Professormom Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Hi ladies! We are taking a trip to DC in the spring and I need suggestions. Ideas for places to go see, what is a not-to-be-missed experience, things to look out for, maybe some of those little advertised but worthwhile activities, learning experience (I,e. If there is a class or something somewhere). We are also planning on maybe heading south along the coast to the Carolinas. Anything there would be great too. We will be done with the age of exploration and renaissance and moving into puritans etc., but what we do does not have to coincide with our studies. Thanks so much in advance for any ideas y'all have:-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runningmom80 Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 I'm going to follow this, we are also planning a Spring DC trip. So far on my list I just have the regular tourist attractions, I'd love recs for some other things to see! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Professormom Posted January 13, 2014 Author Share Posted January 13, 2014 Oh and we will probably be staying at the Westin in Falls Church. So if that sparks any other ideas, feel free to add. The boys are 10 and 12. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThatHomeschoolDad Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 I will chime in with what DW did for years with the 8th grade trip... Do changing of the guard at Arlington Allow a whole day for Air & Space Another day for Am Hist or other museums Another day just for monuments Capitol rotunda is nifty. Senate gallery seat could be interesting or boring, depending. I think that requires an email to your rep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Professormom Posted January 13, 2014 Author Share Posted January 13, 2014 Thanks, Tom. Did you do the air and space in town or the one out by Dulles? I have heard the one by Dulles is better and am curious to know what others think. We will have a car there, so going would be no big deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2att Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 We went in 2010. We loved: Mt. Vernon Bureau of Engraving and Printing Air & Space Mus. Natural History Mus. American History Mus. Washington Monument Spy Museum What we wish we had had time for and will probably make a priority if/when we go again: National Gallery We stayed at a lovely little house in Alexandria and drove into the city each day, no problems. We were there in either June or July, so it was hot and crowded, but not too bad. Kids were 14, 10, and 7 at the time. It was a great trip and the kids still talk about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThatHomeschoolDad Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Thanks, Tom. Did you do the air and space in town or the one out by Dulles? I have heard the one by Dulles is better and am curious to know what others think. We will have a car there, so going would be no big deal. In town. I think Dulles has bigger planes but fewer other exhibits? Could be wrong on that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bensonduck Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 I live near DC. :) The Air and Space Museum by Dulles is great. It is huge and there is a lot to see as far as aircraft, stuff from space missions, etc. The problem is that there is not a lot else out there. If you don't mind just trekking out there and then back, it is a great museum. A couple of rather "off the regular circuit" museums that are cool are the Spy Museum and the National Building Museum. I think the Spy Museum would be tons of fun for 9 and 11 year old boys. :) The National Building Museum is huge and there's lots to see and learn about as far as architecture, the development of building materials over time, etc. All the Smithsonian museums are free - so you can, say, visit the National Gallery, go over to the National Museum of the American Indian for lunch, and then go to the Natural History Museum. (Or whatever pattern you feel like!) With the Smithsonian museums, you can just pop in and out and not worry about not getting your money's worth. My kids are younger but we often go to the National Gallery for a little over an hour - it's enough time for them. The local word is that the National Museum of the American Indian has the best lunch but I have not personally tried it! Depending on when you are going, if it is anywhere near cherry blossom season, parking down there (especially Constitution Avenue and the surrounding areas) is going to be PACKED and very difficult. Coming from Falls Church, you may want to consider taking the Metro downtown - the Orange Line gives you a straight shot to Smithsonian station and then you don't have to worry about traffic, parking, feeding the meter periodically, etc. Or you could take cabs back and forth. Enjoy your visit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Will you be heading down I-95? The Museum of the Confederacy / Confederate White House in Richmond are mere moments off the Interstate. Very easy to hop off, tour, and hop back on. How far down the Carolina coast? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rutamattatt Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 We loved Arlington. Not sure what state you're from, but check your congressperson's page. We found out that on Tuesdays we can schedule to have lunch with our Senator. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftymama Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Thanks, Tom. Did you do the air and space in town or the one out by Dulles? I have heard the one by Dulles is better and am curious to know what others think. We will have a car there, so going would be no big deal. We have not been to the one at Dulles, but even the people who work at the one in DC say it's better and bigger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftymama Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 And remember Baltimore isn't far away and has a few things - the science center, Ft. McHenry... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 When we went to DC (our family plus grandparents) my favorite memories are having picnics on the National Mall and on a bench near the Capitol Building. Arlington National Cemetery, Holocaust Memorial, National Gallery, the Old Post Office Bell Tower (incredible views of the city), and the Library of Congress were my other favorites. We also took a moonlight trolley tour of the monuments and that was really fun - our tour guide/driver told us great funny stories and tidbits of info. It was also helpful for grandma and grandpa and the little ones to be able to get around more easily. It was a bit pricey, but worth it, IMO. I was very disappointed that we did not get to visit the National Cathedral - that was #1 on my list, but it was closed due to damage from earthquake + hurricane Irene. Also be sure to check opening and closing times for places - the National Gallery and Holocaust Memorial closed earlier than we expected. FWIW, the people of DC were some of the most helpful and kind that I have ever experienced on a trip. The metro employees would come right over and help us figure out what kind of tickets we needed, and people on the metro and the street would give us suggestions of where to go, eat, and the best way to get to where we were going. It was as though the entire city had successfully gone through a "How to be Helpful and Kind to Clueless Tourists" seminar. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Professormom Posted January 13, 2014 Author Share Posted January 13, 2014 Love these responses. From what I have heard, the metro is the way to go in the city... I will plan on leaving the car at the hotel:-) We will probably be in DC for about 5 days and I, so far, know we will do: Arlington, library of Congress - especially the Jefferson building - I think he and I were separated at birth;-), Nat'l Archives to see founding docs, we will do the monuments at night to see them lit up, Smithsonian, trying to get in for a Capitol tour with our rep (thanks, Rutamattatt!) Old town (my BFF from college lives there). On the way in or out, we will try to see Gettysburg and Manassas. Maybe something at the pentagon, dh has contacts so we will see if there is any possibility of that. Has anyone done the Mint? I have also heard the FBI has a tour... Any experience with that? Penguin, I think we will be heading down the I95 way. I am not sure how far down. It kind of depends on how much I want to cram into the schedule, lol. We live in Wisconsin, so I am thinking we will loop down along the coast and then come back up through Indy. I am having a really hard time deciding how much to make this a vacation and how much to make this site-seeing... I am one of those people who see those as different things, lol. So if there are civil war stops or some big beautiful mansions we could stay in in the southern part of that leg, it would be awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Professormom Posted January 13, 2014 Author Share Posted January 13, 2014 When we went to DC (our family plus grandparents) my favorite memories are having picnics on the National Mall and on a bench near the Capitol Building. Arlington National Cemetery, Holocaust Memorial, and the Library of Congress were my favorites. I was very disappointed that we did not get to visit the National Cathedral - that was #1 on my list, but it was closed due to damage from earthquake + hurricane Irene. I hope the cathedral is open when we go... I really do want to see that. And the picnic idea sounds great... We will make that part of our day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angie in VA Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Admission to The Newseum is good for two consecutive days, but I would skip that for this trip b/c of the ages of your dc. Although, it's fun to be a reporter and have that video and pic. Still, older students, and even then, I'd preview the Pulitzer winning photos before taking your dc in there. Come back in a few years and go there. I agree w/ the suggestions listed already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Professormom Posted January 13, 2014 Author Share Posted January 13, 2014 Also, anyone know of anything that has to do with the early navigators/clipper ships etc out on the coast. We will be studying that and it would be a good tie-in if there is a good place to see out there. (I feel like a pest, but all of these thoughts keep coming to me:-). I will take lots of ideas and then edit it down, lol, or we would be gone for months! Angie, thanks for the that. I wasn't sure about that one and with everything else we want to see, it is nice to have a second opinion:-). We will go back again in 3-4 years, we will save the Newseum for that trip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SebastianCat Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 We were there last year during the government shutdown. We had to adjust our plans accordingly. Library of Congress was a very nice surprise. I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as we did, nor did I expect my kids (ages 9 & 11) to enjoy it as much as they did. My kids LOVED the International Spy Museum. That wasn't on our original agenda, but because it's not part of the government (a.k.a. you must pay to get in, and it wasn't cheap) it was still open during the shutdown. I thought it was interesting, but didn't love it as much as the kids. We absolutely loved Mt. Vernon, and ended up spending 1/2 day more there than we originally planned because of the shutdown. It was easy to get to using the Metro and local bus, and after learning about Jefferson at the Library of Congress it was very interesting to contrast the personalities of Washington and Jefferson. If you really like Jefferson, Monticello is a good day trip from DC, but we didn't go there. Our other favorite side trip was Colonial Williamsburg. We originally alloted a day and a half, but ended up spending 2 1/2 days there. It's hard to see everything in just one day - if you have the time, I'd recommend spending 2 full days there. This was my favorite part of the entire trip, and well worth the price of admission. The Williamsburg Woodlands hotel was very reasonably priced, included free breakfast, and you could walk outside the hotel, hop on a bus, or walk to the old city within 5 minutes. We did not get out to the Hazey Center (Air & Space facility near Dulles) because it was closed while we were there. And we were told that the FBI is permanently closed. My best piece of advice would be to try to plan out your trip, how much time you'll spend where, and have a backup plan! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Professormom Posted January 13, 2014 Author Share Posted January 13, 2014 We did Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown, Monticello, and mt vernon a couple of years ago, and you are right, very worthwhile. We will definitely do Richmond this time, as Penguin suggested. I think we will go through Asheville as well... I have been wanting to see and possibly stay at the Biltmore for years. So, we will also go through Raleigh. This trip is growing thanks to the Hive;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Anna~ Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Love reading all of these suggestions! We are going to DC but not for a few years, so I am taking notes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Ok then... If your route is 95 south to 40 west toward Asheville, I have another easy on / easy off suggestion. The International Civil Rights museum in Greensboro is located in the Woolworth building where the sit-ins occurred. Parts of it are graphic, but they have a way to by-pass the most graphic portion. Or at least they did the last time I was there. Even better: See if the American History Smithsonian is still doing its short, live dramatization about the Greensboro sit-ins. You could see that first:) I can add some links later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Was Mt. Vernon's education museum finished when you came last time? It's fabulous. You could come to my church--It's Geo Washington's. We have box pews, etc. I hear the Rector's wife is extraordinarily welcoming... :closedeyes: :laugh: Asheville is pretty in parts and very "hippy dippy" in other parts (like downtown) but the Biltmore is really neat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Also, anyone know of anything that has to do with the early navigators/clipper ships etc out on the coast. We will be studying that and it would be a good tie-in if there is a good place to see out there. (I feel like a pest, but all of these thoughts keep coming to me:-). I will take lots of ideas and then edit it down, lol, or we would be gone for months! Angie, thanks for the that. I wasn't sure about that one and with everything else we want to see, it is nice to have a second opinion:-). We will go back again in 3-4 years, we will save the Newseum for that trip. I agree - skip the Newseum. It's not all that anyway. In fact, I'm not enamored with any of the pay tourist museums. The Building Museum is good, but I don't often recommend it to out of towners unless a kid is architecture mad. Some of the pay art museums are excellent, but it's like pulling teeth to get people to even go to the National Gallery much less the Portrait Gallery or the Hirshhorn or the Sackler or anything and they're all free, so I don't usually recommend those either anyway even though we love them. Do be aware that the East Building is mostly closed at the NGA, but the West Building is completely worth the time. As for maritime stuff, yes, there are programs through Living Classrooms, but you would have to organize it, though these trips generally seem to fill up when they're scheduled for homeschoolers: https://livingclassrooms.org/wrwework_ncr_shipboard_education.php Additionally, there's the Constellation in Baltimore's harbor. There's less in DC proper that I know of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 Library of Congress was a very nice surprise. I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as we did, nor did I expect my kids (ages 9 & 11) to enjoy it as much as they did. :) We have a picture of my (then) 2yo having an all-out tantrum on the floor of the children's room because she didn't want to leave. Naps were a bit scarce on that trip. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linders Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 Went 2 years ago with boys then 11 and 8. Faves: - Spy Museum (huge fave of both) - Air and Space/Natural History (American History not so much, oddly) - The carousel on the Mall (DS8 considers it a must-do) - Museum of Art (not on original itinerary, went in for an air-conditioning break and the DS really liked it so we stayed) - Korean War Memorial/Vietnam Memorial (if you know anyone at all who died in the Vietnam War, look them up on the Wall and it suddenly becomes real) - White House tour/Capitol tour (prearranged, our Senator's aide was fantastic at the Capitol) - Arlington: just wandering about. DS8, with awe and sadness, "I didn't know so many soldiers died!" - Robert E. Lee's house (by Arlington) Misses: - National Zoo (too many field trippers) - Any Smithsonian between 10am and 2 pm) (fieldtrips again) ETA: the Manassas/Bull Run battlefield. As we were leaving town, DS11 casually asked where it was, because it must be close to DC if people living there took carriages out to watch. Indeed it is, just a 25 minute drive out the highway, with an excellent visitors center/museum and grounds to wander. We especially liked the wall display that used to colored lights to show the progress of the Union and Confederate troops during the battles. It was worth the detour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Professormom Posted January 14, 2014 Author Share Posted January 14, 2014 ETA: the Manassas/Bull Run battlefield. As we were leaving town, DS11 casually asked where it was, because it must be close to DC if people living there took carriages out to watch. Indeed it is, just a 25 minute drive out the highway, with an excellent visitors center/museum and grounds to wander. We especially liked the wall display that used to colored lights to show the progress of the Union and Confederate troops during the battles. It was worth the detour. Thanks for that, I was wondering if that would be a worthwhile sidetrack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LAmom Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 This is great info! Looks like we may be going in May. I am trying to find an affordable place for 7 of us though....:( Any ideas? I have heard Alexandria but I can't seem to find something that work under 150.00/night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoCalLynn Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 