DC Metro help needed - Please?

[PlutoPony]

We are talking the last Saturday of May using the Metro to go into the city.

So May 31st? If so that's the weekend after Memorial Day which is better than the weekend before, less crowded.

It should be an easy drive on a Saturday morning from your campsite to Shady Grove metro, assuming you get an early start like 8. Traffic in that area probably won't be a challenge early on a Saturday morning. Parking is free at Metro stations on weekends and you shouldn't have problems finding parking, at least in the morning. Once the Metro train gets going in Shady Grove, it would be 45-60 minutes to Smithsonian, depending on how long you have to wait on the train change at Metro Center. Add in time to drive to the metro station from the campground and possibly wait for the metro train at Shady Grove (they normally run every 15-20 minutes on the weekend) you're probably talking a minimum of 90 minutes to get in....and it could take you 2 hours if you take a wrong turn, take your time, etc.

At Shady Grove you are catching the Red Line. The easiest approach imo would be to go into Metro Center metro stop and change to the Orange or Blue line (Orange line going towards New Carrollton, Blue towards Largo Town Center). Go 2 stops and get off at the Smithsonian. That puts you right on the mall at the end closest to the monuments. It's still gonna be a hike but imo this is easiest way in given that you're coming in on the Red Line. The other option is to connect at Metro Center on the Orange or Blue going the other direction (Orange towards Vienna, Blue towards Franconia-Springfield) go 3 stops and get off at GWU/Foggy Bottom as the other poster suggested. I think the walk from Smithsonian stop is more interesting but the other may be a little shorter (we never have used the Foggy Bottom station).

After lunch we will give families three options:

1. Air and Space Museum
2. Natural History Museum
3. Lincoln Theater & House Tour
........
Which metro stop do we use to return to camp?

From 1 + 2 use Smithsonian, change to Red line at Metro Center and go to the end aka Shady Grove. That's another reason to possibly get off at Smithsonian on your way into town, may be a little less confusing to use same station both ways. Just be aware the Metro Center can get real busy if there's a game at Verizon Center that's getting out just as you arrive at the station. That of course assume the Wizards and/or Capitals are still in the playoff and playing at home that day, both of which are uh iffy .

Not sure about option 3 - do you mean Lincoln Theater up on U Street or Ford Theater where Lincoln was shot?

HTH

 

[tyniknate]

So May 31st? If so that's the weekend after Memorial Day which is better than the weekend before, less crowded.

It should be an easy drive on a Saturday morning from your campsite to Shady Grove metro, assuming you get an early start like 8. Traffic in that area probably won't be a challenge early on a Saturday morning. Parking is free at Metro stations on weekends and you shouldn't have problems finding parking, at least in the morning. Once the Metro train gets going in Shady Grove, it would be 45-60 minutes to Smithsonian, depending on how long you have to wait on the train change at Metro Center. Add in time to drive to the metro station from the campground and possibly wait for the metro train at Shady Grove (they normally run every 15-20 minutes on the weekend) you're probably talking a minimum of 90 minutes to get in....and it could take you 2 hours if you take a wrong turn, take your time, etc.

At Shady Grove you are catching the Red Line. The easiest approach imo would be to go into Metro Center metro stop and change to the Orange or Blue line (Orange line going towards New Carrollton, Blue towards Largo Town Center). Go 2 stops and get off at the Smithsonian. That puts you right on the mall at the end closest to the monuments. It's still gonna be a hike but imo this is easiest way in given that you're coming in on the Red Line. The other option is to connect at Metro Center on the Orange or Blue going the other direction (Orange towards Vienna, Blue towards Franconia-Springfield) go 3 stops and get off at GWU/Foggy Bottom as the other poster suggested. I think the walk from Smithsonian stop is more interesting but the other may be a little shorter (we never have used the Foggy Bottom station).



From 1 + 2 use Smithsonian, change to Red line at Metro Center and go to the end aka Shady Grove. That's another reason to possibly get off at Smithsonian on your way into town, may be a little less confusing to use same station both ways. Just be aware the Metro Center can get real busy if there's a game at Verizon Center that's getting out just as you arrive at the station. That of course assume the Wizards and/or Capitals are still in the playoff and playing at home that day, both of which are uh iffy .

