washington D.C.. Please help HOTEL HELP PLEASE:)

[CruiserMom]

We have been to DC many times over the last few years. I always recommend people use the Old Town Trolley tour. It is a hop on/hop off tour with different loops. You can choose the monument loop and see everything on your list. The tour guides are very entertaining.

Wherever you stay, make sure you are very close to a Metro stop. You can take the Metro to Union Station, where you purchase your tickets and start your tour.

When you want to tour the Smithsonians, just take the Metro to the Smithsonian station. You can walk to them from there.

Mount Vernon is a great idea also. You can drive to that easily from Alexandria.

 

[MomNeedsVacay]

We have been to DC many times over the last few years. I always recommend people use the Old Town Trolley tour. It is a hop on/hop off tour with different loops. You can choose the monument loop and see everything on your list. The tour guides are very entertaining.

Wherever you stay, make sure you are very close to a Metro stop. You can take the Metro to Union Station, where you purchase your tickets and start your tour.

When you want to tour the Smithsonians, just take the Metro to the Smithsonian station. You can walk to them from there.

Mount Vernon is a great idea also. You can drive to that easily from Alexandria.

If you bike at all...there is a gorgeous trail along the Potomac River that goes down to Mt. Vernon and it's a fabulous bike ride...

 

[golfgal]

You can buy them there. There was a "package" deal when we were there if you bought tickets for the bus tour around Arlington and for the monuments but we did not do that. We walked around Arlington because we wanted to look at more of the headstones.

I would recommend the Natural Science and Air and Space for sure, especially with a 7 year old boy. We only got to see a very little bit of the American Indian museum but that would be another one to consider. I was HIGHLY disappointed in the American History museum, I was expecting it to be more memorabilia from the US but it is more of a history of how the US grew up. It is still worth seeing but can be done in an hour or so. It is a good one to combine with the National Archives because they are fairly close and neither take all that long (especially now that you can get timed tickets for the Archives-you couldn't when we were there).

I think the Zoo is a must, even if you just go see the Pandas. If you have time, the National Cathedral isn't far from there and your son would probably get a kick out of the Darth Vader gargoyle. If you go to the zoo, get off at the stop that is up hill from the zoo and leave from the stop that is downhill-I can't remember which is which but the locals will know.

 

[golfgal]

If you bike at all...there is a gorgeous trail along the Potomac River that goes down to Mt. Vernon and it's a fabulous bike ride...

OH, I wish I knew about that when we went. How long of a bike ride is it?

 

[Trentmom]

Yes, very safe. You will see some places along the metro lines that you would not want to be in but Old Town is very safe, no issues at all. We spent a lot of time walking around Alexandria and it is almost deserted at times (not in Old Town but the square by the hotels by the metro).

The Hilton is across the street from Embassy Suites and next door to the Metro.

Thank You. that makes me feel better

Looking at Embassy Suites now. They look very nice

Decisions Decisions.

We will be driving, so will have to pay the hotel parking rate.

I feel silly flying when am only in NJ... Have to google directions, but am going to guess this is about 5 hrs away driving.

 

[MomNeedsVacay]

OH, I wish I knew about that when we went. How long of a bike ride is it?

I think it about 8 miles. http://bikewashington.org/trails/vernon/index.php

 

[Trentmom]

oh wow..just googled directions...looks like 3 hrs...that is lot closer than I thought.

 

[LaraK]

Thank You. that makes me feel better

Looking at Embassy Suites now. They look very nice

Decisions Decisions.

We will be driving, so will have to pay the hotel parking rate.

I feel silly flying when am only in NJ... Have to google directions, but am going to guess this is about 5 hrs away driving.

If you come on a weekday (or heck, any day anymore) remember that DC traffic is brutal....the Beltway isn't called "Suicide Circle" by truckers for no reason. Try to time your arrival on the Beltway from 95 for an off hour if you can. The DC rush hour(s) are from about 6-10 AM and 3:30-7 PM. I think DC was just voted the worst in the nation for traffic.

 

[surfgirl]

great advice from Lara!

We stayed at the Embassy Suites across from King Street metro station and loved it. It is so easy to hop on the metro there - and to take the trolley down to Old Town (or walk). Our first night, we got in late and needed dinner quickly - went to Theisman's (sports bar) about a block away and it was good. Not great, but a sports bar, so you know what you get.

Air and Space - a must do! We usually head to the Skylab in the middle - my kids stand in the middle and look at everything while people move around us. There will be a line later. (McD's attached)

Natural History - Hope Diamond is very cool - is near a large exhition on mining and rocks. Look for the gigantic squid. blech. (cafeteria here isn't a bad option either).

American History - renovations are disappointing, but some other really fun areas. Loved the Star Spangled Banner exhibit.

Monuments - we walked from the Washingon Monument around the Tidal Basin - it is a LOOOOOONG walk, but on a nice day is fun. Make sure you've a backpack with snacks/drinks, because there isn't much along there.

Washington Monument - get your timed tickets now, otherwise, they'll be sold out. Our first time, my husband got in line at 6:45am on a cold March morning to wait for tickets when they opened at 8am - he was about 20th in line. Next time, we planned ahead and had timed tickets already.

