Washington DC Family Vaca
- Thread starter 2speedy1
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Metro usually refers to the Subway I believe. I rode it in the late 80s early 90s. Anytime between 530am and dark. Safe as could be rural dude felt plenty safe.
The Mall really cleared out after about 530 even though there was plenty of daylight (june) I decided it was time to leave I was solo and believed in the safety in numbers theory. I had absolutely no problems though.
Check your Congressman's website and see what they offer for tour help for the Capitol and White House. It was years ago and I am not sure how they do it now, but we went to our congressman's office and met an aid who took us around the Capitol. And they got us tour tickets for the White House. Also lunch or dinner at Ebbits Grill next to the White House.
I’m headed there as well soon. More northern Virginia this trip but have been there recently. The metro is a must as the traffic is from hell but go to the bathroom before you get on. My morning coffee hit me as I was getting out the car to get on the metro. I had a near horrific situation on there and fought a battle that whole ride and literally ran to the Washington memorial and destroyed one of the little toilets in there without even being able to shut the door. I had to cut in line to do it and I’m certain made quite a memory for a little kid and his dad who saw the end of my fight. It felt really unpatriotic doing that there and yet super American all at the same time.
If anyone has any other Gettysburg tips, I’d love to hear them. I’m headed there in a few weeks and plan to hit various other Cival war sites I can find driving around northern Virginia/maryland.
Use Uber or the subway.
Smithsonian
The monuments
Mt. Vernon
Library of Congress
Monticello
Pose on the Einstein statue.
Chill out on the mall. Play catch or take a nap or something. People watch.
Yorktown, Colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown. Busch Gardens near by.
They have Golden Corrals in Virginia. They seem to be nicer than what I remembered in Iowa back in the 90's/early 2000's. Alexandria is a nice town to visit and walk around. Do the ghost tour. Roy Rogers are decent fast food joints. Be wary of hordes of middle schoolers packing into eating establishments. The Pentagon Mall and Reagan Trade Center have big food courts. Could be another option.
If you want a capitol and/or White House tour you need to contact your senator's office and schedule a tour through them.
Holocaust Museum is great, but probably not for 8 and 11 year olds.
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If I had that much time and interest and you’re good with driving.
I’d hit
DC the. Up to
Philly/Valley Forge
Drive towards Atlantic City probably would stay south of AC LOL.
and go south towards Cape May.
take the car ferry over to Delaware and drive down the eastern shore.
Nice areas on the eastern shore of Delaware and Maryland.
Keep driving you can cross the Chesapeake Bay And end up in Virginia Beach.
That would be one heck of a loop.
I’d hit
DC the. Up to
Philly/Valley Forge
Drive towards Atlantic City probably would stay south of AC LOL.
and go south towards Cape May.
take the car ferry over to Delaware and drive down the eastern shore.
Nice areas on the eastern shore of Delaware and Maryland.
Keep driving you can cross the Chesapeake Bay And end up in Virginia Beach.
That would be one heck of a loop.
KidSilverhair
Well-Known Member
It’s like the subway for DC. Super great for getting around, although it doesn’t go everywhere (not to Georgetown, or the Jefferson Memorial, for example). You can get MetroCards ahead of time and put money on them - just put your card on the reader at the station and you’re off and riding.
There are buses called the DC Circulator that you can hop on (I think it’s $1 per ride). One route just circles the National Mall, so you can ride that when your feet are exhausted. Another route actually does go out to Georgetown, if you want to see that area (it’s pretty neat, in my opinion - a lot of high-end shopping, though).
Any of the Smithsonian museums are worth a look, and they’re all totally free. I’m a fan of the Air and Space Museum, and the Museum of American History is really neat. A hidden gem a couple of blocks north of the Mall is the Portrait Gallery - right next to the Capitol One Arena (with a Metro stop underneath). Lots of official Presidential portraits, plus an amazing variety of other incredible artwork. It’s also just a couple of blocks from Ford’s Theatre.
The Holocaust Museum is another first-rate place to visit, but it’s sobering and serious. A very important place to see, in my opinion. The African-American Museum is outstanding. While those are also free, you may have to get timed tickets ahead of time.