Not sure about option 3 - do you mean Lincoln Theater up on U Street or Ford Theater where Lincoln was shot?

HTH

Thank you so much for the info.
Ford Theater is our #3 option.

 

[Sadie22]

What is this, a group of Cub and/or Webelos Scouts engaging in family camping? IIRC, BSA rules dictate that each driver know the route and destination and that there be meeting places, rather that some drivers trying to follow others, for safety reasons. Maybe that only applies when you have to get a travel permit, but it's still a good policy to follow. Car pooling is encouraged also.

As far as the families on the very tight budgets, sometimes there's a reason to have troop funds available to make sure that all the kids get to participate in everything.

 

[tyniknate]

What is this, a group of Cub and/or Webelos Scouts engaging in family camping? IIRC, BSA rules dictate that each driver know the route and destination and that there be meeting places, rather that some drivers trying to follow others, for safety reasons. Maybe that only applies when you have to get a travel permit, but it's still a good policy to follow. Car pooling is encouraged also.

As far as the families on the very tight budgets, sometimes there's a reason to have troop funds available to make sure that all the kids get to participate in everything.

I'm well aware of the guildelines for BSA, but thanks for the reminder . Each driver will be provided a copy of the directions. That doesn't mean they will be able to follow them. Sadly, its a reality. Car pooling will be done by the very few who only have two members going. It is mostly being attended by entire families, though, and they will need the extra room for tents, sleeping bags, etc.

Also, we provide food so that every family can participate and keep costs low. We have fundraised for this and parents will only be responsible for their Metro tickets and gas. Everything else will be provided by the pack. Its the method that works best for our pack and it relieves everyone of having to worry about where they are getting their meals.

 

[hlg22]

Thanks.

The hotel we will be staying at is in Arlington, around the 19th and Lynn Street area (where DH has to stay for conference), near a walking bridge over the river, he says. He thinks there may be a Metro station a few blocks away, but isn't sure. He uses taxis when he is there, so hasn't really paid attention to public transportation.

On Thursday and Friday, I would like to do some exploring on my own. I live in a very small, very rural town in the Midwest and have almost zero experience with public transportation.

Some things I have read about DC make me nervous. Is it safe for me, as a single woman, to walk around by myself?

Yeah, go ahead and snicker at the dumb country mouse. But then can you answer my question?

You will be staying in Rosslyn. Your husband is correct, there is a bridge (Key Bridge) there and you can walk over the river and into Georgetown - it has a nice wide pedestrian path that is separated from traffic by a wall. Georgetown is a lovely and safe area to walk around with lots of shops and restaurants, but it is a little separate from the main tourist sites so it's not like you could really walk across the river and to the Mall, etc. However, you are also only about a block away from the Rosslyn metro, and the Orange/Blue lines you can take you right to the Mall and Arlington Cemetery without having to switch trains. If you are uncomfortable on public transportation , you may want to wait until after rush hour when trains will be less crowded, but Metro is pretty easy and safe to use. I am not sure what you have read about DC to scare you...it is a big city and of course there is some crime, as there is everywhere, but I have lived in the DC Metro area for 12+ years and have no issues with walking by myself (and I'm female and 5' tall). Any of the tourist areas you would go to would be fine to walk around.

 

[DopeyDame]

I have no idea if this would work for a group your size, but here is a national park in greenbelt MD that has a walking path from the campground to the metro stop. It would make transportation to the mall really easy - just take th green line to archives and walk to everything on your list.

 

[JanaDee]

You will be staying in Rosslyn. Your husband is correct, there is a bridge (Key Bridge) there and you can walk over the river and into Georgetown - it has a nice wide pedestrian path that is separated from traffic by a wall. Georgetown is a lovely and safe area to walk around with lots of shops and restaurants, but it is a little separate from the main tourist sites so it's not like you could really walk across the river and to the Mall, etc. However, you are also only about a block away from the Rosslyn metro, and the Orange/Blue lines you can take you right to the Mall and Arlington Cemetery without having to switch trains. If you are uncomfortable on public transportation , you may want to wait until after rush hour when trains will be less crowded, but Metro is pretty easy and safe to use. I am not sure what you have read about DC to scare you...it is a big city and of course there is some crime, as there is everywhere, but I have lived in the DC Metro area for 12+ years and have no issues with walking by myself (and I'm female and 5' tall). Any of the tourist areas you would go to would be fine to walk around.

