Day trip to Washington D.C. Help needed BADLY!

[Leshaface]

Ok, so my DH, brother, his wife, and I will be driving from York PA down to Washington D.C. for a full day...

I'm actually really hesitant on going, because friends of mine that used to live there said we'd have the hardest time trying to get around (thanks for the help right? )

So anyways, we really need help..I have no idea what to do..I'm in charge of this "project" and need to know where I should drive to (a central location, where we can walk everywhere) and we need some cheap suggestions on what to do/see...also local places for lunch and maybe even dinner...

Are there any days where it's not as busy, if that's even an option? We'll be in PA from June 30 to July 6 but could only do DC anytime from July 1-5...uggh will fourth of July weekend make it horrible to be there!??

Yeah, help please!!!

 

[naturegirl]

I went there for the first time a few months ago. We parked at a metro station and rode the metro everywhere. It was really easy to get around and I'm not an experienced public transportation rider. We only did free things and were hauling around 1 and 3 year old boys. We had a great time.

 

[Leshaface]

I went there for the first time a few months ago. We parked at a metro station and rode the metro everywhere. It was really easy to get around and I'm not an experienced public transportation rider. We only did free things and were hauling around 1 and 3 year old boys. We had a great time.

Ok cool! So the first step is taken care of....now on to the other 34 steps!

 

[ldo]

there will be a BIG 4th of July celebration--but not always on the 4th--google and fine out and don't go then--crazy crowds--best day would be 6/30 or July 1, if you had to pick--4th of July weekend is bad. I agree, park at metro and buy an all day after 9:30 day pass--it's about $5-7. But, realize MANY metro stations fill up by 7 or 8 AM--if you are out of luck, drive into DC--there are many garages for about $20---the easiest is Union Station--google for rates. You can walk everywhere from Union Station--it's 1 block from Capitol and then you take a left and walk a beautiful walk to a number of the main museums and monuments----I would estimate about the same as a full day at WDW walking--I can walk from Union Station to Washington monument and back at lunch in about 1 hour--that would get you to Indian, Natural, and American history and Space--all in that area--a full day, with a few photos of the Capitol. You can go online and get tickets for $1 or so to go up to the top of the Washington Monument--so you don't have to wait in line and you have a guaranteed time--great bargain. Union Station has a food court lower level. Also, Natural History has a good cafeteria. Many musuems are free. You could do the whole day for $25 each for food/parking, easily. Up Mass ave from Union Station is a subway sandwich and Armands pizza, next door--google for directions--Armands would make a great place to relax and eat dinner before you headed home. There is also a UNO inside Union Station.

 

[Leshaface]

there will be a BIG 4th of July celebration--but not always on the 4th--google and fine out and don't go then--crazy crowds--best day would be 6/30 or July 1, if you had to pick--4th of July weekend is bad. I agree, park at metro and buy an all day after 9:30 day pass--it's about $5-7. But, realize MANY metro stations fill up by 7 or 8 AM--if you are out of luck, drive into DC--there are many garages for about $20---the easiest is Union Station--google for rates. You can walk everywhere from Union Station--it's 1 block from Capitol and then you take a left and walk a beautiful walk to a number of the main museums and monuments----I would estimate about the same as a full day at WDW walking--I can walk from Union Station to Washington monument and back at lunch in about 1 hour--that would get you to Indian, Natural, and American history and Space--all in that area--a full day, with a few photos of the Capitol. You can go online and get tickets for $1 or so to go up to the top of the Washington Monument--so you don't have to wait in line and you have a guaranteed time--great bargain. Union Station has a food court lower level. Also, Natural History has a good cafeteria. Many musuems are free. You could do the whole day for $25 each for food/parking, easily. Up Mass ave from Union Station is a subway sandwich and Armands pizza, next door--google for directions--Armands would make a great place to relax and eat dinner before you headed home. There is also a UNO inside Union Station.

Wow! Thanks for all the great information!! Is Washington DC pretty safe would you say??

 

[Chloesmom]

Since you are only going for one day I would decide what you want to do the most.. like the Smithsonian Museums.. they are all pretty close and are all free. After you decide then park someplace close as PP suggested. we just went to DC last August and parked where they suggested and it is close ( not right next to but a nice walk) to many many things. The metro is great but i would think that on such a time crunch you would not be going all over the city.
On a side note you should really really go to the Archives and see the Dec. of Independance... it was truly amazing and I have to wonder how much longer it will be on display since it has faded so badly. It was one of my favorite things. Also the Star Spangled Banner at the American History Museum.. breath taking. Both of these museums are close to each other and I am pretty sure we did them on the same day.

