Washington, D.C.

[rascalmom]

Is 10 days too long for a trip to this area?

DD#1 is going for an educational conference in July. We have decided to go out as a family the week before for family vacation time. What I am planning on doing is staying in the area after dh goes home at the end of the first week & spending time there with dd#2.

The family part of the trip will fall over July 4th. Are we crazy - will the heat & crowds be unbearable?

Will we need a rental car? Right now I am leaning towards having a car during the time that dh is with us so that we can see some of the area sites - Williamsburg, Monticello, etc. DD#2 & I would then use the metro to get around later.

Any suggestions? Leaning toward an Embassy Suites, but will probably split the stay up.

 

[kilee]

I think 10 days is a bit long, but we usually visit the area for no more than 2-3 days at a time. If you've never been though, there is a lot to do. Also, I think a lot depends on your interests. I mean one person can speed through 3 museum's in a day, while another only makes 1/2 way through one in a day. So, that will play a lot into it.

It will be hot though. We went once in the summer, and said never again. Just be sure your hotel has a pool. Also, plan a nice mixture of indoor and outdoor activities.

Now, if you throw in some side trips, then the 10 days will probably be just nice. There is of course Baltimore not that far too. Williamsburg is quite a drive. It would take a few hours to get there (I wanna say it took us 3.5-4 hrs to get from Virigina Beach to D.C. on our last trip in '04. We stopped in D.C. for lunch and to do some minor site seeing to break up the ride home. So, if you do Williamsburg you may want to actually stay in that area for a day or so.

 

[Christine]

Ten days is a long time ANYWHERE!! Except for Disney of course ! Yeah, it seems like a long time but, if you try, you probably won't have any trouble filling up the days--especially if you do Williamsburg. You could sightsee at Williamsburg for a day, then you could do Busch Gardens and Water Country (2 days), then there's all the different museums and historical homes to visit. It will be crowded, especially over the 4th. It does get hot, but sometimes it's not bad at all. My DD was born in July and it was raining and 70 degrees that week. Fluke, I know, but it happens.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Are you considering Williamsburg a DC area site? It's about 2 1/2- 3 hours from DC (it's 3 hours from where we live in Maryland, not exactly sure how far from DC proper), so not a day trip by any stretch of the imagination. Last summer we went to Williamsburg and spent 3 days there and that was only at Busch Gardens and Water Country (lots of fun) without doing the historic stuff, so 10 days in the mid-Atlantic wouldn't be long at all.

As far as how many days in DC, that really depends on what you want to see. There are all the museums, Printing and Engraving, The Holocaust Musuem, Spy Museum, National Zoo, all the Memorials and Monuments, etc, etc. Lots to see and do. The July 4th week is fun since the Folk Life Festival is going on at the Mall by the Smithsonian museums. Yes, it can be a hot time, but it is fun.

 

[rascalmom]

Yes, I did mean we would split the stay up with a few days around Williamsburg.

We have all been before, but not together. DH went as a kid with his family & I have been with each of the girls for their 5th grade "graduation" field trips. Those were each 5 day trips (including flight time) & we hit D.C., Williamsburg, Jamestown, Monticello & Mount Vernon. Needless to say, we didn't get to spend much time anywhere. Mostly made us want to go back to take it all at a more leisurely pace. (DD#1 got to participate in the wreath laying ceremony to Arlington & we literally had to jog through to get there on time!)

DH could probably spend a full day in the Air & Space museum alone, so I know we can keep busy in D.C. (even if dd's & I send Dad on to the museums & hit the pool for a bit)

Any other places in the area we should plan on seeing? What is Virginia Beach like? Gettysburg?

 

[rascalmom]

Tentative schedule would be:

Fly into DC on Monday, stay there (Mandarin Oriental, Embassy Suites?) until Thursday. That would put us in DC for the 4th - where is a good place to view fireworks?

Drive to Williamsburg. Day at historic sites, day at amusement park (? - very spoiled to WDW, will we like this?). Time to relax around hotel.

Sunday, drive back to DC area. DH flies out. Monday, DD#1 checks into her conference.

Have Monday afternoon until Saturday morning with just DD#2 & I. So, five days of keeping a 14 year old happy & entertained, just the two of us.

 

[caitycaity]

Are we crazy - will the heat & crowds be unbearable?

Will we need a rental car? Right now I am leaning towards having a car during the time that dh is with us so that we can see some of the area sites - Williamsburg, Monticello, etc. DD#2 & I would then use the metro to get around later.

i don't think 10 days is too long if you add side trips.

as for the rental car - just be sure to inquire at whatever hotel you choose about parking fees.

will the heat and crowds be unbearable? on july 4th - yes. roads close, the metro changes, people are EVERYWHERE in the touristy areas of downtown and it is extremely hot. i personally would not be downtown on 7/4. the days around it should be crowded but bearable, though.

