Visiting Washington DC

[cheerky]

Hi!

DD is competing in Baltimore in April. The competition falls during Spring Break so we made plans to arrive two days early (staying at inner harbor) to make a mini vacation out of the trip.

The only plans we have made are to see the Yankees play at Camden Yards! We will have 1 1/2-2 full days to sightsee and would like to visit Washington DC.


Any suggestions for transportation into DC and touring tips/ itinerary suggestions are welcome!!!

Thanks so much! PS- I wish she was competing at DISNEY!

 

[weezyree]

Having lived in the hub-bub of the DC area, we preferred public transportation every time. Traffic is horrendous and tickets come easily in downtown DC!!! We used it at all hours of the day and into the evening and felt safe. It's easy to use and cheap.

Almost every thing in downtown DC is free. There are several museums full of all sorts of neat things. The Air and Space Museum is very cool, especially if you have boys. The American History museum has several awesome pieces on display...Dorothy's Ruby Red Slippers, the hope diamond, etc.

Pack a picnic and set up camp by the base of the Washington monument. Pack the cheapie ponchos if there is rain in the forecast and prepare to do a lot of walking when you get down to the 'mall' area.

I would start at the West end of the Mall by the Lincoln memorial, enjoy the WWII memorial and Vietnam Memorial, smell the cherry blossoms if you are there in April (along with the Tulip beds), pop by the White House for a photo op, and then lunch at the base of the Washington Memorial. After that rest, pic a few things you'd like to see in museums.

Most of all, have fun!!!

 

[Madison'smommy]

I would drive to New Carrolton, MD (about 20-25 minutes) then get the Metro at that station. Take the Orange Line to and get off at the Smithsonian. Lots to see around there. Then you can get on and off the metro to go to other places. I grew up right in between Baltimore and DC, and would absolutly advise taking the train! Much easier than dealing with parking! And ugh... driving in the traffic! I did it for years, to and from work.... it stinks!

 

[luv2sewtjr]

Definitely take public transportation into D.C., although, to be honest, I would probably stay in D.C. for a couple days so you don't lose all that time commuting.

I was just in D.C. today and it was a great day. I visited the Museum of American History and it's not a recommendation from me. They are in the midst of renovating the West Side of the building (and it just reopened from a renovation) so there were many exhibits closed. I did like seeing the Star Spangled Banner, though.

When we go to the Mall area, we always picnic. Food is pricier compared to our rural area and it's a great way to re-energize.

The reflecting pool is drained and being rebuilt, so the walk to the Lincoln Memorial has a lot of fencing and construction vehicles. The WWII Memorial is gorgeous and the Korean and Vietnam memorials are sobering.

For museums, my kids love Natural History and Air & Space the best. There are also sculpture gardens we visit on a regular basis.

The Museum of American Art in the Chinatown/Verizon Center area is a favorite of mine. All the portraits of the presidents are there and some great folk art. The Spy Museum is behind it, which isn't free, but I've had good luck finding discounted tickets.

There are more places to eat in Chinatown and we are more likely to eat lunch there than on the Mall.

The Archives are very cool, but that is nearer the Mall.

I forgot to add: Make sure you already have your tickets to see the Yankees play; Camden Yards gets a LOT of Yankees fans for that series. I know because I'm married to one!

 

[Zim]

The Baltimore Harbor has a pretty decent Aquarium and the Maryland Science Center (which has an IMAX theater so check listings and showtimes).

In DC I highly recommend the Newseum. The first time I went it was awful, like they literally plastered newspapers all over the place and called it a museum. Then they moved it from Alexandria to DC and really revamped the concept. Now they have amazingly moving photographs and the back stories (be prepared to get teary eyed).

They also had some pretty interesting exhibit pieces including the melted tower antennae from one of the 911 towers. They also had the actual shed Ted Kaczynski was living in before being turned in by his brother. Very interesting place (but not free like a lot of the main museums in DC).

 

[ssawka]

Look into the MARC train. It's a commuter train that you can take from downtown Baltimore right to downtown DC.

