Anyone Vacationed in Washington DC?

TXMiamiFan · Mar 1, 2018

froggy78 said: ↑

You may also see who is spending those tax dollars for you. If know the names and faces of our government. You can pick them out in the crows sometimes.
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Better not to know; not the time to be patriot.
Shit! Is the FBI watching our forum?

froggy78 · Mar 1, 2018

COMiamiFan said: ↑

Better not to know; not the time to be patriot.
Shit! Is the FBI watching our forum?
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TXMiamiFan · Mar 1, 2018

Sunnier said: ↑

Here's a shit ton of info. Didn't post last night because it took me all night to write it! It's a lot to read but will be helpful for a kid trip to DC:

We visited DC during spring break in April when my son was 8. Great (best?) time of year because it wasn't hot and muggy as it will be in the summer, plus we got to see the cherry trees blossoming, which was beautiful. I mention this because DC is "dressier" than any other place in the U.S. we've visited. It might not be as easy to do with 3 kids in summer as it was with one in cool temperatures, but we all took one proper suit (with multiple blouses/ shirts so we could refresh), and this allowed us to blend in better... for great tables and little perks almost everywhere, plus my kid enjoyed all the nods and handshakes he got from "other professionals" everywhere we went, especially at the White House, Pentagon, Arlington, and the Old Ebbit Grill. We also saw a show at Ford's Theatre and most of the audience was dressed up-- not like here in the West where everyone wears shorts or jeans anywhere.

I know every kid is different (but with 3, at least one of yours will likely fall into the Gets Bored In Museums category).

PRO TIP: Don't visit more than 1 museum within 3 days. It doesn't matter that they're free, house the coolest stuff in the world ever, and are air-conditioned. Kids don't appreciate them like adults do. We've visited England, NYC, DC, Iceland, and Paris with ours, and this rule (with creative variations) has worked well for us.

The variations for DC: 1. We let ours help pick our "one" museum; he's a history buff, so we did the American Hx Museum. It's so huge we had to prioritize which sections to visit. We spent maybe 4-5 hours, then were all overloaded and done. That was our only "Museum" Museum during our trip.

2. We also went to the Spy Museum which we had mentioned often enough that ours really wanted to go as "his" special choice. It is kid-centered enough that it can be an exception to the 1 museum in 3 days rule. Depending on your kids' interests, it seems younger kids and adults like this one best. Get tickets in advance; they sell based on entry time (although you can go through at your own pace) and are pretty strict. Even if you don't do this Museum, the gift shop has cool stuff... if any in your family are interested in spy stuff.

3. We spent most of a day at Mt. Vernon (George Washington's plantation). You may buy tickets in advance online. I suppose the whole place is, essentially, a museum, but includes a tour of the house, walk-by-and-look-inside tours of outbuildings (livery; specialty artisans; slavequarters; etc.); working food gardens, a horse-turned grain mill, and cafeteria type food option... or you may picnic. If you want to go through the house, go early, because the line to enter gets longer as the day progresses. This was a great day because kids can run around outside and be kids. Our favourite thing here was a "Talk with Martha Washington", or something. Essentially, an actress dressed in period costume recalled her life before and married to George, his reluctance to be President and why he did it, their day-to-day life on the plantation, etc. It probably had everything to do with the particular actress the day we visited, but she was extraordinary-- answered all questions in character. The audience got bigger and bigger, as no one wanted to clear out!

We sat in the balcony and saw a show in Ford's Theatre, where Abraham Lincoln was shot. I wish I had known beforehand, there is an awesome museum in the basement, with tons of info on the history, people, and conspiracy behind the assassination. Admission was included in our theatre access but because we did not know to arrive early, we had only about 15 minutes to rush through. It is possible to visit without going to a show, and there's a (I think unaffiliated) walking tour of the area that starts outside the theatre, and is kind of a dramatic presentation of the events of Lincoln's assassination (as though you witness the discovery he's been shot, and the law enforcement response after--?) We cut this from our itinerary though; too much else to do.