Capitol - I was impressed with the new visitors centers (NOTE: NO FOOD AT ALL - EVEN IN BAGS!) (we had just re-stocked food and snacks, so I took the kids in and sent my husband to find a restaurant for dessert since he also had a work call - we just caught up with him afterwards) - we took the tour - about 40 minutes. My 6yo was very interested and it was the right amount of time.

White House - they also have a nice visitors center with various exhibits and movies playing. Was enough information for the kids without the actual tour.

Ford Theater, Spy Museum, Newseum - we haven't done because we're taking advantage of the free stuff. Also haven't done the zoo because I'm not going to the nation's capital to see animals - I can do that in my town!

 

[golfgal]

lol... Old Town is where is want to be...THere is also a Holiday Inn, Embassy Suites, Hotel Monoco, and the WEstin... Hotel Monoco is my preference----although further from the metro (a free trolley ride away)...its more situated in the historic district---you can walk to the Waterfront from here and enjoy all of the rich history of Alexandria from here ...but then again....you're not here to see Alexandria, really...so what the heck am I talking about... The areas of all of these hotels are very safe---THe cost of living is so high in most parts of Alexandria that there is little room for riff raff.

When we were there the trolley didn't start running until 5:00 at night, has this changed?

 

[MomNeedsVacay]

When we were there the trolley didn't start running until 5:00 at night, has this changed?

http://alexandriava.gov/Trolley 11:30 am-10 pm

 

[surfgirl]

Oh, I forgot to say that we decided not to do the hop on hop off tour - by the time we did it for all 5 of us, it was REALLY expensive!

 

[golfgal]

http://alexandriava.gov/Trolley 11:30 am-10 pm

Cool, we thought that was weird that it didn't run during the day.

 

[erincon23]

You mentioned that you wanted to tour the White House -- don't count on being able to walk up and do that -- your best bet is to contact your senator or rep and see if you can get tickets through them.

There are several great guides to DC -- one is DC with kids -- you'll find that very helpful. I lived in Alexandria for a while, and became very familiar with DC, but I still wouldn't go without the advice of a guidebook (and yes, Alexandria is great!). The metro is safe and clean -- it's a great way to get around the area.

 

[Trentmom]

lol... Old Town is where is want to be...THere is also a Holiday Inn, Embassy Suites, Hotel Monoco, and the WEstin... Hotel Monoco is my preference----although further from the metro (a free trolley ride away)...its more situated in the historic district---you can walk to the Waterfront from here and enjoy all of the rich history of Alexandria from here ...but then again....you're not here to see Alexandria, really...so what the heck am I talking about... The areas of all of these hotels are very safe---THe cost of living is so high in most parts of Alexandria that there is little room for riff raff.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I have heard Alexandria is a beautiful place

We have been to DC many times over the last few years. I always recommend people use the Old Town Trolley tour. It is a hop on/hop off tour with different loops. You can choose the monument loop and see everything on your list. The tour guides are very entertaining.

Wherever you stay, make sure you are very close to a Metro stop. You can take the Metro to Union Station, where you purchase your tickets and start your tour.

When you want to tour the Smithsonians, just take the Metro to the Smithsonian station. You can walk to them from there.

Mount Vernon is a great idea also. You can drive to that easily from Alexandria.

Thank you for the great info

I have noted now to make sure I am near metro stop.

You can buy them there. There was a "package" deal when we were there if you bought tickets for the bus tour around Arlington and for the monuments but we did not do that. We walked around Arlington because we wanted to look at more of the headstones.

I would recommend the Natural Science and Air and Space for sure, especially with a 7 year old boy. We only got to see a very little bit of the American Indian museum but that would be another one to consider. I was HIGHLY disappointed in the American History museum, I was expecting it to be more memorabilia from the US but it is more of a history of how the US grew up. It is still worth seeing but can be done in an hour or so. It is a good one to combine with the National Archives because they are fairly close and neither take all that long (especially now that you can get timed tickets for the Archives-you couldn't when we were there).

I think the Zoo is a must, even if you just go see the Pandas. If you have time, the National Cathedral isn't far from there and your son would probably get a kick out of the Darth Vader gargoyle. If you go to the zoo, get off at the stop that is up hill from the zoo and leave from the stop that is downhill-I can't remember which is which but the locals will know.

My son would get a kick out of darth vader gargoyle.

What are timed tickets? Does that mean your ticket is only good between certain hours?

If you come on a weekday (or heck, any day anymore) remember that DC traffic is brutal....the Beltway isn't called "Suicide Circle" by truckers for no reason. Try to time your arrival on the Beltway from 95 for an off hour if you can. The DC rush hour(s) are from about 6-10 AM and 3:30-7 PM. I think DC was just voted the worst in the nation for traffic.

The beltway is scary indeed

I was planning on leaving here about 6:30, getting there about 9:30, pm that is. Hopefully avoid all that crazy traffic there.

We will just check in hotel and go right to bed. Be nice and refreshed for touring the next day

great advice from Lara!

