Washington DC
- Thread starter dmclone
- Start date
When in Spring?
Around March is the cherry blossom festival here, and DC gets packed with tourists. But the blossoms are a sight to see.
Check out all the memorials. I mean, that is a given.
Museums - Smithsonian, etc..
Annapolis is a great day trip. Ocean City, MD probably not the best place to go in the Spring. Still will be chilly.
If your family likes to hike, you can drive out to Sugar Loaf Mountain in Maryland.
And check this out: http://www.washingtonian.com/packages/travel/hidden-gems-2014/
Around March is the cherry blossom festival here, and DC gets packed with tourists. But the blossoms are a sight to see.
Check out all the memorials. I mean, that is a given.
Museums - Smithsonian, etc..
Annapolis is a great day trip. Ocean City, MD probably not the best place to go in the Spring. Still will be chilly.
If your family likes to hike, you can drive out to Sugar Loaf Mountain in Maryland.
And check this out: http://www.washingtonian.com/packages/travel/hidden-gems-2014/
We just did DC a month ago, I'll share my experiences (probably more than you care to read):
I'll let those who have been in spring speak to the weather.
We loved staying near the national mall. If you don't do that, stay near a metro stop. Very handy way to get around.
Things to do/see: The first thing we did was a night time monument tour. It included seeing the White House (from the outside), WWII, Jefferson, Lincoln, Korean, FDR, MLK, US Marine Corp, and Vietnam memorials. It was awesome because we had a tour guide and cut out a lot of walking as a bus took us from place to place. This was pricey, but we wanted to see everything at night.
FREE ATTRACTIONS: We also went to the Holocaust Memorial Museum. It was extremely sobering and left me pretty emotional, but was amazingly put together and well worth it. Plan 3-4 hours if you go.
Ford's theater is also very interesting if you enjoy history. They sit you in the theater where Lincoln was shot and recreate the event's that led up to his assassination.
We also did a US Capitol tour, but we were lucky and had a connection from someone in our group who knew a man that did private detail for Speaker of the House John Boehner....thus we got a private tour and saw a lot the public can't see. Thus, I don't know how fun the public tour is. Still, the Capitol is pretty awesome itself. I've heard the visitor's center that they built underneath is a waste of time, but never saw it.
Arlington National Cemetery is a must see. The changing of the guard is pretty neat, and there are a lot of famous people buried there. The most notable being JFK.
We saw the Museum of National History and the Air and Space Museum. I wanted to get to the American History one but ran out of time. The Museum of National History was a bit of a disappointment for me because they are reconstructing their dinosaur exhibit. Still, the Smithsonian museums are amazing.
Food:
Definitely hit up Founding Farmer's just north of the White House. You'll most likely need a reservation. Also, I would recommend Old Ebbott's Grill. Otherwise, I hear brunch in general is great in DC, however we always had a quick breakfast so we can get going with sight seeing.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you have questions....love taking about DC as we had a great time. Although I'm pretty easily entertained. I enjoyed just walking around the mall feeling invisible, and people watching.
I'll let those who have been in spring speak to the weather.
We loved staying near the national mall. If you don't do that, stay near a metro stop. Very handy way to get around.
Things to do/see: The first thing we did was a night time monument tour. It included seeing the White House (from the outside), WWII, Jefferson, Lincoln, Korean, FDR, MLK, US Marine Corp, and Vietnam memorials. It was awesome because we had a tour guide and cut out a lot of walking as a bus took us from place to place. This was pricey, but we wanted to see everything at night.
FREE ATTRACTIONS: We also went to the Holocaust Memorial Museum. It was extremely sobering and left me pretty emotional, but was amazingly put together and well worth it. Plan 3-4 hours if you go.
Ford's theater is also very interesting if you enjoy history. They sit you in the theater where Lincoln was shot and recreate the event's that led up to his assassination.
We also did a US Capitol tour, but we were lucky and had a connection from someone in our group who knew a man that did private detail for Speaker of the House John Boehner....thus we got a private tour and saw a lot the public can't see. Thus, I don't know how fun the public tour is. Still, the Capitol is pretty awesome itself. I've heard the visitor's center that they built underneath is a waste of time, but never saw it.
Arlington National Cemetery is a must see. The changing of the guard is pretty neat, and there are a lot of famous people buried there. The most notable being JFK.
We saw the Museum of National History and the Air and Space Museum. I wanted to get to the American History one but ran out of time. The Museum of National History was a bit of a disappointment for me because they are reconstructing their dinosaur exhibit. Still, the Smithsonian museums are amazing.