Thank you. That is exactly the kind of info I am looking for.

 

[bellarella]

We are talking the last Saturday of May using the Metro to go into the city. Here's what we were planning:

Taking the metro in to the stop closest to the Lincoln Memorial and working our way up toward the Smithsonians (Air and Space and Natural History). We will then eat lunch together at some spot along the way, so we don't have bags to carry into the buildings. After lunch we will give families three options:

1. Air and Space Museum
2. Natural History Museum
3. Lincoln Theater & House Tour

By this time I figure it will be late afternoon (probably 5 or so) and we will just plan on heading back to camp. I plan to find a pizza place and have them deliver dinner about 30 minutes after we return to camp.

Which stop should we plan on using when we come into DC?

I plan on having a meeting point at 5 p.m. so we can return together. Where would you plan on meeting, based on the three options I'm giving them? Which metro stop do we use to return to camp?

Is 2 hours really the travel time? Another group we know camped at this site and they recommended it. Said it was easy to use for large groups. I can't believe they wouldn't have told us if it was a 2 hour travel time.

A few things I'm not sure if you know.

1. The campground is 15 miles from the nearest metro station. That line is the Red line. You will need to drive to it and I think pay for parking.

2. That campground is about 35 miles from downtown. 2 hours via mostly public transit on a weekend sounds like a best case scenario.

3. The closest metro station to the Lincoln Memorial is Foggy Bottom. It is about 1 mile away. To get to it via the Red line, you will be heading further into downtown to Metro Center the backtracking on the Blue line.

4. The Lincoln Memorial is about 1 mile from the Natural History and closer to 2 miles to Air and Space.

5. Your three choices of spots to go are not close to one another. Any "central" meeting location will force you to transfer to the Red line and have you walking away from the direction you want to go.

I think you would have a more enjoyable trip if you could find accommodations closer in and concentrate your itinerary to one end of the Mall or the other. Have you thought of working from the Capitol to the White House? You can Walk to the Capitol from Union Station if you wanted (or if you transfer to one of the Capitol stops on the Blue and Orange lines, you at least won't be backtracking. Any of your three itineraries would then work and you could meet near the Ellipse and the n walk to Metro Center. (Air and Space people would be closest to your start point, Ford theater about 1/2 way, Natural History Closest to the end point.)

 

[tyniknate]

I have no idea if this would work for a group your size, but here is a national park in greenbelt MD that has a walking path from the campground to the metro stop. It would make transportation to the mall really easy - just take th green line to archives and walk to everything on your list.

Sadly, we are stuck with what he booked. Little Bennett has a no refund policy and he booked it with his credit card so we are stuck. He says he stayed there before, but I think we have made a mistake on this one. People wonder why I plan all this stuff by myself when we go places. Its because when I let someone else do it they don't do their research and we end up at a campground 2 hours from DC. UGH...I guess we just deal with it, but I'm not happy about this.

 

[tyniknate]

A few things I'm not sure if you know.

1. The campground is 15 miles from the nearest metro station. That line is the Red line. You will need to drive to it and I think pay for parking.

2. That campground is about 35 miles from downtown. 2 hours via mostly public transit on a weekend sounds like a best case scenario.

3. The closest metro station to the Lincoln Memorial is Foggy Bottom. It is about 1 mile away. To get to it via the Red line, you will be heading further into downtown to Metro Center the backtracking on the Blue line.

4. The Lincoln Memorial is about 1 mile from the Natural History and closer to 2 miles to Air and Space.

5. Your three choices of spots to go are not close to one another. Any "central" meeting location will force you to transfer to the Red line and have you walking away from the direction you want to go.

