2 week Patriotism and Pony tour
I'm counting down the days until our 2 week vacation. We're in our late 30s and the kids are 12, 10 and 6. We've never been to any of the places listed and probably won't be back anytime in the near f...
Forum Discussion
Just got back from a few of the places mentioned. In DC, it's worth the drive out to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles Airport. The space shuttle Columbia is on display was well as an SR-71 Blackbird and a Concorde plus lots of other airplanes. The planes at the Air and Space Museum along the mall may be more historic, but there's a lot more room for more displays at the Udvar-Hazy location. Plus, there's lots of stuff from the various space missions. Admission is free but parking is $15 unless you arrive after 4:00 p.m. But the place is open until 6:30 for most of the summer, so you'll have two good hours to see the highlights. I think this may have been the highlight for me in the DC area.
I would skip Baltimore. Three days in DC will be very busy anyway. Most kids really like the American Museum of Natural History. You can still visit the Capitol even if you don't get into the White House. And while they may not appreciate it too much at their age, I would take them to the National Archives to see the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. The Archives are quite close to the Natural History and American History museums. If you visit later in the day, we've found the lines at the Archives to be much shorter.
If you get tired of the typical fare in the restaurants at the various museums, try the one at the National Museum of the American Indian (right next door to the Air and Space Museum). You can just drop in at lunch if you don't want to tour the museum. They have a much more interesting and diverse menu selection at that museum.
While you will probably take the Metro to get in and out of DC, in terms of getting around DC, check out the DC Circulator. A whole lot cheaper than the trolleys and with more local stops than the Metro. Uses the same card as the Metro. Pick up everyone's Smartrip card the first morning you head into town and replenish as needed. Many of the museums are at the same end of the mall so walking is the easiest and often quickest way to get around. I'd use the Circulator to get down to the Washington monument. While there, check out the Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials, both must sees in my book.
We found we often returned to our campsite sometime around 9:00 p.m. We'd leave DC after the museums closed at 7:00 p.m. (remember, most open at 10:00 a.m.) avoiding the 5-6 p.m. rush hour on the Metro. We'd then grab a bite to eat at some local eating spot I had scoped out before we left. We placed we liked near where you're camped was Sardi Pollo A La Brasa at 10433 Baltimore Ave. Simple, low key place with the best chicken I've had in years. (rotisserie, not fried).
We found little at Jamestown that would draw us back again. Given the choice, I'd steer you instead to Yorktown.
One more piece of advice on DC: intersperse museums with places like the Lincoln Memorial or the Capitol. One can quickly get burned out on too many museums. Although the kids we saw at the Natural History Museum were all having a great time.
I would skip Baltimore. Three days in DC will be very busy anyway. Most kids really like the American Museum of Natural History. You can still visit the Capitol even if you don't get into the White House. And while they may not appreciate it too much at their age, I would take them to the National Archives to see the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. The Archives are quite close to the Natural History and American History museums. If you visit later in the day, we've found the lines at the Archives to be much shorter.
If you get tired of the typical fare in the restaurants at the various museums, try the one at the National Museum of the American Indian (right next door to the Air and Space Museum). You can just drop in at lunch if you don't want to tour the museum. They have a much more interesting and diverse menu selection at that museum.
While you will probably take the Metro to get in and out of DC, in terms of getting around DC, check out the DC Circulator. A whole lot cheaper than the trolleys and with more local stops than the Metro. Uses the same card as the Metro. Pick up everyone's Smartrip card the first morning you head into town and replenish as needed. Many of the museums are at the same end of the mall so walking is the easiest and often quickest way to get around. I'd use the Circulator to get down to the Washington monument. While there, check out the Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials, both must sees in my book.
We found we often returned to our campsite sometime around 9:00 p.m. We'd leave DC after the museums closed at 7:00 p.m. (remember, most open at 10:00 a.m.) avoiding the 5-6 p.m. rush hour on the Metro. We'd then grab a bite to eat at some local eating spot I had scoped out before we left. We placed we liked near where you're camped was Sardi Pollo A La Brasa at 10433 Baltimore Ave. Simple, low key place with the best chicken I've had in years. (rotisserie, not fried).
We found little at Jamestown that would draw us back again. Given the choice, I'd steer you instead to Yorktown.
One more piece of advice on DC: intersperse museums with places like the Lincoln Memorial or the Capitol. One can quickly get burned out on too many museums. Although the kids we saw at the Natural History Museum were all having a great time.
