Washington DC

There is so much to see and do in our nation’s capital; Washington DC. Deciding how to divide up your travel time can be tough. Set your sights on the most important sites and settle in for a Washington DC travel itinerary that’s jammed packed with history and adventure.

My husband and I traveled to the area before we started a family. If you use this itinerary for a family trip, I suggest adding a day to slow the pace down. Travel with kids means fewer sights per day and building in downtime. I would also suggest taking advantage of the circulator bus that roams to the National Mall area to save on walking.

Day 1: Washington DC

On our first full day in DC, we walked the west half of the National Mall. We started at the White House because it was close to our hotel and is sort of the mid-way point of the approximately two-mile mall area; stretching from the Lincoln Memorial to the United States Capitol Building. We walked around the White House’s both north and south facades before heading to the World War II Memorial. Next, we stood among the statues of the Korean War Memorial before touching a few of the 57, 939 names that are etched on the Vietnam Wall Memorial. Our last stop of the morning was the Lincoln Memorial.

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To save time and money while traveling, we typically grab lunch on the go. In this case, it was a bag of chips and a hot dog from a street vendor. We needed to be quick as we had a reservation at the Washington Monument in early afternoon. The Washington Monument was a favorite site on the trip, the tour guide was very informative.

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After we descended from the monument, we walked Constitution Avenue to the National Archives. Here we saw the originally signed Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights and the United States Constitution. Since we visited in a peak season, April, we made an advanced reservation for the Archive to avoid the often lengthy wait.

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Before a quick train ride to the Foggy Bottom area of town, we lounged for a bit at our hotel room. Dinner was at Primi Piatti that served up an excellent prosciutto stuffed chicken breast. The Foggy Bottom area is home to George Washington University, a great area to grab after-dinner drinks.

Day 2: Washington DC

Our second day in DC started with a Metrorail ride to Arlington National Cemetery. We rode the tour mobile to see the gravesite of John. F. Kennedy Jr, the Space Shuttle Challenger Memorial Site and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The Changing of the Guard was the most moving part of the visit. In fact, we stayed to watch it twice. The guard changing happens every 30 minutes between April and September.

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Before heading back to the city, we stopped at the United States Pentagon building and the September 11th Memorial there. The unique memorial honors the memory of the 148 people who lost their lives during the 9/11 attacks when a plane crashed into the Pentagon building.

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At this point, we were only halfway through our day. We then made our way to the Tidal Basin for an up-close paddle passed the Jefferson Memorial. Then it was on to see how money is made at the Bureau of Printing and Engraving. No photos are allowed there, but I definitely recommend visiting. Our last stop of the day was the Holocaust Memorial Museum. The museum is so well done. Earmark a few hours to allow ample time to take in all the museum offers. Dinner on our second night was in Penn Quarter at Jaleo for tapas.

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Day 3: Washington DC

We were very excited to score walk-up tour tickets at the United States Capitol Building on the morning of our third day in DC. Our plan for the day was to see sights on the east end of the National Mall. The capitol tour took us through the Rotunda, Old Senate Chamber, Hall of Columns and Capitol Dome. We then made our way to the Library of Congress and the United States Supreme Court Building. We did not take a tour of either building, but free tours of the Library of Congress are available. Since we were near Union Station, we decided to grab lunch there.

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Our afternoon included a stop at one of the Smithsonian Institute’s eleven museums; the Museum of American History. Here we saw the US flag sewn by Betsy Ross, the desk Thomas Jefferson penned the Declaration of Independence at and Abe Lincoln’s hat. Incredible. Washington DC is known for its wide variety of ethnic foods so we ventured to Georgetown to try Ethiopian Food at Zed’s. Tasty.

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Day 4: Washington DC

By day four in DC, we were exhausted. We slept in this morning since the National Air and Space Museum did not open until mid-morning. The Air and Space Museum allows visitors up close and personal interaction with Charles Lindberg’s, Spirit of St. Louis and the Apollo lunar space module. It was fascinating.

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At this point, we needed a break from museums, so we rode the Metrorail to Georgetown to wander the streets with an ice cream cone and admire the architecture. We arrived back at Union Station in time for our Moonlit Monument Trolley Tour. The monuments all lit up at night is magical. A Washington DC must do. Having seen all the monuments aglow, we devoured a late dinner at Capitol City Brewery.

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Day 5: Washington DC

Our final day in DC started at the International Spy Museum. We did the Operation Spy Tour where you and your team undergo a covert mission to intercept a nuclear weapon before it falls into the wrong hands. After successfully completing the mission, we toured the museum. My cover was Greta Schmidt, a 33-year-old German Astronomer, who was visiting London on a four-day business trip.

After the spy museum, we quickly ran through the National Portrait Gallery before having lunch at District Chophouse. Our final tour in Washington DC was the Ford Theater and Peterson House to see the balcony Abraham Lincoln was shot on and the bed he died in 9 hours later.

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Where we stayed, what we ate and how much it all cost

The biggest expenses on our Washington DC trip were hotel, airfare and food. Most of the sites in the area are free.

• Hotel: Four Points Sheraton-close to Franklin Square
• Free sights: White House, Korean War Memorial, Vietnam Wall, Lincoln Memorial, 9/11 Pentagon Memorial, Bureau of Printing and Engraving, Jefferson Memorial, US Capitol Building tour, Library of Congress, US Supreme Court Building, National Museum of American History, National Air and Space Museum, National Portrait Gallery and Ford Theater.
• Paid Attractions: Washington Monument, National Archives and Holocaust Memorial Museum ($1/ticket for advanced reservations), Arlington National Cemetery ($15/person), paddle boat rental at Tidal Basin ($20/hour), Moonlight Monument Tour ($45/person) and International Spy Museum ($25/person).
• Restaurants: Capitol City Brewery, Zed’s, District Chophouse, Primi Piatti and Jaleo.

Our trip to Washington DC was amazing, exhausting and full of awesome experiences. We covered a lot of important sights, yet did not see it all. I guess that just leaves the door open for a future return visit.

Happy Adventuring, Rochelle