Washington DC (trip this summer)

[Xrayted]

The Air and Space Museum is popular and one of my favorites. Someone mentioned the Holocaust Museum. Very riveting. You will walk out changed in some ways. You will need to make reservations for a time though, if you do that one. People like to take their time and really read most of it, take it all in. It's incredible. For that reason, they limit how many per hour are allowed entrance. It's still pretty many, but if you don't get a time ahead of time, you will be SOL. They won't let you in because there just aren't any tix left. I loved the natural history and the art museum, but the two I mentioned, there are things in those you can only see in DC. That makes them top of my list if I only were going to take one day to go to the mall. You do have the Kennedy Center not too far away and could do an evening show, if you have time.

The Washington Monument is cool and people bring their kites to fly around it, down on the mound at the base. The Lincoln Memorial is definitely a favorite of mine, but is a bit away from the rest I mentioned. You can stroll the long reflecting pool, made so famous in many movies over the years. If you don't do the Art Museum, at least go down to the food court. The waterfall is really cool.

Also, even if you wanted to drive, there is only one parking space for a million people there. Take the Metro. It pops up all over the mall area and is faster, safe and kinda fun to ride. Traffic and how things are named will drive you nuts if you drive. I tried it not once, but twice. Never again. Also, if any of you are staying outside of DC, on weekends, the park and ride parking fee is free. You just have to pay for the Metro. Well worth it, IMO. I used to be able to ride pretty much wherever, all day, for about $5 each person. I'm sure it's gone up a bit in the last 5 years but still, so much better than driving.

[indysteel]

Someone mentioned the Holocaust Museum. Very riveting. You will walk out changed in some ways. You will need to make reservations for a time though, if you do that one. People like to take their time and really read most of it, take it all in. It's incredible. For that reason, they limit how many per hour are allowed entrance. It's still pretty many, but if you don't get a time ahead of time, you will be SOL.

It is riveting and definitely provides an extremely profound experience. It's the most memorable museum I've ever been to--and I've been to a lot. If nothing else, it is a beautifully designed public space. Like I said, it may not be someone's cup of tea on a vacation, but I'm so glad I've been there (multiple times, actually). Admittedly, the first time I went there, I spent an hour crying at the Mall afterwards, but it was a life-altering experience.

[Koronin]

Thank you all for your comments and help. I drove in DC once and got lost and it took me 3 hours to find a way out of DC and to one of the freeways. I swore then never to do that again. I thought the metro would be best. I think my mom is just afraid of all public transportation. The city I grew up in (and where she still lives) does not have any public transportation.

[ny biker]

Metro is a cross between a subway and a commuter train. Unless your hotel is in a really bad part of town, you'll be fine. I take my parents on Metro whenever they visit. Rush hour crowds are the biggest problem.

And yes, driving in DC is a nightmare. Just when you think you've got it figured out, they throw a traffic circle or a diagonal street in your way, and the next thing you know you're lost in Virginia. And we won't even talk about the road work they're about to start on Constitution Ave...

[Koronin]

Road work? UGH! We'll definitely use the Metro. The one and only time I drove in DC I got horribly lost and swore to never do that again. The hotel I'm planning on staying at is in Alexandria. Just need the govt to pass a frelling budget first. Hubby is civil service and if/when the govt shuts down we get no paycheck. I don't want to book a room and then have th govt shut down for any length of time which would make it difficult if not impossible to go.
On the road work, I have a story about road work and Atlanta, GA. That was not fun. We had gone to the aquarium and were headed south to meet my family at Disney World for a couple of days. There was a ton of road construction and trying to get back on the freeway headed south was nearly impossible.