Just look at the Memorial Day weekend.
There will be the dedication of the WW2 memorial and Operation Rolling Thunder for POW/MIA’s.
Probably 200k for the dedication and 500K for ORT.
Debij and I plan on being there, good lord willing.
Rolling Thunder is just awesome. Thousands upon thousands upon thousands of motorcycles.
And all for a great cause.
We met in DC several years ago and it just happened to be the same day as ORT. We were awestruck.
Good stuff here. I would add:
**
GETTING THERE**
I would always recommend Metro but if you are depending on it to get back to your hotel after the Fireworks be prepared for a wait of at least +an hour as several 100,000 people all break for the same 5-6 subway stops at the same time.
I doubt you will be able to drive close enough to the festivities for driving to be a realistic alternative for you unless you have access to Hotel Parking or something.
Traffic is really only an overriding issue on the 4th itself…it is a crowded time, but a neat time to be there too.
SECURITY
Last year they fenced off the Mall and had a few access points (enough so that there was almost no wait) they looked through your bags and made you throw out any alcohol.
[personal opinion] I would never not take a trip because something might happen. [/personal opinion]There will be Security (Military, Intelligence, Police) out the wazoo. You will be as safe as they can possibly make you. No place/one can give you an absolute guarantee tho.
TTD
There are always what I consider to be two concerts on the Mall on the 4th. One popular : usually with some pretty cool acts, definitely there will be 8 people you never heard of and 3-4 you have. Last year it included Chuck Berry and Aretha Franklin & 1-2 country and 1-2 Rap-RB stars as well.
Then there is that A CAPITOL FOURTH concert on the grounds of the Capital- a concert of the National Symphony playing classical music that you may have seen on PBS. Both are free, but the REAL “up close” seating goes to big wigs (or at least folks more connected than me)
WEATHER
They are right about the weather – I think you will find the weather much like you would find Central Texas at about the same time.
Speaking of monuments (and the Mall), if you have any interest in going up in the Washington Monument, you’ll have to plan ahead. In the past you could just walk up and … up. But now there’s a big wall around it (renovations, you see), and tickets are given out for entree daily. You can either get them the day you want to go up (but there are limited tickets, so you’d have to get there early in the morning) at a kiosk outside the monument, or you can reserve them for a nominal fee. Info here: http://www.nps.gov/wamo/experience.htm
This has been great. Keep 'em coming and thanks so much.
I’m not too worried about the weather, though my wife would like to visit somplace cooler.
A native Washingtonian checking. Literally, born in the city, been here ever since.
As far as Do’s and Don’ts?
DO come to Washington. One of the best cities in the country and I’m not just saying that because I live here.
DON’T come during July 4th.
July 4th weekend is probably one of the worst times to be in DC, in my opinion. I hadn’t done July 4th in DC since I was as kid, so a few years ago the husband and I decided to do it. Never again. Ninety-five degrees with equal humidity. NO PLACE to get relief, either. We watched the parade on Constitution avenue and there were band members literally passing out in front of us. If you try to dodge into the museums for some air conditioned relief, keep in mind that everyone will have the same idea. Traffic is horrendous, the lines for the metro at the end of the day are atrocious and 7/4 is on a SUNDAY this year so more people will likely be making the journey. ALSO keep in mind that I’m pretty sure you can’t bring ice coolers out on the mall anymore (the mall is the large grassy acreage between the Washington monument and Capitol) because of security restrictions.
Anyhoo, don’t let that scare you, our city is really an amazing place any other time of year. Late spring or early fall are awesome times. The Vietnam Memorial will stop your heart, it’s so moving and amazing, I have to stop by anytime I’m in that general area even though I’ve probably been there 50 times by now. All of the Smithsonian institutions are worth a day each on their own, they’re great and FREE!!! The zoo is fun and free, although lately there’s been some health problems with the animals and some of the exhibits are closed temporarily. The ape house is closed indefinitely because of a TB scare. There was a fire at the bird house last month sometime, don’t know what the efforts are to fix that up at the moment.
Security and terrorism is a non-issue as far as tourism is concerned. I’m nearly positive the Washington Monument is doing regular tours (with advance ticket purchase, however), although I don’t think you can get a tour in the White House yet. A shame, really, because it really is one of the fondest memories of my elementary school field trip days. It felt like an honor to be in such a historical place.