 

[sarahlovesmickey]

As much as I loathe it, public transportation is the way to go, as other posters have said. Also, the Smithsonian museums are a must see--they are FREE and amazing! My husband and I also liked the Holocaust Museum-but have your tissues ready--it's so very sad. If you can pack a lunch and snacks, that would be good because as with any trip, the cost of food adds up quick!

Have fun!

 

[CKBear]

I would recommend looking into taking public transportation as well, we stayed in Alexandria when we went and the public transportation was great and super easy to use.

The Smithsonian museums are amazing. We also went to the National Archives which was cool especially seeing the Declaration of Independence.
When we went there were five of us ranging in age from six to 76 and we all agree the coolest thing we did was the evening we went to the memorials. We drove into the city at about 8pm and visited the Lincoln Memorial, and then walked through the Korean War Memorial. The Lincoln Memorial was cool, but the Korean War Memorial at night was surreal. It's full size statues of soldier in combat and the statues would emerge from the dark as you were walking through and it made for a very surreal feeling. Also, we didn't feel uncomfortable at all being down there at that time of day, it was still super crowded and I still applaud my SIL for being willing to drive us into Downtown DC at night.

 

[Luvdancink]

Any tips on where to stay in DC? We are looking at going last weekend in April. Hotel rooms seem to be really expensive there.

~Kristy

 

[tzolkin]

Any tips on where to stay in DC? We are looking at going last weekend in April. Hotel rooms seem to be really expensive there.

To piggyback on this question, any ideas for a family of 6?

We would really like to take our foreign exchange student there this spring (none of us have ever been). She would be happy to just see the city for a few hours, so we thought we would go for two or three days and go to some of the museums that my kids are also interested in.

Of course we don't want to spend too much money, but easy transportation is also a big issue in our choice. (We are completely unfamiliar with the area and we are used to very rural, so DH would like to avoid traffic as much as possible... He even prefers taking the busses at Disney even though we have our own car )

 

[CheekyRose]

Yes, hotels are expensive in DC. So is dining. We stayed at the Washington Hilton (Dupont Circle) last year. It's a little ways from the mall, so not as expensive as hotels in the best locations, but still convenient for sightseeing. We got a good rate that included a substantial buffet breakfast (hot foods, omelette station, fruit, breads, smoothies, etc) for all four of us. We found lower hotel rates, but they didn't include breakfast, and for us, that made a difference. We could have a filling breakfast in the morning, then a light lunch while out touring, spending less overall than if we'd chosen a cheaper hotel and paid for breakfast.

It's about a 10 minute walk from the Metro Station. Downhill leaving the Hilton so quick and easy in the morning. Uphill on the the way back after a day of touring in the heat, the walk seems longer and I noticed some elderly folks and young children having trouble with the walk, but it wasn't bad for reasonbly fit adults/teens.

I agree with the others, the Metro is the way to get around. Reasonably priced and very easy to navigate. Traffic in DC is hectic and parking is expensive and hard to find, so no car there for me!

The Smithsonian Museums are wonderful and free, as is the Holocaust Museum. Although free, advance tickets for the Holocaust Museum (for $1/ticket, IIRC) are recommended during busier times of year, because they have timed entry. Visiting all the memorials and monuments is a must-do, IMO, too.

You should also contact your congressman to try to get tickets to tour the capitol. That was one of the highlights of our trip. You're too late to get a White House tour for April, those tickets go fast.

 

[summermac]

Definitely take the Metro. It's awesome.

Personally I think the Capitol tour stunk and was a waste of 3 hours. It was much better years ago. Too croweded and rushed now.

My favorite thing to do is hit all the monuments at the Washington Mall. My favorite is the WWII memorial. I just love it!!

 

[cheerky]

Thanks so much for all of the replies! We have tix to the Yankee game on Wednesday night. Looks like we will be taking the train down to DC on Thursday, maybe again on Friday. I think we will finalize plans as it gets closer based on the weather. I appreciate all of the suggestions!

 

[Disney Hot Mama]

great post.. we are heading for a business show on Monday the 19th to Baltimore. Tuesday the 20th we have free and I hope to head to Washington DC. How long is the train ride from Baltimore to DC? I know we won't have much time to see things but I hope to see some major sights.