your kids might enjoy like some of the gardens, the colonial shops, and the animals.

I also agree traffic DC to Williamsburg can be a bear on summer Saturdays. You all probably won't be leaving Reagan National before 2:30 In the afternoon so you might miss some of the beach traffic. But check your GPS for congestion on I95 and I64. People here can offer a few suggestions for alternates that might alleviate some of the snarl.

I replaced Baltimore and Mt. Vernon with days at Virginia Beach. Thanks for the feedback.

8/8 (Wed.) – United depart ORD at 11, arrive DCA at 1:48. Drive down to Williamsburg (2.5 hour). Stay at Hampton Inn & Suites Williamsburg. Book a dinner at King’s Arms Tavern.

8/9 (Thurs.) – Visit Busch Gardens.

8/10 (Fri.) – Visit Jamestown Settlement (9 AM), have lunch at King’s Arms Tavern (11:30). Note: go back to Jamestown Settlement after lunch if there is more to see. Drive to Virginia Beach and check into Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Virginia Beach (North Beach).

8/11 (Sat.) - Visit Virginia Beach.

8/12 (Sun.) - Visit Virginia Beach. 4 hour drive back to Washington DC area. Check into Embassy Suites, Washington D.C. (1250 2nd Street NW).

8/13 (Mon.) – Visit Natural History Museum, take metro to Etete for lunch, Capitol building Tour (reserve tour)

8/14 (Tues.) – Air and Space Museum and American History Museum. Visit Pitango for gelato.

8/15 (Wed.) – Visit Bureau of Engraving (morning) and National Archives (reserve tour for afternoon). Check into Hampton Inn in Annapolis ($159/night).

8/16 (Thurs.) – Pirate Adventures on the Chesapeake at Annapolis at 9:30. Go to Cantler’s for seafood at open (11:00). Visit Calvert Cliffs or someother beach in the area? Check into Hampton Inn & Suites National Harbor/Alexandria Area

8/17 (Fri.) – United depart from DCA at 11:45, arrive 12:53

If you like the old downtown location of the Air & Space Museum, make a trip out to Chantilly to see the bigger things out there. http://www.nasm.si.edu/visit/hours.cfm
Today the space shuttle Discovery made its final flight and landed at Dulles.
I see that parking is $15 unless you get dropped off.

I saw it from the window.

Is the National Air and Space Museum at Chantilly better than the Air and Space Museum in downtown Washington DC? Are the plans at Chantilly similar to the ones on the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier? We visited the carrier last summer.

Great thread. You are well on your way with trip planning...I am behind you and I am going in June! I do least have my hotels and my requests in for the Capitol and White House tours.

Good to know about 6 Flags as I had been planning to go there for a day off from the city.

>>Is the National Air and Space Museum at Chantilly better than the Air and Space Museum in downtown Washington DC? <<

It's pretty impressive but I wouldn't say it is better than the NASM on the mall. You'll spend the better part of two hours getting out to Chantilly and back. I'd stay downtown and make sure you keep that date for gelato at Pitango.