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Washington D.C. trip...

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fishbjc
Senior Contributor

Washington D.C. trip...

in the works.  We're planning on 4/5 days.  I'd love to hear suggestions about what to avoid, where to stay..I'm thinking Alexandria VA.  We are driving.
Message 1 of 8
7 REPLIES 7
WhirledPeasPlease
Moderator Emeritus

Re: Washington D.C. trip...

HI Fish,
 
I take a group of 35 8th graders every year.  One night we stated at the Holiday Inn in Arlington and it was fine -- a nice boring hotel.  It was NOT within walking distance of anything.  We've stayed at the Hilton/Crystal City and that was nice, but it was more like a business hotel than a hotel I'd like to stay in again.
 
My Fav sights in DC are the Holocaust Museum, National Cathedral, and the monuments -- especially at night.  The Vietnam and Korean memorials are a must see during the day, tho.  I'm going to post one of our rough itineraries from last year.  We spend 3 days and two nights in DC and take a side trip to Williamsburg, VA.  (This year we're going to Philadelphia instead.)  I would love to go back w/o students and walk around Alexandria.  I keep saying I'm going to -- hasn't happened yet.  Atlast also takes a trip to DC, so I'm sure she will have some ideas.  Please feel free to ask questions!
 
-P
 
  • Library of Congress
  • Supreme Court
  • White House 
  • Bureau of Engraving and Printing
  • Holocaust Museum - Daniel’s Story 
  • U.S. Capitol Building Tour 
  • Ford’s Theatre / Petersen House
  • National Archives
  • Air Force Memorial
  • National Cathedral
  • Mt. Vernon
  • Old Town Alexandria

Arlington National Cemetery:

  • Women’s Service Memorial
  • Changing of the Guard
  • Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
  • Kennedy Gravesites
  • Challenger Memorial
  • Custis-Lee Mansion and others

Illuminated Night Tour

  • Jefferson Memorial, Vietnam War Memorial,
  • Lincoln Memorial, Korean War Memorial,
  • WWII Memorial, FDR Memorial,
  • Iwo Jima War Memorial

Smithsonian Complex:

  • Air & Space Museum
  • Natural History Museum
  • (others time permitting)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
From 700 in 2008 to 498 in 2012...
4/23/12 -- BK 13 date of filing EQ = 505
4/18/12 -- EQ 498
12/5/13 -- EQ 669
Here we go.... back on track.
Message 2 of 8
atlastontheroad
Established Contributor

Re: Washington D.C. trip...

What Peas said...I take a group every April or May (a couple weeks hence) and my list is quite literally the same.  We stay three nights with a stop at Mt. Vernon on the way into town.
 
I can add my favorite statuary in DC though: Outside the National Science Foundation, the sculpture of Albert Einstein is phenomenal, day or night.
 
We've been very happy in Crystal City, though this year we're staying in the city proper and taking the metro (all 40 of us).
 
atlast...(not forgetting the elipses this time)


Message Edited by atlastontheroad on 05-04-2008 03:55 PM
Ficos 2/17/08: TU 551 EQ 534 EX 587
Ficos 2/12/09 TU 695 EQ 715 EX 715
Fico...4/15/10....drumroll.....EQ 743
Message 3 of 8
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Washington D.C. trip...

I've never been there before, but I'll be leaving to go there on business a week from today.
 
Unfortunately, I don't think my schedule is going to allow for much sightseeing. Smiley Sad
 
Message 4 of 8
llecs
Moderator Emeritus

Re: Washington D.C. trip...

Whirled has a great list. I live outside of DC and haven't visited half the stuff on there.
 
To add:
 
  • National Zoo
  • Spy Museum
  • Smithsonian American History Museum (maybe in renovations)
  • National Postal Museum
  • China Town
  • The Newseum
  • Catch a game at Nationals Park (if into baseball)
  • Hang out at Georgetown (go on a boat ride through canals)

Also, these are fun if you don't mind venturing outside of DC:

  • Baltimore Aquarium
  • Udvar-Hazy Center (Air & Space Annex at Dulles)
  • Great Falls Park (VA or MD side)
  • Harpers Ferry (Yes, in WV, but about hour or so away)
  • Annapolis, MD
  • Calvert Cliffs in MD
  • Bull Run battlefield in Manassas, VA

Other to do: try contacting your Congressman/woman or Senator(s). Great way to get an inside tour of the Capitol or even White House. Even if you didn't vote for the guy, they are surprisingly helpful.

