OT: Planning Washington D.C. Visit - needing help

[jaxaldawg]

My family is planning a vacation to the Washington D.C. area this summer. We've never been there and would like some help in our planning. If you've been there, what areas would you plan to stay in? What areas would you avoid (bad neighborhoods for hotels, etc)? Would you go into D.C. by car or take public transportation? Anything you can offer would be more than I know now.

FYI. It should be me, my wife, and our 11 year old son.

Thanks!
.

 

[Swede39]

First time poster/long time reader* I have not posted in the past since I played for the Bulldogs but I couldn't resist to help a fellow bulldawg out here.

I went twice in 2015. Once for business, the other for pleasure.

I'm a Marriott person so I used points and we stayed at the JW Marriott on Pennsylvania Ave. It was pretty sweet. The second time I went (for business) they put us up in the Capital Hilton. Either or was great due to location however, I'm not sure of your budget as both of these hotels can get pricey.
If you do choose a hotel kind of out of the way, look for Marriott's or other brands similar that are within walking distance of the Metro. You can just about go anywhere you want to go on the Metro.

Both times I flew in to DC, I hopped on the Metro to get to my hotel. We also used the Metro to get to the things we wanted to tour.

If you want to do tours, I'd highly recommend DC Tours by Foot. http://www.freetoursbyfoot.com/washington-dc-tours/ They are free however you can choose to tip the guide at the end of the tour if you feel necessary. We toured with them through the National Mall and did another tour with them through Arlington Cemetery. I will say again, they are totally worth it. Just make sure you go on their website and set up a time before hand, like a reservation.

We also toured the White House while we were there. If this interests you, get in touch with your Senator and someone from their office will help you out. They can also assist you with a tour of the Capitol building as well. Side note - Our tour of the Capitol building through our Senator's office was just so-so. Cool that we were in the Capitol but that's about it.

DC is a foodie paradise if you're into that. That's the main reason I went. Check out Founding Farmers(go early), Pearl Dive Oyster Bar, Old Ebbitt Grill, and Ted's Bulletin. If you're a foodie, give Zaytinya a try.

Misc things to note:
-Bring your camera if you have one. It's worth it and does better than your cell phone.
-Check out the Jefferson Memorial at night if you can. It's unbelievable
-Check out Arlington Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (preferably by tour if all possible)
-There's an option to take an elevator up in the Washington Memorial (we didn't do it but looked cool). You have to make a reservation ahead of time.
-Most if not all museums there are actually free so take advantage. Smithsonian, etc.
-If it's your thing, we saw a play/musical in Ford's Theater where Lincoln was shot. That was pretty cool.

I applaud you for taking your family up to DC. It's one of the coolest trips I've done. I had to constantly hold back my redneck and not grow long sideburns, grab a Pabst, and yell 'Merica the entire time I was there.

 

[RocketDawg]

Stay in the Virginia burbs, near a Metro station, and take the train everywhere you go. There's no place to park in DC and traffic can be an issue. A nice place to stay is Crystal City, near Reagan National. There's a Metro (subway) station there, a huge underground shopping mall, many hotels, and you can be downtown in about 10 minutes. You could also stay in Alexandria or Arlington.

Plan to do a lot of walking. Go to all the Smithsonian museums ... and they're huge ... spend some time in them. You can see the Declaration of Independence in the Archives; and FBI tour is nice; if you have time, plan ahead for a White House tour (I think you have to go through your Congressman); go to the Capitol; the Library of Congress is there if you like that sort of thing. Visit all the monuments. Don't miss the changing of the guard at the Arlington Cemetery ... it's very touching.

There is almost a infinite number of things to do in Washington, and most of them are free. It's a beautiful city and a fantastic place to vacation.

Stay out of the DC neighborhoods, especially at night. In fact, you might not even want to be in DC anywhere at night .... Stick with the touristy areas.

