Washington DC - Spring,TX

The Spy Museum is awesome! I've been twice and would go again.
The Smithsonian is terrific. There are many museums and they can take a day each...
The National Portrait Gallery is great.
It depends on what you like.
Definitely take the Metro.
Have a great week!
LBC

i'm going this weekend for my nephews birthday! I hope you get good suggestions. The free museums!

The White House is interesting, but you can't take ANYTHING with you, not even a diaper in a baggie or a camera and there's no locker area. Not a good thing if you don't have somewhere to stash your stuff before the tour. I have heard the tour was better in years past when you could linger.

There's a ton of stuff in DC itself. Get passes for Metro or at least SmarTrip cards (discount fare and parking many places) and just explore. The Smithsonian is free and you can visit all the museums and the zoo. You can also drop by the National Geographic Museum before the 4th if you'd like to see the Anglo Saxon Hoard.

The Spy Museum is fun and I've heard good things about the Newseum, though I haven't been there.

Don't eat IN the musuems if you can avoid it. A coffee and a brownie cost my DH $10 recently. Try the Old Post Office or any of the regular cafes and sandwich shops.

Travel with a backpack. Don't be intimidated by the security lines. They go quickly. I've never had a hassle as long as DH remembers to leave his pocket knife at home.

You might also consider Mt. Vernon http://www.mountvernon.org/more/directions.

for me the smithsonian is top dog (to the point that after years of homeschooling field trips, we almost never made it out of natural history, air and space and the hirschhorn!) the vietnam memorial is hard but wonderful. glowering jefferson on his huge throne is also pretty hard to beat.
don't fret about missing the white house. it's cool, but the lines are INSANE and you get hustled briskly through, you can't really linger in rooms that you enjoy and want to check out in a leisurely fashion.
i hear from all my friends that the national cathedral is incredible. after 40 years living around here, it's STILL on my to-do list!
:) khairete
S.

You can spend 2-3 full days just on the different museums that make up the Smithsonian (all of which are free. A common misconception is that it's all 1 museum, but it's not). Also, try to check out the mint if you can, it's pretty impressive. You can always check out Crystal City, especially if you have a yucky weather day. If you want to check out the National Zoo (which is also free), just be aware that on your walk into the zoo, the entire way is slightly downhill, which means when you turn around to leave, you'll kind of be trekking uphill the whole way.

My family lives in Delaware which is a quick ride down & we go on 2-3 day trips every year with our kids & we all love it there!

Our son was there last week for union meetings and posted on facebook from a few places in DC. I havent had a chance to talk to him about anything else but I do know he saw Arlington Cemetery, the Holocaust Museum, The Smithsonian, and... a few bars. lol

Hi, S.. I checked and it looks like your youngest is already out of high school -- so I assume that it's just you and your husband on this trip with no kids along?

Go to the Smithsonian Institution's web site, www.si.edu, to see what's in all the museums that they run (including Natural History, American History, American Indian and Air and Space Museums). Those alone can fill an entire stay. The National Gallery of Art (not part of the Smithsonian) is at www.nga.gov and is wonderful if you love fine arts. The National Portrait Gallery and Museum of American Art (all one building) are great to me, check them out online too. The portrait gallery is at the edge of the very hip "Penn Quarter" area with tons of restaurants and galleries and I would advise walking around there and having a meal; DC's small Chinatown area is right there too.

Spend at least several hours in good weather walking around the memorials -- I'd start at the far end, the Lincoln Memorial, and walk toward the Washington Monument by way of the Korean War , WWIIl, Vietnam and Roosevelt Memorials. The Jefferson Memorial is not on this path but off to one side, still in walking distance. Get a very good map and watch out for cars -- drivers can be awful to pedestrians here!

Now, other cool stuff: International Spy Museum if you dig that. It does cost (about $14 and up) but is well worth it if it's your thing. The Newseum is also good if you are interested in current events and/or history of journalism, costs about $20 a ticket. Not sure about a congressionally sponsored Capitol tour but the Capitol Visitor's Center and the tours that go from there are good.

