Today was my last day of work until 8/18. We are going to Washington, D.C. tomorrow for a week. We haven't been there for about 6 years. Our daughter doesn't really remember a whole lot about the last trip since she was only 6. We have tickets for the Holocaust Museum (DD and I have never been; DW was there once). We also have tickets for the Spy Museum and the interactive spy experience they have there. Other than that, we will make it up as we go along. We want to go to the Freer Gallery as DD is into both art and Asian culture, particularly Japanese, so we want to visit their collection.
I'll have the laptop so I'll still be checking in and reporting on our visit.
I'm on vacation!
August 9th, 2008 at 12:37 am
August 9th, 2008 at 01:15 am 1218244541
August 9th, 2008 at 01:25 am 1218245154
August 9th, 2008 at 01:37 am 1218245848
Okay, you MUST go to Mt. Vernon. Fabulous! We also love the Postal Museum and the Building Museum. Both are less visited than the big Smithsonians. I think there is a charge for the Building Museum, and in that case, just try to sneak a peek inside to see the actual building it's in. But the Postal Museum is free.
Your daughter might enjoy the FBI tour, if they're still doing that. And the Sackler Gallery used to have Art Classes for kids (free- just show up, no sign up necessary) on Sat and Sunday mornings, so look for that if she's into art. Not sure about the ages, but it's worth looking into.
We also like to visit the Clara Barton House in Bethesda (not a HUGE thrill, but if that kind of history is of interest...) It's small, and the docents have always been REALLY into leading tours.
And if you feel the need to spend a little money after all the free museums and monuments, try a "DC Ducks Tour." We did it once and all the kids we had with us loved it. You get some little known facts about the city while they drive you around, and then the amphibious vehicle drives into the Potomac, where kids sometimes get to steer.
Have a great trip!
August 9th, 2008 at 02:04 am 1218247442
I was wondering about the FBI tour. I'll check the guidebook to see if they still offer tours. I did that years ago and it was fun.
We've never done a Ducks tour. We almost did in Boston but decided it wasn't worth the money.
As for spending a little money, we've already done that. We spent $81 for the Spy Museum tickets. And even though the Holocaust Museum is free, we paid a few bucks each to get advance tickets to be sure we got in. And we still have to buy our Metro passes when we get there tomorrow. I'm sure we'll find plenty of things to spend our money on. Isn't that what vacation is for?
August 9th, 2008 at 02:56 am 1218250600
August 9th, 2008 at 04:44 am 1218257058
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August 9th, 2008 at 05:44 am 1218260673
Have fun!
August 9th, 2008 at 01:07 pm 1218287234
A couple things that I think are new since your last visit:
- The WW2 memorial ... You won't have any trouble locating that one!
- There is now a plaque on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial marking where Martin Luther King gave his "I Have A Dream" speech
- There is now a marker where the MLK memorial will be placed. If you walk from the mall to the FDR memorial, you should walk past it.
- National Botanic Gardens (they may have been closed for renovations when you were last there) ... When I was there in November, they had delightful miniatures of the famous DC buildings built from plant materials. We went and got our tickets for the Capitol tour, then strolled through the Conservatory while waiting for our tour to start.
August 9th, 2008 at 06:24 pm 1218306290
August 9th, 2008 at 07:03 pm 1218308620
August 12th, 2008 at 01:03 am 1218503022