 

[Daddy Rabbit Dawg]

My family went last June and had a great time. Use public transportation, either cabs or Metro...both work great. As far as hotels, we stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn on First St. in the NE quadrant of the city and had no problems at all...it was a little further out, but it didn't matter because a Metro stop was about 100 yards away. The bad thing about it was there were no restaurants nearby, but it was less expensive than ones closer to the capital. Be prepared to do a lot of walking and it was much hotter than I anticipated. All the sights you want to see are pretty much within walking distance around the Mall/Capital area. The monuments are all cool, but do not miss going to the National Gallery of Art. Your 11 year old probably won't enjoy it as much, but it's an amazing place. Oh yeah, and there will be a shitload of people, so be prepared to by patient. I thought the Newseum was great as well. It's the only place where you have to pay because it's a private museum, but it was worth the $22/person. Take a trip out to Georgetown if you have time...lots of neat shops and some restaurants overlooking the Potomac. If you make it to Arlington, make sure you have plenty of time and whatever you do, don't miss the changing of the guard of the Unknown Soldier...goosebumps for any American. Senator Wicker has "coffee meet and greet" on Tuesdays for his constituents. Contact his office and they'll arrange everything, including a private tour of the capital by one of his staff. Roger and his staff were very accommodating and this is a don't miss if it fits into your schedule. I'm sure I'll think of other things, but this is a start.

 

[thekimmer]

Personally, I wouldn't stay in DC. The vast majority of things to see in DC are not in good walking distance from the DC hotels anyway and the metro is a very easy and very safe was to get around and will get you to the safer burbs in just a few minutes. Might consider old town alexandria as a place to stay. There is an embassy suites right across from the king street metro station that worked really well for my family some years ago plus a good bfast every AM. Plus old town alexandria is a pretty neat place with lots of old cobblestone streets, shops and restaurant choices. Go see all of the monuments of course. There is a jump on jump off shuttle that you might want to consider that can save you some shoe leather. Prolly too late to get passes to tour white house but you can try. If you go to your rep/senators office lot of times they will help you with a tour of the capitol. Smithsonian is a must of course but plan carefully. Depends on what you like. My top 3 are Air and Space, American history, Natural history. Bottom 3, Museum of american indian, Hirshhorn, National zoo (its OK just nothing special from any other zoo). American gallery of art is good. Archives is good. There are also other that are more off the beaten path like Fords Theatre, Holocaust museum (very sobering) and national cathedral. Never been but many like the Spy museum next to Ford's Theatre but there is an admission fee to that. FBI museum used to be cool but I think its closed to public now. There are literally hundreds of other little monuments, memorials, etc aside from the big ones. If you are up for side trips annapolis and the naval academy are pretty cool. If you go, eat at ruth and chicks delly. Best crab cakes ever.

Be warned. It will be hot and humid as hades in the summer.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

Good posts so far.

Definite to dos:

The Smithsonians
Arlington
National Archives

I would also add if you get a chance, hit up the Spy Museum. It's one of the most underrated museums in DC.



And use the Metro or if you're in a pinch use a cab. There's zero parking.

Old Ebbitt is one of my favorite places to eat. The Monocle is an neat place to eat. There's been many political deals done over dinner at the Monocle.

 

[LexSCDOG]

Falls Church

Been a few times, stay at Falls Church, there are a few(Hilton, Marriott brands) hotels near the trains. They will also bus you there if need be. Also stayed at the Sheraton in Pentagon City right there at the train station. You must eat at Tortilla Coast near the Archives, I believe. Great tex mex and everyone goes there. Skip the Indian Smithsonian. White House tours can take up to 6 mths to get through your Congressman if you don't have a inside, so act quickly. Been 4 or 5 times, normally Falls Church, Fairfax, Arlington or Pentagon City is where I stay, never take a car into DC buy the 7 day pass and don't worry about what you don't use, it is worth it.

My family is planning a vacation to the Washington D.C. area this summer. We've never been there and would like some help in our planning. If you've been there, what areas would you plan to stay in? What areas would you avoid (bad neighborhoods for hotels, etc)? Would you go into D.C. by car or take public transportation? Anything you can offer would be more than I know now.

FYI. It should be me, my wife, and our 11 year old son.

Thanks!
.

 

[johnson86-1]

My family is planning a vacation to the Washington D.C. area this summer. We've never been there and would like some help in our planning. If you've been there, what areas would you plan to stay in? What areas would you avoid (bad neighborhoods for hotels, etc)? Would you go into D.C. by car or take public transportation? Anything you can offer would be more than I know now.

FYI. It should be me, my wife, and our 11 year old son.

Thanks!
.

Can't help with where to stay but the metro can get you most places. The only exception really is Georgetown and Adams Morgan (neither of which is where an 11 year old wants to go anyway), Mt. Vernon, and Monticello.

(1) Capitol Tour - The best way to do this is a private tour with a knowledgeable staffer. Most of them however, are not as good as the red coats. It just depends on whether you want someobdy that gives the tours as their job, or if you want the advantage of being with a private group. A good twist is the "front of the line tour" with the red coats. Basically your Congressman/Senator will have a staffer drop you off with a red coat at the front of the line in order to avoid the wait. They were complaining about this so this may not be an option anymore.

