Tips on Visting Washington DC (and Baltimore/Philadelphia area)
Jul 10th 2013, 3:16 pm
#46
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Joined: Nov 2002
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Re: Tips on Visting Washington DC (and Baltimore/Philadelphia area)
We've got 10 nights total, and we've booked the first 5 in Washington, but not booked any further so we can maintain some flexibility
Sep 8th 2013, 3:35 am
#47
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Joined: Nov 2002
Location: Where bad things rarely happen in movies
Posts: 8,933
Re: Tips on Visting Washington DC (and Baltimore/Philadelphia area)
Just realized I hadn't given any feedback on our trip....thanks for all the tips - all of them were gratefully received, but some of them we are going to have to save till next time (like the "off campus" air/space museum
)
First off, I was very very pleasantly surprised by Washington - very clean, nicely laid out, great subway, and loads to do. And we didn't spend anywhere near as much as I would expect to spend in a major capital city. We ended up extending from 5 to 7 nights, and still had to leave with a pretty long list of "next time we come, we want to....."
We flew into New Castle Airport - it was a new route for Frontier Airlines, and wife scored $47 one way tickets in the opening week sale! Downside is it is about an hour north of Washington, but we got Amtrak into the city, a first for all of us, and the boys enjoyed it.
We were staying in a Marriott about a mile from the White House up near Du Pont Circle, which set us back a little over $100/night for a double King room with a roll out, so all 5 of us were comfortable. Wife is a Platinum member (or whatever) so we got breakfast buffet included, as well as evening "snacks" which were substantial enough to make us dinner a couple of nights when we were too tired to go out! Bit of a result, really.
We used the subway a lot, cheap, clean and reliable, and it even had carpet, which for me was a first!
We bought a 2 day pass on the open top hop-on/hop-off buses, which I think was about $35 each, but included entry to either the Spy Museum or Crime and Punishment museum, can't remember which. They were the only 2 "pay" museums on our to do list. The bus ticket also included a 1 hour cruise on the Potomac, which was something I wanted to do, so we figured the ticket price was worth it. Some of the online feedback said the buses were too infrequent, but we never had a problem - longest wait was about 10 minutes - just long enough for my middle son to inhale a couple of hot dogs from a street cart!
We used the buses to visit all the major presidential monuments on the Mall, which was a lot more fun and interesting than I had expected to be honest. Kids loved it.
On the Free museums, we visited the Air and Space and American history museums, which were both great. We also went to the Natural History, but that was a bit disappointing - don't know if it was just that we were tired, or if the kids had spent too long in the Houston Museum of Natural Science, or if they were too set on comparing it to the MNS in New York, which we went to a couple of years ago. Anyway, it was a stuffed elephant too far, so we went for ice cream instead!
National Archives - all the guidebooks say you need to book well in advance, or arrive very early morning to get last minute tickets. We happened to be passing around 3.30 one afternoon and got straight in. The archives themselves were interesting, with lots of research/detective style activities for the kids. We could have spent longer, but they closed at 4.00, although the viewing room with the Declaration of Independence was still open till 5.00. Note - they are serious about no photos - one guy got ejected for taking photos on his iphone. His phone was confiscated and he was told the images would be deleted and he could pick it up at the exit
We had a tour of the Capitol, including sitting in on a session of the Senate, which was interesting, but dull at the same time! I got told off for taking notes Eldest son got told off for slouching in his seat
Had to pre-book this through our congressmans office, and it was well worth doing - got to skip a bunch of the lines, as well as see his office and the underground tunnel from his office to the Capitol. The tour of the Capitol was ranked number one attraction by the kids, which I have to say, surprised me!
As mentioned in the thread, the White House tours aren't running at the moment, and the Vistors center is in temporary accommodation, but still worth visiting. The kids did the Ranger Program, lots of photos in front, behind etc. Just glad no-one heard us re-running the plot of White House Down and working out where the jets were coming in from etc....could have been taken the wrong way!!
We also had a tour of the Pentagon which was interesting. As you would expect, it was executed with military precision, but the staff were very good, and it was an interesting tour, including visiting the 9/11 memorial inside the building where the plane hit. We also went to the outside memorial on a self guided tour, which was quite poignant - made more so as it was raining when we went.
The Washington Monument is still undergoing repairs after the earthquake damage, so the highest point we could get to in the city was the Post Office tower (about 10-12 stories I think) which had great views, and an interesting bit on bell ringing.
OK, that was the free stuff - now the pay stuff
National Aquarium - skip it, seriously. We've done aquariums to death, but the kids love them so we keep going whenever we are somewhere different. They persuaded me to go to the one in Atlanta when we were there last year, and it was phenomenal. Incredible. Awesome. The one in Washington, err, wasn't. It was actually kinda sad.....
