<p>D.C. has so many great places and so much to do. I second and third the National Portrait Gallery and Smithsonian Museum of American Art. Check what is playing at the Kennedy Center. The Hirshhorn is another personal favorite museum. Of course there is always the Holocaust Museum which is excellent and very moving. Another very interesting museum is the National Building Museum which is a great space and has very interesting exhibits and historic photographs and artifacts.
I also like the cafe in between the two wings of the National Gallery. It is very easy to get around DC on the metro and to walk but agree to plan your route carefully. Lots of good restaurants in both Georgetown and Alexandria. There are plenty of restaurants, stores and food places in Union Station also.</p>
<p>mom2college: keep the car. At a minimum you will need it to get to public transportation (Metro). Metrobuses are not efficient and take too much time. McLean is not all McMansions & Real Housewives, but it is a sprawling area that currently has a lot of construction. It will cost you $4.50 to park at a Metro for the entire day vs. $17 for 5-12 hours at Union Station or $25/day at a downtown garage. It really depends how comfortable you feel navigating downtown DC.</p>
<p>Metro is open until midnight Sun-Thu; until 3 am Fri-Sat. But check the [schedule[/url</a>] at the station before you depart. i.e. last train to West Falls Church departs Farragut West ~11:15 pm, arriving at WFC 11:45 pm. If you decide to use Metro, look into a day or multi-day pass.</p>
<p>Another way to get around town is the [url=<a href=“http://www.dccirculator.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=21&Itemid=22]DC”>http://www.dccirculator.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=21&Itemid=22]DC</a> Circulator bus](<a href=“http://www.wmata.com/rail/schedules.cfm]schedule[/url”>http://www.wmata.com/rail/schedules.cfm) which goes crosstown from Georgetown to Union Station as well as some areas where there is no Metro service. Regular fare is $1 or 50-cents with a Metro transfer.</p>
<p>ETA: Most Smithsonian museums are open 10 am to 5:30 pm.</p>
<p>Just re-read bullet&pima’s post re: hotel shuttle service to the Metro. Definately worth asking your hotel if you are planning on spending most of your time in the city.</p>
<p>@lizard: sounds like a “memorable” vacation!</p>
<p>Don’t bother with the Tysons Corner shopping center–the area is under construction and traffic is simply awful. Plus presumably you have shopping malls wherever you come from, so see the sights instead. </p>
<p>Take the metro from West Falls Church to the Smithsonian exit and walk around the DC “mall” --out among the monuments. Among them, the relatively new WWII memorial is strikingly beautiful–definitely worth seeing.</p>
<p>We all loved the Library of Congress. Do try to make time for the 1 hour docent tour. You will see astounding architecture as well as the Guttenburg Bible. </p>
<p>The Folger Museum (all things Shakespeare) was a pleasant surprised. We were mostly killing time before a nearby tour. </p>
<p>I have heard good things about the Spy Museum and the Hollocaust Musuem (grim but well done). </p>
<p>Our favorite meal was at an Ethiopian restaurant near Embassy Row (there are many). I think it was Meshkarem. Fun food - be prepared to scoop it up with spongy bread. We did one big family platter. </p>
<p>We also enjoyed the quick eating choices near Union station. Near closing time one evening only the greek place was open, but it was good. </p>
<p>Mount Vernon would give a day outside the city. I believe there are bus tours and boat tours. A friend who used to live in DC recommends the Mt Vernon diversion if you are in DC for more than a few days.</p>
<p>I wish we had the time/weather for bike tour of the monuments. Looked fun and memorable.</p>
<p>Trolley Tour tickets are helpful. Just plan carefully because you only want to circle the city once in a day. Arlington Cemetery is interesting, especially if you have a few hours to do the tour within a tour.</p>
<p>Not sure when you are going, but take foul weather gear. We went last October, and it poured for 5 straight days. Don’t get me wrong, we had a wonderful vacation (and are going back over spring break this year, since D1 will be interning in DC at that time). But our raincoats and footwear got a real workout, so take clothes for the weather. </p>
<p>Has anyone been to the Folger Shakespeare Library? Near the Capitol. I just finished a book on Shakespeare’s first folios, and the library has more of them than anywhere in the world. But it is unclear to me how much you actually get to see there… Just curious. D2 is passionate about Shakespeare, so also wants to visit.</p>
<p>Cross posted with Colorado mom 
Can you tell me what the library was like?</p>
<p>Also, if you haven’t been to Gettysburg (or haven’t been lately), the new visitors center is amazing!!</p>
<p>Founding Farmers is a great restaurant in foggy Bottom . We ate at a couple of good restaurants in Georgetown. We found we needed reservations. We went to the Air and Space museum it was ok, but I found after the Kennedy Space Center it was redundant. Next time we will go to the Portrait gallery. have seen Capital Steps twice, hysterical.</p>
<p>A few off-beat ideas:</p>
<ul>
<li>rent a bike and ride around the mall. There is a bike rental place by the boathouse near the Watergate.