The Smithsonian Museums (multiple sites throughout the district) are free, but expect LOOOOOONG lines to enter.Tip # 1: Most museums have entrances on opposite sides; the lines are longest at the main signed entrance. Tip # 2: there's a much shorter line (at all entrances) for those carrying NO BAGS. All bags are subject to search, and this takes a long time. If you have 2+ adults, it'll save time and everyone's patience to have one adult stand the long line (cause with kids, there's reason to carry enough stuff you'll need a bag for a day's outing), while the other takes kids in via the short line, and gets started looking around. That way kids don't get bored and whiny waiting an hour+ outside. I saw no signs about this, but if you have no bag, head to the front of the line and you'll be directed in.

https://washington.org/DC-focus-on/museums-national-mall

We walked through the botanic gardens. We looked at Congress from outside (by all accounts, skip going inside with kids).

We did a White House tour (good once with the 2 adults to 1 kid ratio we had, because we took turns focusing his attention and pointing out stuff that could interest him, but maybe not as much fun with 3 kids). If you like dragging your kids to look at expensive homes for sale, that you'd never actually buy--this tour is for you! I really enjoyed it but, honestly, my kid just made the best of it. To get in we contacted our congressman months in advance, made a request, then were contacted several times by various congressional interns. We provided names, dates of birth, and SSN's for all in our party, so a background check could be done in advance. Then, because we'd gone through a politician, things got... political. A few days before our visit, I was informed we would be sharing our tour entry with an Uber exec and his daughter. He was apparently too much of a big wig to exchange contact info, so there was lots of "look for a man in a yellow jacket with a 10 year old girl" drama at our 0650 meet-out-front-because-you-all-must-enter-together rendezvous. The security procedures for entry are better than anywhere else I've been. Here, you may not carry any bags! No lockers, no option except to be denied entry. So if you go, plan other stuff for the day that will not require anything more than you can carry in your pockets.

We'd been told by various "insiders" that the Old Ebbit Grill is not just touristy but actually frequented by politicos so, to continue the fun of blending in, and since it is across the street from the WH, we went dressed up for breakfast afterward. Menu items are old fashioned (poached eggs and what not), and a bit pricy. I would have liked to have ordered an olde fashioned, but skipped the drinks. The old bar is beautiful though. If o had known the tip above about the Red Cross basement cafeteria, we'd have maybe done that instead.

I don't know how regular tours of the Pentagon are arranged, but I think they're available. We had a friend who was stationed there who gave us a tour. This is where I tell you, wear comfortable shoes to DC. I thought I'd chosen comfortable dress-up shoes to wear with my suit to the WH, OEG, and the Pentagon but, Oh-Im-Gee!, my feet hurt so badly that I took my shoes off and finished touring the Pentagon in my pantyhose. There's a gift shop in the Pentagon filled with cool crap we mostly resisted. Oh, and the middle of the structure is a grassy courtyard used for breaks which includes a hot dog stand. Kinda cool. My kid liked the Pentagon but I think that was mainly because he appreciated the attention shown him by our guide and our guide's bosses-- minus that, it might not be as cool for kids.

We all LOVED Arlington!! The changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was an awe-inspiring thing. However, despite the reverence many of us felt and displayed for this sacred place of remembrance, there're always a$$40l3$ with loud earphone, selfie-sticks, or who talk and laugh during the ceremony. I felt proud I'd prepped my kid, so he shared my outrage at the poor behaviour of others. Gggrrrrr!

Anyway, this is another place you will walk endlessly. You can get a map that shows the locations of The Tomb, JFK's Memorial, etc. Verymuch worth the walk-around. Another museum we pretended wasn't a museum so we could drag our kid through, was the home of Robert E. Lee. The walk-though tour was quick. Somewhere nearby was a tiny building that had letters and info related to Lee's feelings about how to reunify the north and south following the Civil War. This bit of info caused a great aha! moment of insight for my family and we came away appreciating that, had he not died soon after, our continued divisions between north and south may not have persisted. Go find this gem.

