Washington DC vacation help

[Janet Hill]

Side note - DC cabs are all flat rate by zone.

Not for long....

The base rate for any trip will be $3, and once in the cab, passengers will pay 25 cents for each one-sixth of a mile. The meter will start on the second one-sixth of a mile, and passengers will be charged 25 cents for each minute stopped in traffic or traveling slower than 10 miles per hour. The additional passenger surcharge will also be eliminated. The new rates go into effect April 6.

 

[kathie859]

I haven't been in a few years, but the lower level of the National Portrait Gallery had a decent/inexpensive cafe. I just checked their website and they list two food options. If you check out the websites for the places you intend to visit, you should be able to find what food options are available.

NPS.gov will give you info on all the monuments/sites overseen by the National Parks Service. This may give you some help planning reasonably priced meals.

Enjoy your trip...I LOVE DC

 

[juliana_sd]

I'm not familiar with the engraving-what does this involve?

I went to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Jan. It was neat! Younger kids would be bored though. I didn't need a ticket since it was the off-season, I just had to line up at a door. Turned out there was no line anyway since it was about 20 degrees out and sane people stayed home

You watch a short video and then you go on a tour of the actual "money factory" - you see real money being printed, the whole process from beginning to end. The whole thing took just under an hour.

HTH!

 

[BBGirl]

There are very affordable options for food. Trust me the people who live there don't pay tourist prices for food. We go to some of the off the beaten track places. One place I recommend to everyone for food the Old Post Office Pallivion. It's got everything and last time I was there it was tourist reasonable. There is also an elevator that will take you to the top that is a one of a kind view of DC. I also walk down 4th street past the capitol for some diner type food if I'm staying for awhile (Tune Inn is always good and friendly). By the Zoo I try to hit The 4P's pub and there I believe it's called Grady's but I'm sure someone will correct me there on that walk from the Metro stop to the bus. My BIL used to work at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing so I have done that tour a few times. I think in the 26 years that I lived there I might have seen it all, there really is that much to see.
HTH

 

[splash5]

Thanks so much for the info. We are going to stay in Williamsburg for a couple of nights. We thought we would drive from DC to Monticello and then over to Williamsburg. How is traffic leaving DC in the morning?

 

[BBGirl]

Thanks so much for the info. We are going to stay in Williamsburg for a couple of nights. We thought we would drive from DC to Monticello and then over to Williamsburg. How is traffic leaving DC in the morning?

If you leave before (early early) or after (Dad says after 9:00 I say after 8:00) rush hour it's OK but still busy. Rush hour is stopped traffic alot of the time. That's going to be a 2-3 hour drive just to let ya' know. I know Williamsburg is about 2-3 hours. I haven't driven to Monticello is so long I don't remember.
HTH

 

[eliza61]

For anyone with a military bent, go check out the marines Friday evening sunset parade. It is at the Marine Barracks in Washington DC and features the Marine silent drill team. Totally free but you have to request tickets.
http://www.mbw.usmc.mil/parade_eveningdefault.asp

 

[BBGirl]

For anyone with a military bent, go check out the marines Friday evening sunset parade. It is at the Marine Barracks in Washington DC and features the Marine silent drill team. Totally free but you have to request tickets.
http://www.mbw.usmc.mil/parade_eveningdefault.asp

My DH used to do that. It's a really moving show for those who are interested. Get there early tho if you don;t have VIP tickets. The lines can get long and you may not get in.

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

Thanks for the info. We leave on Saturday (the 22nd). We have never been there before.

I have a question about the Holocaust Museum. I think I was told that you need a ticket to go into a certain part of the museum but that the main part of the museum is "ticketless". Is this correct or do we need a ticket regardless of which part of the museum we are going into. My DS#2 is 10 so we don't want to go into the part where you find out if you live or die.

You might want to skip this museum with a 10 year old. The images in the main exhibit are very disturbing. They could be upsetting for a child if he doesn't really understand what happened during the Holocaust. As another poster mentioned, you will be given a biography of an actual person who went through the Holocaust. Males get male biographies, females get females. Some are adults, some are children. They do say at the end if "your person" survived. If you want further info on the museum (and don't mind me "ruining" the experience for you so you can tell if you want to bring your child)...you can PM and I'll try to explain what you will see.