Advice needed for Washington DC 4th of July weekend with 2 kids

[Altoqueenkelly]

We don't expect to see everything and if we don't get to watch the fireworks or parade, we will be fine with it. Our main concern is making our daughter's birthday fun and memorable.

Pretty sure (no offense intended) that's why everyone is suggesting NOT to go to DC during the fourth. Regardless, its your trip so you obviously can do as you please... just remember that we warned you

 

[Biggie Smalls]

Wow everyone is exceptionally debby downer when all she wanted were some recs for brunch and the weekend. The 5th is never as bad as the fourth but I would still shy away from major museums unless you get there early. I live right outside the city and there is so much to do that her birthday can still be great.

I agree with gravely point park for during the day, my 2.5 year old loves it for the planes and ton of space to run around . Bens chilli bowl is a dc staple for lunch and if you want great brunch options I agree with before with Old Ebbitt, tabard inn, birch and barley or any of the restaurants at the waterfront. At national harbor they just installed the giant per entrant Ferris wheel and they have a Peeps store which kids love.

Spy museum and newseum are kids favorites and although not free like the smithsonions they tend to be left crowded. Eastern market has local artisans, shopping, and typically food trucks around for the weekend. I would stay far far away from Baltimore as it is no better on the 4th and can be very expensive for parking and getting around too.

Have fun on your trip and enjoy mY hometown

 

[bdcp]

Wow everyone is exceptionally debby downer when all she wanted were some recs for brunch and the weekend. The 5th is never as bad as the fourth but I would still shy away from major museums unless you get there early. I live right outside the city and there is so much to do that her birthday can still be great.

Yes, we're all just being "debby downers". No one is trying to help, just trying to be negative, really? Seriously? I think we're all coming from the same place of experience and telling the OP the truth.

 

[Ali]

OP, go for it. Enjoy your trip to DC and your family. I still agree with PP, we gave the honest truth and people who live there have advised her not to go into the city because she doesn't want to see the fireworks or parade, her child is too young to appreciate the museums, and it is chaotic and hot and a mess there for everyone.


Edited because I need to go back to happy trip planning mode and stop worrying about strangers who ask for help.

 

[DisneyFansInLINY]

I agree with PP, we gave the honest truth and people who live there have advised her not to go into the city because she doesn't want to see the fireworks or parade, her child is too young to appreciate the museums, and it is chaotic and hot and a mess there for everyone. It is not setting up to be a fun experience for this family, and since the OP asked for help, Disboards people offered opinions.

I'm going to be in DC for the whole 4th of July week and I am excited by the experience, I have googled my eyes out, planned exactly where to stay, know which roads have historically been closed on the 4th so I can ask cabs to go a different route, made tour reservations, know where we will be eating, have written down the metro stops of each location I will be going to so I can have a cheat sheet instead of a map or a phone in my hand, and I know not to expect to do much because of all of the people who will be trying to do the same things I am doing. I also have a DS13 who is interested and age appropriate for the sites we are planning to see. I did the work associated with an expensive trip and I plan to enjoy myself when I am there.

In my opinion, which I am allowed to have, Thanks Pete, the OP isn't giving us a good reason to recommend making the trip into the city and people here are offering alternatives and help.

Wow! I don't even know what to say to your post. Do you know how it comes off? Your first post wasn't exactly friendly but this one is the icing on the cake. I don't need anyone's recommendation to go to DC on the 4th. My husband and I have read the comments and appreciate the suggestions but we are going to do what we are going to do. Up until now, I have managed to bite my tongue at some of the posts. But this one really irked me! Good for you that you obsessively planned for your trip and that you feel your kids are age appropriate. But how do you know that I haven't researched? And age appropriate is a matter of opinion.

Just so you know, I have researched and feel my kids are age appropriate for this trip. We live in Long Island and visit the museums in Manhattan often. And we can handle crowds as we go to Disney for Christmas and New Years. I think we can handle the traffic too. It gets pretty congested here and if you can drive in Manhattan, you can drive anywhere. We know all about road closures, bridge closures and to expect the unexpected as it happens in NY often. I also know where we are going to eat. I even bought living social deals and groupons for those restaurants. I was looking for a nice brunch for my daughter's birthday. And after asking on here, I came across a groupon for a lovely one that has a children's menu and bottomless mimosas for the adults right near the zoo! Also, I am having cupcakes delivered to my hotel from Georgetown cupcakes (the ones on TLC) for my daughter's birthday. The hotel has told me the route to take to get to the hotel because of the parade. And I have spoken to their concierge for advice. I have tickets to Madame Tussaud's (that I got for $9 for all of us from scorebig's living social deal) as an alternative option for entertainment. And I get the metro system but probably won't use it. We prefer to walk, take cabs and our hotel has complimentary fiat rides.

