Washington, DC USA

[Linz_1987]

I am planning my holiday for next year - and it has to be in the USA as I have always wanted to go!

I have found a hotel in Washington which is about a 5 minute walk to the White House.

Does anybody on here live in Washington? Is it a good idea to go there on your own for the first time in America?

My mum said if I am going on my own I would be best to go on a guided tour holiday. But I think I want to just do stuff on my own.

Any ideas please. Or another part which is best suited for a lone traveller hehe.

Thankz!

 

[pamnock]

I changed your thread title to indicate that you mean DC, not Washington state.

I love DC! (The Wash Monument is in my avatar LOL) If you want to tour the White House or Capitol, you have to make arrangements far in advance. You can walk up to the White House fence and take photos and also get close photos of the Capitol.

A ride up the Wash Monument is a must (you can get free tickets on-line) or line up early in the morning at the kiosk for tickets.

Guided tours are nice if you don't know your way around. There's a tram that you can ride all day that takes you to the highlights in DC. You can get on/off anytime and it's about $60 US a day. I just prefer to do my own thing - but that involves an extensive amount of walking. There's also Metro andbus.

Most of the museums are free and the gardens are beautiful! The Lincoln Memorial, WWII, and Viet Wall are all also within walking distance.

Daytime is pretty safe for a self tour, but I'd be wary at night. The area does have a high crime-rate, but I feel safe walking around with my little boy during the day.



Pam

 

[Linz_1987]

Wow it sounds so amazing! I really wanna go now! Do you think 3 nights is enough or a week?

I didnt know you could actually go into the White House! :shock:

 

[pamnock]

A week would give you time to get to see everything including Arlington Cemetery (I haven't been able to get over there yet - there's just so much to see right in the mall area). However, you could get in all the highlights in 3 days.

The mall area itself (where most of the monuments and museumsare) from the Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol building is 2 miles (to give you an idea of how much walking you'd have to do). The walk along the reflecting pool is beautiful.

I've never been to the Aquarium, but my daughter was in there recently and said its under renovation and not worth the $5 it cost her to get in. I've also never been down to the zoo, but I've heard its nice (there's a nice museum in Cleveland, OH, so I don't have any desire to go to the DC zoo when there is so much other stuff to see).

I enjoy the old Smithsonian Castle, which has a sampling of items from the art and history museums. Generally not many people in it, so it's a nice place to relax and grab a bite to eat. Also a good bathroom stop where you generally won't have to wait in line. I also love the national natural history museum. (The American History museum has been under renovation - not sure if it's done). The museums get packed later in the day. Most of them are free including the Air & Space museum. You might also enjoy the Indian museum (I haven't had a chance to visit that one yet).

Important to note bathroom locations Lincoln Memorial (downstairs), Smithsonian Castle (as well as all the museums of course). There is also one near the Wash. monument kiosk behind the outdoor stage (hard to see, so not many people know it's there). There's also a white building with food & bathrooms on thewalk to the White House. Porta potties are often set-up throughout the mall area, but they are often over-flowing and gross.



Pam

 

[pamnock]

The Washington Monument is one of the most memorable experiences. The monument is aprox. 555 high and you can take an elevator to the top and view the entire city. It's beautiful!

Security: You'll need to pass through a metal detector and/or bag inspection at most buildings (museums, Wash. monument - not the Lincoln memorial). So, don't wear items of clothing with a lot of metal (such as belts made of metal grommets) and be prepared to have your bags/purse inspected. I don't think that most of the buildings allow large backpacks - but smaller bookbags, purses, etc. are fine. No food/drinks in the buildings, but you can carry in bottled water.

The Smithsonian Castle is a good first-stop to get additional info on all the Smithsonian museums. Smithson's crypt is also inside the castle.

The hope diamond is at the National Natural history museum - see that bigrock was the highlight of my daughter's trip LOL

There are also paddle boats for rent at the Tidal Basin near the mall area, where you can also get a good view of the Jefferson Memorial.

The WWI memorial is hidden in the woods,and a very beautiful monument that is easily missed. (It's on the south side of the reflecting pool, east of the Korean War memorial.) The Holocaust museum is also a must-stop for many people.

Do be sure to do a little research and be aware of any major events going on in DC at the time of your visit. It can help you to plan your trip and avoid crowds.

There are numerous websites with info and maps to help you plan your trip.

I probably won't get another chance to visit DC until next summer - I can't wait to go there again

Pam

 

[seniorcats]

If it were me, I would go during the Smithsinian's Folklife Festival so much to see and do and most is free.

http://www.folklife.si.edu/center/festival.html

DC can be very hot and humid especially in late June through August.

Riding the underground Metro is cheap and easy. It goes everywhere and is very clean. You can travel all over DC for a little money.

The restaurants in DC are excellent. All the major museaums have excellent gift shops.

 

[pamnock]

We were in DC this year during the Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Rally. There were hundreds of thousands of bikers. It was an unbelievable sight.

Pam

 

[JimD]

Hi Linz,

Best deal on the tour bus is the Tourmobile....$25.
http://www.tourmobile.com/

I goes in a route around everything and stops at all the major places. You can get on and off when and where ever you want.
And it's narrated so you get all the info and trivia about stuff.

The Native American Museum was awesome. I spent about 4 hours there. They've got a really good food place there with all different kinds of food served in a buffet/cafeteria style.

The African American Museum was nice, too. Not crowded at all and had nice bathrooms!!!

The Holocaust Museum takes a lot of time. I didn't have enough time to see it, but I hear it was really good.

I wanted to see the FDR monument, but didn't have time either.

We only had one day.

Make sure you check to see what is open. When I went they were renovating the Washington Monument and the Museum of Natural History.

 

[JimD]

pamnock wrote:

We were in DC this year during the Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Rally. There were hundreds of thousands of bikers. It was an unbelievable sight.

Pam

My friend rides in that every year on Memorial Day weekend