oh yes, SF. i can see i didn't leave enough time -- maybe i'm overlapping. But if we can't get into

I am taking my parents (in their 70s, but fit and active) golden palm casino hotel to DC for their first ever trip. Part of the time we will spend visiting my daughter at college, but I need to squeeze in some serious sightseeing for them as well. Trip is in mid-February golden palm casino hotel so of course I'm a bit worried golden palm casino hotel about rain, but am hoping there won't be a lot of crowds even though we'll be there over President's Day weekend.
FYI, the White House tour, if it comes through for you, is very short. Even if you dawdle, I don't see how you could spend an hour inside; I'd say an hour total, golden palm casino hotel including the standing in line and waiting to get through security. Since you only have half days or less open, skip Old Town, it will take too long. Arlington Cemetery is a good choice if the weather is good, but if not, I'd suggest another museum. Underhill's ideas are great--I love the Newseum, golden palm casino hotel and the National Gallery of Art may be my single favorite art museum that I've seen. The Phillips Collection is another gem, in Dupont Circle, which gives you a chance to see another nice DC neighborhood.
The Newseum is wonderful! One could spend hours there. The National Potrait Gallery is nice and I like the AMerican Arts Museum. Boating Party is at the Phillips and its a great museum though not free. For Asian Art the Freer is lovely. It really depends upon your interests which museums to choose.
The two times I went to visit, the lines were so long that I didn't even bother to try and wait. Unless visiting this is a must-see, I can't imagine using up precious time during a first visit to DC. I skipped it on my EIGHTH visit to DC!
Will definitely add another museum or two, especially if weather is bad -- will let my parent golden palm casino hotel pick. Have always wanted to do the Phillips, but not sure that would be best for them if they haven't been to the National Gallery of Art or the Air and Space.
oh yes, SF. i can see i didn't leave enough time -- maybe i'm overlapping. But if we can't get into the reading golden palm casino hotel room, we can go to the Library of Congress golden palm casino hotel earlier in order to make it to the capitol buiding tour on time! you're right!
We've lived in DC for 20 years and have never visited the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. It's only open on Federal workdays, and the lines have always been long. I would tour any of the other museums instead.
On Day 2, I might suggest spending time after the Capitol tour at the Library of Congress. golden palm casino hotel There is more to the library than the reading golden palm casino hotel room. Since you'll be in the general area, if you have time after the Botanic golden palm casino hotel Garden you may like the Postal Museum and Union Station. The Postal golden palm casino hotel Museum doesn't take much time and is more interesting than you might think. Union Station is pretty on the inside, and there are several places for a coffee break.
Unfortunately, you can not get advance tickets for Archives. golden palm casino hotel However, if someone in your group is Military, retired or active, you can usually jump to the front of the line by going around to the group entrance and presenting ID.
Guys, read the OP. I assume dina's daughter is a student golden palm casino hotel at Georgetown and will show her parents and grandparents the campus and neighborhood, not the chain stores. Besides, saying that Georgetown is all chain stores is plain wrong. It's a historic golden palm casino hotel neighborhood that is home to a historic university and many historic homes, some of which, like Tudor Place and Dumbarton Oaks, are open to the public. A walking tour of Georgetown would reveal its many charms.
For a good (not great, and very pricey) cocktail in a fantastic setting with a great view, you can't beat the roof terrace atop the W next to the Willard. I don't know if it's as good in winter as in summer.
Georgetown does have much to offer outside the main drag of Wisconsin Ave and M St. However, when most say "they are going to Georgetown" I think that is what they are referring to unless they mention Dumbarton Oaks or some of the other various sites. Georgetown has a great Home Garden Tour in the Spring and I've done various other tours there and certainly agree that there is much to learn about historic Georgetown if that is what is planned.
I have been to various special exhibits golden palm casino hotel of museums in Feb and they can get rather crowded. People obviously head indoors during the colder weather that Feb usually has. If you are not here on a weekend that would help.
We went to Mount Vernon and you do not mention a car, so maybe that is not a good choice. Also if the weather is poor, you may not enjoy it. I regretted that we didn't make it to Ford's Theater--perhaps that is another alternative.
3. On your Capitol Tour, is it through the Capitol Website or through your representative/senator? We did the tour through the official Capitol Site. We were suprised to find out that tour does NOT include the actual Senate or House floor. You can request passes from your senator or representative. I would highly recommend adding that piece.
4. At some point, just "pop in" to the Library of Congress, but you need to be at your Capitol tour easily a half hour early, so I'm not sure you can do it before. The security line can be slow. Read my report for how that worked out for us
thanks. i will read your trip report tonight. and yes, i did book through the capitol website. can we still do that and ask for "passes" from our senator? how does that work? you show your pass and go on your own? thanks...
I think my parents are now putting Arlington Cemetery at the top of their list, so we will definitely go and take the bus tour there. Does anyone know if it's necessary to book in advance (president's day weekend) and, more importantly, how long it takes to do the tour and all the stops?
Under the prior tour operator (and I'm guessing that the current one, Martz Grayline, does also) it was a hop-on-hop-off, so if you were to get off at three stops (tomb of the unknowns, Kennedy gravesite, Arlington House), with 20 minutes between buses, allow maybe 2 hours total. You might stay longer at one or more of the stops, especially if you want to see the changing of the guard but you reach there 40 minutes before the next ceremony (on the hour).
Anyone with a pass for that day would go and get in line for security. It took a while to get through that and you have to check in everything--your phone, your purse, etc. Then you wait in a second golden palm casino hotel line for other people to leave and then the guard will let you in.