If you are planning to go south of DC, I suggest stopping in Fredericksburg VA. It has a rich Revolutionary and Civil War history, is beautiful and has great museums, shopping and eating along the Rappahanock River. My best friend lives there and I get to visit every few years. I still haven't seen it all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 We took a family trip there in the Spring, and it seemed like every middle school in the Western Hemisphere was there that week on a big Spring Break field trip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 This is great info! Looks like we may be going in May. I am trying to find an affordable place for 7 of us though....:( Any ideas? I have heard Alexandria but I can't seem to find something that work under 150.00/night. Staybridge Suites in Herndon (near Dulles) has suites that sleep 8 for under $150 a night. It seems like there were some other similar suite hotels in Alexandria that were a bit cheaper. I found Staybridge when I was researching for our DC trip this May as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LAmom Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 Is Dulles close enough to DC? I'm from LA so a 30 minute trip can be 1-2 hours depending on time of day. I'm assuming that would be the same for DC? A friend mentioned College Park but that seems far too. Sorry--not meaning to hijack! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 I am resurrecting this thread with my review for anyone that is interested, because we are just back. I went with two approx. 10 year old boys (son and BFF) Hits: The Bureau of Engraving and Printing tour was great. It was a bit of a pain logistically because you have to pick up the (free) tickets at 8am at the back of the Bureau (feel free to PM me for specific directions: I was challenged but we made it). The guide was knowledgeable, the kids asked questions, it was great. We had done Air and Space before and thought it an unmitigated disaster of a mob scene, BUT. This time (the boys insisted) we went and I did one of the free 1.5 hour tours. We did not stay for the entire tour, but what we did do was so great. I want to go back by myself and do this tour. Spy Museum. Not free to get in, but we could have stayed all day. Botanical gardens--who knew my 10 year old would be into orchids? Misses: These are due to my poor planning mostly: it wasn't super important to me to get everything right because we go to DC about every 2 years at least. All the monuments have free tours, but they start at 10am. If you are there at 8am, like we were, you will just enjoy the quiet memorial and the tourists. The Capitol tour was OK. This is very guide specific. It was also so very crowded. Actually our favorite part of that tour was just meeting the guide in our Senator's office and taking the private "subway" that congress folk use to get from building to building. I found the galleries themselves( in the Capitol building) a bit uninspiring. Library of congress--so beautiful, I could have stayed there all day. Not great with two average 10 year old boys, especially when the children reading room is closed on a Saturday. The bonus here is only that it opens at 830 (whereas most everything else opens at 10). Also, leaving toddler at home and staying in a hotel with a pool were the best two decisions ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth S Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 I hope the cathedral is open when we go... I really do want to see that. And the picnic idea sounds great... We will make that part of our day! We went to the church service there on a Sunday morning, then toured the towers. Great view of the city. We too took the subway, but the walk from the subway station to the top of the hill where the Cathedral sets is about a mile uphill (or at least seems like that). Great experience, but I was ready to SIT for the service. Absolutely worthwhile. Neighborhood is nice, and the Cathedral was intentionally placed at the highest point of the city. Phenomenal architecture, lots of explanation about the earthquake damage, original building phases, etc. Brought tears to my eyes, overhearing one of the docent's stories. One great example of our country working on a massive, epic project for over 100 years. It is near the Zoo, FYI. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyD Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 I'm glad this thread got bumped up again. We are going to DC for a few days later this morning and I just heard back from our Congressman's office about the tour tickets I requested way back when -- no for White House (boo), but yes for Bureau of Engraving and Printing (yay!). Great to know about the Air and Space tour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftymama Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 I'm glad this thread got bumped up again. We are going to DC for a few days later this morning and I just heard back from our Congressman's office about the tour tickets I requested way back when -- no for White House (boo), but yes for Bureau of Engraving and Printing (yay!). Great to know about the Air and Space tour. Did they say why no White House tour? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyD Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 Did they say why no White House tour? They said it was due to capacity. I submitted the request in late February -- as soon as we decided we were going to DC -- for an early May trip, but I guess it wasn't quite early enough. The White House website says that the tickets are given out first-come first-served. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly1730 Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 We are planning a trip into DC next Saturday, weather permitting. We are in Pa so we drive to Rockville, MD and take the Metro in from there. It's just a day trip and we've seen the Smithsonian and a few other museums before so this time it's Arlington and the National Mall. Although, now you have me intrigued to check out Manassas/Bull Run too. Don't know if we'll have time to fit it all in one day. May have to make another trip :driving: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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