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Trip to Washington D.C!
tomisbored
Cavalier, NDRegistered User regular
Cavalier, NDRegistered User regular
Hello again! I had such great luck with a post forever ago about advice for Disney World/Florida vacation, I thought I would try again.
I am heading to Washington D.C from May 28-31 With my wife and 9 year old daughter. I was hoping for some first hand knowledge on what you thought was the best museums, attractions, and eats for your time? We will have all of Friday and Saturday to tour. I am thinking we are sticking pretty close to the national mall but willing to hop on a subway to any where cool. I know the munchkin really wants to go to the zoo, how big is it and how much time should I set aside for it? Is it an all day kinda thing?
Its been 10 years since I was there so I don't really know whats open on what days? Did they finish the WWII monument/park? that was just breaking grounds when I was there so I assume it has?
Any helpful hints/suggestions/pointers/places to get discounts would be greatly appreciated!
I am heading to Washington D.C from May 28-31 With my wife and 9 year old daughter. I was hoping for some first hand knowledge on what you thought was the best museums, attractions, and eats for your time? We will have all of Friday and Saturday to tour. I am thinking we are sticking pretty close to the national mall but willing to hop on a subway to any where cool. I know the munchkin really wants to go to the zoo, how big is it and how much time should I set aside for it? Is it an all day kinda thing?
Its been 10 years since I was there so I don't really know whats open on what days? Did they finish the WWII monument/park? that was just breaking grounds when I was there so I assume it has?
Any helpful hints/suggestions/pointers/places to get discounts would be greatly appreciated!
A magician wandered along the beach, but no one needed him.
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Honestly you can easily spend both days at the National Mall. Between all the outdoor sights and the free Smithsonian museums there's tons of stuff to see with loads of good restaurants nearby too. My personal favorite is the American History museum just because of the sheer range of different topics covered. From food to cars to clothes and so on.
As for the zoo if you're near the mall it's a short metro ride to there on the red line and then about three blocks walking. It's fairly sizable and I'd set aside a couple hours for actually seeing everything. Also strongly recommend getting there when they open as they get packed fast.
As for food I'm a fan of District of Pi, Elephant and Castle, and Lincoln's Waffle Shop.
1. Grab some takeout or picnic type food and rent a canoe on the river and just enjoy the whole experience and views from the river. It's pretty great.
2. On the road near Reagan airport there is this little parking area. Go there and hang out while airplanes make their approach to land. A lot of fun for kids. Or adults who are fascinated with landing airplanes (me).
And for the zoo, definitely get in in the morning for feeding. You want to see those pandas in their most active state then too. Completely worth it (it's freaking free!).
The National Air and Space Museum is very cool. The National Zoo can be done in a morning or an afternoon; it's not that big. You can reach Arlington National Cemetery via the Metro.
If you've got the scratch I highly recommend doing a Segway tour in the evening if your daughter's old enough.
FYI, the Dinosaur exhibit is closed until 2019!
1) If you take the metro, get off at the Cleveland Park stop. Woodley Park is the stop that most people get off at (since it's called "Woodley Park - Zoo" on most of the Metro maps), but Cleveland Park is the same distance away, and the walk from there is flat. The walk from Woodley Park is uphill. When you get back on the metro, you can take the downhill walk to Woodley Park.
2) Most people think the zoo opens at 10:00, because that's when the exhibit buildings open. However, the grounds open at 6:00 and the Visitor's Center opens at 9:00. When I go with my family, I go at 8:00 on a Saturday morning. A lot of the animals are outside, and they're active early in the morning. Even better, there are basically no crowds at that point. Stroll around looking at the cheetahs, giraffes, elephants, etc. until 10:00, then hit up the indoor exhibits (reptile house, small mammal house, etc.). Your daughter will be done with the zoo right around lunch time, and you won't have to fight any crowds.
I think kids like the natural history museum the most of all the Smithsonians. Air and Space is a mad house. If you have access to a car, you can take a trip out to the Udvar-Hazy center, which is a way better experience. The newseum is OK for adults, but will bore the crap out of a kid. The spy museum is kind of the opposite - fun for a kid, but too kitschy for most adults.
If I had two days with a kid, I'd see the zoo, the natural history museum, and the Udvar-Hazy center. Then I'd pick one other thing that I thought the family as a whole could enjoy, depending on the particular family (you mentioned the WWII memorial, which could be a good option, especially since it's right by several other monuments, and could be part of a good half-day monument tour).
He's right about the Zoo and related metro stuff too.
To put this into more helpful words, when you ride an escalator or moving walkway in D.C., stand on the right side. The left side of the escalator is for walking. As a non-native, I don't understand why everyone is in such a freaking hurry that they can't relax for thirty seconds on the escalator, but that's the way it is. If you simply stand on the right, you will make everyone much happier.
Well, there's one place, but I'm not sure your daughter is quite old enough to handle it - the Holocaust Museum. That said, if you do take her, note that some exhibits are only viewable through a porthole that is above child height. This is done for a reason.
The spy museum. I have been 3 times. It costs some money (bout 20 bucks a person), but is just great, and there is a good burger joint (Shake Shack) 2 doors down. It's not really near the national mall.
Also when you are planning, keep in mind the national mall and all the museums look really close together on a map, but it is a long walk. If your kiddo is only good for 4 or 5 miles of walking. The mall will seam a bit deceptive, because going from the national mall metro stop, to the Lincoln memorial and back to the metro stop is going to be 3 miles. It's a really long ass, but pretty walk. Make sure the account for that.
Because we got places to be! And the stupid yellow line train is about to pull in and those only come every 17 minutes (+ or - a geological epoc) so get outa the way ya freakin escalump.
@tomisbored Hey man you and your family will have a great time DC is full of great stuff and super nice people.
Everyone else pretty much covered them but let me reiterate the zoo and at the very least the museum of natural history and the air & space museum.
National Harbor is pretty neat. There are some neat shops and restaurants though both air fairly pricey.
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Here's their current exhibits page (note the two kids exhibits): http://www.nbm.org/exhibitions-collections/current-exhibitions.html
The Fogo de Chão in DC is really good, though it's a chain. I don't really have much to recommend in the way of kid friendly stuff unfortunately. There's a spot called the H Street Country Club (on, you guessed it, H Street) that has indoor DC themed minigolf, but I'm pretty sure that's 21+ regardless of when you go.
Taylor Gourmet makes some of the best sandwiches I've ever eaten. So if you like sandwiches, keep 'em in mind. I've only been to the H Street one, but I think they've expanded.
I also go to a place called Granville Moore's on, you guessed it, H Street every time I'm in DC. They serve the best mussels I've ever eaten, and a crazy selection of Belgian beer. Again, not that kid friendly. I just really really really like it.
Oh I also eat a silly amount of food from pret a manger every time I'm there, but that's mostly because we don't have one in SF
Yea I went to the holocaust museum when I was in my early 20's that was a rough day... Amazing museum I just wasn't ready for all the feels. I wouldn't mind going back but I don't think the kido is quite ready to handle it. She came home crying this year just learning about it in class. The wife wants to go though so maybe we will go to something else while she is in there? If I remember right isn't the national mint near by?
That seems super cool!
Awesomecon seems... Awesome? I wish I would have know of it sooner, I would have booked some more time down there... oh well I think I will wait and have my daugthers first con be my first PAX as well.
Thanks again to every one for the great tips. I think we are going to do one day just putzing around the mall and the next day hitting specific museums.
Can any one speak to using uber around the mall? or even just the buses?