If you’re there on a hot day, check out the Sculpture Garden between the Museum of Natural History and the National Gallery of Art. Lots of shade, a cool fountain, and neat sculptures.
The National Archives, the Supreme Court, the Library of Congress, the Capitol, and the White House are other free places to visit. Some of them require a long lead time to request through your Representative.
You must not miss the Vietnam War Memorial. The Korean War Memorial on the other side of the Reflecting Pool is also can’t miss. Then there’s the Lincoln Memorial and the WWII Memorial on opposite ends of the pool. We actually have not been inside the Washington Monument (never could get those timed tickets to fit our schedule) - but one of our favorite monuments is the Jefferson. It’s a walk/Uber/bus ride to get there, but it’s so nice along the Tidal Basin. It’s actually worth it to walk from the Jefferson along the west side of the basin, check out the (kinda hidden) FDR Memorial on the way, and then the MLK Memorial opposite the Jefferson across the basin.
The National Cathedral is a great place to visit, but you’ll need to have transportation (we took the Metro to the area and Ubered there). While we haven’t been to the National Zoo, that’s supposed to be wonderful, too - it’s a bit of a walk from the nearest Metro, but it’s doable.
Mount Vernon is a cool place to visit, but it’s a drive south of DC. Old Town Alexandria is also neat, south of National Airport a ways (and Alexandria has a Metro stop, and a free trolley to and from Old Town).
I’m not sure what to tell you about restaurants, you can find pretty much annything you want in DC. A lot of them are kinda pricey. Rasika has outstanding Indian food (Rasika West End, north of GW Hospital, is the one the Obamas frequented). Ted’s Bulletin has good food and outstanding cake shakes. Luke’s Lobster has awesome lobster rolls.
We have stayed in Alexandria, out by Navy Yard near the baseball stadium, in NoMa, and across the Potomac in Rosslyn - all of them near Metro stops for convenience. There are a ton of places to stay in Virginia, from Alexandria to Pentagon City to Arlington to Rosslyn - they’d all be convenient for getting around and are probably more affordable than most places in DC proper.
As you can tell, I really enjoy visiting DC and I don’t think I’ve scratched the surface of all the things you can see. Be prepared to walk! A lot!
The National Portrait Gallery is one of my favorite places to visit.
Yes - OP, forgot to mention this in my DM. National Portrait Gallery (with all of the presidential portraits) is must see. Free (as most museums there) and does not take long to get through. Definitely put it on the list.
KidSilverhair
Well-Known Member
It has that great covered patio in the middle of the building, where you can sit and eat a snack from the cafe.
Another nice lesser-known place to eat is the cafe in the National Museum of the American Indian. Lots of Native American food offerings there.
The Air and Space museum near Dulles is good. But I'm partial to the one on the Mall. I think they redid it a few years ago, but I really loved that place. I'd definitely hit up the 3 main ones---Air and Space, American History, and National History.
Also one of the night bus tours is well worth it.
Also one of the night bus tours is well worth it.
That is what I thought, but when you look up metro routes it also show the bus routes as part of it. So I wanted to make sure.
I never attempted to navigate the buses despite living in the district for 6 years. I think Metro (subway) is the way to go.
Obviously, Washington is a great place to visit and you can see that in previous posts.
My favorite is the Portrait Gallery. If you children like history, it might be a good choice. Portraits of each President with a brief description of each one - very apolitcal but also very accurate. A great way to learn US history at a personal level with ease.
My second favorite is the Holocaust Museum; one person suggested it is not appropriate for children your age and I am trying to decide if I agree. Here's a few observations. While the Smithsonian museums are relatively noisy and chaotic, the Holocaust Museum is dead silent. The contrast is stark. The most vivid memory I have of the museum is early in the tour when you walk through a cattle car and they explain how many people were squeezed into it; you say there was no way. I'll never forget that. Later, there is a display of kristallnacht, showing a synagogue before and after. Anyhow, it is such an important part of world history that everyone should visit this museum, but only you can decide if your children will be good with the messages it delivers.
Mount Vernon sticks in my mind as well. Especially for your children, the presentation makes it very real!!
If yolu have the time, tours of the White House (executive branch), Congress (legislative branch) and the Supreme Court (judicial branch) would be an awesome opportunity to teach your children about democracy and how it works. I was truly disappointed in the tour of the supreme court building, so suggest you provide "supplementary" commentary.
