Washington DC About This Page:

[Kellymel]

Hi Guys!

Our dd is graduating from high school in May 2010. We told her that she could choose the vacay this year, sort of a grad present and vacay in one. She wants to go to Washington DC. She will be entering college next fall and major in political science/history with the intentions to go to law school. All things historical and political is what she loves. We are memembers of RCI and Holiday Inn Resorts/Orange Lakes. Can anyone give me any advice as to where to stay, must sees, etc. This will be a first trip to DC for all of us. It will just be the 3 of us, and we will drive. To me, that is part of the adventure.

thanks in advance!

[Shell_of_the_South]

We took our first trip to DC last summer. We stayed at the Marriott at Metro Center, and I highly recommend it. I found a great rate on the Mariott website. I think we paid around $169/night which was about $200 less than the rack rate during the week! I also learned that the cheapest nights to stay in DC are Thursday through Sunday nights because the work week is typically Monday-Thursday. This Marriott is at the Metro station, and this is critical - you need to stay somewhere that has easy access to the Metro - don't count on driving anywhere downtown.

Our first night we stayed in Alexandria after attending a Nationals Game. We got up the next morning, drove to Arlington and Iwo Jima memorial, then arrived at the Marriott. They parked our car and we didn't see it again until we checked out. Lots of walking, but the Metro was so convenient.

You can stay in one of the suburbs of DC at a cheaper rate, but then you've got to deal with the daily commute into DC. It was well worth it to stay downtown.

My favorite thing was probably the Capitol. We arranged a tour with our congressman - do that way ahead of time. We didn't plan soon enough to get a White House tour, so the earlier the better. I also loved the Holocaust Museum, the National Archives, the Jefferson Memorial, and the FDR Memorial. Of course you must see the Lincoln, WWII, Korea, and Vietnam memorials and the Smithsonians - Museum of Natural History, American History, Air & Space to name a few.

We only scratched the surface of all that DC has to offer in 3 days, so there's plenty to choose from!

[Lumieregirl]

All of the Smithsonian museums are not to be missed, of course. She'll probably most enjoy the American History and the Natural History museums.
Another favorite experience is seeing the actual Declaration of Independence at the National Archives. They also have an interesting film there about preserving the document & all the changes it has been through.
We went last summer and learned the hard way that lines start about 1.5 hours before opening to see the Capital and the Washington Memorial.
Whereever you end up staying, just make sure you are within quick access to the Metro. While I have driven in DC many times, for a pleasure trip, I always take the Metro in.
I would highly recommend getting ticktes for the Trolley Tour Washington DC Tours | Old Town Trolley Tours® covering Washington DC metro, memorials, Union Station, Library of Congress, Supreme Court, Washington Monument, The White House, National Archives, Museums. This makes it much easier to get your bearings, and is the easiest way to tour the monuments, as they are rather spread out. Still, you cannot possibly see everything in a day, so you need to try to choose ahead of time which stops you will get off at. The FDR monument is particularly large and fascinating.
I'd allow 2 days for the museums, and a day for the monuments, minimum.

[chezp]

I agree about easy access to the Metro. To us, that's a must in DC. We love the various museums, but for us, one of the main reasons for visiting DC is to see all the memorials - they are all stunning. If you can, visit them in the daytime and at night, as they're very beautiful at both times.

[DrDolphin]

One thing to remember - the Washington Monument requires a pre-timed ticket - you can't just walk up and go inside. If you want to be guaranteed a certain time to go - get your tickets in advance online. While the tickets are free - they do charge a convenience fee ... of a couple of dollars if I remember correctly.

Here is a link to the info on tickets - Washington Monument - Fees

[kimberlym322]

crime and punishment museum is good...went there this spring. it is where they tape the show americas most wanted.

also get a vacation guide sent to you...there is coupons and such in there.

[Kellymel]

Thanks everyone. With the exception of the Metro, I didn't know any of the other information! It sounds like I really do need to do planning way ahead of tiime.

[jimmymac]

The new Capitol Visitor's Center is pretty cool. Nothing can match the grandeur of the monuments on the Mall - they still bring tears to my eyes when I read the words

[singhsongs]

I loved this Restaurant! The servers sing....it's great to see how talented people are!

* Stars Bistro & Bar || Singing Servers || A Restaurant With Style *

[emtpej]

Hi!
We live in the area, so we usually drive downtown, but I take Metro for part of my daily commute. There are also many tour bus lines and one called the Circulator that goes many places and is inexpensive.
Also, take a look at this thread where I have posted other threads on the subject:
Washington DC

enjoy your planning!

[coasties]

The Tourmobile tour of the monuments is a must. Just take the metro to Union Station ( which has a great food court to grab breakfast at) and get you tickets there. It is the only tour that does Arlington National Cemetary, as well as the other DC memorials/monuments. Like the Trolley tour it is hop on/ hop off all day. You can just take the metro to Arlington and do tourmobiles Arlington tour without the other monuments attached. But I would suggest doing the whole sha bang This is a great first day activity to get yourself oriented and do Arlington.
Welcome to Tourmobile Sightseeing
I also second the National Archives AWESOME!

We live an hour from DC and still visit frequently; there is sooo much to see and do. With the Smithsonian museums rotating exhibits it is endless!
All the Smithsonian museums have a Cafe inside for food BUT can be pricey. Although, we have not had a bad meal in any of the museums so far and make it a point to plan our lunch or dinner in one during a visit. There are street vendors too selling pizza/ hot dogs etc...as well as the National Park Service kiosks with fast food fare.

You can also do a few day trip type things in the area. Mt. Vernon is very close and worth the drive.
Dr. Mudds house ( dr. who treated J. W.Booth) and the Gearge Washington birthplace are also neat side trips. If you are going to do Dr. Mudds house do the Ford Theatre first.

Do not miss the Zoo! This is a nice 1/2 day freebie with many places to picnic.
HAPPY PLANNING!!

Like everyone else has said the Metro is essential. You can buy reloadable Smartrip cards online at
http://www.wmata.com/fares/purchase/store/
These are great for fare and parking fees if you do decide to stay in the suburbs and park at a metro station then take the train in.

[emtpej]

If you have time, Mount Vernon is wonderful. They have the best museum about Washington that I have seen.

[Papa Mouse]

The first two links contain 100 things to do in D.C. and the other are mostly tourist maps.

100 Free (or Nearly Free) Things to Do in DC

Things to Do and See in Washington, DC

Washington, DC Sightseeing (Monuments, Museums, Tourist Information)

Map Washington DC (city center), District of Columbia, USA. Central Downtown M

Washington DC tourist attractions map (Interactive)

[DyanKJ130]

We went to DC for 2 days in July. We did a Hop-On, Hop-Off double decker bus tour (2 days - unlimited riding), Air & Space Museum, American History Museum, a small portion of the Natural History Museum (the butterfly experience was cool), but the absolute best part of our time there was the Tourmobile Twilight Tour. Not only did they get us to all of the monuments in a short amount of time, we had a fabulous tour guide, who taught us so much more!

[Kellymel]

This is wonderful. I am learning so much!

DD graduates on May 28 - when would be better to go early June or a little later? I thought if we went around the 6th of June and stay for a week/10 days we might get there before it's extremely hot or crowded. Any thoughts on this?