We stayed at the Embassy Suites across from King Street metro station and loved it. It is so easy to hop on the metro there - and to take the trolley down to Old Town (or walk). Our first night, we got in late and needed dinner quickly - went to Theisman's (sports bar) about a block away and it was good. Not great, but a sports bar, so you know what you get.

Air and Space - a must do! We usually head to the Skylab in the middle - my kids stand in the middle and look at everything while people move around us. There will be a line later. (McD's attached)

Natural History - Hope Diamond is very cool - is near a large exhition on mining and rocks. Look for the gigantic squid. blech. (cafeteria here isn't a bad option either).

American History - renovations are disappointing, but some other really fun areas. Loved the Star Spangled Banner exhibit.

Monuments - we walked from the Washingon Monument around the Tidal Basin - it is a LOOOOOONG walk, but on a nice day is fun. Make sure you've a backpack with snacks/drinks, because there isn't much along there.

Washington Monument - get your timed tickets now, otherwise, they'll be sold out. Our first time, my husband got in line at 6:45am on a cold March morning to wait for tickets when they opened at 8am - he was about 20th in line. Next time, we planned ahead and had timed tickets already.

Capitol - I was impressed with the new visitors centers (NOTE: NO FOOD AT ALL - EVEN IN BAGS!) (we had just re-stocked food and snacks, so I took the kids in and sent my husband to find a restaurant for dessert since he also had a work call - we just caught up with him afterwards) - we took the tour - about 40 minutes. My 6yo was very interested and it was the right amount of time.

White House - they also have a nice visitors center with various exhibits and movies playing. Was enough information for the kids without the actual tour.

Ford Theater, Spy Museum, Newseum - we haven't done because we're taking advantage of the free stuff. Also haven't done the zoo because I'm not going to the nation's capital to see animals - I can do that in my town!

Wow, this is such great info.

What are these timed tickets?

How do you get them ahead of time? Is there a website to get them?

Are you saying I only need them for Washington Monument? Is that because they only allow so many people in at once?

 

[Trentmom]

Oh, I forgot to say that we decided not to do the hop on hop off tour - by the time we did it for all 5 of us, it was REALLY expensive!

Thanks..will keep that in mind

You mentioned that you wanted to tour the White House -- don't count on being able to walk up and do that -- your best bet is to contact your senator or rep and see if you can get tickets through them.

There are several great guides to DC -- one is DC with kids -- you'll find that very helpful. I lived in Alexandria for a while, and became very familiar with DC, but I still wouldn't go without the advice of a guidebook (and yes, Alexandria is great!). The metro is safe and clean -- it's a great way to get around the area.

Thank you

I was really not sure how that worked with the White House

I will be hitting barnes and nobles next weekend to get a guide.

 

[golfgal]

Yes, timed tickets let you in at a certain time. I know at the archives they only let in about 20 or 30 people at a time-and are VERY restrictive about photos, NO FOOD or BEVERAGES at all. Same goes with the Washington Monument-not sure how many they let in at a time. We chose not to go up in the monument but we did walk around the grounds.

 

[Trentmom]

Yes, timed tickets let you in at a certain time. I know at the archives they only let in about 20 or 30 people at a time-and are VERY restrictive about photos, NO FOOD or BEVERAGES at all. Same goes with the Washington Monument-not sure how many they let in at a time. We chose not to go up in the monument but we did walk around the grounds.

Thank you. Will keep all of this in mind before we go

What exactly do you see in the archives building?

 

[2Kds2K9]

Since you are driving, I highly recommend the Udvar Haazy Museum which is part 2 of the Air and Space Museum. It's located out by Dulles Airport and is spectacular. The space shuttle Endeavor is there, the concorde is there as well as the Enola Gay. I would suggest 3-4 hours for touring. It's free, but the parking is $15.00.

You could hit this on your way in or out of town.

Enjoy!

 

[surfgirl]

Yes, timed tickets let you in at a certain time. I know at the archives they only let in about 20 or 30 people at a time-and are VERY restrictive about photos, NO FOOD or BEVERAGES at all. Same goes with the Washington Monument-not sure how many they let in at a time. We chose not to go up in the monument but we did walk around the grounds.

This is correct - they only allow those people in. We never went into the National Archives for that reason - I forgot to get timed tickets.

For the Washington Monument, it is run by the National Park Service. Try nps.gov to start. There is a nomimal fee for the timed tickets, but it isn't much. We were there in November, so we picked 4:30 (one of the last times) - the sky was gorgeous since it was sunset about then.

Oh yeah, another thought: the National Galley - Sculpture Garden is a great place to take a break mid-day and have a dessert, snack, whatever. My kids also enjoyed walking through looking at the sculptures outside. They have tables outside, so if it is nice, you can enjoy the outside and it is convenient to everything.

We took the metro to Federal Triangle - there is an Italian restaurant in the middle of that complex - it was great! We enjoyed lunch there and they were very nice to kids - Aria Fresca. If you go into the Ronald Reagan office building and down to the basement, there is also a food court if that is easier with a difficult eater. Both are convenient to the American History Museum.