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Washington DC--how many days???

bccash63

bccash63

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Location
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We are making a trip to DC in July and wondering how many days to see the sights? This will be our first and probably only trip there. I'm using Wyndham points and can reserve 3,4 or 7 nights. thanx, Dawn
From DC we will be heading to my brothers near Philly to see Independence Hall/liberty bell etc.
 
I don't want to burst your bubble, but if you are thinking about July of this year, I just don't think that you will be able to get into Alexandria.

As far as how much time it takes to see DC and the environs, it all depends on what you want to see. You could live here and never have enough time to see all that you want.

I would advise that you make a list of what you WANT to see, then pare it down to what you MUST see and then make a game plan.

If you cannot get into Alexandria, I suggest you priceline a hotel anywhere in Old Town. All of the good hotels are either in walking distance of the Metro or have a shuttle that will take you back and forth.

Have a wonderful trip.
 
minimum 7 days!

We have company in all the time, they can barely scratch the surface in 7 days!
I have lived here 35 years and have yet to see it all!
 
I have 4 nights currrently reserved in a 2 br deluxe the third week of July but was debating if I would need less/ 3 nights or more/7 nights. I can still get a 1 bedroom deluxe or a 2 bedroom lock-out the last week of July. It looks like 4 nights will not be enough. Dawn
 
There is alot to see and do in DC but I think you'll find 4 nights there a comfortable amount of time. So many of the historical sites are on or near the Mall and really don't take that much time to see (1/2 day). It probably depends on how many museums you want to see. If you have kids, they would enjoy the Spy Museum (it's a separate ticket to see the gear and to play the spy).
 
The two kids going along will be 11 and 14--would that be a good age for the spy museum--thanx, Dawn
 
We go for a week every year and still haven't seen everything! Definitely a week:)
 
If this is your only trip here are the things you must see:
Smithsonian Museums - will take an entire day to see all
Jefferson/Lincoln Memorial/Monument and all other memorials (half day)
Holocost Museum
Spy Museum
Union Station
National Archives
Arlington Cemetary

You should see:
National Zoo and Rock Creek Park
Georgetown
Embassy Row
Kennedy Center (see a show)
Old Town Alexandria
China Town
Bureau of Printing and Engraving
National Cathedral
Baseball game at Nationals Park (night game)

You might even want to see:
Air and Space near Dulles Airport (huge exhibits)
Inner Harbor in Baltimore maybe inlcuding a baseball game at Camden Yards
C&O Tow Path
Civil War battlefields in Manassas (Bull Run)
Warner Theater


You could be in DC a month and still not do all of it. I've been here 20 years and see new things all the time. One thing to remember is that it will be very, very hot and humid. Pace yourself.
 
Mount Vernon

Don't forget Mount Vernon.

Nancy
 
Nancy said:
Don't forget Mount Vernon.

Nancy
Click to expand...
Just want to second that recommendation. It was one of the highlights of our trip when we stayed in Alexandria. We took a bus, I think, to get down there, and then we took a boat back that docked in Alexandria. That was lots of fun.
 
I also agree with Mt Vernon. And if it's your only trip there, you might as well go to the White House and the Capitol! It takes me a day to go through ONE of the Smithsonian museums, so I can stay a week and never get off the National Mall ;)
 
Our first time there was for 2 weeks which left way too much still to see. Our next time we had only 4 hours which we used to stroll the mall.
Next time we need ... well, more time! :D
 
Big Matt said:
If this is your only trip here are the things you must see:
Smithsonian Museums - will take an entire day to see all
Jefferson/Lincoln Memorial/Monument and all other memorials (half day)
Holocost Museum
Spy Museum
Union Station
National Archives
Arlington Cemetary

You should see:
National Zoo and Rock Creek Park
Georgetown
Embassy Row
Kennedy Center (see a show)
Old Town Alexandria
China Town
Bureau of Printing and Engraving
National Cathedral
Baseball game at Nationals Park (night game)

You might even want to see:
Air and Space near Dulles Airport (huge exhibits)
Inner Harbor in Baltimore maybe inlcuding a baseball game at Camden Yards
C&O Tow Path
Civil War battlefields in Manassas (Bull Run)
Warner Theater


You could be in DC a month and still not do all of it. I've been here 20 years and see new things all the time. One thing to remember is that it will be very, very hot and humid. Pace yourself.
Click to expand...

Great ideas - but you left out my very favorite - Library of Congress!! It also really impressed my 19 year old daughter, and 11 and 13 year old grandchildren. They all knew it from some movie - I cant remember what one.
 
laura1957 said:
Great ideas - but you left out my very favorite - Library of Congress!! It also really impressed my 19 year old daughter, and 11 and 13 year old grandchildren. They all knew it from some movie - I cant remember what one.
Click to expand...

It was probably National Treasure with Nicholas Cage. Came out a few years ago.

Devin
 
stratusnj75 said:
It was probably National Treasure with Nicholas Cage. Came out a few years ago.

Devin
Click to expand...


Yes, I think that was it. For some reason I kept thinking of the Night at the Museum and I knew that wasnt the right one :) But they also liked the Smithsonian because of what they remembered from that movie too.