If you already have the U.S. National Parks" passports, take them with you. We had one from a previous trip to Yellowstone but never thought to take it to DC. It turns out several of the places we visited are U.S. National Parks, including Arlington, so passports may be "stamped". I can't remember now if Mt. Vernon is too...? Anyway, if you have them, take them. If not, be on the lookout to buy at the first opportunity, if your kids like "collecting".

Most of the museums, botanic gardens, restaurants, Congress, etc. are at one end of the National Mall, and the Lincoln Memorial is at the other. The WH is kind of off to one side, a few blocks from the Mall. The various memorials are built into the landscape all around the Mall (very well-done; sometimes you encounter one almost without knowing), and out on the side opposite the WH. Everything is walkable. The number one thing to prepare for is walking and more walking.

As others have mentioned, the Metro delivers you within easy walking distance of anywhere touristy, and driving or parking the Tundra would suck. Mt. Vernon is an exception (if you arrive early, you can grab a far-and-away Tundra spot); the Metro won't get you there.

We stayed with friends in Virginia and commuted into DC, most often by Metro (which is how we afforded the expense to do all we did, BTW. We saw the show at Ford's so we could treat them as a thank-you for hosting us).

The day we visited the WH, we drove in with our friend to the Pentagon, then took the Metro from there. Weekday commuter traffic is such a well-known horrible thing that locals/ strangers ride-share from outlying areas. Basically, people line up at points near freeway on-ramps. Each line has a different destination. Drivers pull to the front of the line, roll down the passenger window and the first in line says how many in the group. The driver will pick up whatever number he wants to transport, sometimes all strangers to each other, and all commute in together, because use of the carpool lanes requires more than 2 people. Anyway, telling you to illustrate that no one's exaggerating about how bad the commuter traffic (and lack of parking is).

Alright, Buddy, I hope this helps. I didn't want to wear you our with so many details-- but it's stuff I got a 'heads up' about from the friends we stayed with, ordiscovered while there, that made All The Difference in making our trip enjoyable. Good luck!
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Holy dissertation, Batman! Thanks for this awesome write up!

Not sure I want to "dress up". When I'm on vacation I try to avoid having to wear pants. Good pair of running shoes and shorts is my preference. Seems like there is a lot to see and do, but with only a few days better limit myself to the main tourist points. My youngest is going to be 8, but she is the toughest one of the 3. So I'll be fine with the walking and stuff. Sucks you have to get up early to avoid the lines; who likes to get up early when on vacation

Good to hear metro drops you off close enough to everything!

JMB · Mar 1, 2018

COMiamiFan said: ↑

Thanks @froggy78 . I've had the sammiches in Philly already. I'm more of a provi wit kinda guy. Whiz sounds too salty for my linking, but might try it one of these days. I have no idea when, where I'm flying in; still doing my research and checking flight prices. Once I map and cost everything out then I'll get to see if I go or not this year. Great info.
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If you can get flights to DCA (Reagan) there is a Metro station at the airport. Pretty convenient depending on where you are staying. If you are not going too far out of the city, feet and rail should get you anywhere you want to go.

Roman · Mar 1, 2018

Eat here:

https://www.wearefoundingfarmers.com/locations/dc/

Order the chicken and waffles. You're welcome.

T500 · Mar 1, 2018

COMiamiFan said: ↑

Better not to know; not the time to be patriot.
Shit! Is the FBI watching our forum?
Click to expand...

Oh shit. I’m done for then

TXMiamiFan · Mar 1, 2018

Roman said: ↑

Eat here:

https://www.wearefoundingfarmers.com/locations/dc/

Order the chicken and waffles. You're welcome.
Click to expand...

Chicken and waffles in a northern state? Sounds suspicious

TXMiamiFan · Mar 1, 2018

JMB said: ↑

If you can get flights to DCA (Reagan) there is a Metro station at the airport. Pretty convenient depending on where you are staying. If you are not going too far out of the city, feet and rail should get you anywhere you want to go.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the map!

