Washington DC Tourist Stuff To Do?

kimberlyanne546

kimberlyanne546

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Kimberly
Hello everyone,

My friend is going to Washington DC for a wedding.

Unfortunately, her friend canceled and now she has almost a week in Washington DC / surrounding area - alone.

She found a person who may or may not "show her around" if their schedules agree but otherwise nothing is booked.

I got her hotel, rental car, and airplane ticket. I found a company that provides free "walking tours".

She was interested in Colonial Williamsburg but according to the map it is 2-3 hours of driving (each way).

I need to "fill up" at least three days - Saturday, Sunday, Monday.

Also, I am not sure if her room has a fridge so I'll need to give her information on restaurants / where to eat. She is staying in Arlington, VA.

Thank you VERY MUCH for any information you can provide. Otherwise, I'm stuck using Google only.

Oh and one other thing - she will be able to use the subway / underground and not just the rental car. She can park the car at a station near her hotel and take the blue line (I think?) to downtown.
 
Go to the mall, see the Air and Space museum, the American History museum, the National Archive to see the US Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, the Lincoln memorial, the Library of Congress, the White House museum, Ford's Theater. That will take a couple of days right there. There is also the national zoo and the cathedral. That will fill up a day as well. The National Holocaust museum is a good one too. Then there are all the little museums to see like the spy museum. The memorials on the mall are also good to see and spend sometime reflecting. The Washington Mounument is currently closed so she cannot go up into that.
 
Well, I'm local. Williamsburg is definitely 3 hours of driving.

She can spend a day easily at the Mall, visiting all the museums, which are free. Gravelly point is a great place to watch airplanes if she's into that. There are plenty of places to go walking and exploring.

Arlington is big, so depending on where she is I can probably provide local food info.

I'll PM you my contact info. How old is your friend? If she'd be ok with three tour guides, one of whom is 8 years old, we could probably take a trip in one of those three days and show her around.
 
Does she have any interest in aviation? What interests does she have? There are a slew of very nice museums and such on the national mall that she can get to via metro ( blue line to Smithsonian stop ) If she has any interest in aviation then of course the air and space is a must. I understand that they have a shuttle that will run you out to the Udvar-Hazy center at Dulles , another must see for planes. Can't say anything about restaurants
 
ScottM said:
Go to the mall, see the Air and Space museum, the American History museum, the National Archive to see the US Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, the Lincoln memorial, the Library of Congress, the White House museum, Ford's Theater. That will take a couple of days right there. There is also the national zoo and the cathedral. That will fill up a day as well. The National Holocaust museum is a good one too. Then there are all the little museums to see like the spy museum. The memorials on the mall are also good to see and spend sometime reflecting. The Washington Mounument is currently closed so she cannot go up into that.
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Thanks, you just saved me a bunch of research. I appreciate it. I'm going to make her a detailed list (prices, phone numbers, addresses, etc)
 
What Scott said, in addition Udvar Hazy, Mount Vernon, any museum in the Smithsonian, the National Portrait Gallery, you might be able to get some cheap tickets to something at the Kennedy Center.
 
Tours and places

Paul Garbner facility Silver Springs - If still open - They store and restore aircraft for Smithsonian

The Smithsonian Mall (6 full size museums)

The Botanical Gardens

The White House

Arlington National Cemetery - May see USMC silent drill team (check schedules and for tickets)

All sorts of Civil war sites

US Mint

Holocost Museum

This is a gag question right!
 
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jtheune said:
Does she have any interest in aviation? What interests does she have? There are a slew of very nice museums and such on the national mall that she can get to via metro ( blue line to Smithsonian stop ) If she has any interest in aviation then of course the air and space is a must. I understand that they have a shuttle that will run you out to the Udvar-Hazy center at Dulles , another must see for planes. Can't say anything about restaurants
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She is an attorney and a little older than me - so history, stuff like that.
 
White House tours now require significant advance coordination through your senator or congressman, but you can certainly walk by the property and get pictures on the Pennsylvania Ave. side.

For the money, the DC Ducks tour is a great way to see the town (and you get to float around National airport!)
 
TMetzinger said:
Well, I'm local. Williamsburg is definitely 3 hours of driving.

She can spend a day easily at the Mall, visiting all the museums, which are free. Gravelly point is a great place to watch airplanes if she's into that. There are plenty of places to go walking and exploring.

Arlington is big, so depending on where she is I can probably provide local food info.

I'll PM you my contact info. How old is your friend? If she'd be ok with three tour guides, one of whom is 8 years old, we could probably take a trip in one of those three days and show her around.
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Thanks, Tim, PM sent back to you.
 
TMetzinger said:
White House tours now require significant advance coordination through your senator or congressman, but you can certainly walk by the property and get pictures on the Pennsylvania Ave. side.