 

[LukenDC]

Ten days will give you time for a leisurely visit and ample opportunity to explore the areas surrounding Washington. DC has a lot to do and see. The Smithsonian Museums, National Gallery, Capitol, White House, National Zoo, monuments, Arlington Cemetary, Union Station (good place for lunch), and the National Cathedral are all good places to visit. If you like architecture and pretty neighborhoods, consider walks through the areas surrounding Dupont Circle and Georgetown. Embassy Row is interesting. Old Town Alexandria is also worth exploring. Depending on your budget, you might also want to have some meals at fine restaurants.

DC is best navigated on foot and the city also has great public transportation. The subway system, called the Metro, is very clean and safe.

The July 4th holiday will be VERY crowded in DC, especially around the Mall. If you do not want to go to the Mall, then Lafayette Park and the area in front of the Red Cross Headquarters are good places to see the fireworks. When you visit, be prepared for high heat and humidity as well as severe afternoon thunderstorms. You might also find the high security and constant warnings about terrorism a bit unsettling.

Williamsburg, Charlottesville/Monticello, Mount Vernon, Hershey, and Baltimore are all worthwhile side trips. If you like amusement parks, consider visiting Busch Gardens (would probably require an overnight stay in Williamsburg), Six Flags America in Largo, MD (15 minutes outside of DC), or King's Dominion near Richmond (two hours south of DC).

I love DC. I have lived in the area for more than ten years now.

 

[rascalmom]

Ten days will give you time for a leisurely visit and ample opportunity to explore the areas surrounding Washington. DC has a lot to do and see. The Smithsonian Museums, National Gallery, Capitol, White House, National Zoo, monuments, Arlington Cemetary, Union Station (good place for lunch), and the National Cathedral are all good places to visit. If you like architecture and pretty neighborhoods, consider walks through the areas surrounding Dupont Circle and Georgetown. Embassy Row is interesting. Old Town Alexandria is also worth exploring. Depending on your budget, you might also want to have some meals at fine restaurants.

DC is best navigated on foot and the city also has great public transportation. The subway system, called the Metro, is very clean and safe.

The July 4th holiday will be VERY crowded in DC, especially around the Mall. If you do not want to go to the Mall, then Lafayette Park and the area in front of the Red Cross Headquarters are good places to see the fireworks. When you visit, be prepared for high heat and humidity as well as severe afternoon thunderstorms. You might also find the high security and constant warnings about terrorism a bit unsettling.

Williamsburg, Charlottesville/Monticello, Mount Vernon, Hershey, and Baltimore are all worthwhile side trips. If you like amusement parks, consider visiting Busch Gardens (would probably require an overnight stay in Williamsburg), Six Flags America in Largo, MD (15 minutes outside of DC), or King's Dominion near Richmond (two hours south of DC).

I love DC. I have lived in the area for more than ten years now.

Great information - thanks! We would be wanting to do some nice restaurant meals while we are there. We tend to grab a quick bite for lunch, but really like a nice "table service" meal for dinner. These days, we tend to plan our WDW itinerary around our favorite restaurants - California Grill, Artist Point, Jiko. We're pretty adventureous, but I am severely allergic to fish. Any restaurant suggestions would be great. tia

 

[caitycaity]

We would be wanting to do some nice restaurant meals while we are there. We tend to grab a quick bite for lunch, but really like a nice "table service" meal for dinner. These days, we tend to plan our WDW itinerary around our favorite restaurants - California Grill, Artist Point, Jiko. We're pretty adventureous, but I am severely allergic to fish. Any restaurant suggestions would be great. tia

my absolutely most favorite restaurant in all of dc is zaytinya. it's middle eastern/mediterranean tapas. http://www.zaytinya.com/

i also like jaleo which is spanish tapas. http://www.jaleo.com/

the food and service is excellent at indeblue, but it is pricy. http://www.bleu.com/indebleu/

if you want to search for your own things this is a great place to start: http://www.washingtonian.com/dining/

 

[rascalmom]

my absolutely most favorite restaurant in all of dc is zaytinya. it's middle eastern/mediterranean tapas. http://www.zaytinya.com/

i also like jaleo which is spanish tapas. http://www.jaleo.com/

the food and service is excellent at indeblue, but it is pricy. http://www.bleu.com/indebleu/

if you want to search for your own things this is a great place to start: http://www.washingtonian.com/dining/

This is great. Thanks so much!

