Planning a trip to Washington DC, MD, DE and NJ

[Vermontcat]

In a few weeks my husband, kids and I will be driving down to Washington DC where we will stay for a few nights then over to Baltimore for one night then through Delaware to somewhere along the coast of southern New Jersey(still to be decided if it's Atlantic City). We will be in New Jersey for one night before we head back north to Vermont.
Who is in that area and what would you recommend we go see and do?
I would love to try to meet up with some of you. :)

[slick]

Oh, wait until Laurie sees this. :)

[lbaker]

HAH HAH HAH!! I've already tried to email Vcat and will continue to do so until it works :rolleyes: One thing I must push is a very special, private, small chapel within the Washington Nat'l Cathedral that was funded and built as a chapel for pets. It's very small and beautiful and one can feel the heartbeats of all of our gone to the bridge furkids. It's magic. It's way in the back but I can lead the way. Another MUST is "The Awakening" sculpture by The Mall. And no, teens... "The Mall" does NOT mean shopping mall It's the National Mall of Memorials and the Smithsoniam Museums ;) I can't wait to see you!!

[Vermontcat]

Slick, Laurie is the first person I thought of and I already PM'd her about it. :)

Laurie I did get your PM in reply and I had given you my e-mail address in the PM I sent you. My PM box is too full and I need to clean it out before I can PM back a reply.
My sons are 15 and 12 and my daughter is 9. We were thinking of walking around the Mall and seeing the sights on our first day there which will be Sunday the 23rd of April. Is there a good time to see the Washington Monument and would you recommend getting the tickets in advance? We also plan to visit some of the Smithsonian Museums.(I love that they are free!) :)
I have to run for now but I will be back online later. Sorry that I have not been online much lately or been easy to reach.

[emily_the_spoiled]

Laurie is on her way out to LA this afternoon, but I will try and help you out with a few things.

The most important thing is to bring comfortable shoes. DC is a town for walking (and Baltimore is to soom extent.

I'll do Baltimore first because it is easier (and smaller). The best thing to see is the Inner Harbour. If you are there on a game day you can always get tickets to the Oriole's (the stadium is great even for us non-baseball people).

Regarding tickets for the Monument... I would definitely advice getting them in advance if you can. Because then you don't have to wait in line as long.

I would also recommend seeing the National Holocaust Museum. One can not say this place is "fun", but it is one of the most moving museums I have ever seen.

The kids might also be interested in the Spy Museum. Unfortunately this one of the few museums in town that is not free but it is very good.

I always find that just walking on the Mall is nice (especially if it is nice outside). The Vietnam, Korean, and Lincoln Memorials are altogether at one end. Then the Congress is at the other end, with many of the Smithsonian Museums in between (or off the Mall a few blocks)

Cheryl

[Edwina's Secretary]

I love Mount Vernon....

[Vermontcat]

Thanks for the information Emily(Cheryl). Laurie mentioned that you live in the DC area too and would have some ideas.
We do plan to do a lot of walking as long as the weather is good. After a full day in the car the kids will be ready to do lots of walking.
A friend of mine also mentioned the Spy Museum but also said that it will cost more money.
We will see how many of the Smithsonian Museums we can see first before we try the Spy Museum.
Edwina's Secretary, I was thinking of going over to see Mount Vernon too but we will see if we can fit it into our schedule after we see some of DC.
Thanks for the help so far, it looks like I will have to wait a week to hear back from Laurie.
In the meantime I picked up Fodor's Guide to DC today so I will be checking that out for more info on the area.

[emily_the_spoiled]

There are something like 13 Smithsonian's so you could spend alot of time just in those museums ;)

Are there specific things that the kids would be interested in?

(There is always shopping...)

[Cessa's Mom]

The Spy Museum is very good! I even crawled through the ductwork. LOL! I also enjoy watching "The Changing of the Guard" at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington Cemetary.