Other than these four, take your pick on everything that the others have suggested. You can't see everything, and you can go wrong, either. Someone said that Washington is among the best tourist city in the US for families. Let's be honest; it is among the very best in the world -period. It shows the best that the US has to offer (I am a naturalized citizen).
My favorite is the Portrait Gallery. If you children like history, it might be a good choice. Portraits of each President with a brief description of each one - very apolitcal but also very accurate. A great way to learn US history at a personal level with ease.
My second favorite is the Holocaust Museum; one person suggested it is not appropriate for children your age and I am trying to decide if I agree. Here's a few observations. While the Smithsonian museums are relatively noisy and chaotic, the Holocaust Museum is dead silent. The contrast is stark. The most vivid memory I have of the museum is early in the tour when you walk through a cattle car and they explain how many people were squeezed into it; you say there was no way. I'll never forget that. Later, there is a display of kristallnacht, showing a synagogue before and after. Anyhow, it is such an important part of world history that everyone should visit this museum, but only you can decide if your children will be good with the messages it delivers.
Mount Vernon sticks in my mind as well. Especially for your children, the presentation makes it very real!!
If yolu have the time, tours of the White House (executive branch), Congress (legislative branch) and the Supreme Court (judicial branch) would be an awesome opportunity to teach your children about democracy and how it works. I was truly disappointed in the tour of the supreme court building, so suggest you provide "supplementary" commentary.
Other than these four, take your pick on everything that the others have suggested. You can't see everything, and you can go wrong, either. Someone said that Washington is among the best tourist city in the US for families. Let's be honest; it is among the very best in the world -period. It shows the best that the US has to offer (I am a naturalized citizen).
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Agree with a lot of what has been said.
Must do:
1. Capitol tour with an aide.
2. Night time tour of monuments
3. Udvar-Hazy Air and Space museum at Dulles airport
4. National Archives, Declaration of Independence.
5. Holocaust Museum
6. Ford's Theatre
If driving in from Iowa, stop in Pennsylvania at the Flight 93 memorial. It's right off Highway 30/I80.
Use the Metro train in the city, my kids had it completely figured out in two days.
Smithsonian Air and Space on the mall is a tourist trap and we didn't find it worth the time fighting the mobs of people there, IMO. But I cannot emphasize enough that the drive to the one at the airport is worth the hassle of getting there by the expressway. And if headed that way, the Marine corps memorial and Pentagon 9/11 memorial are easily accessible as a combined day trip.
Must do:
1. Capitol tour with an aide.
2. Night time tour of monuments
3. Udvar-Hazy Air and Space museum at Dulles airport
4. National Archives, Declaration of Independence.
5. Holocaust Museum
6. Ford's Theatre
If driving in from Iowa, stop in Pennsylvania at the Flight 93 memorial. It's right off Highway 30/I80.
Use the Metro train in the city, my kids had it completely figured out in two days.
Smithsonian Air and Space on the mall is a tourist trap and we didn't find it worth the time fighting the mobs of people there, IMO. But I cannot emphasize enough that the drive to the one at the airport is worth the hassle of getting there by the expressway. And if headed that way, the Marine corps memorial and Pentagon 9/11 memorial are easily accessible as a combined day trip.
As far as the Holocaust Museum, it is something I definitely would like to do. But yeah, I have to think about it and discuss with my wife. I think my 11 year old would be ok and grasp it, but my 8 year old may be a bit young.
I am a history buff, but my 11 year old knows more than I do I think at this point. All he wants to do is read history books and stories, kids history books on everything from the Roman empire to the Civil War. He loves everything about history and military history. So much so that he makes stop motion Lego videos about historic battles and gets special Lego kits of military vehicles and soldiers etc. The kid even learns German sayings to portray the German soldiers in his videos. He pretty much has a photographic memory. This really is his dream vacation, and really want to take him everywhere, and am having a hard time limiting sights to see.
This is going to be a full vacation that is for sure.
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I personally think Holocaut Museum might be a little much for kids that age. To appreciate it you’re also going to want to spend quite a bit of time which is another consideration with kids that age.
To each their own, though. I’m sure you can find plenty of perspectives online about this.
