Visited Washington DC,.. two thumbs up!

[gsganzer]

I've been on a job in Maryland and had today off, so I decided to spend the day in DC. What an awesome day!! My folks took me to DC when I was 9- 10 years old and I always held fond memories. I was like a grade school kid on a field trip today! Heck, I walked 14 miles and never even realized it!! Starting at Union Station and running a loop out to the Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial et. al. and back to Union Station. I actually had a on/off bus pass, but once I got off at the first stop, I was pulled to each place and only rode it one other time. I could have spent days at the museums. I can't wait to get back there someday with the wife and kids. I think you probably need 3 days to give it a good run. I could use a solid 1/2 day for each of the museums.

I HIGHLY recommend the trip to anyone that has small children or grandchildren, or for anyone that's never been. All of the national museums are FREE!

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Welcome to the neighborhood. You had a good day for visiting weather wise.

 

[mddorange]

My wife and I were in DC last year for our daughter's Masters Degree graduation and yes it was awesome to take a couple of extra days to take the grand tour and learn a lot of history.

Our only regret was that we weren't there at the height of the cherry blossoms blooming. After spending years in Japan were each spring was magical with the cherry blossoms in full glory, it would have been great to have seen DC that way.

 

[Bird]

1986 was the only time I got to DC. I was going to the 10 week FBI National Academy and went one weekend for a VIP tour of the White House. Another Saturday was spent at the Smithsonian. Another was spent at George Washington's Mount Vernon. Another at the Arlington National Cemetery. Since I went up there on a motorcycle, I also just rode around all over that area. And that still wasn't enough time to see everything. I'd like to spend at least 3 days just in the Smithsonian. I found you could park free (car or motorcycle) at the Pentagon on weekends and ride Metro train very, very cheaply.

 

[mapper]

My son had a Make A Wish trip to DC when he was 11. We spent a week there and felt like we could have spent several more and still not have covered everything. On many of our visits to various museum locations we had personal guides from the Smithsonian accompanying us.
One evening the State Department Security Service took us on an "Evening tour of Washington DC", this was done in an official state department motorcade. The tour started around 5:00 PM, it was pretty amazing to find ourselves slicing through rush hour traffic at high speed between our visits to all the places they took us to that evening - Lincoln, Jefferson memorials, State Department (met C. Rice), Supreme court, Capital Building, and Whitehouse. At each place we were met and accompanied by the security services associated with each site. Each of the security services presented my son with their challenge coins, these are some of his more treasured items from that trip.
We remain forever grateful to the Make a Wish Foundation for this once in a lifetime opportunity they gave our child.

 

[polo1665]

We were there two years ago. Enjoyed ourselves tremendously. We were there for three days and walked 8 to 10 miles per day. Like you, before this trip I had been there as a child, but never as an adult.

 

[kf4uda]

My Wife and I went to D.C. a few years back and spent a week. That was defiantly not enough time to see everything we would have like to have seen. We went to to Arlington national cemetery and got to see the changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier. I consider it the definition of honor. We toured several of the monuments. I found my neighbor's name on the Vietnam memorial wall. I remember going to his funeral as a kid.

We stood at the fence of the White House and made pictures of it. We visited the Smithsonian Air & Space and American History museums. We are thinking of going back next year. I would love to get a tour of the White House and Capitol.

Every American should try to visit D.C.. After all, we all own it.

 

[rgr33]

My vacation of choice involves palm trees and beaches, but I visited DC 5 years ago with the wife.

It was absolutely amazing, as a history buff, I was in heaven. Also toured Gettysburg and Amish country.
Definitely going to go back soon.

 

[/pine]

It's a shame the people we send (elect) to DC to be our leaders are not regarded with the same admiration...and they should all be ashamed they are not living up to the legacies of those in whose shoes they walk...

 

[3Ts]

I agree that every American should visit it at least once, and tour the capitol building if at all possible. The civil war battlefields should be visited as well - gives you a different perspective on the battles from what you read in the books. Also need to visit Harper's ferry and see the terrain to see why it was important and so difficult to defend.