(2) Smithsonium - the museums are awesome and you could really do 5 full days at the museums. That would be terrible to do 5 consecutive days, but there's that much cool stuff. I'd probably plan on spending a day going through all the museums relatively quickly to see what you like, and then maybe come back for two half days to really dig into the stuff you like. For me it would be the aerospace museum and the natural history museum.

(2a) Didn't mention, but of course the mall and all the memorials right around it.

(3) Spy musuem - Sort of cheesy, but actually has a lot of interesting info for older people, and your eleven year old will probably love it.

(4) Holocaust Museum - I'd skip with an 11 year old, but it's interesting. Depressing and disturbing, but interesting.

(5) Arlington - Must see

(6) Mt. Vernon/Monticello - Monticello was more impressive, but I remember it taking longer. Might be worth renting a car and trying to do Arlington and one of these on the same day. Can't remember if they're in the same direction or not.

(7) Wizards/Nats/Capitols game - Depending on what time of year you're going and whether you like sports.

(8) Baltimore day trip? - harbor area was neat; think their aquarium is supposed to be pretty decent.

 

[jaxaldawg]

Thanks for all of the info so far. This is just the kind of info I'm looking for. Keep it coming if you have it!

 

[rem101]

Wear comfortable shoes. You'll walk A LOT visiting all the museums/monuments. We would go 10-12 miles a day (will vary depending on where you stay/get on metro).

 

[o_fredgarvin]

If you have a car, go the the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum annex near Dulles airport. Accomodates much larger aircraft aircraft than the one on the mall.

If you like Civil War history, the Battle of Bull Run park is probably 15-20 minutes further east.

I will second the suggestion for the Spy Museum. It is private so you'll have to pay. But it is very well done and your kids will love it.

 

[HeCannotGo]

Great trip idea for an 11-year-old. He'll have a blast. We took two family trips to DC when my daughters were about that age. My suggestions:

1. Stay near a metro station. No need for a car. The metro will take you where you want to go.

2. Arlington is a must, especially the changing of the guard ceremony. Chills (even in the 98 degree summer heat).

3. Ford's Theater (where Lincoln was killed) is well worth a visit. You spend a few minutes in the theater itself and then go across the street to the house where they took the wounded Lincoln. The house is well-preserved and the bed where Lincoln died is there, complete with blood stains on the pillow case.

4. Washington Monument is fun. Get tickets in advance if you can.

5. Monuments by Moonlight is a tour that my whole family enjoyed. It starts at Union Station (which is worth checking out on its own) and then a tram/bus drives you around to the Lincoln, FDR, Vietnam and Korean memorials (perhaps others as well). The bus driver/guide provides great background info on the city and the various sites. Our last trip there was about 7 years ago, but my kids still remember some of anecdotes the tour guide told us

6. The Smithsonian Museums are great (and free). Your son will love the air and space museum.

 

[camsu1]

Pentagon City has all the hotel chains and plenty of places to eat. Has Metro and if you use the jump on jump of bus tours they have stop.

Must see:
Arlington Cem
Lincoln and Jefferson at NIGHT - outstanding
Mt Vernon is a nice break from the crowds

No car - just Metro and bus tours
If you want to watch Congress in action if they ever are, you need to book now with your Congressperson same for WH tour

 

[BulldogBacker]

I lived in the D.C. area for 6 years. I endorse staying in the Pentagon City area, also the Crystal City area of Arlington. Here is a checklist depending on your taste:

1. Smithsonian: Is is huge and free! There are displays of everything from Space Capsules to the Wright Brothers first airplane.

2. Wolf Trap Farm Park: check the schedule, there is everything from the ballet to rock concerts there in the summer, and you can get cheap tickets and sit on the grass and listen to a Philharmonic Orchestra or a Metropolitan Opera or U2.

3. The Kennedy Center: Check the schedule and reserve tickets.

4. Arlington National Cemetery: Go at the changing of the guards. Check the internet for times.

5. Ford Theater: Where Lincoln was assassinated.

6. The National Museum of Art.

7. The United States Department of Treasury.

Also, stay near a Metro Station. I used to live less than 2 blocks from the Clarendon Orange Line Station and could walk to the Metro and take the Metro to the Pentagon when I worked.

