A monumental vacation Nation s capital is fun, exhausting trip Getting three teenagers to agree on anything is just about impossible. But after poring through travel catalogs and searching online, we finally found a trip that everyone wanted to take. Welcome to Washington, D.C. By Barbara A. Schmitz WASHINGTON, D.C. Vacationing in Washington, D.C. may remind you of being in history class. Only it s a lot more fun. D.C. is known for its many historic attractions, military and government buildings, memorials and monuments and much more. But seeing the things we ve all learned about in history class makes the nation s capital and our appreciation for our country come alive. Getting there The first thing to decide is how to get there. There are basically three options fly, drive or take Amtrak. We decided to do the latter of the three. For our family of five, four of whom counted as adults, the cost roundtrip was about $1,100, which saved us a couple hundred dollars vs. flying. True, it did take 17 hours to get there from Chicago. But the trip itself became part of our vacation. The seats were comfortable and reclined, and we actually slept at night, at least some of the time. But the rest of the time we spent in the lounge car playing games, reading, or eating snacks that we brought onboard or purchased. While we could have driven cheaper, it was nice NOT to have a vehicle to worry about parking once in D.C. My 34
one hint: Make sure you pack a light blanket. While Amtrak provides a small pillow for each passenger, they don t supply a blanket and it does get cold at night when you re trying to sleep. Where to stay We opted to stay in a suite, giving our family some room to spread out. We choose the Homewood Suites for its amenities, location and price. We were less than a mile from the White House and even closer to a metro station that would take us anywhere we wanted to go. Our suite included two double beds, a sleeper sofa and a kitchenette, as well as complimentary Internet. The price also included a breakfast buffet each morning, plus dinner and drinks Monday through Thursdays. After an exhausting day of sightseeing, it was nice to come back to the hotel, eat and relax. The downside, at least from the kids perspective no pool, but they did offer an exercise room. To get the best prices, be sure to check out online sources like Hotwire, Expedia and Orbitz. You ll have a lot more options if traveling with less than five in your party. It really did limit where we could comfortably stay. What to do This is truly the hardest decision because there is so much to choose from. I was the only one who had been there before, so our family started by making a list of the options before we left home. Then everyone cast their vote on what were musts to see. Based on that, I came up with a tentative itinerary, keeping it somewhat flexible based on weather and other factors. The must list that my family made included: > Arlington National Cemetery This 600- plus acre cemetery is the final resting place for such icons as President Kennedy and his wife, Jacquelyn Kennedy Onassis, as well as brothers Robert and Edward Kennedy; President William Howard Taft; Thurgood Marshall, the first black justice; Admiral Richard E. Bird, an Arctic explorer and the first man to fly over both the North and South Pole; and others. But the most amazing thing to witness is the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers. The military precision and solemnity is truly an honor to those soldiers buried there. One word of warning: This is still an active cemetery with an average of 27 funerals taking place daily. You may have to wait, particularly if you re on a tour, for a funeral to finish before they will allow you in. > Ford Theater, Peterson House and Center for Education and Leadership Everyone knows the story how President Lincoln was killed, but it s still fascinating to see the theater where he was shot and hear about how his assassin, John Wilkes Booth, escaped that night. The tour also includes the house where his body was carried to The Spirit of St. Louis hangs in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Laura and Dan rest on the steps of the Jefferson Memorial. Exhausted after the trip, the family waits to board their Amtrak train at Union Station to begin the ride home. From left, Dan, Laura, Sarah and Luke pose by the Capitol. 35
The family with the White House in the background. die, as well as the newly constructed Center for Education and Leadership that features exhibits exploring the aftermath of the assassination, the hunt for Booth and the lasting impact of Lincoln s legacy. Sarah and Laura stand in front of a T-rex at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. > Holocaust Memorial Museum This museum really is a living memorial to the Holocaust and the 12 million who were killed, and a tribute to those who helped Jews escape. It s definitely worth a visit and a somber reminder of what happens when evil goes unchecked. > Memorials Everyone sees the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Memorial because of their prominent place on the National Mall. But take a walk or tour and visit some of the other memorials around the Tidal Basin, such as the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, the Martin Luther King Memorial, the Vietnam Veteran s Memorial, the World War II Memorial, to name a few. My tip: Go at night or on cloudy days. You ll have fewer crowds, and be a lot more comfortable, too. > Smithsonian Institutions We didn t get to all of them, but top of my family s list to visit was the National Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of Natural History, and the National Museum of American History. If those don t interest you, check out the other 16 museums and galleries that are part of the complex, such as African Art, American Indian or African American. Best of all, all the Smithsonian museums are free. Laura, Luke and Sarah with the Washington Monument in the background. 36 > National Zoo As part of the Smithsonian, the National Zoo is home to 2,000 animals representing nearly 400 species. It, too, offers free admission. > U.S. Capitol We took a one-hour tour of the Capitol, but to be honest, we didn t see much of the building. However, it s impressive to see, even from the outside. But if you want a more exhaustive tour, contact your legislator to set up a tour months in advance of your arrival.