[Ginger's Mom]

Ooh, I will have to check out the Spy Museum, sounds like fun. And yes, Mount Vernon is lovely (my neice and nephew only live about 5 miles away from there). Have you decided how you are going down yet? Although the ride on the Cape May-Lewes Ferry is very nice, it really is way out of the way for you. The quickest way through NJ is to just take the turnpike or 295 straight down. Were you planning on seeing any of the historical buildings in Philadelphia? I am not good at suggesting fun things, but if you have any questions. I hope you have good weather and a wonderful trip!

[Vermontcat]

Emily, we are planning on the Air and Space Museum and the Zoo and hopefully the Natural History Museum and maybe the American History Museum too. If we have time on the last morning before we leave town we may head over to Arlington or Mount Vernon.
Do you have any advice on kid-friendly restaurants or good places for lunch or dinner that aren't too pricey?

Ginger's Mom, we are still not sure which route we will take from Baltimore to Atlantic City. It looks like it would be faster to go through Wilmington.
Do you have any advice on a quick route from Atlantic City back to RT 87 in NY state? We will be driving back to Vermont on Saturday the 29th and would rather avoid heavy city traffic if possible. It looks like 206 goes up to 84 then 87. Is that a good route? It looks like the most direct one.

[emily_the_spoiled]

Arlington and Mount Vernon are south of DC, so you will be heading away from where you want to go. You might want to re-think that.

If you are going to the zoo, check the website to see about getting tickets for Tai Shan (the baby panda). He is supposed to be most active first thing in the AM (like 7:30AM).

The Air and Space museum is very very noisy because of the acoustics in the building, so be prepared for that.

All of the Smithsonian's have fast food places in them (usually Mickey D's or some equivalent). The restuarants tend to be a little pricey, but they have a captive audience, because you have no other options while you are there.

Depending on where you are staying, you might be better off getting dinner closer to the hotel.

BTW, bring a bag that is easily searched. Everytime you go into a new museum you have to go through security (including a bag search). (Someone told me that is a true sign I have lived here to long, that I would actually be able to give that advice to people :rolleyes: )

You are better off taking the Metro (i.e. the subway) and do NOT drive in the downtown area if you can avoid it. Traffic can get pretty hairy around here. (They are closing many of the streets today for the immigration rally...)

[Vermontcat]

Emily, our hotel is in Georgetown and we plan to park our car there and walk or use the nearest Metro to get around to The Mall and the Zoo.
We have heard that the traffic in DC is bad and would rather not drive in it.
What is the best way to get to Baltimore from Georgetown then? Go around by 495?
Can you walk across a bridge to Arlington from The Mall area?
My Fodor's guide to DC also says that bags will be searched at all the museums.
I plan to travel as light as possible.
Do they allow cameras or flash photos in the museums?
I do plan to get tickets to see the panda bears.
Our hotel has a kitchenette so we will have some things to eat there.
Hopefully 4 1/2 days is enough to see as many sights in DC as we can.
Thanks for the advice. :)

[emily_the_spoiled]

You are wise to use the Metro. I live here and almost never drive downtown because I don't have the patience and you never know what will happen to shut traffic down.

If you are staying in Georgetown there are lots and lots of different restaurants to eat at. This is actually one of the best areas in town for that, so your problem will be deciding where to eat ;)

The easiest (but not the shortest) route from Baltimore to DC, is go down 95 and take 495 (into Virginia). Just make SURE that you do not travel during rush hour (495 is REALLY bd at the best of times).

You can bring in cameras and flashes into all the museums, so that is not a problem. I would also recommend getting the tickets for Tia Shan now, because they go really quickly.

I suppose that you could walk across the bridge, but that could be a long walk... you would be better off taking the Metro across and then walking from there.

The one thing to know about travelling in DC, is that cabs are not that expensive. They are paid on the grid system, so it is a flat rate within each grid. Then once you pass over into another grid, there is an increase. But they do not charge by the mile or the minute, so taking a cab might be an option for you.