Spy Museum - fantastic - we spent best part of a day there. Lots of James Bond type stuff, including a lot of stuff about James Bond! Kids did a geocaching type "special assignment" in the city outside the museum - a bit like the Kimpossible thing at Epcot, but for older kids.
Crime and Punishment Museum - again, really enjoyed this one, although 8 yo daughter got a bit creeped out at times.
Ford Theater - nominal charge - ($3 ish) and run by the National Park service. Everything is done by tours, tickets were easy enough to get online, but the actual tour was a bit rushed. We were limited to about 30 minutes in the museum before being led through to the theater to hear a good presentation about the assassination. Could have done with longer in the museum, but still well worth the visit. We didn't make it to the house opposite where Lincoln died, but that was included in the tour ticket.
I think that covers everywhere we went in Washington. We then rented a car and drove up to Gettysburg. Kids didn't want to go, but I did. So we did! They ended up really enjoying the battlefield tour -brought some of their social studies lessons to life! Had a great 'homecooked' meal in town, then drove on to Philadelphia for 2 nights. Enjoyed the city, kids loved the Liberty Bell museum and Independence Hall - again, bringing stuff they'd learnt at school to life. We did the Duck tour which was actually surprisingly informative, and earned kudos by not giving out the quackers till the end.....
Franklin Institute was fantastic, and would be a regular destination if we lived in the area.
All in all, we loved the places we went, and were left wanting to return to do more things that we hadn't had time to this trip. Always a good way to end a holiday!
)First off, I was very very pleasantly surprised by Washington - very clean, nicely laid out, great subway, and loads to do. And we didn't spend anywhere near as much as I would expect to spend in a major capital city. We ended up extending from 5 to 7 nights, and still had to leave with a pretty long list of "next time we come, we want to....."
We flew into New Castle Airport - it was a new route for Frontier Airlines, and wife scored $47 one way tickets in the opening week sale! Downside is it is about an hour north of Washington, but we got Amtrak into the city, a first for all of us, and the boys enjoyed it.
We were staying in a Marriott about a mile from the White House up near Du Pont Circle, which set us back a little over $100/night for a double King room with a roll out, so all 5 of us were comfortable. Wife is a Platinum member (or whatever) so we got breakfast buffet included, as well as evening "snacks" which were substantial enough to make us dinner a couple of nights when we were too tired to go out! Bit of a result, really.
We used the subway a lot, cheap, clean and reliable, and it even had carpet, which for me was a first!
We bought a 2 day pass on the open top hop-on/hop-off buses, which I think was about $35 each, but included entry to either the Spy Museum or Crime and Punishment museum, can't remember which. They were the only 2 "pay" museums on our to do list. The bus ticket also included a 1 hour cruise on the Potomac, which was something I wanted to do, so we figured the ticket price was worth it. Some of the online feedback said the buses were too infrequent, but we never had a problem - longest wait was about 10 minutes - just long enough for my middle son to inhale a couple of hot dogs from a street cart!
We used the buses to visit all the major presidential monuments on the Mall, which was a lot more fun and interesting than I had expected to be honest. Kids loved it.
On the Free museums, we visited the Air and Space and American history museums, which were both great. We also went to the Natural History, but that was a bit disappointing - don't know if it was just that we were tired, or if the kids had spent too long in the Houston Museum of Natural Science, or if they were too set on comparing it to the MNS in New York, which we went to a couple of years ago. Anyway, it was a stuffed elephant too far, so we went for ice cream instead!
National Archives - all the guidebooks say you need to book well in advance, or arrive very early morning to get last minute tickets. We happened to be passing around 3.30 one afternoon and got straight in. The archives themselves were interesting, with lots of research/detective style activities for the kids. We could have spent longer, but they closed at 4.00, although the viewing room with the Declaration of Independence was still open till 5.00. Note - they are serious about no photos - one guy got ejected for taking photos on his iphone. His phone was confiscated and he was told the images would be deleted and he could pick it up at the exit
We had a tour of the Capitol, including sitting in on a session of the Senate, which was interesting, but dull at the same time! I got told off for taking notes
Eldest son got told off for slouching in his seat Had to pre-book this through our congressmans office, and it was well worth doing - got to skip a bunch of the lines, as well as see his office and the underground tunnel from his office to the Capitol. The tour of the Capitol was ranked number one attraction by the kids, which I have to say, surprised me!As mentioned in the thread, the White House tours aren't running at the moment, and the Vistors center is in temporary accommodation, but still worth visiting. The kids did the Ranger Program, lots of photos in front, behind etc. Just glad no-one heard us re-running the plot of White House Down and working out where the jets were coming in from etc....could have been taken the wrong way!!