Ford's Theatre has an excellent and very "doable" small museum about Lincoln and the Civil War if you enjoy that, but be sure to check; the museum is not open if there is a show going on at the theatre at that time. But it's well worth a trip if you have any interest in that period. There's a fee but again-- worth it.

I could go on and on and on. Be sure to eat some great meals here. You will find almost any nationality of food. Penn Quarter is good for many kinds of ethnic food and there is stuff all over the city. Do be sure to ask at your hotel for ideas, too, and ask you hotel if an area you want to visit is OK at night; I have never once had a single problem in DC but it's prudent as a visitor in any big city to ensure you're not going off to a restaurant in an area that turns out not to be a place you want to walk around after dinner.

Check the Washington Post's "Entertainment" button on their web site to see listings for plays and concerts. DC has terrific theatre so consider catching a play, especially at the Shakespeare Theatre (has three locations so be sure you get the right one you want!), Arena Stage, Source Theatre....

Where are you staying? Many places have metro stops close by.

You can spend a full day - if not a full week - walking through the Smithsonian museums on the National Mall. If you read the exhibits in one by one or even the ones you are interested in...it can take a while.

There is the Spy Museum - we haven't been there yet - darn it!!

Use the Metro. this is the best way to travel in DC - no worries about parking or anything. You can use this website to purchase a card in advance. Makes life easier. http://www.wmata.com/fares/purchase/store/

There is sooo much to do. What are your interests? Feel free to PM me and give me more 411 - I will do what I can to help!

The Smithsonians and Arlington Cemetary. All the monuments and memorials are in the same area. The Supreme Court Building and Capitol, the National Cathedral is beautiful as well. The Holocaust Museum is very moving as well. All free, too! We wanted to go see Ford's Theatre when we were there a few years ago, but it was closed because of renovation. It should be back open now, so I would definitely check that out. And the Metro subway system is super-easy to get around on! Have fun!

to see the Declaration of Independence & the Constitution on display
to Ford's Theatre (where Lincoln was shot)

The Smithsonian is a must do, in my opinion. Do a little online research so you can figure out what will interest you most. Not sure you will have time to see it all. See some of the monuments and cemetaries too.

I want to add Arlington National Cemetary, it is open from sun up to sun down. May I recommend you take the little train up to the Kennedy grave site and then on the Lee Mansion. The view from there is spectacular. The changing of the guard at he Tomb of the Unknown is another site to see. From there it is a nice little walk back to the visitor center. Parking is available and the Metro train stops there as well. Have fun !!

Natural history museum and The national art museum are great. A play at Ford's Theater or any of the other great theaters in town. If you like live blues music and a party go to Madame's Organ in Adams Morgan, 18th Street area. Look up Washingtonian magazine. They publish a top 100 restaurants in DC list and a top 100 cheap eats list every year. Lots of great recommendations in there. Personally my favorite area is OUT of DC. I like Old Town Alexandria best.

Lots of great suggestions so far so I will add just a couple.

Regarding Arlington Cemetary - the trains are no longer running. But don't let that stop you from going to see the changing of the guard at the tomb of the Unknown Soilder. It's something eveyrone should do at some point in their life.

The National Archives are awesome and you'll be in and out in no time.

Check the Ford Theater to see if you can get some tix.

Just walk around and see the various memorials (bring some good walking shoes). The Vietnam is amazing. My favorite is the Korean War memorial.

Go to George Washington's home in Mt. Vernon. So interesting. Especially seeing how rich he was and how they lived and then to see the slave quarters. It's so much fun to walk around and step back in history - and then when you get to the slave's quarters, the mood is very different and hushed. As it should be.

Have fun!

Thrift stores, department stores, the train, the area around the White House. Honestly, I never do the TOURIST stuff. I like local fare and places.

here is the website to the Metro: http://www.wmata.com/