I think you would have a more enjoyable trip if you could find accommodations closer in and concentrate your itinerary to one end of the Mall or the other. Have you thought of working from the Capitol to the White House? You can Walk to the Capitol from Union Station if you wanted (or if you transfer to one of the Capitol stops on the Blue and Orange lines, you at least won't be backtracking. Any of your three itineraries would then work and you could meet near the Ellipse and the n walk to Metro Center. (Air and Space people would be closest to your start point, Ford theater about 1/2 way, Natural History Closest to the end point.)

Maybe I will have families sign up for one of the three places. Then I will assign a group leader for each of those places to be responsible for getting those families back to camp at the end of the day. Seems like a better idea than trying to all get together in one location after being spread out all over the place. If there are groups returning to camp (Shady Grove), which routes would you have them take for:

1. Air and Space

2. Natural History

3. Ford Theater

Thanks so much! You all have been very helpful!

 

[JanaDee]

You will be staying in Rosslyn. Your husband is correct, there is a bridge (Key Bridge) there and you can walk over the river and into Georgetown - it has a nice wide pedestrian path that is separated from traffic by a wall. Georgetown is a lovely and safe area to walk around with lots of shops and restaurants, but it is a little separate from the main tourist sites so it's not like you could really walk across the river and to the Mall, etc. However, you are also only about a block away from the Rosslyn metro, and the Orange/Blue lines you can take you right to the Mall and Arlington Cemetery without having to switch trains. If you are uncomfortable on public transportation , you may want to wait until after rush hour when trains will be less crowded, but Metro is pretty easy and safe to use. I am not sure what you have read about DC to scare you...it is a big city and of course there is some crime, as there is everywhere, but I have lived in the DC Metro area for 12+ years and have no issues with walking by myself (and I'm female and 5' tall). Any of the tourist areas you would go to would be fine to walk around.

I did want to clarify I realize I wouldn't be able to walk to any of the main tourist sites by using the pedestrian bridge across the river, I was just using that as a point of reference to give people a better idea of where we would be staying.

I know I'd have to take the Metro pretty much anywhere I wanted to go.

I need to make my decision today on whether I am going or not. I'm still on the fence. I don't know if I want to do all that walking around when it is so cold out.

 

[PlutoPony]

Maybe I will have families sign up for one of the three places. Then I will assign a group leader for each of those places to be responsible for getting those families back to camp at the end of the day.

Touring Ford Theater requires timed entry tickets with a small charge. Most are reserved in advance through Ticketmaster and there is a group sales for 15 or more IMO it will be a challenge to show up at their box office the day you are there with a largish group and get in within a reasonable amount of time. It's possible that same day tickets will be gone when you get there. If it were me I'd leave out the Ford Theater option and keep everyone on the Mall at the Smithsonians. There's so much to see there that's also free....the Museum of the American Indian is right next door to Air and Space and has neat exhibits of arrowheads and beading among other things. There are wonderful art museums right across the mall from Air and Space, and a great outdoor sculpture garden that appeals to all ages. The Archives are behind the sculpture garden, free entry to see the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of Rights. And the Museum of American History is down on the other side of the Museum of Natural History. So there should be no problem finding something of interest to everyone for an afternoon. Then you could all meet up by one of the Metro stops like Smithsonian or Federal Triangle on the Orange/Blue line and transfer at Metro Center to the Red Line and "home". Or just walk to Metro Center if you want to avoid the train change.

