MomtoCandJ Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 Dh and I are going to DC September 30- October 2nd for our 11th anniversary. Besides all the awesome (free 🤓) museums, is there any other must sees?? Can't miss places to eat??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erica in OR Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 Seeing the monuments at night was neat, particularly the Lincoln Memorial. Erica in OR 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Governess Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 I was just there! There are a lot of good but pricey restaurants in DC. One place we found that was great but inexpensive and close enough to the national mall was District Taco. Great tacos and burritos. Visiting the monuments near dusk is a pretty cool experience. Supreme Court building. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*lifeoftheparty* Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 (edited) ... Edited December 18, 2016 by *lifeoftheparty* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 DC is easy to do inexpensively because there is so much to see that doesn't cost anything - a lot more than the Smithsonians. I agree with doing a search to find previous posts- there's a lot of good information and it won't all get reposted in this thread. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThisIsTheDay Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 Library of Congress was AMAZING. I'd never thought of it as a place to visit, but my teen went there and raved about it, and so we visited. One of the most beautiful buildings every.If you aren't wild about one of the Smithsonians, move on to another! Don't guilt yourself into thinking you should like it. There are plenty of others, and they are all very different, and you will likely have your definite favorites and not-so-favorites. The memorials are very moving, a change of pace from the museums. That can easily be done in a couple of hours. If you have any desire to go up to the Washington Memorial, look online NOW--today!-- for tickets. They're free (or just a dollar or two), but you need reservations--or you can stop by very early in the day to try to get same day tickets. For cheap food in the city, head to Union Station's Food Court, just a short walk from the Mall. L'Enfant Plaza Metro station (very close to the Mall) also has a large food court, but I think it's closed on the weekends. Have you made your hotel accommodations yet? If you are parking in the city, check out websites that will compare parking prices and then reserve online ahead of time. If you are staying outside the city and Metroing in, consider picking up a prepaid Metro card (can't think of the name), as it will save you some money as you come in and out each day. You'll each need your own card, and they are simple to refill. I have found the staff at the Metro stations surprisingly helpful in showing me how to work the machines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 We like the Mount Vernon Inn for a special dinner. It is a short drive from DC and very easy to get to. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommyoffive Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 Thinking about this. How about cheap places to stay? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 Washingtonian's Cheap Eats: https://www.washingtonian.com/2016/05/05/best-cheap-restaurants-in-washington-dc/ My favorite DC cheap meal is Chinatown Express. All the dumplings are good. Get the fresh noodles with something. I like the noodle soup with duck. Very authentic. Seconding District Taco as another good cheap eats place. I think most of the Union Station options are icky, but it's also not on my beaten path. Let's see... other cheap or free things... Kennilworth may still be in bloom if you like gardens. Really though, that's not a super long trip. See some art, enjoy the weather. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 I think Union Station food court has gone way downhill in the last couple of years. A lot of the places have been closed and there are mostly just boring chains there now instead of more interesting options. I like the food court in the Ronald Reagan building better and I thought the prices were relatively reasonable. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThisIsTheDay Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 Thinking about this. How about cheap places to stay? I'd look at one of the hotel websites, tripadvisor, priceline, etc. using your specific dates. Consider that most of the DC hotels charge an additional fee for parking. You might want to stay outside of DC and Metro in. Check the hotels carefully, because even many of the hotels not in the city still charge for parking. Also weekend rates are usually cheaper than weekday. In the past, Crystal City Marriott had a great weekend special. We've also stayed at the Rosslyn Holiday Inn. I try to be flexible, but we've always stayed on the Virginia side for personal convenience. If I was coming from the north, I'd look somewhere else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Governess Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 It seemed to me that the hotels in the DC area were generally overpriced. We found a great deal on Airbnb; there were lots of good options. I would stick to places that have a lot of good reviews, are close to a metro stop, and are in a decent neighborhood (reading reviews will give you a good idea). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomtoCandJ Posted August 1, 2016 Author Share Posted August 1, 2016 Have you tried doing a search for this topic? There have been a TON of threads on this. I don't knoe about others, but I haven't been responding to these threads anymore because I'm so tired of typing out the same thing every time, lol. And I'm not saying that to be snarky or mean, just an fyi if you don't get a lot of responses. Might just be because people are burnt out on answering this question... I feel like it gets asked an awful lot... My favorite restaurant in DC is the Old Ebbitt Grill :) LOVE Shake Shack. Food trucks are cheap. Museum Cafes are not. The search function on this forum has a lot to be desired.... I tried that first but nothing came up that was close to what I was looking for. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoPlaceLikeHome Posted August 1, 2016 Share Posted August 1, 2016 Use the DC circulator bus to go around monuments and up to Capital Hill instead of one of those tour buses which cost about $50 I think per person. The DC Circulator now has a monument route and takes a smart trip card which is good on metro trains and metro buses too. It costs one dollar and stops at all the attractions on the mall and the hill. Air and Space Museum has a McDonalds if that is agreeable to you. If you get a refrigerator in your room, then you could pack sandwiches in your backpacks which are allowed in museums except they are searched and the National Gallery of Art will ask you to check them in Coat and Bag check which is no big deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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