Washington DC / Baltimore / Annapolis

[carvers4math]

We lived in Arlington for a couple of years.

With our kids, Natural History and Air & Space were favorite Smithsonian museums. There was a fun ice cream parlor in American History.

White House passes were totally worth it, not sure what procedure is for them now. I got in some line at 5:00 am while everyone else slept and met an amazingly nice French couple.

I love the US Capitol. I gave tours there when I was an intern. Not sure what the public access is now but you could call a congressional office and find out.

Mt. Vernon and Arlington Cemetery are both worth a trip off the mall. My kids loved the pandas at Woodley Park Zoo. Also took them to one of those crab houses with newspapers on the tables and to a Mongolian restaurant in the Adams Morgan area for some exposure to different cuisines. Peterson House was weird and creepy where they took Lincoln and they had his blood still on a pillow. Didn’t see much in Ford’s Theater.

All the monuments, but Lincoln and Vietnam are my favorites. Our kids were too young for the Holocaust Museum last time were there but would like to go there someday.

I enjoy the National Archives building. See the actual Constitution.

Walking anywhere around the mall or on Constitution and Independence, there are small little treasures everywhere. Kids found an Einstein statue on Constitution with a star map and were intrigued by that.

Highly recommend a trip on Skyline Drive. Absolutely beautiful. We took it on our way to Charlottesville, where we went to UVA, Virginia Capitol, and Monticello.

In Annapolis, all I remember is the Naval Academy, some statue that they rub for luck, and a beautiful church there.

Baltimore is worth it just for Fort McKinley. The place looks so tiny! They put my kids in costumes and gave them muskets lol. Just mind blowing to see the small scale of the place. The Baltimore Harbor does have a nice aquarium. There is some kind of weird Edgar Allen Poe House with a creepy raven and all. Not worth a trip in my view but Orioles game was fun.

Just walking the National Mall is amazing. Have a great trip!

 

[mywayorcyway]

My advice would be to not cram too much into too little time. There's just an enormous amount of cool stuff to do there and you can't fit it into a few days. Plan reasonably and expect go back.

 

[canker2323]

Hello ya'll.. I been to many places in this country, but yet to visit Washington DC / Baltimore / Annapolis--which will be soon, for a few days.

~Staying in Annapolis, and unfortunately missing the MidShipmen's first FB game by a couple days. (I have been to Air Force Academy + West Point)

Anyway, looking for recommendations for site-seeing that aren't listed below (or areas/venues to avoid)

My wishlist

DC:
Nationals baseball game
Monuments
Arlington Natl Cem
Georgetown
Mt Vernon
Smithsonian museums (which are the most worthwhile?)

Baltimore
Orioles baseball game
Edgar Allan Poe gravesite

~ I won't have time to travel to Monticello / Charlottesville
~ Parking my rental and using the METRO around DC

Any ideas on restaurants/bars, etc would also be appreciated!

I lived in dc for 2 years.

Naval academy tour is decent.
National cathedral is nice.
Georgetown is meh. Adams morgan is a better neighborhood
BLM plaza is just a city street.
Old town Alexandria is nice.
Grab a drink at the w hotel, on the roof, across the street from White House.
White house is boring
Tabard inn is good for brunch
Dacha beer garden in Shaw is a good spot
Le diplomat is good food, also lots of options on 14th
The red hen is good food
Capital hill neighborhood and eight street by eastern market stop is nice area
Capital hill was a good place to get pictures
Rock creek park and zoo

Avoid crossing the anacostia river and parts of ne dc are a little rough.

 

[carvers4math]

For some reason they built Georgetown Law School in NE instead of Georgetown.

The one place in NE we went to frequently was the Basilica at Catholic University if you are into beautiful churches.

 

[cyclone1209]

Air and space museum at Dulles is cool as ****.

Also, the Holocaust museum.

Holocaust museum and the Jefferson Memorial were the two that stuck out to me most

 

[KidSilverhair]

I lived in dc for 2 years.

Naval academy tour is decent.
National cathedral is nice.
Georgetown is meh. Adams morgan is a better neighborhood
BLM plaza is just a city street.
Old town Alexandria is nice.
Grab a drink at the w hotel, on the roof, across the street from White House.
White house is boring
Tabard inn is good for brunch
Dacha beer garden in Shaw is a good spot
Le diplomat is good food, also lots of options on 14th
The red hen is good food
Capital hill neighborhood and eight street by eastern market stop is nice area
Capital hill was a good place to get pictures
Rock creek park and zoo

Avoid crossing the anacostia river and parts of ne dc are a little rough.

Agree on the National Cathedral and Old Town Alexandria. I also agree on not crossing the Anacostia. Going further east than Eastern Market gets a little dicey, but there’s not much out there anyway (except decrepit RFK Stadium).

Others have mentioned Mount Vernon - that’s also a very neat place (although I suppose it‘s better if it’s not 94 degrees with stifling humidity, like when we visited).

There are so many cool neighborhoods and bars and restaurants around DC. We’ve had great Indian food at Rasika, enjoyed the lobster rolls at Luke’s Lobster, and there’s a wide variety of delicious pork on the menu at The Pig in Logan Circle.

 

[canker2323]

Some of my favorites from 2019 trip...

Mt. Vernon
Air and Space Museum @ Dulles
Holocaust Museum
Gettysburg
Changing of the Guard
Theodore Roosevelt Island
Monuments at Night tour
National Gallery of Art

Definitely do the Metro!!

Double check because a lot of places have timed entries that you have to sign up for in advance.

Isn’t Gettysburg in Pennsylvania?

 

[RLD4ISU]

Monuments at night tour

The Korean War Memorial at night is one you will never forget and worth seeing

Can’t remember if this was on your list: Arlington Cemetery Changing of the Guard. Highly recommend.

 

[AttackOfTheClones]

Thank you all for the recommendations. ~ Much appreciated!

My D.C. stops:

Lincoln Memorial
Wash. Monument
Vietnam memorial
Korean memorial
WW1/WW2 memorials
National Archives
Holocaust Museum
Arlington

Alexandria:

Christ Church -- Washington's church
Gadsby's - Washington and founding fathers watering hole
Mt Vernon

Annapolis (Where I stayed)

Various restaurants
Naval Academy tour

* Alexandria....very historic town. waltzed in a well-preserved church last Sunday of George Washington; lovely staffer gave us an impromptu tour, as we rested in Washington's private pew. Church is beautiful and still active.

**Annapolis... another amazing town...so much history; very enjoyable

**DC .... I drove rental from Annapolis to Metro station every morning (spouse was in meetings VERY impressed with subway system; clean, expansive, ZERO graffiti, felt very safe. Walked more in 5 days than any stretch in my entire life. Around 93 degrees and sunny in the Mall area.....very hot but loved every minute.

Didn't have time to venture back at night, or see the Jefferson Memorial, or the museums. Will return and do that stuff

To respond to a previous question....Gettysburg in Pennsylvania of course, but much closer to DC than DC to Jefferson's Monticello

Thank you again everyone for your input