Colonial Williamsburg

[geoand]

There will be 4 of us visiting here sometime between October 11 and 16. Flight back home is on the 17th out of Baltimore in the am. We are from the Pacific Northwest and I know nothing about this area. We also want to see some of D.C, Arlington National Cemetary, etc. You know the drill. There is too much to see and do with the time we have for this area.

Can you folks give us some ideas as to what we should spend our time on? We don't know where we are staying but it will probably be hotel/motel thing.

[justnosy]

ok - I'm no expert and hopefully others will chime in soon...

I was in DC (2 yrs ago for 5 days) with 3 kids under 10 and we'll be back this coming April for 9 days...we were in Colonial Williamsburg over the Christmas holiday (our 2nd time there, the first being April of last year!)

so, as you can see - there is way too much to do and not enough time. You have to decide what you want to get out of each area.

Colonial Williamsburg - free if you just want to walk around and don't want to go into any of the trade shops/museums. Go to http://www.history.org for more info on what's going on during the time you are interested in going.
Jametown/Yorktown - each have 2 historical sites so you'll need more time if you want to see those areas (Yorktown Battlefield is a favorite with my kids)

DC - so much to do!!! The Smithsonian museums itself can probably take a couple of days! First thing is to research and determine how much you want to do, whether you want to do it yourself (saves money) or sign up with a tour. If you want a tour of the white house - you need to write and ask your congressman 4-6 months before your visit (no guarantee you'll get it); have your congressman set up tours of the capitol and bureau of printing and engraving (where money is printed) and anything else they can do for you; if you don't want to wait on line to get tickets to go up the washington monument - go online to nps.gov and get them (tickets are free but there's a $2 svc/handling charge) website: http://www.washington.org for info on visiting dc (there's a link to dcbyfoot - check that out - we're going to do that in April)

You can PM me with other questions...

[pgnewarkboy]

I am sure you can tour the White House without a letter from your congressman. Just get there early and wait on line. October is a beautiful time of year in D.C. but is typically not busy.

I suggest a longer vacation or make two trips. Really, to drive through D.C on a tour bus for one day is to basically not see D.C. Especially, if you are touring from Williamsburg to D.C. and back. It is a long ride. You might as well watch a travelog from all you will get from it.

[Charlie D.]

The policy may have changed but 5-6 years ago I was there and stood in line for about an hour. When I worked my way up to about 50 feet back from the gate a gentleman asked to see my invitation. He advised me that without one I would not get to go in.

Charlie D.

[pgnewarkboy]

The policy on tours has changed numerous times. For some time after 9/11 you needed a congressional ticket. The tour policy is likely to change again under President Obama.

Probably the safest bet is to get a ticket from your congressman and/or check the new web site for the latest info.

[Lisa P]

Geo, with such a short time to visit and sightsee, I'd choose one rather than try to visit both (they're over 2 hours drive apart). If you don't expect to get out east again in the next several years, I'd recommend Washington DC, simply because it's so unique and our nation's capitol. If you decide to try both, spend the last day/night in DC, since you'll have to practically drive right past/through DC to get to Baltmore Int'l Arpt from Williamsburg.

We love Colonial Wmsbg but I don't think you get much out of a walk-through. It's far better to give it at least a couple days and include some inside tours, talks with the costumed interpreters and possibly a visit to Jamestown and Yorktown. It takes at least 3-4 days to see all that and we've spent a full week to do it all.

For Washington DC, consider visiting Arlington, the White House (if you can get advance tix, still need advance clearance, as of 1.5 years ago), and at least a driveby of the monuments, especially pretty at night, after rush hour's over. Ideally, I'd add a visit to whichever Smithsonian interests your group the most, the Jefferson building of the Library of Congress (interesting tour, free tix from your Congressman, adult-oriented though), a stop in to see the original Constitution and Declaration documents at the National Archives and the International Spy Museum, if espionage interests you. If you love politics, tours of the Capitol Building and the Supreme Court are interesting but boring for kids. If you want a taste of the colonial period right in the DC area, consider the short drive to Mount Vernon and tour the home and estate of George Washington. We've spent two 5 day trips in DC and we still look forward to another visit - so much is there!!!

If you are staying in a hotel/motel and you'll have a car, make sure your parking is free - some places have expensive parking and it's hard to find a space anywhere anyway so it's best to use the excellent public transit and walk a lot. You may consider seeking a nightly reservation rental from a Wyndham owner for the Wyndham Alexandria as it's right by a Metro stop for either the train or the bus. Have a great time, wherever you decide to go!!!

[Big Matt]

I live in the DC metro area now and grew up in Williamsburg.

If you want to just see Colonial Williamsburg and do some shopping in the historic area you can do it all in 2-3 days with no problems. Adding Jamestown, Yorktown, historic plantations, Busch Gardens, etc. will add more time.

DC is a 2-3 day visit if you just want to see the major things in the district inlcuding the monuments. Adding Arlington Cemetary, Mount Vernon, the Zoo, and other things add a lot.

Like everyone said in the above posts, you could easily spend the whole time in one vs. the other.

Personally, I'd go with DC for the whole time. There is a lot more to see that may interest a lot more people. There is a lot of "real" history everywhere. Plus the food is great and there are good productions at the Kennedy Center, Ford's Theater and others.

One thing I will say is that you've picked a great weather month. October will be beautiful.

[geoand]

Thanks for all the input. Have certainly opened my eyes. There are 4 adults involved and the wife and I are in agreement that DC should be our focus. Hopefully, the other couple will be ok with this.

[Big Matt]

If you pick DC, you need to pick the hotel stragically.

One option would be to go for a hotel in the disctict near everything which could be very expensive.

Another option is to pick a hotel near any metro (subway) stop. You could stay in a Virginia or Maryland suberb that is a lot less costly. You will find that getting everywhere on the metro is the way to go and having a car in DC is a hassle. Even if you stay in the district, pick a spot near a metro.

Metro passes can be bought one at a time, by the day or week.

[laura1957]

When we have traveled to DC area we get a room OUTSIDE DC, if you are near metro many hotels have a shuttle van that will drop you off at the metro station and pick you up afterwords. We have called the hotel when we were nearing the station and they have been there by the time we exit the station. Saves hassle of parking and/or driving in city.

[pgnewarkboy]

Great! DC in October is terrific. When looking for a hotel IN DC, as a rule of thumb, try to get a location in the NorthWest DC. Generally the best hotels, sites, and neighborhoods are in NW.

I think you will be able to find a deal in DC at a good hotel in Oct. Particularly in this economy. Georgetown area is great to visit but because of lack of metro it is not a good place to use as a base unless you rent a car.

[HatTrick]

"Public tours of the White House are available for groups of 10 or more people. Requests must be submitted through one's Member of Congress and are accepted up to six months in advance. These self-guided tours are available from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday (excluding federal holidays), and are scheduled on a first come, first served basis approximately one month in advance of the requested date. We encourage you to submit your request as early as possible since a limited number of tours are available. All White House tours are free of charge. For the most current tour information, please call the 24-hour line at 202-456-7041. Please note that White House tours may be subject to last minute cancellation."