For the money, the DC Ducks tour is a great way to see the town (and you get to float around National airport!)
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Wait, what exactly do I need to do to get her a White House tour? Why did I think they were every morning or something?
 
My daughter and hers live in DC, so we get there fairly often. +1 to all the museum stuff. Wear very comfortable shoes and see every museum on the Mall. There are quite a few lovely little under-publicized art museums near the Mall that are well worth walking a few blocks. Every hotel, I think, has a tourist-guide to DC with map, transportation info, and ads. I have no idea how to get there with public transportation, but the National Arboretum over on the east side of the city is wonderful-- fabulous landscapes, and the bonsai exhibits are world-class. If she's into politics, would she be interested in checking in with her congresscritter? The aides can get her in on a Capitol tour- which is quite interesting, plus probably tix to other places- FBI, White House, Printing & Engraving. Is she into culture? What's playing at Kennedy Center, and other theaters in the District? Kennedy Center isn't cheap, but often top-name performers. Lots of parks for people-watching, if the weather's good. There are a couple of pleasant open air and farmers' markets worth finding, pretty close to metro stops as I recall. Also, many bookstores, coffee houses, art galleries, interesting shops. Wandering around the Tidal Basin and along the river front might be pleasant. While having a car in the city is a PITA, it would be worth her time to rent one for a day and head an hour west-- the Blue Ridge Parkway should be colorful and gorgeous right now. She'd pass not only Dulles and the excellent Udvar-Hazy air and space annex) but handsome horse farms and old country mansions, apple orchards, fall festivals, hot-air balloon launches, pumpkin farms, many historic markers. Autumn charm abounds in northern Va for the next month.
 
Amelia said:
My daughter and hers live in DC, so we get there fairly often. +1 to all the museum stuff. Wear very comfortable shoes and see every museum on the Mall. There are quite a few lovely little under-publicized art museums near the Mall that are well worth walking a few blocks. Every hotel, I think, has a tourist-guide to DC with map, transportation info, and ads. I have no idea how to get there with public transportation, but the National Arboretum over on the east side of the city is wonderful-- fabulous landscapes, and the bonsai exhibits are world-class. If she's into politics, would she be interested in checking in with her congresscritter? The aides can get her in on a Capitol tour- which is quite interesting, plus probably tix to other places- FBI, White House, Printing & Engraving. Is she into culture? What's playing at Kennedy Center, and other theaters in the District? Kennedy Center isn't cheap, but often top-name performers. Lots of parks for people-watching, if the weather's good. There are a couple of pleasant open air and farmers' markets worth finding, pretty close to metro stops as I recall. Also, many bookstores, coffee houses, art galleries, interesting shops. Wandering around the Tidal Basin and along the river front might be pleasant. While having a car in the city is a PITA, it would be worth her time to rent one for a day and head an hour west-- the Blue Ridge Parkway should be colorful and gorgeous right now. She'd pass not only Dulles and the excellent Udvar-Hazy air and space annex) but handsome horse farms and old country mansions, apple orchards, fall festivals, hot-air balloon launches, pumpkin farms, many historic markers. Autumn charm abounds in northern Va for the next month.
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Thanks, and she will have a rental car the entire time.
 
kimberlyanne546 said:
Wait, what exactly do I need to do to get her a White House tour? Why did I think they were every morning or something?
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Call your/her congressman's DC office. Right away. Ask what they have available. Even the most hopeless politicians have great staff to do favors like that for their constituents.
 
Now's a lovely time of year to see Monticello, if she's already inclined to go meander through the mountains. She could leave very early in the morning, head west as the mist is rising from the meadows, find a nice place for brunch in the lee of the Blue Ridge- dozens of historic little taverns in tiny towns, that serve lovely food, then head south along the parkway toward Charlottesville, tour Jefferson's house midafternoon, and be back in DC in time for dinner. (It's not as daunting a drive or as long a day once you get there as Williamsburg, but reeks of fascinating history.)
 
I recommend Mt. Vernon quite a bit more than Monticello. Mt. Vernon is closer, there is more to see, and the view of the Potomac off the front porch is unbelievable.
 
kimberlyanne546 said:
Thanks, and she will have a rental car the entire time.
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Then she doesn't want to go to DC ;)

The cheapest parking is at Union station. Often it is cheaper to leave the car there all day and take a cab or two rather than looking for the (nonexistent) parking near the attractions.

The better alternative is of course the metro. Drops you off near anything you could possibly care to see.

Driving outside of rush-hour (6-9am, 4:30-6pm) is is no major problem. For anything in the evening, Kennedy ctr etc. a car is the preferable means of transportation. Take a GPS.
 
If she is outdoorsy and has a car she might want to try Great Falls of the Potomac. I was there a couple times as a kid then went back many years later on one of my trips to DC.
 
