• For those who are interested in planning a trip to Washington D.C.
• In this reading, find out what to expect from the main attractions in the National Mall area of the nation’s capital. Including tips and recommendations of the different things offered in D.C.
• visit, trip, Washington, district of Columbia, D.C., attractions, tips, advice, plan

 

Over the winter break, my family went to Washington D.C. for a week. We arrived on Christmas Day and checked into our hotel, which was an Embassy Suites right by the National Mall area. Most of the big attractions in D.C. are within this area, so it is best to consider booking a hotel that is near or within it.

I might also add that the traffic and parking is very confusing and busy, so I’d suggest planning to keep the car in the hotel lot for the whole trip. The distance between both ends of the National Mall is only two miles, so not having the car really isn’t a burden. Just plan to pack some walking shoes. Also, be sure to check on how the weather will be during the time of the vacation and dress accordingly. Look into the bus station routes/ stops if it seems that the weather may not be suitable for a lot of walking.

On Christmas Day, most of the museums and attractions are closed – thus there aren’t as many people around as usual. It is a great time to take advantage of walking to all the different memorials though, such as the Lincoln Memorial and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. Also, take advantage of the lack of people and go by White House and other historical buildings for a photo op – that won’t have so many other people in the backdrop. My family went over to the White House and got some good photos, and then took a bus that drove us by and to the other memorials since we didn’t feel like walking. Be sure to book tour dates for the White House and other government tours a few months in advance, as they are booked quickly. Since my family planned this trip only weeks before going, we were unable to snag a tour of the inside of these places during our visit. Regardless, there are still so many other things to do there aside from these tours.

I should also mention that many of the attractions in Historical Downtown have free admission! Including the Smithsonian Museums, which are huge and full of interesting artifacts. There are many different ones, such as a Native American one and an Air & Space one, but my family decided to visit the Natural History one, the African American one, and the American History one. I would advise not planning to go to more than two in one day – as I said before, these museums are very big and it is possible to spend an entire day in just one of them! Don’t be discouraged by the long lines that nearly wrap these buildings to go in, as the lines move very quickly. The holdup is a security check that everyone must go through. Security checks are done at almost every attraction in D.C., as it is the home of our President so the area is very secure. The security is a painless process, as long as their simple rules are followed, and is a small “price” to pay to get into the attractions.

Although many of the places in D.C. have no admission fee, I still wouldn’t suggest leaving any wallets at home. D.C. makes up for no-cost attractions through their parking lots, tour buses, and nearby dining attractions. Although my family discovered there is a McDonalds a few blocks away from the National Mall. Some restaurants my family visited during our visit were the Hard Rock Café and Shake Shack. Hard Rock Café is worth a visit for the interior alone, as the restaurant is styled to look like the inside of the White House. Shake Shack is a pricey fast food chain, but the food lives up to the prices!

Two attractions in D.C. I would avoid if I did the trip over would be their China Town and the National Archives Building. The China Town in D.C. is very disappointing since I have been to the one in Chicago, and it was nowhere near as nice. The National Archives Building has the Declaration of Independence in it, but the rest of the museum is painfully boring and seeing the Declaration of Independence isn’t as exciting as one would imagine.

All things considered, I would highly recommend paying our nation’s capital a visit!