We also had a tour of the Pentagon which was interesting. As you would expect, it was executed with military precision, but the staff were very good, and it was an interesting tour, including visiting the 9/11 memorial inside the building where the plane hit. We also went to the outside memorial on a self guided tour, which was quite poignant - made more so as it was raining when we went.
The Washington Monument is still undergoing repairs after the earthquake damage, so the highest point we could get to in the city was the Post Office tower (about 10-12 stories I think) which had great views, and an interesting bit on bell ringing.
OK, that was the free stuff - now the pay stuff
National Aquarium - skip it, seriously. We've done aquariums to death, but the kids love them so we keep going whenever we are somewhere different. They persuaded me to go to the one in Atlanta when we were there last year, and it was phenomenal. Incredible. Awesome. The one in Washington, err, wasn't. It was actually kinda sad.....
Spy Museum - fantastic - we spent best part of a day there. Lots of James Bond type stuff, including a lot of stuff about James Bond! Kids did a geocaching type "special assignment" in the city outside the museum - a bit like the Kimpossible thing at Epcot, but for older kids.
Crime and Punishment Museum - again, really enjoyed this one, although 8 yo daughter got a bit creeped out at times.
Ford Theater - nominal charge - ($3 ish) and run by the National Park service. Everything is done by tours, tickets were easy enough to get online, but the actual tour was a bit rushed. We were limited to about 30 minutes in the museum before being led through to the theater to hear a good presentation about the assassination. Could have done with longer in the museum, but still well worth the visit. We didn't make it to the house opposite where Lincoln died, but that was included in the tour ticket.
I think that covers everywhere we went in Washington. We then rented a car and drove up to Gettysburg. Kids didn't want to go, but I did. So we did! They ended up really enjoying the battlefield tour -brought some of their social studies lessons to life! Had a great 'homecooked' meal in town, then drove on to Philadelphia for 2 nights. Enjoyed the city, kids loved the Liberty Bell museum and Independence Hall - again, bringing stuff they'd learnt at school to life. We did the Duck tour which was actually surprisingly informative, and earned kudos by not giving out the quackers till the end.....
Franklin Institute was fantastic, and would be a regular destination if we lived in the area.
All in all, we loved the places we went, and were left wanting to return to do more things that we hadn't had time to this trip. Always a good way to end a holiday!
Sep 8th 2013, 5:14 am
#48
Account Closed
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 0
Re: Tips on Visting Washington DC (and Baltimore/Philadelphia area)
I agree the National Aquarium is to be desired, its unfortunate the money and space and such isn't there for a nicer one for DC, maybe one day....
DC is one of my favorite places to visit, been there twice and still haven't seen everything.
DC is one of my favorite places to visit, been there twice and still haven't seen everything.
Sep 9th 2013, 2:16 pm
#49
Forum Regular
Joined: Dec 2006
Location: Arlington, VA
Posts: 244
Re: Tips on Visting Washington DC (and Baltimore/Philadelphia area)
Sounds like you and the family had a grand time. FYI the National Aquarium will be closing for good at the end of this month.
Paul
Paul
Sep 9th 2013, 2:58 pm
#50
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Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2002
Location: Where bad things rarely happen in movies
Posts: 8,933
Re: Tips on Visting Washington DC (and Baltimore/Philadelphia area)
Sounds like you and the family had a grand time. FYI the National Aquarium will be closing for good at the end of this month.
Paul
Paul
Not surprised to hear about the Aquarium..
Sep 9th 2013, 5:49 pm
#51
Boomshacalaca!!
Joined: Dec 2005
Location: South of the North Pole.......Colorado
Posts: 5,066
Re: Tips on Visting Washington DC (and Baltimore/Philadelphia area)
Its quite the city. The Capital Building is quite interesting - useless trivia is that the statue of liberty (minus her pedestal) can fit in the rotunda with some room to spare. The whole town has fascinating history.
I'm possibly meeting up with fam there soon. Its been a long time since being out there and sure will be a trip down memory lane and I think I'll play tourist again, too. Although, Spring is the best time as its not hot and everything comes into bloom.
I too want to go back to Gettysburg and do some photography out there. Also head over to Filth'n'dumpia and perhaps onto Wilmington and the Chesapeake .... I'd better get my tix booked!!
I'm possibly meeting up with fam there soon. Its been a long time since being out there and sure will be a trip down memory lane and I think I'll play tourist again, too. Although, Spring is the best time as its not hot and everything comes into bloom.
I too want to go back to Gettysburg and do some photography out there. Also head over to Filth'n'dumpia and perhaps onto Wilmington and the Chesapeake .... I'd better get my tix booked!!