In fact before I would take children with me again I would sit down and watch every movie I could find to connect things with. They all wanted to stand and look from where Forrest Gump was also.

I also have to say the kids impressed me with HOW impressed they were by the war memorial/monuments - particularly Vietnam and Korea.
 
I really like BigMatt's list but would bump the National Cathedral to the must-see list if you really like buildings and architecture - it is breathtaking. I also agree with the addition of the White House and Capitol, especially if this will be your only visit ever. But don't forget the Washington Monument, too!! It is in the Mall area, you can get your tickets ahead of time, and it will not take long - and it gives you an unbelievable view of the city!

I definitely agree with 7 days - of course, I once spent 5 hours in the Holocaust Museum!! Would've been in there longer but the rest of my family came in and drug me out! :)
 
Big Matt said:
If this is your only trip here are the things you must see:
Smithsonian Museums - will take an entire day to see all
Jefferson/Lincoln Memorial/Monument and all other memorials (half day)
Holocost Museum
Spy Museum
Union Station
National Archives
Arlington Cemetary

You should see:
National Zoo and Rock Creek Park
Georgetown
Embassy Row
Kennedy Center (see a show)
Old Town Alexandria
China Town
Bureau of Printing and Engraving
National Cathedral
Baseball game at Nationals Park (night game)

You might even want to see:
Air and Space near Dulles Airport (huge exhibits)
Inner Harbor in Baltimore maybe inlcuding a baseball game at Camden Yards
C&O Tow Path
Civil War battlefields in Manassas (Bull Run)
Warner Theater


You could be in DC a month and still not do all of it. I've been here 20 years and see new things all the time. One thing to remember is that it will be very, very hot and humid. Pace yourself.
Click to expand...

Big Matt, I agree with your assement but you forgot the Vietnam War Wall.

It is hot ! hot !!! and humid in DC in the month of July.
 
Hey, I didn't forget it. It's under "other memorials". There are so many now including the Korean War memorial that I would have run out of space. It is clearly on the "must see" list.

One of the greatest and awe inspiring things is to go the Viet Nam memorial and watch the people who have lost loved ones or had POW/MIA. So many were lost and even now, 40 years later so many family members come to see the names.


pedro47 said:
Big Matt, I agree with your assement but you forgot the Vietnam War Wall.

It is hot ! hot !!! and humid in DC in the month of July.
Click to expand...
 
Thanx for all the input! We visited Williamsburg at the end of July 6 yrs ago and yes it was very hot. Dawn
 
We've got 6-N reserved in September at the DC Hilton Garden Inn. We plan to bookend that with overnight stops at Williamsburg and Hershey.

In the 70's, I had a summer job in the bowels of the Treasury Department. Hot, hot, hot. But each weekend, I'd take one day to do one museum, gallery or building... lessee, 12 weekends, ~24 days... yeah, that'll cover the highlights.
 
Library of Congress

laura1957 said:
Great ideas - but you left out my very favorite - Library of Congress!! It also really impressed my 19 year old daughter, and 11 and 13 year old grandchildren. They all knew it from some movie - I cant remember what one.
Click to expand...

The movie was probably "National Treasure". We too are going in July and my 18 year old wants to see the LC.
 
Tour buses

I probably would never tell someone that they need to take a tour bus but DC is an exception. The first day I would plan on cruising around town in a tour bus while they point out the sites. They have stops along the way and you'll catch a quick glimpse of everything.

You definitely need to contact your senator for a tour of the Capitol. It's a great tour given by someone on their staff. They can also hook you up with the other required reservations. Big Matt pretty much covered what I'd want to see. I'd just add that most of those things are within blocks of each other which could be a good thing if you are in shape. There is a bus called the Circulator that is designed to help you cover the mall. You can hop off /on all day for about $3. Most of the public transportation is very reasonable.

I don't think anyone mentioned Ford's theater or the Peterson House. Add that to the list and you can't get this done in 4 days. I tried. Take the week.
 
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I don't believe I saw the Newseum on anyone's list. We intended to go for an hour or two soon after it reopened downtown and we ended up staying for most of the day.
 
SBK said:
I don't believe I saw the Newseum on anyone's list. We intended to go for an hour or two soon after it reopened downtown and we ended up staying for most of the day.
Click to expand...

My problem with this museum is its high cost ($20) in an area where 90% of the museums are free, and the fact it is a museum about a particular industry funded by that industry. So it has limited appeal to me and lots of people, despite the fancy exhibits and gizmos inside. Like the George Jefferson Laundromat Museum, I probably wouldn't bother visiting, unless I needed to use the bathroom.

The only real must sees for me are the Lincoln, Jefferson, and Vietnam memorials; the Air & Space, Natural History (i.e. Hope Diamond), and American History (Ft. McHenry Flag, First Ladies Dresses, Pop Culture, Transportation exhibits) museums; Arlington National Cemetary; and visiting the exterior of the Washington Monument, the Capitol, and the White House. Those are places are very iconic and have experiences you cannot easily replicate elsewhere.
 
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I'm planning a weeks visit in April. I didn't see anyone mention Ford's theatre. Is it still a museum and worthwhile visiting?

thanks
don
 
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