Washington DC 2008 - Trip Report and Photos
Around 200 parents, grandparents, and children traveled to
Washington DC with us this October and November (we took two trips
due to demand). Each family made their own travel arrangements (car,
plane, and train) to the hotel, and we gathered later that first
night for a meet and
greet.
I've never been to Washington in the fall and I was pleasantly
surprised with the mild weather on both trips. Some
mornings were chilly, but it soon warmed up to very comfortable
temperatures, and we had very little rain on both trips.
Both trips went very well. I think the most enjoyable part for me
was meeting so many wonderful families (with great kids!). Although
touring DC is a great experience, it's even more amazing when you're
part of a group.
Everyone seemed to be pleased with our hotel. The rooms were clean,
the beds were very
comfortable, and the free breakfast seemed to meet the needs of most
of our travelers (including the children).
Some of the sites we visited were the Lincoln Memorial,
Vietnam Veterans Memorial, World War II Memorial, Washington
Monument, White House, Arlington Cemetery, Korean War Memorial, US
Capitol, Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and more. We split off to visit the museums of our choice, such as: National Air and Space Museum,
National Museum of Natural History, Holocaust Museum, and others.
Both groups this year were able to participate in a guided US
Capitol tour. Depending on the tour guide, it was either a mediocre
tour (my experience on the first trip, but others with a different
guide enjoyed it) or a great one (my experience on the second trip,
those who had a different guide thought it was just okay).
Both groups were able to tour the White House - sort of. The first
group was able to tour the gardens. Although they couldn't go
inside, many in that group said it was the highlight of their
trip. The second group was able to tour inside the White
House. I received mixed reviews of that tour - those who asked
questions to the secret service agents stationed in each room
reported a better experience than those who just walked through.
Those of us who joked around with the agents and asked off-the-wall
questions had the best experience, I think.
From feedback I've received, the children seemed to enjoy seeing the
Washington Monument the best, as well as the museums (Spy Museum,
Air and Space, Natural History), and surprisingly, the Holocaust
Museum. I was worried the Holocaust Museum would be too intense for
them, but I was wrong. It was a most reverent and educational experience
for many, and most (if not all) of us who went wished we had more time there. Many
children also reported enjoying riding the subway - a new experience
for many.
Most of my itinerary was flexible - folks could stick with the
group, or go off on their own if they wanted to see the sites alone.
That was one of the benefits of using the Metro. In general,
families stuck with the itinerary more closely on the first day, and
branched out once they felt more comfortable using DC's wonderful
Metro system.
Although I do my best to plan transportation for the least amount of
walking, we still walked a lot during both trips.
For anyone interested in going on this trip in the future, I
recommend that you start a walking program a month or two before the
trip if you don't get much physical activity so you'll be prepared
for the amount of walking required. Also, be sure to walk in the
shoes (tennis shoes, walking shoes) you'll be using for the trip -
don't buy new shoes without breaking them in thoroughly. Trust me on
this.
The cost of the trip for a "typical" family of 4 (depending on ages)
was around $900. This included our hotel stay for four nights;
breakfast on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday; lunch on Friday
and Saturday; and all site admissions. It also included Metro transportation while
we were in DC.
I want to thank the families who traveled with us on these trips.
It was truly a pleasure getting to know you and I miss you (and your
wonderful children)! Several people have already asked about
future trips to DC, so I'll probably plan another one for fall of
next year (or the next).
To get the latest information about all of our trips, please
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mailing list. To discuss plans for our
trips, visit the Traveling Homeschoolers forum on our
message boards.
Trip Photos
Visiting the Capitol
Visiting the Memorials
Visiting the Museums
Making Friends