Food:
Definitely hit up Founding Farmer's just north of the White House. You'll most likely need a reservation. Also, I would recommend Old Ebbott's Grill. Otherwise, I hear brunch in general is great in DC, however we always had a quick breakfast so we can get going with sight seeing.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you have questions....love taking about DC as we had a great time. Although I'm pretty easily entertained. I enjoyed just walking around the mall feeling invisible, and people watching.
Last edited:
Is the entire museum free now? Seven years ago I was there, at it seemed like part of it was free and part you had to pay.
I don't like to move much when I travel, so I'd recommend just staying in DC once you get there. Rent a house thru VRBO. We stayed on Capitol Hill this summer, and just hung out when we got tired of the hustle.
Try the evening parade at the Marine Barracks. We got there too late to get in, but could hear it. It sounded like a blast.
Try the evening parade at the Marine Barracks. We got there too late to get in, but could hear it. It sounded like a blast.
Contact Grassley's office and they will set up every tour possible including a small group tour of the capital complex from one of his staff members.
To get a private Capitol tour, just call or email your Senator/Congressmen and they can set you up with one. I interned as a tour guide at the Capitol this summer; these private tours are many, many times better than the public tours. They just require a reservation in advance to avoid waiting in line.
I'm a big fan of Alexandria. Old Town has some great shops, bars, restaurants, and history (especially the bar George Washington drank at & the house where he crashed when he couldn't make it back to Mt. Vernon). It's outside of D.C. proper, but is on the Metro line so you can get into town pretty easily (or take the Beltway if you don't mind sitting in traffic).
It's hard to go wrong with any of the museums in D.C. (especially the Smithsonian). If you have the chance, head out to the Udvar-Hazy Air & Space museum near Dulles. They have a ton of planes & missiles (and a Space Shuttle) that wouldn't fit in the Air & Space museum downtown. One of the Transformers movies was filmed there too. The docents there are usually former Air Force guys who know the planes like the backs of their hands.
Depending on your situation (kids or romantic getaway or dudes trip or whatever), there are some great places in Northern Virginia to see. Vineyards, distilleries, breweries, national parks/forests, Williamsburg, all sorts of stuff.
It's hard to go wrong with any of the museums in D.C. (especially the Smithsonian). If you have the chance, head out to the Udvar-Hazy Air & Space museum near Dulles. They have a ton of planes & missiles (and a Space Shuttle) that wouldn't fit in the Air & Space museum downtown. One of the Transformers movies was filmed there too. The docents there are usually former Air Force guys who know the planes like the backs of their hands.
Depending on your situation (kids or romantic getaway or dudes trip or whatever), there are some great places in Northern Virginia to see. Vineyards, distilleries, breweries, national parks/forests, Williamsburg, all sorts of stuff.
Was there a couple of years ago. The weather was cold and rainy. So I decided to duck into the nearest building. After passing through security I was told the documents are upstairs.
Next thing I'm standing there looking at the Constitution. Chills....amazing and I would've strolled by if the weather was better.
I walked the Mall until I couldn't walk any more. It was a great day
Next thing I'm standing there looking at the Constitution. Chills....amazing and I would've strolled by if the weather was better.
I walked the Mall until I couldn't walk any more. It was a great day
Leesburg VA - nice farmland deep in the good ole VA rolling hills packed with Breweries and Vineyards
OR HIT UP THE DIRTY RVA
OR HIT UP THE DIRTY RVA
If you just enjoy nature a drive down Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park should be beautiful in May. If you enjoy caverns there are the Luray Caverns in the same area.
The river cruise down the Potomac to Mount Vernon is one of my favorites
I love to stay at the Omni Shoreham. It's close to the Metro and has some great restaurants nearby. Join their rewards club and get free Internet, morning newspaper, and breakfast beverage
I've gotten my room as low as $107 per night by reserving early and watching for specials
I love to stay at the Omni Shoreham. It's close to the Metro and has some great restaurants nearby. Join their rewards club and get free Internet, morning newspaper, and breakfast beverage
I've gotten my room as low as $107 per night by reserving early and watching for specials
Last edited:
It's been about 6 years since I lived in DC, but my biggest advice is to stay by a Metro stop. The Metro system is great, but if you aren't careful you can find yourself a good ways from a Metro stop. I agree with what has been said, walk the Mall, do the museums, etc. The Mall at night is beautiful, and my favorite spot was the WW2 memorial at night. The fountains are great and you can see all the monuments looking in either direction. Far and away my favorite museum is the National Archive. Seeing our founding documents was an incredible experience.
As far as food goes, lots of great options, with some awesome restaurants being scattered around the Hill, but my go to for food was always the Dupont Circle and Chinatown areas, and be sure to hit Matchbox in Chinatown if you are in the area.
