Visiting DC with a museum hater

I%26#39;m planning to visit my 19-year-old daughter. She moved to Maryland a couple months ago. I%26#39;d like to take her for a day trip into DC (and maybe overnight). I%26#39;ve looked for concerts and theater, but nothing seems to jell. She%26#39;s also not a shopper. I%26#39;m considering a guided tour of the monuments but that would only last a few hours. We would be in DC maybe Monday night and all day Tuesday.

Do you have suggestions?

Visiting DC with a museum hater

Let her plan the itinerary.

Visiting DC with a museum hater

What about visiting museum%26#39;s does she dislike? Reading, crowds, not hands on, doesn%26#39;t like history, etc.

What areas of interest does she have??

Thanks Kvandy, What doesn%26#39;t she like about museums--going with me! I LOVE museums and I get lost in time. That%26#39;s why I was thinking a guided walking tour might be good - I%26#39;d have to keep moving.

She%26#39;s very athletic so covering a lot of ground on foot is no problem. She%26#39;s horse crazy and is working at a barn riding horses every day (her dream job). She%26#39;s not interested in history for history%26#39;s sake and loves romance movies and books.

It sounds like to me you like to linger, read everything, and absorb the entire musuem (like me) and she wants to speed through.

That about right?? Just trying to get a sense of your styles so I can (and the rest of the great posters here) can suggest some things.

Yep. She%26#39;s on the hyper side and would enjoy interactivity and movement much more than browsing. Good questions! Thanks for making me articulate it.

If you are going to do a tour of the monuments, consider a Segway tour. We did one last August with our 20-year-old and 17-year-old and they each had a blast (so did I!)

Also, you might check out the concerts/performances on the Millenium Stage at the Kennedy Center. They only last about an hour and are free. You can combine that with a walk around the KC and, if the evening is nice, you can go out on the terrace and watch the sunset over the Potomac.

Finally, since there are so many different museums close to each other on the Mall, you could do a little ';sampler'; of each which shouldn%26#39;t be too boring for her (but which, of course, may leave you wanting more). Perhaps select one section in each museum to see and then go onto another. You%26#39;ve got various types of art (East Gallery, West Gallery, Hirschorn, Sackler, Freer, Sculpture Garden), Air and Space, Botanical Gardens, Natural History, American History, American Indian. Lots of people say the cafe in the American Indian museum is the best, so you might schedule your museum-going around having lunch there.

If museums aren%26#39;t her thing I would just skip them. Walk around the monuments for a while, perhaps make a ';deal'; that you%26#39;re going to stop in at one museum you%26#39;d really like to see for 45-60 minutes and leave it up to her whether to tag along or sit outside and people watch for a bit.

Maybe having afternoon tea somewhere or getting spa treatment?

I%26#39;d try to get a tour of the Capitol. This isn%26#39;t history, this is living breathing government and the tour I got gave me a better understanding of ';current events'; which I always hated in school. Add in the Supreme Court and the White house and you have the three branches of government.

I also second the seque tours...looking at those for myself and hubby.

The National Arboretum is really nice. I visited in the fall for the first time since I was a kid, and we really enjoyed it.

The bonsais are impressive. There is TONS of outdoor space for nice walks. Also a great place to take pictures.

One suggestion would be renting bikes on the Mall. It%26#39;s active, you can pop in and out of museums and check out the monuments/sites. For other outdoor activities, check out- washington.org/visiting/鈥ours

You might also consider The Phillips Collection in Dupont Circle. It%26#39;s a smaller museum but fabulous collection. Then, you would be in a neighborhood with great people-watching. washington.org/visiting/experience-dc/by-nei鈥?/a>

You may also score some points knowing about the Horse Center in Rock Creek Park. It%26#39;s a beautiful park in Northwest DC.

http://www.rockcreekhorsecenter.com/

If more of a hipster, you might look for some ideas here - washington.org/visiting/鈥utdoor-activities