JC303 · Mar 1, 2018

The zoo is really cool and free. I will be there in June for work. The metro is awesome and great for transportation.

TXMiamiFan · Mar 1, 2018

JC303 said: ↑

The zoo is really cool and free. I will be there in June for work. The metro is awesome and great for transportation.
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That's when I'm looking to go; June. See you there? LOL

Roman · Mar 1, 2018

COMiamiFan said: ↑

Chicken and waffles in a northern state? Sounds suspicious
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I thought so too, being from the south and all. I was there one day for lunch, saw it on the menu and said eff it, and HOLY HELL was it good.

Noodle · Mar 1, 2018

Personally being a history buff I found Fords theater fascinating and Nationals park is always a good time. I really enjoyed the Vietnam war memorial as well. When we were there last summer I tried to get my wife to take a picture of me laying on the lawn in front of the Washington monument, so it looked like I had a huge boner. She wasn’t going for it

Noodle · Mar 1, 2018

For a little downtime check out DC Brau brewing company, they have some pretty good beer. On the wings of Armageddon is one of their best.

http://dcbrau.com/

Sunnier · Mar 1, 2018

Noodle said: ↑

Personally being a history buff I found Fords theater fascinating and Nationals park is always a good time. I really enjoyed the Vietnam war memorial as well. When we were there last summer I tried to get my wife to take a picture of me laying on the lawn in front of the Washington monument, so it looked like I had a huge boner. She wasn’t going for it
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I'd have taken your picture, Buddy!

Taco-Blender · Mar 1, 2018

Disclaimer: our trip was about 10 years ago.

We spent a week in the area as part of a month long tour of the NE. My youngest was 11 and oldest was 15.

I'll just give their hands down favorites from that part of the trip. Air and Space, Arlington and Gettysburg.

I thought the Holocaust museum was ABSOLUTELY amazing.

I would say go to the mint but you have one back home so don't spend time at the one in DC.

Most of all, HAVE FUN!!!

T500 · Mar 1, 2018

Chicken and waffles sounds strange. Maybe I should try this cuisine

JMB · Mar 2, 2018

T500 said: ↑

Chicken and waffles sounds strange. Maybe I should try this cuisine
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Only because you're in Jersey. Come 6 or 8 hours south and it's everywhere. But Taylor Pork on a crusty roll was foreign to me until a Jersey transplant brought some into work, yum. She did have to search a few stores to find it, and said none of the bread here is exactly right.

ToyotaTundraMike · Mar 2, 2018

Going to be in D.C. sometime the next few months and will have 2-3 days to explore the city by myself while my girl is in meetings.

This thread will come in handy. Feel free to drop some recommendations on stuff to do if you don't have a family with you.

TXMiamiFan · Mar 2, 2018

T500 said: ↑

Chicken and waffles sounds strange. Maybe I should try this cuisine
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It is amazing. So southern. Make sure you get a sweet tea with that to really spike your blood sugar.

Sunnier · Mar 2, 2018

The main differences I can see is, You can see more than 2 museums without ruining your vacation. And you can wander around trying bars and speakeasys. Gonna be awesome!

Tracker · Mar 2, 2018

Anyone mention Ford Theater yet where Lincoln was shot?

TXMiamiFan · Mar 2, 2018

Tracker said: ↑

Anyone mention Ford Theater yet where Lincoln was shot?
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Yes, sir.

Backslider · Mar 2, 2018

I went in the 8th grade with my great aunt and uncle and have always wanted to go back! I don't have any recommendations but I imagine you'll have a great time! If you have kids who are even a little bit interested in US History they will absolutely love the experience!

Vizsla · Mar 2, 2018

Great Falls Park is worth visiting as well. Need to avoid the weekends, long wait. Eat at The Old Brogue in Great Falls, it’s good.

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