Have been thinking of your trip and there are a couple things you might want to keep in mind:
*It's going to take some time for 60 people to get Metro tickets at Shady Grove. The ticket machines can be a bit confusing at first and that's a lot of people to get through that. There's a station manager available to answer questions but he's only 1 person. If there are a few in your group who catch onto these things quickly and are comfortable figuring them out, I'd ask them to spend time before the trip reading the metro rail website and be first to get tickets, then help others. Don't be surprised if several trains come and go while your whole group is getting tickets. If you want everyone to go in together, you might want to wait in the ticketing area and not go down onto the train platform until all have tickets. The more I think about, 2 hours into town seems reasonable, and possibly more. That's really not too bad, we plan a good 90 minutes to go in via metro for our family of 2-3... 25 minute drive to Vienna Metro station, then 40 minutes into the Mall plus waiting for the train.
*there are no restrooms in metro stations. Use restrooms before you leave. Also no eating or drinking on metro trains. And when you go up/down escalators stay to the RIGHT, allowing people in a hurry to pass on the left.
*Rain won't be a problem as far as touring the museums assuming people are dressed accordingly. But I really don't know where you will be able to eat a picnic lunch if it rains. There are few if any picnic tables on the mall, so your best bet is probably to probably plop down on the grassy areas of the mall- assuming you can find one that's not being used for a game of some kind or roped off to let the grass regrow. But i really don't have any suggestions of where you can go if it rains. You are not allowed to bring food into the museums, just water bottles so it's not like you can go into their food courts and pull out your sandwiches. I would suggest you go on Trip Advisor and ask for ideas, the people there are very knowledgeable about the area.
*All bags will likely have to go through xray type machines at the museums so the more you are carrying around, the more hassle. Pocket knives are NOT allowed in and will be taken so tell everyone to leave them behind.
*You will be doing a lot of walking, think WDW +. The monuments aren't close to everything else, plus just walking around them adds a fair amount of distance. Honestly, if you got into town mid morning you could spend until mid afternoon or later just wandering around the monuments. And Air and Space is at the far end of the Mall. BTW, steps of the Lincoln might be a nice place for lunch. Or find some space around the Reflecting Pool.

HTH! I think you will have a great time if the weather cooperates!

 

[PlutoPony]

I need to make my decision today on whether I am going or not. I'm still on the fence. I don't know if I want to do all that walking around when it is so cold out.

When would you be coming? (sorry if I missed that). We have probably another 2 weeks of relative cold like 30's, then it should start getting nice.

 

[rwdavis2]

I have not read all the replies, so anyway...

You will take one of the stops on the Red Line that runs up Md 355: Grosvenor, White Flint, Shady Grove. Look up on the Metro web site to find out about the parking situations. I think you will need a Smart Trip card to use the parking lots. They sell them from the machines at each station and there is a fee to buy it on top of the amount of money you put on it.

From the Red Line you will switch to the Blue Line at Metro Center and then take it to either Federal Triangle or Smithsonian stop.

The Metro web site should have fare calculators (although I have not looked in a while). I would estimate around $5-$10 per day, per person for Metro fare. Remember that fares vary by rush hour/non-rush hour.

 

[JanaDee]

When would you be coming? (sorry if I missed that). We have probably another 2 weeks of relative cold like 30's, then it should start getting nice.

Two weeks. It is freezing cold here (below zero) and honestly, I'm not real interested in traveling to someplace that isn't much warmer. lol

 

[hlg22]

Two weeks. It is freezing cold here (below zero) and honestly, I'm not real interested in traveling to someplace that isn't much warmer. lol

Two weeks, hmmm. The weather here could go either way. This weekend, it was GORGEOUS and in the 60s. Now today it is back down to 30 degrees and snowing again.

 

[tyniknate]

Touring Ford Theater requires timed entry tickets with a small charge. Most are reserved in advance through Ticketmaster and there is a group sales for 15 or more IMO it will be a challenge to show up at their box office the day you are there with a largish group and get in within a reasonable amount of time. It's possible that same day tickets will be gone when you get there. If it were me I'd leave out the Ford Theater option and keep everyone on the Mall at the Smithsonians. There's so much to see there that's also free....the Museum of the American Indian is right next door to Air and Space and has neat exhibits of arrowheads and beading among other things. There are wonderful art museums right across the mall from Air and Space, and a great outdoor sculpture garden that appeals to all ages. The Archives are behind the sculpture garden, free entry to see the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of Rights. And the Museum of American History is down on the other side of the Museum of Natural History. So there should be no problem finding something of interest to everyone for an afternoon. Then you could all meet up by one of the Metro stops like Smithsonian or Federal Triangle on the Orange/Blue line and transfer at Metro Center to the Red Line and "home". Or just walk to Metro Center if you want to avoid the train change.

