A little help in the DC area? Budget friendly ideas?

[krissyh]

HOTEL / PARKING
Did I miss where you are staying? We stay in VA at a hotel in (easy) walking to the metro. Many hotels in VA do charge for parking unless they are a way out.

FOOD
Definitely hit Five Guys (hint, only get one order of fries - huge - and open immediately so they don't get soggy) and Potbellys. There is one Potbellys near the (I think) Chinatown metro hub station.
The Air and Space museum has a McDonald's and a Boston Market.
The other museums have items like stale PB&J (I speak from experience). Go to the websites for several food chains and search locations and directions.
We have dinner after returning to the hotel in VA.


METRO
We get a day pass, because we don't start super early. Because they don't allow food and drink, it really is quite clean.
Know where to exit the metro station. Take the wrong one and you can end up quite far from where you intend to go. The museum websites will tell you which stop and exit to use. Don't let go of your bag.
And know where you're going, especially late, there are some very dicey areas.

MUSEUMS
If this is a first time trip, allow your tax dollars to work and stick with the Smithsonian museums.
Our favorites are Air and Space, Natural History, American History and the National Gallery.
You should also hit the monuments and Capitol, if you have time.
I would skip the zoo on such a busy weekend.

STUFF TO LOOK AT WHILE WALKING
Depending on the age of your kids, you can have a mini lesson on the classical architecture (spotting Doric, Ionic and Corinthian columns). Also, spot the "No Taxation Without Representation" DC license plates, especially since their mayor was just arrested at a protest for said cause.

 

[jackie101]

Great info . We are going Sunday cannot wait.
So would it be safe to go to the monuments at night by foot to see them lit up? Or should we pay for a tour?

 

[solotraveler]

So would it be safe to go to the monuments at night by foot to see them lit up? Or should we pay for a tour?

Honestly, use common sense about being in a big city (try to stay around other people, be aware of your surroundings, have good directions to know where you are going, etc) and you will be FINE touring on your own.

I do have to laugh about all the over-the-top safety warnings about DC at night. So long as you aren't venturing into Anacostia or certain sections of NE (where there is nothing of tourist value), DC is as safe as any other city. You'll really miss out on some fantastic experiences if you stay in the hotel after the sun goes down.

 

[PolyAddict]

We are doing a conference in July and will only have nights free-

Can any of these things be done after 5?

Any suggestions?

We are staying at the Gaylord National harbor.

thanks

 

[Mrs.Malone]

I highly recommend seeing the monuments at night! This to me is a don't-miss. Unless you are the type of person who wants to spend a LOT of time at a site, I think it's really best to take a tour. The monuments that are best at night (Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson) are very spread out and parking can be far away. The tour will pull you right up close to each monument. I've never felt unsafe walking in the touristy areas in the evenings but not everywhere is as well lit as you might expect; just use caution--for security and also just to keep from tripping in the dark.

I haven't done the Bike & Roll tours but I have seen the nighttime one a couple of times. It's a good sized group, well lit, and I can't imagine that these tours are unsafe. If they were commonly targeted by muggers I'm sure they would be out of business.

 

[sullins5]

You guys are great!!! Thanks for all the tips. Today, I'm going to 'check' out the Metro website, and look up the route with restaurants. According to the weather, it looks like it'll rain next weekend, but we're still 'all about it'!!!. We'll just stick to museums/tours/ and cram as much in as we can!
Annnnnnd we'll be safe to be sure. Living in a tri-state area with Elvis in the neighborhood, we're kind of experienced in 'safety training'...

Oh, and don't know whether the question was directed to me, but we're staying at a DCA airport hotel...

 

[DisneyScraps]

We are going to the White House egg roll too and super excited. We are staying at a Marriott near the zoo.

Right now I am planing on the National Zoo on Saturday
Sunday Natural History Museum
Monday Egg Roll and probably the Air and Space Museum
Tuesday we leave but it's only a 5 hour drive home so we are doing to leave this open for whatever we like.

Tomorrow I am going to look at restaurant.com for places near the hotel and our other destinations for meals. We are not fast food people so I need full service restaurants. I like to avoid chains.

This was a last minute trip we planned when we got the tickets to the egg roll.

 

[sullins5]

We are going to the White House egg roll too and super excited. We are staying at a Marriott near the zoo.

Right now I am planing on the National Zoo on Saturday
Sunday Natural History Museum
Monday Egg Roll and probably the Air and Space Museum
Tuesday we leave but it's only a 5 hour drive home so we are doing to leave this open for whatever we like.

Tomorrow I am going to look at restaurant.com for places near the hotel and our other destinations for meals. We are not fast food people so I need full service restaurants. I like to avoid chains.

This was a last minute trip we planned when we got the tickets to the egg roll.

Maybe we'll see you there!!! What's your time slot? We are SO excited! We may do the zoo on Saturday unless the forecast is rainy...It is a small world isn't it? We may just have to have 'Dis' green somewhere! Sunday, we're at the Cathedral and then just play'in it by ear depending on Saturday's weather! for another Dis'er to be there!!!

 

[labdogs42]

If you go to the Metro website they have a search function where you can enter the address and it will pull up the nearest stations. Where are you looking at camping? We were thinking of staying a few nights in a cabin and then in a (or some if I priceline) hotel(s). But most of our stay will be during the week, so I'm wondering if we'll run into huge traffic problems trying to drive to the metro during the morning commute.

We'll be camping at Capitol KOA. We plan to do Baltimore stuff on Saturday and DC Easter Sunday. Friday night we want to go to National harbor to the Peeps & Company Store!

The campground has a daily shuttle to the Capitol. I guess we could get the metro near there? I need to look at a map!

 

[jackie101]

We re also leaving tomorrow am we have about an 8hr drive and are staying at Washington Suites in Alexandria. Thanks forall the tips I would have been lost with out them


Sunday: by foot may take metro or drive in see the monuments at night
Mon: Natural air space
Museum of Natural History
Musum of American history
Tue: Spy musem, Capital and maybe zoo
Wed: Arlington cemetary

 

[DisneyScraps]

We are in the 4:20 time slot. I can't wait. My daughter will be in a smocked yellow dress, she is 10 and has waist long blonde hair, I will try to wear some Dis green!

Lisa

 

[sullins5]

We are in the 4:20 time slot. I can't wait. My daughter will be in a smocked yellow dress, she is 10 and has waist long blonde hair, I will try to wear some Dis green!

Lisa

Oh...so sad.. Our time slot is 2:10, so we'll probably pass you coming out!! I'll look for some lime green too! My dd is 11, has long brown hair and is wearing a denim skort (unless it's really cold out there)!

So excited for everyone who's going that weekend! What fun we'll all have! I'll definitely look for some Dis green, but I'll probably make a fool out of myself and ask the 1st person I see wearing lime, and will get the funniest look back, I'm sure!That's ok though, we're all for Dis!