 

[paperboy]

A great place to see fireworks is across the river in Rosslyn. Great food over there, too. When I worked for the Red Cross HQ, we had a building in Rosslyn with offices on the 16th floor. Perfect views of downtown DC -- it was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience!

Another great fireworks spot is along the GW Parkway. I would avoid the Mall at all costs.

I second the Washingtonian Magazine as a source for the best of DC dining. One of my personal favorites is Old Ebbitt Grill near the White House.

With side trips, you can fill up the 10 days fairly easily. Williamsburg is nice, but I prefer the Inner Harbor in Baltimore.

 

[NookOfTheNorth]

Might want to throw in an afternoon at Annapolis. We always loved going there.

 

[rascalmom]

Please tell me more about Inner Harbor and Annapolis.

 

[CPM]

We went for 5 days last summer. It was perfect for sighseeing. We stayed at the Renaissance, which was perfect because the new Red busses pick you up right in front of the hotel and went right to the Mall area and other sightseeing areas. Quickly and easier then the subway.

We went in July and it was 104 degress, humid and rainy @@. Luckily the museums are well air conditoned.

The Tourmobile http://www.tourmobile.com/ is a great way to see everything. You can get on and off all day. We used it for the more remote sights.

The best part is most of the sighseeing is free!! Make sure to schedule a White House Tour and a Capitol Tour ahead of time through your senator. We had a private capitol Tour and it was the highlight of the vacation!!

I think it would be a waste to rent a car during the DC part of your trip. For Williamsburg you will need it.

A great book to get is Washington DC for kids. I don't remember eating anywhere that special. I think we were too tired and hot each day! LOL We ate in restaurants close to our hotel.

 

[spacemountain]

What is the name of the conference that your daughter is going to?

 

[paperboy]

The Inner Harbor is one of Baltimore's main tourist attractions. It has the Baltimore Aquarium, World Trade Center, and a whole bunch of shopping options. Some of the best seafood around, too! It's definitely come a long way since the 80's.

If you're a baseball fan, you can't leave without taking a look at Oriole Park, IMO the most beautiful ballpark in the majors.

For historical sites, Fort McHenry, birthplace of The Star Spangled Banner, isn't too far away.

 

[Geoff_M]

We just got back from doing DC for Spring Break. We spent 4 solid days touring just The Mall, Arlington, and the Zoo. If we'd thrown in a couple of "down days" in the mix we easily could have done a lot more that we wanted to and filled in 10 days. Make sure to take in all of the Smithsonian American History Museum... in September it's closing for a multi-year rehab!

Yes, Gettysburg is another good side trip. We spend an entire day there on the way to DC (only about 2 hours away).

 

[rascalmom]

She's doing the National Student Leadership Conference. I'm hoping that is will be a good experience for her.

Thanks for all the info everyone - I'm going to have "training" for all the walking!

 

[wnissen]

I don't think ten days is too long, especially if you have day trips in between. If this kids are at least not horribly bored by historical stuff, you could spend weeks. Yes, it will be beastly hot and fairly crowded, but you'll have a blast. Visit the C&O canal, where you can go on a donkey-powered boat ride and also take a look at Great Falls, which is no Niagara but still impressive. Sadly, the Children's Museum is closed till 2009, but there's always the Spy museum, with lots of gee-whiz gizmos. If the kids are old enough, a trip to the Holocaust museum is a must; visually arresting and really makes you think. For a fun place to run around, try Haines Point at East Potomac Park, where there is an awesome statue of a buried giant clawing his way out of the ground. It's called "The Awakening".

Williamsburg would be a good two-day trip, but there are other, less elaborate historical sites around. Antietam, site of the deadliest single day of fighting in the Civil War (20,000 dead if I recall) is about 1.5 hours away and last time I was there a decade ago had a great visitor's center. For something lighter, head east to the shore (along with half the population of D.C., better to travel midweek). The biggest beach town is Ocean City, but I recommend the more pleasant and less commercial Rehoboth Beach, DE. for a scenic boardwalk, saltwater taffy, arcades, mini-golf, and some of the best fries I've had. It's a long day, but I've done it as a day trip, though that meant showering on the beach.
There are a million concerts going on, most nights there is a performance at Wolf Trap in Vienna, Virginia, including fun outdoor symphonies. Definitely get a car to leave DC, but otherwise, as previous posters have said, the Metro is the way to get around. Parking is difficult and expensive downtown, and the Metro is fast, air-conditioned, and easy to navigate.
Walt