Staying in Old Town Alexandria, as mentioned is good. Plan your stay and map it out and make sure your hotel is near a Metro station, if you don't want to move your car. The Metro will get you to all of the places mentioned in DC. You'd have to drive to get to the "outside DC" list.

EDIT TO ADD.......................DW just mentioned that you cannot just walk into the Holocaust Museum and walk around. You have to schedule a tour and each tour runs about 4 hours. DW's sis is a tour guide there.

Also, if venturing out, try also the Marine Corps Museum (off I-95 at Quantico, VA).



Message Edited by llecs on 05-04-2008 09:24 PM
Message 5 of 8
atlastontheroad
Established Contributor

Re: Washington D.C. trip...



llecs wrote:
Whirled has a great list. I live outside of DC and haven't visited half the stuff on there.
 

Other to do: try contacting your Congressman/woman or Senator(s). Great way to get an inside tour of the Capitol or even White House. Even if you didn't vote for the guy, they are surprisingly helpful.

Staying in Old Town Alexandria, as mentioned is good. Plan your stay and map it out and make sure your hotel is near a Metro station, if you don't want to move your car. The Metro will get you to all of the places mentioned in DC. You'd have to drive to get to the "outside DC" list.

EDIT TO ADD.......................DW just mentioned that you cannot just walk into the Holocaust Museum and walk around. You have to schedule a tour and each tour runs about 4 hours. DW's sis is a tour guide there.

Also, if venturing out, try also the Marine Corps Museum (off I-95 at Quantico, VA).



Message Edited by llecs on 05-04-2008 09:24 PM

The Newseum and Spy Museum are awesome, good suggestions Ilecs!  I wish we could fit them into our schedule (and budget).
 
The Holocaust Memorial requires either a reservation (groups can make them online, far in advance) or waiting in line early, early in the morning for a time stamped ticket for later that day.
 
My suggestion, allow at least three hours for it, afternoon if you can, because it's an incredible and for some people, very disturbing experience.  We always plan it for a time when there is down-time to allow the children to really do some processing and talking about it. 
 
atlast....
 
 


Message Edited by atlastontheroad on 05-04-2008 10:01 PM
Ficos 2/17/08: TU 551 EQ 534 EX 587
Ficos 2/12/09 TU 695 EQ 715 EX 715
Fico...4/15/10....drumroll.....EQ 743
Message 6 of 8
fishbjc
Senior Contributor

Re: Washington D.C. trip...

Thanks for all the great suggestions.  I'll print everything out.  I think I'll need an extra day actually!
 
RE:  Holocaust Museum.  When I was in London with my friend Em, the travelling exhibit opened.  Getting off the eurostar, the exhibit was just around the corner, so I hopped in line.  She had no desire so she decided to head back to the b&b.
 
She changed her mind and decided to see what "all the fuss is about".  This was one of the MOST moving experiences (next to Dachau) that I've ever had.  To see the wall of shoes, the railroad car, the beautiful posessions........Em ended up sobbing her heart out.  We had to take a breather and relax.  I fully anticipated a nervous breakdown of sorts. 
 
For those of you interested, I do have a few photos of Dachau.  I can post the link if you would like to look.  Some of them are very disturbing though.
Message 7 of 8
MidnightVoice
Super Contributor

Re: Washington D.C. trip...



fishbjc wrote:
 
To see the wall of shoes,

 

I live in the shadow of a hill
A hill of little shoes
I love but I shiver with a chill
A chill I never lose
I live, I love, but where are they?
Where are their lives, their loves?
All blown away
And every little shoe's a foot that never grew another day

If you could find a pair
And put them on the floor
Make a mark in the air
Like the marks beside your door
When you were growing
You'd see how tall they were

And the buckles and the laces
They could do up on their own
Or almost could
With their tongue tips barely showing
Tell you how small they were

And then you think of little faces
Looking fearfully alone
And how they stood
In their bare feet being tall for the last time
Just to be good
And that was all they were

They were like you in the same year
But you grew up
They were scarcely even here
Before they suddenly weren't there
And while you got dressed for bed
They did the same but they were led
Into another room instead

I live in the shadow of a hill
A hill of little shoes
I love, but I shiver with a chill
A chill I never lose
And I caught this cold
When I was chosen to grow old
In the shadow of a hill of little shoes
Clive James

The slide from grace is really more like gliding
And I've found the trick is not to stop the sliding
But to find a graceful way of staying slid
Message 8 of 8
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