 

[msstatelp1]

2. Arlington is a must, especially the changing of the guard ceremony. Chills (even in the 98 degree summer heat).

5. Monuments by Moonlight is a tour that my whole family enjoyed. It starts at Union Station (which is worth checking out on its own) and then a tram/bus drives you around to the Lincoln, FDR, Vietnam and Korean memorials (perhaps others as well). The bus driver/guide provides great background info on the city and the various sites. Our last trip there was about 7 years ago, but my kids still remember some of anecdotes the tour guide told us

6. The Smithsonian Museums are great (and free). Your son will love the air and space museum.

If your time and/or $$$ are limited, these would be the biggest bag for your buck IMHO.

Every American should visit Arlington National Cemetery. If you do nothing else, this is #1.

Did the Monuments by Moonlight a few years back and the memorials (especially the Vietnam and Korean War memorials) take on a totally different persona at night.

One of these days, I plan to go back to the Smithsonian and spend as much time as possible going thru all of its museums.

 

[III.sixpack]

Great steak restaurant is the "Prime Rib" The best and most unusual menu item is a prime rib bone- in cooked like a steak. Worth the high price. It is somewhere around 22nd and K

 

[III.sixpack]

Try the Prime rib restaurant near 22nd and K. All meat is great; but pricey. Try the Prime Ribe bone-in cook like a steak==WOW

 

[archdog]

My family is planning a vacation to the Washington D.C. area this summer. We've never been there and would like some help in our planning. If you've been there, what areas would you plan to stay in? What areas would you avoid (bad neighborhoods for hotels, etc)? Would you go into D.C. by car or take public transportation? Anything you can offer would be more than I know now.

FYI. It should be me, my wife, and our 11 year old son.

Thanks!
.

I would stay next to the capital building near the mall. If you hit every Smithsonian building on the mall it will pretty much take you 3-4 days. All free. Go by the Lincoln Memorial and the Vietnam Memorial. Pretty much walk the entire mall. Its easy and free. DC is probably the coolest place I have been in the US. Other than my trip throughout Europe, DC had the most to offer as far as awesome sites to visit. You can't beat all the free activities you can do in DC though.

If you have time, go to the air and space museum out by the airport. It's a long trip from DC, but they have a SR71 blackbird and the space shuttle out there. Definitely worth it if you are heading to the airport anyway. Just schedule a late flight and head out there in the morning. Also check which days which attraction is open. I think some of the buildings are closed on certain days. Other than those things, Google DC attractions.

 

[mcain31]

My recommendations are
The National Spy Museum
A glass-bottom boat ride on the Potomac
National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, VA
A Nationals Game
Mount Vernon
Old Alexandria
Foggy bottom

 

[Bulldog Bruce]

I agree about Va burbs. Tysons Corner and MacLean are also a great locations. Tysons Corner has two malls and one is extremely high end stuff.

If you like planes and rockets the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space part of the Smithsonian is a must. It is the only one that costs for parking because it is not on the Mall area. It is out by Dulles. If you are getting a rental car make sure it has a fastpass. that allows you to go on the toll roads and not have to deal with stopping to pay. If you are driving look into getting it for the trip.

I think Mount Vernon is also a must.

All the other places mentioned are great. just do research on the different Smithsonian Museums before you go so you are not overwhelmed when you get there.

My Wife also used Old Town Trolley. Look online for it. It allowed you to buy a multiday hop on and off tours and took them to multiple places in the city. They have a bunch of trollies going so it was only a 15 or so minute wait at most when they wanted to go to the next destination. This way you pay a flat rate for all your transportation for the day(s).

Washington DC is a must see for all Americans. I have been going there since the 60s and it has changed tremendously over the years. It really is almost like the Hunger Games. You can see our money is going there and not coming back in full. Quite a bit of it is getting stuck in the Capital.

 

[Pedro.sixpack]

My family is planning a vacation to the Washington D.C. area this summer. We've never been there and would like some help in our planning. If you've been there, what areas would you plan to stay in? What areas would you avoid (bad neighborhoods for hotels, etc)? Would you go into D.C. by car or take public transportation? Anything you can offer would be more than I know now.

FYI. It should be me, my wife, and our 11 year old son.

Thanks!
.

If you and your family have never been to DC don't waste your time staying in crystal city or anywhere in northern Virginia. Stay in the city. There are plenty of things within walking distance from any hotel. Stay in the city, experience DC. The jw Marriott recommended is a good place and good location. I lived there for 6 months. Also check out courtyard Marriott on the corner of F and 9th across the street from the spy museum.

 

[was21]

As a long time federal employee with many trips to Washington I can attest to your advice..brings back lots of memories. Northern Virginia is a beautiful area.

