arcara Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 My husband's sister is visiting us from Italy for 3 weeks in August. We live only 3.5hours from Washington D.C., and I was thinking it would be great to take her there for a few days. However, we have 5 kids, ages almost-9y to 3-months, and I was wondering if there's a way to do this somewhat cheaply. We can't afford to spend $1000 on a few day stay. Any ideas? Decent places to stay? Meal ideas? We don't mind bringing bread for breakfast and stuff for PBJs for lunch, but I'm not sure about supper. Any tips would be greatly appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athena1277 Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 I don't know about places to stay, but I do have one suggestion for you. Go the the National Zoo on your trip. It is free to get in and you are allowed to bring in food and drinks (even coolers, see their website). It is $20 to park, however, so you depending on where you are staying, you may want to take the Metro. Also remember that lots of museums and other "sites to see" are free, so that may help your budget. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JVA Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Since my dh works at the Capitol, we're going there more often than we did before. The Botanical Gardens (right next to the Capitol) are gorgeous, nice and cool, with interesting displays - like a medicinal garden and tropical rain forest. The kids can climb up the stairs and walk on the walkways high up near the top of the huge greenhouse and feel the misting (don't worry- it's safe). A nice respite from the heat. The Capitol visitors center has a LOT of hands-on, kid-oriented displays- as does the White House Visitors center. If you can, kids really like the Lincoln memorial and the Roosevelt Memorial. At the Roosevelt, there is lots for them to see - his dog, a soup line (once- a few years ago we got all the cousins(10) to stand in the 'line' - it's a keepsake photo!), fountains everywhere. They can run around and enjoy the sounds of the water. I really like that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in MD Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Unfortunately summer has finally arrived. Since I doubt we'll have the beautiful weather in Aug. that we had earlier, you may want to spring for tickets to the Tour Mobile. Hot and sticky is no fun, especially while walking around the mall, and Aug is typically our worse month. Downtown hotels typically charge 50% of their weekday rates on the weekend. Plus you can skip metro fees if you're close to the Mall. But even if you do need to use Metro, their rates are non-rush hour all day on the weekends. Metro is no longer the great cure-all for tourists IF they want to use it during the work week. The problem is PARKING! Because Aug is traditionally the vacation month around here, parking might not be so bad, but the outlying station parking lots typically fill no later than 8am. My recommendation is that you stay in a hotel within 5-10 minutes WALKING distance (they oft advertise drivig time). If you're willing to camp, there's a National Park campground within walking distance of the Metro. I believe it's called Cherry Hill. I've heard many good things about it. Supper choices are limited downtown, and we rarely are there late in the day anymore, so I'm not familiar with latest ones. You may want to eat a large lunch and have sandwiches for supper. But the area near Friendship Heights and the station south of there have a lot of small restaraunts. The best pizza is Armands. If you stay at a hotel at the northwest end of the Red line, I can help you more with cheap chains for supper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arcara Posted July 30, 2009 Author Share Posted July 30, 2009 Thanks for the replies. Great ideas! I didn't know about the Botanical Gardens. That sounds great! Anyone else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayfromcleveland Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 I lived in DC for 6 years and played tour guide a lot. Our Boy Scout troop stayed at Greenbelt Park in Maryland. It's not far from the Beltway and Rt 201, and very near the College Park Metro -- longish walk but a short drive. There are showers and very cushy camping accommodations. As you know, everything in DC is free. Capitol tours require some planning in this post-9/11 world. Come and go to the Capitol from Union Station and have lunch there -- regular fast food prices, cheaper than the vendors. The Smithsonian is always a good bet. Everyone wants to see Air and Space but I personally like the National Gallery and Natural History. Forget the Washington Monument, the line is so long during tourist season. If you like a lot of walking, head to the Lincoln Memorial and stop at the Vietnam wall on the way. The Bureau of Printing and Engraving is off 15th St. near the Monument. If you're driving, be sure to check out the statue "The Awakening" at Haines Point, south of the Jefferson Memorial. Hope that helps, have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayfromcleveland Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Oh yeah, if you want to use Metro a lot in the same day (ex, going to the zoo or Arlington) get one of those all-day Metro passes for everyone. Still very pricey by "outside the Beltway" standards, but still cheaper than paying one-way fares between multiple destinations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmrich Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 We went to the Library of Congress - wow! We had know idea how great it would be! Really all of the places are amazing and wonderful. My money saving tip - pack a lunch and snacks. Also we found hard to