In any case, I’m thrilled you’re considering a DC trip. There really is SO much to see and do around here it’s just crazy. You won’t be lacking for things to do, what you will be lacking is time in which to do everything you want to see!
If you’d like to meet some Straight Dopers, have the wife and kids go off somewhere for dinner by themselves one day on your visit and we’ll set up a Dopefest to get together and meet you.
Just my 2¢, but I’d skip any White House tour if I was you. I’ve been a few times - even on the “super-duper bonus tour” for which you have to contact your Congressperson for tickets - and wasn’t impressed with it and generally don’t think the payoff from seeing 3 or 4 public rooms is worth the getting up early and waiting in all those lines (even if you have tickets, there’s still lines). And oh yeah, all the times I went to the WH were pre-9/11 so I can imagine that it’s even less fun now than it was then.
I’m a huge Jefferson nut, so if you’ve access to a car, I suggest driving out to Charlottesville. Streets and Trips says it’s a 2.5 hour drive from Capitol Hill to Monticello, but I don’t think it took that long the 2-3 times I’ve done the drive myself. It’s a beautiful drive and there’s plenty to see on the way - horse farms, lots of rolling green hills… It really is God’s country. Ashlawn (James Monroe’s house) is just down the street from Monticello and Montpelier - James Madison’s house - is one of my favorite historical sites ever*. Downtown Charlottesville has all the requisite “cute lil’ shops and restaurants” that the missus likes… It’s definitely worth the trip if you go, but if you can’t make it, at least go to Mount Vernon… It’s only around a half-hour drive from downtown DC and has gotten really good in the past few years (lots of archaeology going on there).
Cheers!
Rex
Another avowed Jefferson fan checking in, and I can second Charlottesville and a visit to Monticello. You have the extra added bonus of the ceremony they have at Monticello each July 4th (which is also the anniversary of Mr. Jefferson’s death). In addition to that, they hold a swearing in for new citizens right there on the lawn.
I’'m not sure, but I think Montpelier is in really bad shape right now, and large portions may not be open to the public. All of the additions that the Mellons made are being removed and that has resulted in huge sections of the house being demolished.
I’m hugely impressed that a genyouwine native Washingtonian posted, they’re mighty rare.
Although I no longer live there, I grew up in the DC area and joined my parents for a DC 4th last year. It was definitely hot, but also definitely interesting - the Folklife Festival is wonderful. We were able to get a place right under the Washington Monument to watch the fireworks, so close we actually got quite a bit of ash on ourselves.
The Smithsonian kept several of its museums open late to accommodate crowds - they’re convenient not only for a/c, but also for food. When I was a kid, about the only place to eat on the Mall was an unspeakably bad cafeteria in Air & Space, but Natural History’s added one and it was actually pretty decent, if a little pricey for what it was. There’s also a cafeteria underground between the East and West Wings of the National Gallery, and I think there’s one in American History, too.
Also nearby are two undistinguished food courts just above the Federal Triangle metro stop - one in the Post Office Pavilion, and another in the Ronald Reagan building. The latter, unfortunately, is a tremendous pain to get into post-9/11.
On the whole, I’d say do it with older kids only, and do it once. I don’t think we’ll be down again for the fourth for a bunch more years.
I’ve been wanting to take a trip to DC for a couple years now (I’ve never been). So I have a few questions, too.
**What is the best time of the year to visit? ** I don’t like hot summer weather so forget the 4th. January is probably not a good choice, either, just because the leg of the trip up near me is likely to be bad. So… what’s the best time of year weather and crowd wise?
I have a disabled husband who will be coming, too. He is able to walk, but not for great distances. So yes, he can ride the Metro with no problem, but walking up and down the Mall would be a Very Bad Idea. Is there any outfit in town that rents scooters? Does anyone know anything about this sort of thing? I assume the museums have something of the sort (I’d call ahead to be sure and reserve one if possible) but I can’t see Air & Space letting us borrow their scooter to, say, check out the Lincoln Memorial. I suppose we could cab between museums, but that would get costly (still might be cheaper than scooter rental, though…) Any suggestions at all?
The best time to visit is late September. School will have just started so there will be no summer family vacation groups. There will also be no school groups because it’s too early in the school year. Early April is also good, and you can see the cherry blossoms. Some people come deliberately for the cherry blossoms, though, so it will be a little more crowded than late September.