 

[RocketDawg]

As was I (federal employee), as well as Navy in Crystal City. Seems like I spent half my life in Washington and the other half in California.

 

[RocketDawg]

A couple of other things:

1. The Washington Navy Yard (near RFK Stadium as I recall, on the south side) is a good place to visit and I don't know if they do it still or not, but I went to a musical there that they have once a week during the summer. The talent level of musicians and actors in the Navy and Marines is astounding. And it's free.

2. Go about a hundred miles south to Williamsburg and Jamestown, maybe on your way back. Your 11 year old will thank you. Not necessarily free, but a must-see if you're in the mid-Atlantic area. And in Yorktown, there's the Mariner's Museum that I enjoyed. That whole area is the definition of history.

 

[woozman]

This thread was well timed. Would some of you mind prioritizing some must see stuff from your suggestions if one has very limited time? I am flying up in March for some meetings and I have only been there once (the late '80s) when I went on a school trip.

I fly in around noon on Day 1 and have a dinner to attend, but will have 3-hrs before this commitment and will have free time that night. Day 2 is full of meetings and another dinner, but again, I will have free time at night. Day 3 my only commitment is to get to the airport by 4:30 or so for my 6:00 flight back to Gulfport so I would have around 8-hrs the last day. I am flying into Reagan and staying in Arlington. I will not have a car so it looks like I'll need to take the Metro.

TIA.

 

[RocketDawg]

Go to the Smithsonian museums first and foremost, and I think they close really early ... like 5 p.m. In fact, all the government places close early (e.g., the Archives). If you really see the museums, it easily can take all day ... they're huge. My favorites are Natural History, American History, and the Art Museum. In my opinion, if you have to avoid one, don't go to the Hirschhorn ... it's modern art, and opinions vary ... but to me it's a huge waste of space.

You can see the Declaration of Independence in a matter of minutes, but you might have to stand in line a while to do so.

Seeing the monuments (e.g., Jefferson, Lincoln) is sorta low on my list but nice if you have the time.

Another I forgot about and is a nice tour is the Treasury where they make paper money (the exact name evades me at the moment) but I think it's sorta away from most of the other buildings.

You really don't need or even want a car ... the metro is the way to go. It's cheap and very accessible. Taxis are quite expensive, relative to the metro.

 

[RocketDawg]

I lived in the D.C. area for 6 years. I endorse staying in the Pentagon City area, also the Crystal City area of Arlington. Here is a checklist depending on your taste:

1. Smithsonian: Is is huge and free! There are displays of everything from Space Capsules to the Wright Brothers first airplane.

2. Wolf Trap Farm Park: check the schedule, there is everything from the ballet to rock concerts there in the summer, and you can get cheap tickets and sit on the grass and listen to a Philharmonic Orchestra or a Metropolitan Opera or U2.

3. The Kennedy Center: Check the schedule and reserve tickets.

4. Arlington National Cemetery: Go at the changing of the guards. Check the internet for times.

5. Ford Theater: Where Lincoln was assassinated.

6. The National Museum of Art.

7. The United States Department of Treasury.

Also, stay near a Metro Station. I used to live less than 2 blocks from the Clarendon Orange Line Station and could walk to the Metro and take the Metro to the Pentagon when I worked.

One thing you might want to do to avoid too much confusion is to check the internet for a Metro map. I think there are four lines: Red, Green, Orange, and Yellow. Some stations (like L'Enfant Plaza) are major places where all lines go through, some only handle one or two lines. Having a knowledge of which trains to take will save you a lot of time and frustration. And buy a multi-day pass ... you'll not only avoid standing in line to get a ticket each time, you'll save money. The trains come in fast and leave fast, so be ready to board and depart when it stops.

 

[Ishmael]

If you're flying, I'd recommend flying into Raegan instead of Dulles. You can get on the metro there (I think they're adding one to Dulles, but not sure it's done yet) and will have no need of a car. Plus, it's a lot closer to the city.

 

[Faustdog]

I would also add if you get a chance, hit up the Spy Museum. It's one of the most underrated museums in DC.

Second that. And the Hotel Monaco next to it is a nice and convenient place to stay.

 

[coastratdog]

Learn the Metro. One station has the second tallest escalator in the world.

Take the kid out of school and go in the mid Fall or spring.

Take a tour were you can get off and on. Arlington is a must.

Like Disney do a lot of pre planning. A tour to of the WH may take awhile to line up.

Wear your walking shoes.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

Yeah if traffic isn't bad you can be at Capitol Hill from Reagan in less than 15 minutes.