hsingscrapper Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 I've been daydreaming again and wishing we could take the boys on a vacation that would be both educational and exciting. My 9yo discovered the Smithsonian Institute website and his got wide and bright and it wasn't long before he was hoping to go. Not that we have the money now, but has anyone ever made D.C. a travel destination for a family trip like that? If not, where did, or would, you go? There are five of us and I'd like to keep the price as low as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrganicAnn Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 DC is a great education vacation. If you want to tour the White or Congress, be sure to contact your representative or senator to get tickets. There is lots of walking - Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, Vietnam memorial, Arlington Cemetary, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoLuRu Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 We went when I was a kid and as a teenager and I remember it fondly. In addition to the museums and political buildings, one thing I remember is playing the license plate game - trying to find license plates from every state. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 I tink DC, MD, & VA would be awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugar Plum Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 My family of five just did this in late April/May. We had a wonderful time! We saved money by staying in a vacation rental rather than a hotel room, and cooking our own breakfasts and dinners. We stayed in DC for 8 days (with a day trip to Mount Vernon), then spent a day at Harpers Ferry and Antietam before spending a night in Gettysburg. We also spent some time in Lancaster County, PA and one day in Philadelphia before heading home. My kids had a blast and learned a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 I live near DC. We plan on visiting tomorrow, in fact. We certainly haven't run out of things to do after 14 years in this area. I'm guessing the cheapest way to tour DC is to find a condo within walking distance to a metro stop. It's the food and lodging that will cost you the most. The museums are free and it would be easy to fill a week going through them. I think that breakfast at the condo and picnic lunches would go a LONG way towards keeping the price reasonable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkwynn Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 We are going in November! We found a lady who rents her whole house (she stays in the bedroom downstairs) for $50/nt, has great reviews, and will even give us a ride from the airport, on bnbair.com ETA: Here's her link, looks like she's charging $60/nt now. https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/4726 I've been to DC twice, once before kids and once when my oldest was just a baby - he's 10 now. And, we are doing US History this year, instead of starting another cycle/ancient history. So excited!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CyndiLJ Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 We did this a year and a half ago, as we had free airline tickets from our adoption trips that had to be used up. We decided DC would be our "dream destination" and one we otherwise would never be able to afford to do. It actually was cheaper than we thought. Hotels were not cheap, but everything else was free basically, and that meant we saw a ton of things, used backpacks for sandwiches to save money, and really had a terrific trip without the guilt of bankrupting ourselves. It is more do-able than you'd think! Cindy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsingscrapper Posted August 12, 2012 Author Share Posted August 12, 2012 I've been hunting for a hotel but the less expensive ones always say that 5 people exceeds their occupancy. Any ideas (hopefully with links) on more family and budget friendly options?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthwestMom Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 We are going in November! We found a lady who rents her whole house (she stays in the bedroom downstairs) for $50/nt, has great reviews, and will even give us a ride from the airport, on bnbair.com ETA: Here's her link, looks like she's charging $60/nt now. https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/4726 I've been to DC twice, once before kids and once when my oldest was just a baby - he's 10 now. And, we are doing US History this year, instead of starting another cycle/ancient history. So excited!! I want to stay here! Thanks for posting this. I love her and her cats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 I have only been in DC many years ago for short trips. I stayed at the Youth Hostel in order to save money (you can do that as a family, too). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 I want to stay in cat lady's house!!!! Gorgeous! But, I'm allergic to cats. Bummer. What about out west? Do you camp? There is so much there - Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Arches National Park, etc, etc, etc If you camp, it could be an inexpensive trip! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 DC is a great education vacation. If you want to tour the White or Congress, be sure to contact your representative or senator to get tickets. There is lots of walking - Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, Vietnam memorial, Arlington Cemetary, etc. :iagree:not to mention all the museums are also free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsingscrapper Posted August 12, 2012 Author Share Posted August 12, 2012 It says you can use her kitchen. Does she provide the food or do you have to go grocery shopping? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kroe1 Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 Check out Adventures by Disney. They have a trip which includes Philadelphia, Washington, and Mount Vernon. We had such a fabulous time on this vacation. Do not let the price tag scare you because many meals are included. All of the extras like dinner with Thomas Jefferson, and a scavenger hunt to save the Declaration of Independence are what made the learning unforgettable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanna Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 (edited) I've been hunting for a hotel but the less expensive ones always say that 5 people exceeds their occupancy. Something I learned this year (as we are a family of 5 as well): when you find the hotel you want to stay at, call them directly when making your reservation instead of trying to book online. They will take your reservation for 5 with no fuss at all. On our most recent vacation, we got a standard room with 2 queen sized beds and requested a cot for dd to sleep on. ...Any ideas (hopefully with links) on more family and budget friendly options?? Here are my suggestions (and I love the idea of a DC vacay BTW): join Groupon, LivingSocial, SniqueAway, AAA Club Deals (if you're a member of AAA) and Travelzoo for discount deals on hotels, dining and activities (of course, you heard all the Smithsonian museums are free) consider booking a hotel that offers free breakfast like Holiday Inn and Hampton Inn & Suites (oh, and comes with an indoor pool). You'll get more than your money's worth by having that one meal taken care of for the day and having a place for the kiddies to burn some energy no matter what the temperature is outside. Both of these hotels have refrigerators in the room so you can bring your own waterbottles from the local grocery store (home or DC) and put them in there. I sometimes take an extra piece of fruit or a yogurt (from breakfast) and put in the fridge for a "light lunch" if we have no lunch plans. dining out - try to avoid restaurants with a wait staff (Panera, anyone?) and that'll save you a little bit of $$$ Edited August 13, 2012 by Vanna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanna Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 Check out Adventures by Disney. They have a trip which includes Philadelphia, Washington, and Mount Vernon. We had such a fabulous time on this vacation. Do not let the price tag scare you because many meals are included. All of the extras like dinner with Thomas Jefferson, and a scavenger hunt to save the Declaration of Independence are what made the learning unforgettable.OO-oo-oo! Thanks for the share! I just requested a brochure. :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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