Have been thinking of your trip and there are a couple things you might want to keep in mind:
*It's going to take some time for 60 people to get Metro tickets at Shady Grove. The ticket machines can be a bit confusing at first and that's a lot of people to get through that. There's a station manager available to answer questions but he's only 1 person. If there are a few in your group who catch onto these things quickly and are comfortable figuring them out, I'd ask them to spend time before the trip reading the metro rail website and be first to get tickets, then help others. Don't be surprised if several trains come and go while your whole group is getting tickets. If you want everyone to go in together, you might want to wait in the ticketing area and not go down onto the train platform until all have tickets. The more I think about, 2 hours into town seems reasonable, and possibly more. That's really not too bad, we plan a good 90 minutes to go in via metro for our family of 2-3... 25 minute drive to Vienna Metro station, then 40 minutes into the Mall plus waiting for the train.
*there are no restrooms in metro stations. Use restrooms before you leave. Also no eating or drinking on metro trains. And when you go up/down escalators stay to the RIGHT, allowing people in a hurry to pass on the left.
*Rain won't be a problem as far as touring the museums assuming people are dressed accordingly. But I really don't know where you will be able to eat a picnic lunch if it rains. There are few if any picnic tables on the mall, so your best bet is probably to probably plop down on the grassy areas of the mall- assuming you can find one that's not being used for a game of some kind or roped off to let the grass regrow. But i really don't have any suggestions of where you can go if it rains. You are not allowed to bring food into the museums, just water bottles so it's not like you can go into their food courts and pull out your sandwiches. I would suggest you go on Trip Advisor and ask for ideas, the people there are very knowledgeable about the area.
*All bags will likely have to go through xray type machines at the museums so the more you are carrying around, the more hassle. Pocket knives are NOT allowed in and will be taken so tell everyone to leave them behind.
*You will be doing a lot of walking, think WDW +. The monuments aren't close to everything else, plus just walking around them adds a fair amount of distance. Honestly, if you got into town mid morning you could spend until mid afternoon or later just wandering around the monuments. And Air and Space is at the far end of the Mall. BTW, steps of the Lincoln might be a nice place for lunch. Or find some space around the Reflecting Pool.

HTH! I think you will have a great time if the weather cooperates!

Thank you for all of your ideas. Everyone on here has been so helpful.

I'm purchasing all of the tickets so we have them in advance. The Metro office was very helpful and will sell us only what we need so we can keep the costs down. Once I know who is going on what tour, we can purchase enough to cover the costs.

If the weather is nice we were thinking we would eat at the reflecting pool. If is isn't, I'm not sure what we will do. We planned to eat before we went into the museums so there wouldn't be so many bags to have checked when we got there.

We plan on only doing a few of the monuments, as the boys are young and can only take so much "boring stuff" as they would say. LOL We have done Gettysburg on several occasions, including the 10 mile hike on an August afternoon. I think we will be OK with the walking. As long as they stay hydrated I'm happy.

 

[clutter]

Two weeks. It is freezing cold here (below zero) and honestly, I'm not real interested in traveling to someplace that isn't much warmer. lol

Well, we're in the 30s today, so we actually are much warmer. Relatively. The average temps in March are in the 50s I believe, so barring a polar vortex again.... But you just never know.

 

[Dictator]

Sadly, we are stuck with what he booked. Little Bennett has a no refund policy and he booked it with his credit card so we are stuck. He says he stayed there before, but I think we have made a mistake on this one. People wonder why I plan all this stuff by myself when we go places. Its because when I let someone else do it they don't do their research and we end up at a campground 2 hours from DC. UGH...I guess we just deal with it, but I'm not happy about this.

Little bennet is a fine campground. I used to camp there in HS. To get to Shady Grove, just hop on 270 to 370. It might take 15-20 minutes. Especially if you're heading out early in the morning. I lived in Germantown/Gaithersburg MD for the better part of my life, and I can't say it's ever taken me 2 hours to get downtown...even for Redskins Games or Concerts.

 

[rwdavis2]

Little bennet is a fine campground. I used to camp there in HS. To get to Shady Grove, just hop on 270 to 370. It might take 15-20 minutes. Especially if you're heading out early in the morning. I lived in Germantown/Gaithersburg MD for the better part of my life, and I can't say it's ever taken me 2 hours to get downtown...even for Redskins Games or Concerts.

Agreed. It's not that far to the Metro stop. You will probably have around an hour's travel time give or take.