If you would like I will PM my home and work phone number for you. (I work down by the Mall)

[Vermontcat]

Emily, thanks for reminding me to get the tickets for the pandas and the Washington Monument. I meant to do that this weekend but I have been fighting off a cold that my son gave me.
There were no tickets for the Washington Monument on the Sunday so we are going there on Monday and to see the pandas on Tuesday. I booked both sets of tickets last night.
My husband and I still have to decide on a hotel in the Atlantic City area of NJ.

Yes, I was thinking of getting your (and Lbaker's) phone # before we leave for DC. Right now my PM box is full again (sorry) I hope to give it a good cleaning out tonight when I have more time online. So if you can wait until tonight or tomorrow to PM me your info, I will be able to PM you back with my contact info.

[Ginger's Mom]

Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner, I will need to check for a good route from Atlantic City to NY. But my gut says Garden State Parkway or Atlantic City Expressway to the Turnpike. I would not recommend 206, it is one lane in both directions in the southern-most section, it is busy, it is not well kept up (plan on your car going *thunk-thunk, thunk-thunk* for about 3-5 miles in Burlington County), not real scenic. Nah, not my choice. I will check Map Quest tonight and see if anything looks like a nice drive. :)

[catnapper]

Hmmmm.... I do not see Pennsylvania in that listing! :D

Perhaps you couls swing by good ol' PA? ;)

[Vermontcat]

Emily, I got your PM so I have the contact #'s for you and Lbaker now. Thanks. :)
I will PM you my contact info this weekend.

Ginger's Mom, it looks like we better stick to a main route and stay off those bumpy back roads. We have enough roads like that here in Vermont.
Let me know if you come up with a better route, I may just want to head over through Trenton or Philly into PA if that is a better route.

Catnapper, actually I was thinking of asking you and Jen what town the Petsmart is in that you work at and some of her foster kitties are at.
Do you work on Saturdays? What are your hours? Does Jen still have DaVinci up for adoption there? On Saturday the 29th we may have time to visit if we go through that area. You can PM me if you don't want to post it here. I still have your phone # from last summer. :)

[jenluckenbach]

Actually, DaVinci is home with me right now............but I could certainly make sure he is at the adoption center if you like. ;) (You won't be able to resist him)

The Petsmart is in Wyomissing, PA> 1183 Berkshire Blvd.

I would be working Saturday the 29th. with my work hours and the drive to the Petsmart I would not be able to be there before 5pm. BUT, if your plans call for a dinner in Reading/Wyomissing, it would be certainly worth the effort for me to come down.

[Vermontcat]

Jen, we will be driving back north to Vermont on the 29th so it would be around mid-day that we might be going through your area.
We still have to decide which route to take from southern NJ to get back to NY state on our way back to VT.
I will let you know if we do head out your way.
Give DaVinci some hugs and kisses from me. :)

[Ginger's Mom]

Hi, I just did a quick look on Streets & Maps and they also recommend the Garden State Parkway from Atlantic City, to where it meets the NJ Turnpike, then the Turnpike (Exit 129) all the way up to NY, then Route 95 until you hit I-91 in Connecticut. It says from Atlantic City to Vermont is 436 miles. Now that pretty much takes you up the eastern side of NJ. Jen is out in Allentown (?), that would add another 80 miles or so to your trip. But it might be worth the trip and a lot of fun. :)

[Vermontcat]

Ginger's Mom, we were checking on the best driving routes this weekend and even to drive down to DC the quickest route would be from 87 in NY to the Jersey Turnpike then 95 into Baltimore then DC. It will be a lot of city driving on a Saturday. How is the traffic around the Philly area, anything we should know about? We are coming from the Lake Champlain side of Vermont so it is quicker to go through NY state on 87 rather than through CT. On the drive down to DC it will be 8 1/2 hrs driving so we really won't have any time to stop for visits that day since we want to get into DC before dark. On the drive back from NJ, I don't think we would be able to head too far off course into PA for any visits either. :(
My husband will be doing most of the driving, especially in the city areas.
Thanks for helping with more info on a good route.