Only 3 days in DC? She's got plenty of great suggestions above. Nothing to add, other than "have a great time".
 
She is not outdoorsy / not able to walk or exercise too much due to health concerns. She could spend the day walking museums etc but not hiking.
 
weilke said:
Then she doesn't want to go to DC ;)

The cheapest parking is at Union station. Often it is cheaper to leave the car there all day and take a cab or two rather than looking for the (nonexistent) parking near the attractions.

The better alternative is of course the metro. Drops you off near anything you could possibly care to see.

Driving outside of rush-hour (6-9am, 4:30-6pm) is is no major problem. For anything in the evening, Kennedy ctr etc. a car is the preferable means of transportation. Take a GPS.
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The metro is what I meant. I think there is a station where you can park your car for a few dollars - for the whole day - and then just hop on the metro from VA to downtown.
 
kimberlyanne546 said:
The metro is what I meant. I think there is a station where you can park your car for a few dollars - for the whole day - and then just hop on the metro from VA to downtown.
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A bunch of them. Some of the park and ride lots require a monthly pass or ticket to park. The pass is available in the third sub-basement of city hall on every first tuesday of the month but only if it falls on a wednesday. After 2pm it's open parking, at 1:55pm it's a $75 ticket :mad2: .
 
weilke said:
A bunch of them. Some of the park and ride lots require a monthly pass or ticket to park. The pass is available in the third sub-basement of city hall on every first tuesday of the month but only if it falls on a wednesday. After 2pm it's open parking, at 1:55pm it's a $75 ticket :mad2: .
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Right, a ticket to park for the day, which I thought was dispensed in a machine on the lot? Going after 2pm is probably too late, not sure what she would do each day at her boring hotel until 2pm.
 
Spoke with my DC daughter: She says the Mall is depressing and rundown. She suggests Hillwood House, Renwick Museum, Textile Museum, all off the beaten track a bit, as is the (Teddy) Roosevelt Island in the Potomac accessed by a footbridge on the GW Parkway. She likes the FDR memorial along the Tidal Basin. Four year old granddaughter says, "The ZOO!!! Specially the Elphunts."
 
Amelia said:
Spoke with my DC daughter: She says the Mall is depressing and rundown. She suggests Hillwood House, Renwick Museum, Textile Museum, all off the beaten track a bit, as is the (Teddy) Roosevelt Island in the Potomac accessed by a footbridge on the GW Parkway. She likes the FDR memorial along the Tidal Basin. Four year old granddaughter says, "The ZOO!!! Specially the Elphunts."
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LOL thanks for speaking with your daughter and granddaughter for me. I'll tell my friend about the elphunts when I see her tonight.
 
If your friend doesn't mind driving a little bit, and as you mentioned history, there are a lot of Civil War battlefields in the immediate vicinity of D.C.

Fredericksburg is about 45 minutes south and easy to get to (I-95 takes you right there, and she'll be going against traffic both ways if she leaves D.C. in the a.m.). About 15 minutes west of Fredericksburg is Chancellorsville, and about 15 minutes west of Chancellorsville is the Wilderness. Drive past the Wilderness for about a half hour and you come to Barboursville, where there is a nice little vineyard, and then you can keep on driving for about another 10 minutes to Highway 29, which will take you right back to the D.C. area along the eastern side of the Blue Ridge to make a loop out of it.

In the process of getting to Barboursville from the Wilderness, if you take the "slightly-longer-but-much-more-scenic" route, you drive past Monticello and then places that are much cooler.

It's all doable in a day, there's a ton of history that's well-worth seeing, and it's a pretty time of year in a pretty part of the world.
 
kontiki said:
Tours and places

Paul Garbner facility Silver Springs - If still open - They store and restore aircraft for Smithsonian
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That's GARBER. It's not open these days (it was always a special request anyhow). The stuff that was in Garber (in storage and being restored) has been progressively moving to the Udvar-Hazy center that's located on the south side of Dulles Airport. This is NOT to be missed. While the downtown museum is beginning to show it's age, the Hazy center is alive and fresh. Soon you'll be able to look down from a catwalk at the restorations in progress. Good educational programs there as well (my wife works in the educational department
The Smithsonian Mall (6 full size museums)
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Acutally, the Smithsonian doesn't own the mall though they have many museums there (there are actually 20 some facilities). I addition are things like the National Gallery of Art and the Archives which are not part of the Smithsonian.

The White House
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Prearranging this tour is a MUST if you want to do it.