I'm not sure how your posts were meant to be helpful. As they were pretty much from an elitist point of view. That you somehow deserve to go to Washington DC but my family doesn't just because you think you researched better than I did. Well here is a to you! You go girl! I will enjoy my trip because my family is laid back and knows how to have a good time. And unfortunately, research can't help you with that. But have a wonderful trip and I will come back to this thread to let everyone know what an awesome time we had. Hope you can do the same as I look forward to reading all about it.

 

[25eels]

I'm a local. I think you'll really enjoy your hotel location and if it were me, I'd just stroll the 2-3 blocks south toward the White House and Layfayette Square and see the fireworks from that vantage. The Mall will be very crowded due to people getting spots early, so it probably isn't the best day to do the museums, but the fireworks are visible from all over -- and there are no tall buildings in DC so you should be able to get a good look from just about anywhere near where you're staying. Best of all, you have an easy stroll back to the hotel -- no cabs or Metro needed.

There are museums away from the Mall area that are fun for kids -- they are not part of the Smithsonian, so there's usually an entrance fee. Spy Museum, Wax Museum, Newseum, etc., are away from the Mall madness and a reasonable walk. The historic sites, like Archives and the Capitol, are probably best for a future visit than on a holiday weekend!

I like the Gravelly Point suggestion, but honestly, you're staying in such a convenient downtown spot I would be loath to leave it. Enjoy the amenities of that location! What a fun birthday surprise.

 

[Ali]

Edited because all I want to do is let it go. Have a lovely trip.

 

[PlutoPony]

To be fair OP, I think many of us were responding to this

I am overwhelmed with planning our DC trip. And I would appreciate any advice anyone could offer. And really need to know how to get from here to there.

Thank you so much.

and were offering info based on thinking you had little idea of what DC is like on July 4th.
We can only go with the info you provide

Hope you have a nice time. I'm sincerely interested in your thoughts on how DC over the July 4th holiday compares to WDW over Christmas.

 

[loop]

You can definitely have a great 4th of July weekend in DC. The best tip is to NOT be where everyone else is--with little kids, it is way too easy to get separated in a crowd or overwhelmed by the herds of people.

A great place to watch the fireworks that's a bit more subdued is National Cathedral. Instead of being downtown, National Cathedral is up a hill away from downtown. You get a great view, fewer heads to try to look over, and at the end of the night you'll be heading back into the city while everyone else is headed out. I would drive--it's a long walk from the nearest Metro, but street parking will be free on the holiday. The fireworks music is played live on the radio (WAMU 88.5) so you won't be missing out on that either.

As far as cool places to go, I always recommend the Mansion at O Street, especially for young kids. If you've ever seen an I Spy book, this place is like an I Spy book come to life--three connected townhouses that are filled full of random stuff and secret doors. There is a scavenger hunt you can do where they ask you to find random items scattered throughout the mansion which is really fun. It isn't well known among tourists or locals, so it doesn't get that crowded and it is walking distance to your hotel. You can go for Independence Day Brunch or for afternoon tea on Sunday (if you want the brunch, book sooner rather than later--special events do tend to fill up). I've only done the afternoon tea--for that there was a selection of tea bags, plus a small buffet of scones, cheeses, fruit, and little desserts.

 

[DisneyFansInLINY]

All I can say now is Bless your heart

I love being a New Yorker. We just come out and say what we are thinking. No need for hidden messages. We even have a special finger we use to greet people who say bless your heart.

 

[missesdisney]

I love being a New Yorker. We just come out and say what we are thinking. No need for hidden messages. We even have a special finger we use to greet people who say bless your heart.

Nj girl here same affliction we took our son many times to dc age appropriate is opinion he loved it.

The zoo is amazing and will be a nice experience. Enjoy your trip!

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Nj girl here same affliction we took our son many times to dc age appropriate is opinion he loved it.

The zoo is amazing and will be a nice experience. Enjoy your trip!

Don't forget to check out baby Bao Bao!

 

[Judique]

I'm a local. I think you'll really enjoy your hotel location and if it were me, I'd just stroll the 2-3 blocks south toward the White House and Layfayette Square and see the fireworks from that vantage. The Mall will be very crowded due to people getting spots early, so it probably isn't the best day to do the museums, but the fireworks are visible from all over -- and there are no tall buildings in DC so you should be able to get a good look from just about anywhere near where you're staying. Best of all, you have an easy stroll back to the hotel -- no cabs or Metro needed.

