We are leaving in two days so I need to wrap this up! I have a reservation in Old Town Alexandria (Embassy Suites). I think that is my final choice of outside of D.C. However, I just read a post somewhere on this forum that it might not be a great choice for a short trip if you are planning on spending most of the time in D.C. Does anyone agree?
Here are our plans:
We are two moms traveling with 4 kids (ages 7-10). We are looking for a 2 double bed plus sleeper sofa room so I think we are limited to Embassy Suites or Residence Inn? I suppose 2 double beds with a roll in or sleeping bags is doable also. I don%26#39;t mind sharing a bed with a child (or two!). A pool would be nice, but not absolutely necessary. Ditto for a refrigerator and microwave. A free breakfast is a draw. If we have the free breakfast along with a refrigerator and microwave, we%26#39;d probably pack food and eat in most of the time. So, there is a trade-off for a less expensive hotel without these that requires us to eat out. I figure breakfast alone will cost us $18-20 per family (1 mom and 2 kids).
Our budget is about $180/night and $15/parking. We don%26#39;t mind having to use the Metro.
Our tour plans are to arrive late afternoon on Saturday, grab dinner and go see some of the monuments downtown. If we stay in Old Town, I%26#39;m not sure if we%26#39;d Metro in or just drive. How difficult is it to drive in and find parking? We%26#39;d head to the Lincoln Memorial area first and then probably just drive the loop for nightime viewing of the other monuments (I%26#39;m thinking we won%26#39;t want to be walking around much outside the Lincoln Memorial area?). Afterwards, we%26#39;ll let the kids relax with the pool, if there is one. If there isn%26#39;t, we%26#39;ll have to do some games or movies in the room.
On Sunday, we plan to head back in, go to a Smithsonian museum (or two) and the Spy Museum. We%26#39;ll hit the National Archives Building and Ford%26#39;s Theater if there is time. If not, we%26#39;ll try to get these in on Monday. We are planning to pack sandwiches or heavy snacks so we don%26#39;t have to travel back to the room for lunch or buy there.
Monday will be the Bureau of Engraving, the few short things we missed on Sunday, Iwo Jima and perhaps the Arlington Cemetary or a few of the sites in that area. We need to leave the area by 1 p.m.
It may be impossible to cram in all I have listed. I%26#39;m not sure if staying closer will save us much time. How long is the Metro ride from Alexandria? And is there even a D.C. hotel that will fit our needs and budget? I orginally had a room booked at the Harrington but decided not to chance it. We are all pretty low frills but like a guarantee clean.
What do you all recommend? I currently have two reservations (used to have three!) and I need to cancel one by tomorrow. Should we stick with the Embassy Suites in Alexandria or is there a better alternative (cheaper, closer, etc.) given our set of circumstances?
Thanks!
Almost have hotel selection...Old Town or D.C.?
Your latest post on the other thread sounds as if you%26#39;ve decided on the ES in Alexandria, so here%26#39;s a couple of suggestions re: sightseeing plans:
** Check out this page for a kids%26#39; ';scavenger hunt'; of monuments %26amp; memorials; I think this could be a great way of keeping them ';engaged'; - and they%26#39;ll learn something too :-)
鈥bout.com/od/鈥emorialsfacts.htm
p.s. I think you should feel comfortable walking around the other memorials in the evening as late as you%26#39;ll be out with kids (I assume you%26#39;ll be heading back to the hotel before 11 PM): they%26#39;re all ';manned'; by the National Park Service 24/7, and there%26#39;s a strong local police presence in the area as well.
** Have you read the reviews here of the Spy Museum? It gets decidedly mixed reviews (I myself don%26#39;t think it%26#39;s worth it) -- and given both the cost of admission ($15/adult; $12/kid) and the ages of your children, I think you%26#39;d be better off spending the time doing more of DC%26#39;s freebies -- like the National Postal Museum which is very well done and more appealing to kids (and non-stamp collecting adults) than you might think. Plus, because it%26#39;s smaller than its better known Smithsonian siblings, it%26#39;s a very ';manageable'; visit.
tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g28970-d25鈥?/a>
http://www.postalmuseum.si.edu
** Go City Kids DC is a terrific resource, especially its Events Calendar which is an excellent roundup of all kinds of family-oriented activites on tap:
http://www.gocitykids.com/calendar/?area=193
HAVE FUN
Almost have hotel selection...Old Town or D.C.?
Check out the rates at the Embassy Suites on 22nd Street in DC. You would still need to use metro, however you are in a central location in downtown. The Old town locations is good as well, so don%26#39;t worry about that if you chose to stay there. It%26#39;s not ';out of the way'; but it is about 6-7 stops from the Smithsonian Station which should take about 25 minutes. But if you did stay in DC you are about 2 stations away approx. 8 minutes or so.
With the number of kids you have, on a Saturday and Sunday I would drive into DC. The area near the monuments and museums is ';FREE'; to park at the meters. So you could park the car and just walk around the entire mall area. And it%26#39;s not as busy on these days either but you still may want to get out there early to get a perfect parking space. I suggest parking your car on 7th Street between Constitution and Independence Avenue. You would be right in the middle of it all and the car is would be on a main street.
-ON MONDAY USE THE METRO. I don%26#39;t know how fast you or your kids move around but you may have too much on your plate for just the 2 1/2 days. You could do it but it%26#39;s not as enjoyable. Since everything you are going to do is mainly in a few blocks of each other, you will do a lot walking. So you may want to split the museum/monument stuff into 2 days.
-Don%26#39;t bother with the tourmobiles. It is worth it if you did, but it is too costly with the number of people in your group.
Mom2Jc:
I%26#39;d like to second what the other posters mentioned.
1) You can definitely drive into the city on Saturday afternoon and Sunday. It will probably only take you about 20 minutes. It will be convenient for you on Saturday so you can drive around the monuments (you may also want to drive by the Capitol building while you%26#39;re at it). On Sunday, it will be helpful to be able to leave your lunch in the car or go back to the car to drop off a jacket if it%26#39;s warm, etc. We live in Arlington and always drive in on the weekends. On Sunday, if you get there early (when the museums open), which I assume you will considering how much you want to pack in, you can likely get a spot right on the mall. Alternatively, you can park near the Spy Musuem/Verizon Center. There%26#39;s almost always parking around there, especially early.
2) Now regarding the Spy Museum... I agree with CockleCove that it may not be worth it, especially if you%26#39;re on a budget. Of course, if the kids have their hearts set, then by all means, do it. Kids that age will likely be able to spend quite a bit of time at the Natural History Museum and the Air and Space, both of which are free. But again, it depends on your personal interests.
3) Packing lunch and lots of snacks is a great idea. I%26#39;ve never had any problems bringing in or eating outside food at any of the Smithsonian Museum cafes.
4) Are the kids too old to enjoy a Carousel? I love taking my daughter on the Carousel on the Mall. It%26#39;s sort of between the Hirshhorn and Natural History. For $2, it%26#39;s a fun break between museums if you can fit it in.
Have a great trip!
My only suggestion would be to do Iwo Jima and the cemetary on a driving day since it is a litle bit of a hike from metro. Do BPE and Smithsonians on Monday as they are together and close to metro.
Have fun, the weather is perfect now.
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