find a suitable place to eat dinner with all the kids, but I have not found a solution for that problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2ncr Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 There is no longer any need to stand in line at the Washington Monument. You can purchase tickets in advance with a particular day and time to go up. I think it's $1.50 per person plus a .50 per order service fee. Also keep in mind that the Bureau of Engraving and Printing is a neat place to visit, but it's not open on the weekends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree Frog Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 We went this summer and stayed at the Hotel Harrington. They have very large rooms--our family of 5 had 2 double beds and 4 twin beds in the room. They also had a refrigerator, so we brought cereal, bowls, and spoons and bought milk for breakfasts. The hotel isn't anything fancy (they don't have the small bottles of shampoo, for example), but it was clean and very centrally located. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 I was there 2 weeks ago and am going back in 4 weeks. We stay in Rockville, Maryland at the Best Western. I just booked for mid-August and my AAA rate is $69/night for 2 double beds, microwave, refrigerator and free internet. They also give you free breakfast (really nice), free coffee 24/7 and there is a nice pool with a lifeguard. Their is a shuttle that runs every hour to/from the Metro that is free. My son loved the zoo and seeing the White House. We also went to the Natural History Museum which is free admission. When we go back we are going to do Air & Space Museum and a metro ride to Virginia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iwka Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 http://majorchangeacademy.wordpress.com/2008/08/19/great-falls-potomac-river/ http://majorchangeacademy.wordpress.com/2008/08/20/washington-monument/ http://majorchangeacademy.wordpress.com/2008/08/20/natural-history-museum-washington-dc/ http://majorchangeacademy.wordpress.com/2008/08/20/air-space-museum-washington-dc/ google hostels in DC for stay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reesegirl Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 There is a fun little island on the Potomac, not far from the mall area...I believe it is the Teddy Rosevelt's monument. You might need to drive there...we went to DC in 1998 and then again in 2005 so I can't remember how far it was from the mall. I believe you walk across a bridge and then walk through the woods on a nature path until you come to the monument...it is very shady and cool and fun place for a picnic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keptwoman Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 (edited) I don't know what kind of standard of accommodation you like but we often stay in HIUSA hostels when we travel. We have stayed in 3 in the USA and plan to stay in another 3 on our trip in September. We find them clean and comfortable and family friendly. They all have cooking facilities in the communal kitchen too and plenty of room to sit at a table and eat as a family which is a definite bonus when travelling on the cheap. We also enjoy chatting to the various people we meet at them. And as an added bonus they are in some truely glorious spots and the city ones are generally very central. There is one in DC and I see it has family rooms. I can't personally vouch for it and I would recommend that you check reviews online. I generally find if it's described as dull or boring it's perfect for a family :rofl: and if it's described as having a party atmosphere it's probably not the best. http://www.hiusa.org/hostels/usa_hostels/district_of_columbia/washington/60005 Edited July 31, 2009 by keptwoman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeri Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 We just got home from Amsterdam and when we travel we always bring sleeping bags for some of the kids. Get over the yuck factor (or bring a big sheet to put down first) and actually our kids think they are camping on the floor! We request a rollaway bed if available. We bring peanut butter and bottled water and stop the day before for lunch makings (coldcuts, cheese, bbread). We eat rolls with yogurt and juice in our rooms for breakfast. We park our van at the hotel and suck up the daily price but take mass transit to get around. Hope that helps! Have a great time! The smithsonian museums are wonderful and all free! And picnicking on the mall is terrific! jeri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Etkids Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 Any ideas? Decent places to stay? ! I just booked the Marriott in the downtown area for $65/night through priceline. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary in VA Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 I lived in DC for 6 years and played tour guide a lot. If you're driving, be sure to check out the statue "The Awakening" at Haines Point, south of the Jefferson Memorial. Hope that helps, have fun! Great statue, but they have moved it from Haines Point to National Harbor. Mary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lgm Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 We usually stop at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazey Center on our way in our out to D.C. It's free parking after 4 p.m....people actually pull over before the parking booth, onto the side of the road and watch the flights take off from Dulles until the clock turns 4 p.m. Otherwise it's $15/vehicle. http://www.nasm.si.edu/visit/hours.cfm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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