There are museums away from the Mall area that are fun for kids -- they are not part of the Smithsonian, so there's usually an entrance fee. Spy Museum, Wax Museum, Newseum, etc., are away from the Mall madness and a reasonable walk. The historic sites, like Archives and the Capitol, are probably best for a future visit than on a holiday weekend!

I like the Gravelly Point suggestion, but honestly, you're staying in such a convenient downtown spot I would be loath to leave it. Enjoy the amenities of that location! What a fun birthday surprise.

Agree with this post. The only thing I would add is the Madison has terrace rooms close to rooftop. They are somewhat reasonably priced so I would probably book one of those in the event I got to 9:15pm and didn't actually want to leave my hotel, or wanted to come back to the room before the fireworks. With the outside terrace it may be possible to see some fireworks. The hotel staff would know for sure.

We've sometimes viewed from across the river on Bolling AFB sitting on the riverbank. I haven't been in years, but do remember the heat and chaos of going to the Mall, using the metro, trying to find a few inches to sit on the grass with the kids. It was fun when we were much younger 20 somethings - the sunburn, the heat, the body to body crowds. And almost impossible to get close enough to the stage and the music to even know who the celebs were. I wouldn't have missed going at least once! I'm old now so watch it on TV. But, if you go you will at least have stories to tell! Enjoy!

At the zoo which I have been to last summer most recently, bring change and dollar bills for snacks, ice cream and drinks. The machines never seem to work for larger bills or the credit card swipe thingy. Maybe they have fixed this by now, hopefully.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

.....

At the zoo which I have been to last summer most recently, bring change and dollar bills for snacks, ice cream and drinks. The machines never seem to work for larger bills or the credit card swipe thingy. Maybe they have fixed this by now, hopefully.

There are plenty of snack bars open in the summer at the zoo; no need to use machines.

 

[Judique]

There are plenty of snack bars open in the summer at the zoo; no need to use machines.

Last time I went there were lines at the snack bars and the machines had the snacks we wanted.

 

[bookluvingbabe]

I've lived here since 1988 and I've never gone to the Mall for the fireworks. But, if I were to go, I'd plan to bring plenty of water. And I'd walk and avoid the Metro. It's just way crowded and hard to figure out on the fly.

I think the suggestion to watch the fireworks from Lafeyette Park is a good one.


And just in case, it is always broadcast on the local PBS channels if the heat gets to you!

The best source for local dining advise is donrockwell.com. It is a local foodie board and very warm and welcoming.

The Smithsonian Folk Life Festival should still be going on on the 5th That takes places on the Mall and is a lot of fun.

Enjoy and stay hydrated.

 

[Luvchefmic]

I love being a New Yorker. We just come out and say what we are thinking. No need for hidden messages. We even have a special finger we use to greet people who say bless your heart.

hey hey hey be nice I am a native New Yorker let's not feed a negative stereotype we try all our lives to undo AND you live ON LI not IN it Ray Romano that used to make me crazy


OK all kidding aside I think people have tried to be very helpful DC can be a nightmare over a major holiday Your choice though of course Are you going to be anywhere near 8th & I USMC Silent drill team is excellent ! ( yes I am biased )
not sure that will even be an option over 4 th of July

 

[ebradley23]

I have lived about 2 hrs from DC for the last 8 years. We have done the mall on the 4th twice. We never found it to be too bad. One year a thunderstorm rolled through causing the mall to empty, so of course we had the best location that year (we arrived just after the storm). The second year I brought my aunt and uncle who had come up for a visit. We took the metro in around 2 or 3. Checked out a few museums which were extremely crowded, but they are air conditioned so who cares about crowds. Around 7, we went into the mall with our blanket and got our spot. No issues. They guys went and got snacks and drinks (we should have brought a small soft sided cooler instead), and my aunt and I enjoyed the conversation. Bring some toys and bubbles for your kid, and you should be fine. After we walked to a restaurant outside of the mall area for dinner then took the metro to our car. Easy peasy. My aunt and uncle don't have a ton of patience, and they want to come do it again. It was that easy. The only reason we haven't done it more is due to invites to other 4th festivities with friends. We are considering taking our 2 1/2 year old this year.

I also highly recommend taking your child to the zoo before you leave. It's a great zoo and our son loves it.

My favorite restaurant for brunch would be Founding Farmers. Great food!!