If you're looking for a fun place to get some drinks, Adams Morgan is a blast.
As far as food goes, lots of great options, with some awesome restaurants being scattered around the Hill, but my go to for food was always the Dupont Circle and Chinatown areas, and be sure to hit Matchbox in Chinatown if you are in the area.
If you're looking for a fun place to get some drinks, Adams Morgan is a blast.
Repeating for emphasis: stay at a hotel on or near the METRO. You'll enjoy your trip so much more not hassling with driving around DC. Not worth it and not necessary.
Depending on how far you want to travel, I cannot recommend enough Charlottesville, VA. Probably a 3 hour drive from the DC metro area.
You can see Monticello (estate of Thomas Jefferson), the Blue Ridge Mountains / Skyline Drive, UVA, etc. It's a chill town.
Head north and check out Baltimore. The Inner Harbor area is safe and good for tourists. If you explore a bit, the city is full of history (Fort McHenry, the Shot Towers, etc.) Aquarium is real nice. Another cool place to check out. Probably 45 minutes to 1 hour north of DC, depending on traffic.
Not quite as far north as Baltimore is historic Ellicott City, MD. A bit of history, a nice main street to walk up and down, lots of shops to pop in and out of. Not nearly 'hours of entertainment', but its a cool little place and is 30 minutes north of DC.
If you want some time "on the beach", but not as far as Ocean City, MD, check out Sandy Point State Park, near Annapolis. It's on the bay, but nice. Head across the bay to Kent Island and check out the Kentmorr Restaurant. Good seafood and a fantastic atmosphere.
As for DC, check out the Smithonians (since they're free), but the Spy Museum is awesome and totally worth it. I haven't been in years, but the Newseum is great, too. If you're with kids, the National Children's Museum is awesome and I loved it as a kid and I love going there still with family. I'll repeat what other members have said - Stay on the Metro. The Metro is great and can get you most places in town for a nominal fee.
One last word - If you plan to drive out of town, be ready for traffic. I'm not talking Des Moines traffic, the beltway and surrounding highways are a mess.
I'm from the area, so feel free to PM me with any questions.
You can see Monticello (estate of Thomas Jefferson), the Blue Ridge Mountains / Skyline Drive, UVA, etc. It's a chill town.
Head north and check out Baltimore. The Inner Harbor area is safe and good for tourists. If you explore a bit, the city is full of history (Fort McHenry, the Shot Towers, etc.) Aquarium is real nice. Another cool place to check out. Probably 45 minutes to 1 hour north of DC, depending on traffic.
Not quite as far north as Baltimore is historic Ellicott City, MD. A bit of history, a nice main street to walk up and down, lots of shops to pop in and out of. Not nearly 'hours of entertainment', but its a cool little place and is 30 minutes north of DC.
If you want some time "on the beach", but not as far as Ocean City, MD, check out Sandy Point State Park, near Annapolis. It's on the bay, but nice. Head across the bay to Kent Island and check out the Kentmorr Restaurant. Good seafood and a fantastic atmosphere.
As for DC, check out the Smithonians (since they're free), but the Spy Museum is awesome and totally worth it. I haven't been in years, but the Newseum is great, too. If you're with kids, the National Children's Museum is awesome and I loved it as a kid and I love going there still with family. I'll repeat what other members have said - Stay on the Metro. The Metro is great and can get you most places in town for a nominal fee.
One last word - If you plan to drive out of town, be ready for traffic. I'm not talking Des Moines traffic, the beltway and surrounding highways are a mess.
I'm from the area, so feel free to PM me with any questions.
Last edited:
This is great advice
Staying outside of the city on a Metro line is pretty good, but staying at a place like this is well worth it in my opinion, too.
We were in DC because my wife was integral in her school getting a blue ribbon award....they held the award ceremonies at the Omni. Looked pretty sweet! And agree it's right near the red-line metro. Do you remember the 100 + foot tall escalators to get down to the subway?
Went with the family couple years ago & did this. We stayed in Crystal City, which is just 1 or 2 stops off the METRO from Reagan National. Pretty nice area. Could be better but I lucked out setting it up & it worked out pretty well. The subway did stop for a while underneath the river as we went into DC the first day, so the METRO is not without its faults but still the way to go in DC
do NOT do the "hop on hop off" bus tour. my parents and i did that and they completely oversold the buses. after about 1pm the buses were so full you couldn't get on any of them, so we had to walk everywhere despite paying their ridiculous price.
when/if you do the national mall plan your meals before you go. the food vendors in that area are absolute garbage. 100 food trucks all selling the exact same crappy food. don't settle for it. dc has world class food, make a food part of your experience.