Arlington National Cemetery - May see USMC silent drill team (check schedules and for tickets)
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Usually NOT at the cemetary. What you may be thinking about are the Marine guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. These due a silent march back and forth and a rather elaborate changing of the guard display but is NOT the Silent Drill Team.
US Mint
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Nope. There is no MINT in DC. They are in Philadelphia, PA; West Point, NY; Denver, CO; and San Francisco, CA; and the United States Bullion Depository at Fort Knox, KY. What we have in DC is the Bureau of Engraving and Printing which makes the folding money, stamps, and other stuff.

There is also the FBI (cool tour for kids). The US Capitol has a nice tour.
The Washington monument is currently closed while they deal with DC's crack problem.

As other's pointed out, the Duck tour is cool. The boat will go sit off the end of 18 at DCA for a few minutes so you can get up close and personal with a jetliner. It then drives up the boat ramp onto Columbia Island.
 
They use this smartpass system now - they charge $5 for the smartcard, and then you add money to it, and you use it to pay for the rail fare and the garage fee.

Mt Vernon is a very good idea, and easy to find in her rental car. For everything else she's best taking the metro.
 
Lots of good restaurants in DC. Some of my favorites:

- Ceiba (http://www.ceibarestaurant.com/). Very colorful and generally excellent food.

- TenPenh (http://www.tenpenh.com/). Very close to the White House and other attractions in that area.

- Sushiko in Georgetown (http://www.sushikorestaurants.com/). Very good sushi.

- Cafe Milano in Georgetown (http://www.cafemilano.com/). Good Italian (not amazing though), but more importantly, a great atmosphere. They also have a bar :wink2:

I wouldn't bother with a WH tour. I've done it, and it's not very interesting these days. You basically get some uninterested WH staffer who walk with you and generally knows nothing about the history of what you're looking at. Of course they only do that tour when the President isn't home, and you don't get to see any of the interesting places (you used to, but not anymore).

Mt Vernon is much better, and walking around Georgetown is fun, too. As well as the various monuments.
 
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flyingron said:
There is also the FBI (cool tour for kids). The US Capitol has a nice tour.
The Washington monument is currently closed while they deal with DC's crack problem.

As other's pointed out, the Duck tour is cool. The boat will go sit off the end of 18 at DCA for a few minutes so you can get up close and personal with a jetliner. It then drives up the boat ramp onto Columbia Island.
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Hi Ron!!!! Long time no see. I think the Unknown is usually an Army team from the Third Herd (Old Guard), and the Marines do a routine at Henderson Hall nearby.
 
I'm also in DC. You've gotten a bunch of great suggestions. If she's staying in Arlington, the car may not be an issue - find out if the hotel is walking distance to a Metro stop. A word of warning: Metro schedules on weekends are horrid - plan on 20 minutes between trains, and expect disruptions due to track work.

Oh, and on weekends, MOST (not all) suburban Metro parking lots are free.

The museums, botanical garden, and the like are great. There are some smaller galleries (like the Phillips) have terrific collections but are not part of the Smithsonian/Mall complex. The Hillwood Estate is a great visit - check the opening hours, though, as they're closed some Sundays, and the Renwick Gallery is good. There's also a National Building Museum. For American History, Mount Vernon is worth the visit, as are some of the historical buildings in Old Town Alexandria (while in Old Town, trundle on down to the Torpedo Factory, which is a collection of artist studios).

The Washington Monument is closed indefinitely, but nearby you'll find the Lincoln & Jefferson memorials, the WW II memorial (worth a visit at dusk/evening), and the Vietnam Memorial (very moving). Likewise Arlington National Cemetary, the Tomb of the Unknown, and Iwo Jima (which I see out my office window).

Virginia's got it's own "wine country", with the heart being near Charlottesville. It doesn't compare to Napa & Sonoma, but there is some decent stuff made here (and some hooch, too, so beware....). A couple of wineries, like Barboursville, have restaurants at the winery. The Steeplechase races in Middleburg (heart of horse country) were last weekend.

The hot air balloon festival at Long Branch is the weekend of the 14th.

The open-houses at the Embassys are usually in May, though some host folks at other times.

There's always the zoo (and the Pandas on loan from China).

Well, that should cover a couple of weeks. There's other stuff to do around the area... will pass it along as I think of things.
 
flyingron said:
Usually NOT at the cemetary. What you may be thinking about are the Marine guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. These due a silent march back and forth and a rather elaborate changing of the guard display but is NOT the Silent Drill Team.
Nope.
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Pardon. You are confusing two different entities.

The US ARMY's 3rd Infantry Regiment provides guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier at Arlington. Also known as The Old Guard, as featured in the movie Gardens of Stone.

There is a detachment of US Marines based at the Marine Barracks at 8th and "I" streets. One of their ceremonial entities is the Silent Drill Team. They also have a weekly parade one night a week I believe -but not year round.

Both entities provide both ceremonial and a military function in the National Capital Region.
 
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