Drum God and Mishell,
A lot of good advice has been posted here about what to see and do, and how to get around while you’re here. I second the suggestions to avoid driving into the District, and to use the Metro if at all possible. However, here’s a word of caution: you also need to plan ahead as to how you get to the Metro station. On weekends, parking at the stations is free and generally available. But during the weekdays, the lots at most stations fill up early in the morning, well before the non-peak hours when the fares are lower. Even worse, effective June 28 of this year, you will not be able to park at a station and pay cash to exit, you will have to purchase a “smartcard”, which carries an additional fee ($5, I think). If at all possible, try to find a hotel within walking distance of a station. There are several in Crystal City, and probably other places as well. There are also hotels which offer free shuttles to the stations, such as the Marriott properties at the Rio center in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Generally speaking, the rates in the more distant suburbs are more reasonable.
Good luck, and I hope you enjoy your visit.
It’s been a while since I’ve made the rounds through the museums, but I seem to recall most offering wheelchairs at the entrances. I wouldn’t know where to point you to ask more questions, but check out this page about a wonam who recorded her adventures trying to tour DC via wheelchair. Not sure if there is a link too her book or if it’s available somewhere on that site.
Try this: If you have a museum or attraction in mind, go to the Montgomery County Public Schools Social Studies Field Trips Index and see if it’s on the list. If it is, they will say whether or not there is handicapped access and where the HC entrance is.
You could use a taxi as a shuttle from one attraction to the next if you have an extra $40 per day to burn (based on visiting 5 attractions per day). Taxi rides are $5 per trip within a single zone (see the DC taxi cab zone map) and $6.90 if you cross into a second zone. A second passenger adds another $1. Then add the tip and you’re looking at $8 per trip within a single zone. (If rush hour, add another $1) Most of the museums are in zone 1 but a few places like the Bureau of Printing & Engraving & the Botanical Gardens are in an adjacent zone.
Not that I’m ungrateful, but –
My husband is NOT in a wheelchair and does NOT need a handicapped entrance to a building. What he does need is a means to get about other than walking, which he can not do for extended periods. As I said the museums are pretty straightforward, almost all of them have scooters these days. But how to get from, say, the Lincoln Memorial to the Viet Nam Wall to the WWII memorial?
I guess we’ll just have to budget for cabs… and maybe just skip a lot of the outdoor stuff.
>sigh< 
How ironic if we can’t get to the FDR memorial due to lack of access, huh?
This does aggravate me - the idea that simply poviding an 'HC" entrace and a wheelchair solves all access problems. It doesn’t. And it keeps a lot of the outside attractions out of reach for us as a couple. Sure, I’d like to wander under the cherry blossoms, but not at the price of causing my husband days of pain.
Maybe we can rent something - but last time I looked into renting a scooter it was around $200 a day, which makes the cabs look cheap in comparison…
Does anyone have a Segway we could borrow?
There are scooter rentals in Washington. Here are a couple I dug up - a more extensive search may unearth more of them.
http://www.accessams.com/rent/rent.html
http://bikethesites.com/rentals.html
The first one doesn’t show prices on their site. The second one does.
Gee did I touch a nerve? I just figured hubby could walk into a museum and then sit down in a wheelchair or scooter if they happen to be provided inside. That would save wear & tear on the old doggies.
Oops, that first one is Seattle. 
: shakes fist angrily at Google :
Off to IMHO.
DrMatrix - GQ Moderator
I find October usually has the nicest weather. It’s our sunniest month, and usually cool enough to make staying outdoors a pleasure. Often it stays warm well into November, and back in 1998 it hit 79 degrees on December 7th!
The Metro is still the best way to get around, though it’s more crowded and dirtier than it used to be (they got rid of all the trash cans on the platforms because of a one-in-a-trillion chance that someone might put dynamite in them or something, so you find discarded newspapers and garbage strewn everywhere nowadays.) It’s also getting more expensive, since the local governments refuse to step up to the plate and fund it properly.
If you’re staying within walking distance of Fair Oaks Mall, there’s a bus route (the 2B/2G) which goes to the Vienna Metro station and runs once an hour.
I’ll definitely agree with this. Our spring and early summer weather is very unpredictable. It can be rainy and 45 degrees one day and sunny and 78 the next. Fall is usually consistently warm with few of the rainy/dank/cool days that are more common in the April/May/early June stretch.