Just got back from Washington DC.

[Onebaddj]

All I can say is what a blast! We drove up there and stayed in a hotel right across the street from the pentagon. Was nice to get up and see it every morning. We hit the memorials as soon as we unloaded the truck on friday. Kids had a ball. We used the metro (subway) to get everywhere. It was pretty good prices, $9 bucks perperson per day as much as you can ride it. It runs all over the city, if you want to see it it go's close to it. There were mostly business peeps on friday, sat  was all tourist, sat evvening it got the collage crowd and alot of security. We saw everything from the Washington monument to the Lincoln Memorial on Friday right at sunset, was awesome and some great pics. Started Saturday morning bright and early with a trip down the wrong street and into the ghetto of DC. That was an experiance. I knew it was bad when we got about a block and a half in and there were 2 nice Lexus's parked next to a old grafittied up where house. But my wife being my wife she would not listen to reason and kept on walking as fast as she could deeper down the ally. She gets us into the worst part of every city we go to some how but this time I had no pistol if the poopy hit the fan. It ended with us leaving under the watchful eyes of a couple homeless individuals. Was nerve racking. After getting back on track, we hit the wax museum, Smithsoian and took a trolly tour around the area. Sunday started just as early, without the wrong turn, and then hit the other Smithsonian then had to go shopping for all the women folk. Me and my son,6, hit the lego store outlet. He went crazy, it was super funny to watch him go into lego overload. Walked out with a cool set cheaper than walmart has it. Then back to the DC area to se the white house. We got to see HMX-1. 2 flew over one landed, was a great sight. We have 2 foregn exchange students, one from China one from Vietnam, they were just in awe over everything. Monday morning started early again and we hit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier right at the change of the guard. That was very impressive. And right in the middle of the ceremony my son who was on my shoulders ripped one on my neck. Nobody lost their composure and Im glad I was off to the side. Gotta love kids. A quick power walk back to the truck and we were under way back to NC.

It was a very worth while trip. Last time I had been there I was 6 and it brought back alot of memories. If you have not been I highly recommend going and take some good walking shoes. Its really not too expensive. 5 of us for lodging, food, transportation and everything was around $700 adn that includes gas there and back for the 6 hour drive. One of the cheapest vacations yet and probably one of the best.   

[VINNY]

Welcome back. It sounds like you had a great time!

[RedFeather]

Enjoyed your post.  A trip like that would take a native such as myself a lifetime, LOL.  (The only time I toured the White House was when we took friends from out of town.)  DC is just about one of the best tourist destinations in the county.  World class museums (still free, if I recall), the Federal Government to tour such as the White House, Congress, Supreme Court, Library of Congress, etc.  Plus lots more if you rent a car - big new Air and Space Museum (as seen in Transformers II), Mount Vernon, Gunston Hall, revolutionary war Ft. Washington and Civil War battlefields, to name a few.

[Onebaddj]

Definatly agree one of the best places to go. All the Smithsonian museums were free and the monuments of course. We are already planning a 2nd trip so we can slow way down and really enjoy the stuff. The air and space museum is still one of my favorties. Will have to spend at least 1/2 a day in there next time. They also have an annex where all the big planes are. SR-71, concord etc. We missed it this trip but its on the schedule for next time.

[bigbadwulff]

Going in a few weeks myself. Used to live in the area and played the 'tour guide' many times.

[oldpink]

I would love to go near there next summer, specifically Gettysburg.
That will be a real time for me to try and maintain my composure, for sure.

[bigbadwulff]

Gettysburg is definitely good....I would heartily recommend taking a tour or at least a recorded tour. It's amazing to try to envision what went on there.