Washington DC, the nation's capital, while it may seem like a small area it is jam packed with fun and exciting things to do. With this, our blog post is going to be a little different this time. We actually had spent a couple days in DC, so with this we are going to divide our posts into different days, so this post is a "Choose your own Adventure". Pick and choose from the ideas below to really get into the city, as some sights may not be up to your liking, but we tried a lot of DC.
When planning your trip to DC it is important to notice all the differences in airports. DC technically has three different airports, Ronald Reagan National Airport, Dulles International Airport, and Baltimore-Washington International Airport. We found out that if you are coming internationally Dulles will have better flights, but it is about a 30-40 minute drive outside the city (it's located in Virginia). Baltimore Washington International Airport is about a 30 minute drive north of the city(located in Maryland), so again you will need to have a taxi or a way to get into the city. Ronald Reagan National is located in Arlington, VA and is very close to DC. It is your closest option. We flew into Reagan, and the airport is very aesthetically pleasing. It is smaller than the other two airports too.
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Getting around DC is extremely easy, and there are multiple options. DC has a
metro train system. There are multiple lines and they run pretty regularly. During the week you can expect a 5 minute wait between trains at the most, but on the weekends expect a 7-10 minute wait between trains. DC offers deals where you can buy a reduced card for a limited amount of uses. With this said, we will now break into our two different versions of the day.
Family-Friendly(or Time Crunched) DC in a Day
DC has some of the best museums and attractions anywhere in the United States. When you are in DC with the family you will probably be heading out a little early. Our first suggestion is to make your way to Gravely Pointe Park. Located right next to Reagan National Airport, this large park will amuse kids and adults a like. The planes fly right over you!! Plus it offers amazing views of the Potomac River, and the monuments. If you are traveling with children, it might be best to drive to this attraction, or just be prepared to walk. The Mount Vernon trail allows easy access by bike, walking, or running to stop by and enjoy the views.
After you go by the park, the next spot to take the family would definitely be the museums! Traveling to the National Mall(where the Smithsonians are) is easily done by walking or metro. If you are traveling from Gravely Pointe, walking to the Crystal City metro might be easiest. The walk to the National Mall from this point is around 1.5 miles.
Once you make it to the National Mall, be sure to see the monuments! The Lincoln Memorial, Washington Moument, World War 2 Memorial, and the Capitol are all on a straight line. If you are crunched for time, it may just be worth seeing these as they are all in the same area. The Jefferson Memorial is located at the Tidal Basin, as well as the Martin Luther King Memorial, and the FDR Memorial. If you come in the end of March, to early April you may get lucky enough to see the Cherry Blossoms! Expect to see large crowds, but the views are gorgeous. If you can plan your trip, it's definitely something worth seeing. The Tidal Basin is maybe a 10 minute walk away from the National Mall.
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At this point in your day, it is probably close to lunch time. Depending on the group you are with, you have multiple options. If you want something quick and easy(and close to the National Mall), try one of the cafeterias in the Smithsonian Museums. The Air and Space Museum has a McDonalds and other chains, the Natural History has it's own cafe, and the American History has the Stars and Stripes Cafe(we don't particularly recommend this one, but it wasn't horrible). Union Station is also close by if you want a huge variety of quick food. If you are looking for more of a nice sit down place, try Pi Pizzeria. It is around a 10 minute walk away from the National Mall. Serving great pizza, it will keep you full and happy!
After lunch, pick your favorite Smithsonian. There are many to choose from, and each have exhibits to keep kids and adults happy. The Air and Space has a great new exhibit on the dynamics of flight that offers a lot of interactive options! The Natural History has some awesome interactive games for history fans, as well as the Giant Squid! Finally, the American History museum has the original American flag that inspired the National Anthem. The American History museum might be best put as saying it is an "up and coming museum", as they are still working on a lot of the exhibits there.
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After visiting the museums, you have a lot of options. If you only have one day, you need to prioritize what is most important to you. Want to see the Capitol Building or the White House, stop by there! You can schedule tours for both places, or just walk around the outside. You can also go see the Library of Congress! They offer some great exhibits on a wide range of subjects. If shopping is more your style DC has you covered. You have two options: CityCentre and Georgetown. CityCentre is a new high end shopping, and outdoor mall literally in the center of DC. It is close to Chinatown, and pretty close to the White House. There are lots of nice restaurants, and a delicious Gelato shop here too. Plus a whole restaurant dedicated to cake...yes that exists!
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Georgetown is such an experience in itself that we have put all that information into it's own blog post! Check out the post on Georgetown in an Afternoon! Below is the map of the city that we used. Feel free to pick and choose from our adventure! Check out our other post Washington DC in Two Days, coming soon, to see if you like any of those options better.
What did you do in DC that we missed in this post? What restaurants do you like? Leave any comments below. If you want to see more pictures be sure to check out our Instagram,
@americainaday. Be on the lookout for our next America in a Day Post...We are going to Boston!
Blue skies,
L&K
#americainaday
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