 

[DawnM]

We just got back a couple of weeks ago. Most of our trip was to Williamsburg, VA and we drove up to DC for a short 2 day trip.

We used the Metro the first day and then the 2nd day just drove in and parked at the mall.....is that what they call it? Where the Capitol building is and the Smithsonian Natural History museum? We had to move the car a couple of times (2 or 3 hour parking per spot) but there was actually plenty of parking.

You may not want to take that chance, but it worked for us.

The second day we did 2 Smithsonian museums, toured the Capitol building and went to the Washington Monument (hint, get your tickets online in plenty of advance....we waited too long and didn't get tickets).

All of that is in one area and doesn't require driving around.

The Holocaust Museum is right there as well but we ran out of time.

My boys would love to go back. We didn't feel we had enough time.

Dawn

 

[Swimalie]

The mall area is pretty safe. Outside of there, I wouldn't venture too much unless you know the area. Most of the Smithsonian museums have their own restaurants where you can get lunch. In fact, it's not cheap but the Museum of the American Indian has an amazing restaurant with a lot of choices. I have lived here for 4 years and have yet to take Metro. The parking garages are taken up by commuters most days and they charge you to park as well as ride it. We drive there and either park in an office building (on weekends some Fed office buildings will open up to public parking - Reagan Bldg is one) or we park on the street. We often park along the Potomac River near the Lincoln Memorial. Rarely have we ever had to drive around looking for parking and had to walk far. Street parking is free on Sundays and holidays, too.

I would suggest getting a map ahead of time and figuring out where you want to go and the look for public parking.

Once you are on the mall, you can walk it all in a day. We've done Lincoln Memorial, toured the Washington Monument, toured the Capital, rode the carousel, ate lunch at a Smithsonian, relaxed on the mall and walked back to the car near the Lincoln all in a day and that was with a 3 year old in tow.

Bring water. It gets hot here! And enjoy your trip.

 

[mjkacmom]

We went for 4 days on our last trip, and didn't see everything we wanted. I bought 2 guidebooks - UG of DC, and DC for Dummies, and they helped just as much as a WDW guidebook does for a Disney vacation.

 

[Sadie22]

You do realize you're going to spend at least two hours each way getting there and back if it's just a day trip, right?

I highly recommend parking at an outlying Metro station and riding the Metro to the Smithsonian. You will not find onstreet parking during that time period. Also stay in the museum area and be observant for pickpockets and such just as you would anywhere.

 

[kap10]

Despite what you might think, with the 4th of July being on a weekend, many Washingtonians leave for a long weekend to the beach or just out of town. Monday will be a federal holiday with the US Government offices closed for the day, so actually less people will be in town, but it will be busy, just not crazy like the inauguration.

My favorite activity is to attend the rehearsal for the PBS July 4th concert. The rehearsal is held on the Mall side of the Capitol building on July 3rd. Rehearsal does not begin until 8:00 p.m., but you need to arrive by 6:30 p.m. or so to get a good seat. They always have top name entertainers and the rehearsal is a full rehearsal so you get to see the performances without the huge crowds. It is crowded during the rehearsal, but nothing like it will be the next day. You could even bring a picnic (or buy food at the food court at Union Station) and sit down to enjoy your wait for the concert to begin. We went to the Memorial Day concert rehearsal a few weeks ago with out of town friends and they were thrilled to see it all. The concert concludes with the 1812 Overature at about 9:15 p.m. and the canons shooting off. It will conclude by 9:30 p.m., so it might be too late for you to drive back to Pennylvania, but I thought I would mention it. Check out the PBS website for details on who will be the entertainers this year.

The other fun event during that time frame is the Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the Mall. This year the timing is June 24-28 and July 1-5. Look at the Smithsonian website for more details, but it is a fun event with a different state and a different foreign country highlighted each year. It is free, can be a bit hot walking in the sun on the Mall, but well worth a try. If it is too hot you can always duck into a Smithsonian to cool off.

One other option, if you are in DC during the week and you like fine arts, is to register for a tour of the diplomatic rooms at the US Department of State. Visit the website https://receptiontours.state.gov/ to register. You must register in advance and tours are limited to children over 12, I believe, and only 25 people on each tour. Tours are offered three times each day (9:30,10:30 in the morning and around 2:45 in the afternoon, but you need to arrive 30 minutes early to get through security). The rooms are beautiful and where Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton hosts many foreign leaders. The State Department is located on 23rd Street between C and D Streets, N.W., about a 10 minute walk from the Foggy Bottom Metro Station and near the Lincoln Memorial.