> White House As of press deadline, White House tours are canceled due to staffing reductions resulting from sequestration. For the latest updates on tour availability, go to www.whitehouse.gov/about/toursand-events. If you can t take a tour, however, you Laura and Sarah stand near the 555- feet tall Washington Monument. It is closed for repairs due to an August 2011 earthquake. Sarah and Laura stand next to the carving of Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial. can still walk around the White House. But don t be alarmed by the sight of armed military personnel on the rooftop. And if you really want to see inside the building, go to www.googleartproject.com/collection/ the-white-house/museumview/ to view the rooms that are featured on the public tour, thanks to the Google Art and their 360 street-view cameras. > National Aquarium We kind of stumbled upon this and decided on a whim to go inside, mainly because we wanted air conditioning to escape from the oppressive heat one day. However, we didn t realize this wasn t part of the Smithsonian so we were surprised we had to pay admission. Not that it was terribly expensive $9.95 for adults but it wasn t quite what we had come to expect from visiting the other museums. Good, yes. But I wouldn t need to go back on a future visit. Getting around It is very easy to get around Washington, D.C. on the metro. Each person traveling will need to buy a Smart Card for $5, but then you can get to any stop for about $2.20 or less, depending if you re traveling during peak hours or not. In a week, we spent about $15 or $20 each on metro passes. 37
Be prepared Be prepared might be the Boy Scout mantra, but it worked really well on our trip. My family laughed at me when I created a binder filled with information about all the things we wanted to see and do. I included addresses, hours, notes on if they were on the blue or red metro lines, even phone numbers. And I carried that booklet with me everywhere we went. That saved us time walking to the Bureau of Engraving, for instance, only to find out that tickets were already sold out for the day. Dan and Luke stand in the Ford Theater balcony overlooking where President Lincoln was assassinated in 1865. I even purchased tickets online and in advance for such venues as the Ford Museum or the Holocaust Museum, as well as the free tours of the U.S. Capitol. That saved us time waiting. Instead of going to the venue, buying tickets and waiting until the next tour, we were able to go to the front of the line and get right in. Being prepared also means bringing the right gear. Comfortable walking shoes should be No. 1 on your list. And you might just want to carry a water bottle, too, especially if you re visiting during the hot and humid summer months. In summary Washington, D.C. was a great family trip. We tried to do it all and failed miserably. But that s OK; that gives us a reason to go back another time. We ran out of time to see the National Archives, Old Town Alexandria, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Kennedy Center, Mount Vernon, the Pentagon, additional Smithsonian museums, to name a few. But if family vacations are about memories, then it was one of our best. With two now in college, it probably was one of the last times we will take a vacation together. So while I ll remember the sites we saw, I ll cherish the time we spent together even more. 38