<ul>
<li>on Sundays, part of Rock Creek parkway are closed for biking.</li>
<li>walk around Georgetown. Must see are “the Exorcist Stairs” by the Tombs/1789 restaurant & Key Bridge.<br></li>
</ul></li>
</ul>
<p>I can’t really recommend any art galleries, as I remember being dragged to “Girl with Watering Can” every year when I was in elementary school!</p>
<p>I haven’t been to the Folger Library since the 1970s, but my recollection is that the exhibition don’t necessarily have the Shakespeare folios. It’s a fun place to see a play. I love Ethiopian food. The restaurant we used to go to is no more, but I think they were all pretty good.</p>
<p>Here is another question. We will be in DC for a week in the spring next year. One thing I have never done is go to Rock Creek Park. Does anyone have advice for a nice walk or hike in the park (say, an hour or two)? We will have a car if necessary. Last year we went to the Arboretum and weren’t so impressed; our local arb is actually quite a bit larger and nicer. But we do like to do things outdoors, and we thought it would be interesting to check out Rock Creek Park. But it is pretty big, so some advice would be welcome.</p>
<p>FYI - During our DC trip a few years ago we relied heavily on this book, “The Unofficial Guide to Washington DC”. </p>
<p>The guidebook is a heavy paperback book with tons of info on Accomodations, Restaurants, and Sightseeing. I took the book on the trip, but for our daily excursions I carried only copies of the restaurants for nearby Zones (neighborhoods), with hand written annotations. </p>
<p>WE REALLY LOVED THE FOLGER MUSEUM, even though above book rated it “Dull”. Both kids like Shakespeare more than we parents, but I we all enjoyed this small museum. There are exhibits with a few of their holdings. But there is also huge glass windows where you can see registered researchers working with the first folios and MANY other research books of the era. There is also a little Shakespeare theater where you can get more of a feel for the stage etc. </p>
<p>The above book says tours are self-guided, but we had a docent tourguide. There is an rea for special exhibits. At the time they were displaying instruments of the time (which really interested us), and there was recorded tour info on headphones. </p>
<p>Admision is free. And the place is air conditioned. It beats the heck out of waiting outside in the summer sun (or rain) for assigned tour time at the Capitol!</p>
<p>Don’t miss the Rockwell exhibit.</p>
<p>I second Founding Farmers and Zaytinia- do make reservations at Opentable.com. We also tried FF sister restaurant Farmers and Fishers at the Gtown waterfront. That was good.</p>
<p>One afternoon, you should check out the shopping in Gtown, try Pain Quotidian for lunch, and the famous Gtown Cupcakes for dessert.</p>
<p>Wow…more great ideas! Thanks!</p>
<p>I love the bike riding idea, but DH won’t like it…LOL…</p>
<p>BTW…we leave in a couple of days, and it looks like the weather will be good! :)</p>
<p>yum…cupcakes!!</p>
<p>Actually they also give bike tours. You rent the bikes and the tour guide takes you around the mall. Honestly, I would prefer that much more than walking. They do it at a leisurely pace, and remember it is flat, so you are not going up and down hills. Plus, the bikes have baskets so you are not carrying around the weight of a back pack. You see people ranging from 10 yos to 65 yos. </p>
<p>I would much rather ride a bike than hoof it. </p>
<p>Intparent, if you are coming in the spring I would just walk the mall. Also, you might like renting the paddle boats where you can just go out on the water by the Jefferson. Another nice walk is Arlington. It does both jobs for you, a nice walk in a park like atmosphere and seeing a piece of history.</p>