Whatever you do, I would recommend parking and taking the subway into DC. Much easier and more convenient than circling around town looking for a space.

I hope you have a great time in DC!

 

[Nik's Mom]

We just got back from a week long trip to Washington DC/Williamsburg/Baltimore. We spent 3 full days at DC and we just barely scratched the surface. If you want to see the sites as quickly as possible, then I'd suggest a hop on-hop off bus tour. We did the open top bus tour. http://www.city-sightseeing.com/index.phtml?command=search&clear-search=true&destinations=Washington DC It had plenty of stops. You will need to get off on stops where you want to get up close to the monument though, so be prepared for that.

We walked around the various tourist areas with our 2 sons age 8 and 11 and always felt safe.

 

[Alison_in_Wonderland]

Despite what you might think, with the 4th of July being on a weekend, many Washingtonians leave for a long weekend to the beach or just out of town. Monday will be a federal holiday with the US Government offices closed for the day, so actually less people will be in town, but it will be busy, just not crazy like the inauguration.

Not to be snarky, but have you ever been to DC on the 4th? It is a zoo. People start getting to the mall mid morning and are there through the night for the fireworks. Metro is clogged solid and traffic is a nightmare. Of course it isn't like the inauguration - nothing is (although I have to tel you, I got to work the fastest ever on Inauguration morning (I work in DC.))

I agree that if you haven't driven in the city before, parking at one of the Metro stops in the burbs and coming in via metro is your best bet. If you are coming from PA - the Greenbelt stop (green line) is right off of 95. There is PLENTY of parking there and little traffic.

It will take about 30 minutes to go to the Smithsonian stop and from there, you'll be smack in the middle of everything (Smithsonian museums, Washington Monument, Capitol, White House, Vietnam, WW2, Holocaust, Engraving and Printing, Archives) in very easy walking distance.

The museums all have food - but the best are the American Indian museum (VERY good) and the Art gallery. You won't be able to do everything - so pick one or two things that interest you and plan to go back.

 

[digitalsiren]

I just finished planning my 4-day vacation to D.C. Most of your major museums are for free - Smithsonians, National Zoo, National Archives, Memorials ...

What I would recommend is taking the metro to the National Mall area and doing things only in that area so you can use your time as best as you can. I made a chart up of times and most of them seem to open between 8-10am and close between 5 (mostly) and 7pm.

Definately make reservations if you can ... you don't want to spend the small amount of time you have waiting in a line and in the heat no less. I was able to make reservations for Ford's Theatre, Washington Monument, US Capitol Building and the National Archives. The Capitol was free to reserve I believe, Ford's theater was the most expensive at $6 for two, and the other two were $3 each for two people. The $12 is worth it for me so we can use our time effectively and not pass out in line. Have fun!

 

[Charitycase20]

My favorite activity is to attend the rehearsal for the PBS July 4th concert. The rehearsal is held on the Mall side of the Capitol building on July 3rd. Rehearsal does not begin until 8:00 p.m., but you need to arrive by 6:30 p.m. or so to get a good seat. They always have top name entertainers and the rehearsal is a full rehearsal so you get to see the performances without the huge crowds. It is crowded during the rehearsal, but nothing like it will be the next day. You could even bring a picnic (or buy food at the food court at Union Station) and sit down to enjoy your wait for the concert to begin. We went to the Memorial Day concert rehearsal a few weeks ago with out of town friends and they were thrilled to see it all. The concert concludes with the 1812 Overature at about 9:15 p.m. and the canons shooting off. It will conclude by 9:30 p.m., so it might be too late for you to drive back to Pennylvania, but I thought I would mention it. Check out the PBS website for details on who will be the entertainers this year.

So I didn't know anything about this, sounds really cool!! Is it hard to get back to the Metro after its over? I'm trying to decide if its worth the hassle to get back to the Metro and get to our car to drive back to the Eastern Shore

 

[kap10]

So I didn't know anything about this, sounds really cool!! Is it hard to get back to the Metro after its over? I'm trying to decide if its worth the hassle to get back to the Metro and get to our car to drive back to the Eastern Shore

To be honest, because we go downtown after the museums close, we usually drive and are able to park near the Capitol, but I don't think the metro will be terrible, just more crowded than normal.