<p>B&P, we have walked the mall in past visits, and certainly will be there for several days of this visit. But that is not exactly a nature hike… I find the lack of grass/dust/mud of the mall to be a bit depressing, actually. It isn’t the exercise we are looking for, it is a taste of nature (beyond the inside botanical garden, which we visited last fall). Just curious about Rock Creek Park. It is often in the news, takes up a good chunk of the DC map, and was also a featured location in a book I read recently. I realize it is not a destination for everyone. But we like off the beaten track stuff, and sometimes to get away from crowds. Like Colorado-Mom, just because a guidebook says something is dull doesn’t mean that we won’t find something of interest there.</p>
<p>Here is the metro website - [Metro</a> - Home page](<a href=“http://www.wmata.com/]Metro”>http://www.wmata.com/)</p>
<p>It is terrific and can tell you all the stops, if there is parking and even a trip planner. Using the Metro can get expensive during the week. Parking at outlying stations is free on the weekends. I have metroed back to outlying stations at night after a ball game and never had a problem with trains running. </p>
<p>Also save this link - the Going out Guide. [Restaurants</a>, Bars, Events in DC, MD and VA on washingtonpost.com](<a href=“http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/?nid=top_gog]Restaurants”>http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/?nid=top_gog)
It gives you great tidbits on what is going on when you go.
If you are in DC on a weekend I suggest the Eastern Market. Go for breakfast or lunch and browse. Lots of fun if you like crafts and art.
If you like books - across the street from the Eastern Market is Capitol Hill Books. A legendary used book store. Think twice if you are claustrophobic 
[Capitol</a> Hill Books, Washington DC Used Bookstore](<a href=“http://capitolhillbooks-dc.com/chbooksdc/]Capitol”>http://capitolhillbooks-dc.com/chbooksdc/)</p>
<p>Folger Shakespeare Library is currently running a Henry VIII exhibit until the end of the year.
[Prince</a> Henry, King Henry-Folger Shakespeare Library](<a href=“http://www.folger.edu/Content/Whats-On/Folger-Exhibitions/On-Exhibit-Vivat-Rex/]Prince”>http://www.folger.edu/Content/Whats-On/Folger-Exhibitions/On-Exhibit-Vivat-Rex/)</p>
<p>I love all the touristy parts of DC. When I go, I generally have walked, taken the metro or bus just about everywhere! </p>
<p>I enjoy all the museums, getting a hot dog off the vendor’s cart, eating ethnic food in the Adams Morgan district, spending too much time at the National Gallery of Art, the Library of Congress and the Monuments. DC has some great restaurants and bars, too. </p>
<p>Whenever we travel, we use the Fodors guidebooks to find new things to do and see and eat! These books are very helpful to us.</p>
<p>Int, people who live here also hate the fact of the same aspects you mentioned. Worse yet they are ticked that every yr they plant more grass for it to be eroded away by the people. Personally, I am at the point just let it be dirt and stop wasting tax dollars to replace the grass yr after yr.</p>
<p>Rock Creek is about the best you are going to get.</p>
<p>I was not trying to push the Mall, actually, my personal tastes would lean to Arlington. It may sound morose, but it is actually a beautiful walk. Each time we go, we find new things. If you skip the tours, and just walk you will not see it as a cemetery, you will see it as a park. If you really like walking then you can stroll over to the Lincoln. </p>
<p>I think it is about how view what a “walk” is to you. To me I enjoy the solitude, and the historical significance. I like stopping at the trees and reading the markers for the brigades, commands, etc regarding why that tree is there.</p>
<p>It is a personal thing, if you want to just walk and find lady slippers or fox gloves, than Rock Creek is the place, if you want to walk and get a historical aspect than Arlington is the place.</p>
<p>I also agree with samurai. go to the library and get Fodors. From there use the net to make your plans.</p>
<p>One thing I will say is AMEX has a great concierge service, even for reservations at no cost. Investigate.</p>
<p>Arlington is great. I can see how it would be a peaceful place to walk. Plus the view of the city is pretty nice, too.</p>