 

[Tink's Pixieduster]

OP, something no one else has mentioned yet is the Smithsonian American Folklife Festival (http://www.festival.si.edu/) will be taking up some of the mall area some dates during your trip here. The dates this year are June 24-28 and July 1-5, and the parking situation may not be good, at least in the area where the tents are set up (http://www.festival.si.edu/2010/2010-festival-map.pdf). Exhibitors, vendors, and participants in the festival have to park somewhere and some may use mall parking. Metrorail sounds like a much better idea. Here's a link to the Metrorail webpage http://www.wmata.com/rail/ so you can get an idea of where stations are located, hours of operation, types of fares, etc.

Also, if you Metro in and take the Smithsonian exit, AND its a Friday, you can find the USDA Farmer's Market on a parking lot right across the street. It runs from 10AM to 2PM, and offers snacks, baked good, fresh local fruits and vegies, soaps, herbs, and even fresh popcorn. Its open to everyone.

 

[Leshaface]

Okay, bit overwhelmed now..phew, never realized how much stuff there is to do in DC...

I think I'm more concerned about the parking situation...getting different suggestions on parking in the street, taking the metro, subway...eek! Is traffic/parking like San Francisco? I

Ok, I talked to my fam yesterday and this is what they would like to do..

-Holocaust museum
-Try to hit any Smithsonian
-Checking out dec of indep(where is this located?)
-arlington cemetery
-zoo

Now that I think about it, we're DEFINITELY not going to have enough time to do all this in one day, but we can sure try!!

We plan on leaving from York at about 730, so how will traffic be? According to the directions, it will take about 2 hours 15 mins, so we should be there a little after 10am and plan to stay all day into the night..

I'm so thankful for all the suggestions and tips...I'll probably print these pages out so I can reference back to them.

OH What is the Mall?

 

[Alison_in_Wonderland]

this is going to be hard to do:

-Holocaust museum - easily a half day. Very emotionally draining. And you have to get tickets before hand. I am sure the info is on their website.
-Try to hit any Smithsonian - they are all right there - look what exhibit(s) are there and go to that. One museum could be a half day if you do the whole thing!
-Checking out dec of indep(where is this located?) National Archives
-arlington cemetery - you'll have to metro there (Arlington Cemetary on the blue line)
-zoo - This is kinda of far from everything else. You'd have to take the Metro (red line to Woodley park.) I really don't think it is a great zoo aside from the fact it is free. To me, this isn't a must see in DC.

The mall is the expanse of land (long rectangle) from the Washington Monument to the Capitol. The Smithsonian museums (and the National Archives) are on either side and there is a grassy area in the middle where you can hang out. There is also a carousel/food stands along the way.

As for traffic - I have no idea at what time you'll hit B'more/north DC traffic. You'll probably hit congestion on 95 - but it'll be moving at that point. Get directions to the Greenbelt Metro station since it is right off of 95. Easy in/out, parking is $4.50 (?) and then you'll just need to buy the Metro card. I would think this would be easier than navigating DC and hunting for parking (which will be pricer.)

have fun!

 

[Leshaface]

this is going to be hard to do:

-Holocaust museum - easily a half day. Very emotionally draining. And you have to get tickets before hand. I am sure the info is on their website.
-Try to hit any Smithsonian - they are all right there - look what exhibit(s) are there and go to that. One museum could be a half day if you do the whole thing!
-Checking out dec of indep(where is this located?) National Archives
-arlington cemetery - you'll have to metro there (Arlington Cemetary on the blue line)
-zoo - This is kinda of far from everything else. You'd have to take the Metro (red line to Woodley park.) I really don't think it is a great zoo aside from the fact it is free. To me, this isn't a must see in DC.

The mall is the expanse of land (long rectangle) from the Washington Monument to the Capitol. The Smithsonian museums (and the National Archives) are on either side and there is a grassy area in the middle where you can hang out. There is also a carousel/food stands along the way.

As for traffic - I have no idea at what time you'll hit B'more/north DC traffic. You'll probably hit congestion on 95 - but it'll be moving at that point. Get directions to the Greenbelt Metro station since it is right off of 95. Easy in/out, parking is $4.50 (?) and then you'll just need to buy the Metro card. I would think this would be easier than navigating DC and hunting for parking (which will be pricer.)

have fun!

Wow thanks for all the help!

Maybe we should just skip the Holocaust since me and DH have been to the Tolerance center here in la..

OK so once we get into the Greenbelt Metro station, we buy the metro card there too right? And is that a one time fee or do we pay at each stop? I'm just trying to figure out how much to budget for this trip...and this card you can only take on the Greenbelt line, right? Like for instance, if we wanted to go to the cemetary (blue line) would we have to buy a blue line card, or could we use the green line card? Hope this makes sense..