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Nathan has been invited (all expenses paid for himself and his mom ) to D.C. in April as a representative of one our local foundations.
/begin mom aside
WHAT A KID I HAVE!!! WOW!!!
/end mom aside
He'd like to see Gettysburg while we're there -- can any of the DC folks tell me what the best means of public transportation might be?
I've already figured out that we need the blue line from airport to motel, but he'd like to see Gettysburg. What else might we fit in to our one free day? Ideas?
We're flying in on a Sunday afternoon, and we have Monday free until about 6 pm, at which time we are booked with activities until flying out Thursday a.m.
Posts: 5609 | Registered: Jan 2003
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I'm not truly a DC person--I live in Northern Virginia--but I'm pretty sure there's no convenient public transit to Gettysburg from DC. It's about 90 min.-2h to Gettysburg from DC by car. I'd suggest looking up bus tours like Dagonee linked to above, or possibly renting a car. It's an easy drive and you'll be going against traffic.
And Dagonee is right...if Gettysburg is what he wants to see, that's all you'll be able to do.
Which airport are you flying in to? Given that you said Blue Line, I'm assuming Ronald Reagan.
If Gettysburg doesn't work out, my personal recommendation is the Natural History Smithsonian. I've probably gone 20 times over the last 20+ years, and I always love it. It's fascinating. And if you do the Smithsonians, then you can probably go to more than one in a day (and public transit is super easy). Plus I can recommend a terrific restaurant in the area! I've also heard great things about the Spy Museum, but haven't been myself & I'm not 100% sure where it is.
But Gettysburg is worth the trip if that's what he's really interested in. I thought it was ultra cool when I was in the 10-13 age range. (I don't know how old he is...)
And by the way, congratulations and enjoy the trip!
Oh, and if you're there when the cherry blossoms are blooming, please, please, please go see them. We make a point of it every year.
Posts: 834 | Registered: Jun 2005
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I live not too far from Gettysburg, and there's no public transportation to or in Gettysburg. If it has to be Gettysburg, I'd do what either Liz or Dags has suggested and either do a bus tour or rent a car (and it's a pretty easy drive to Gettysburg once you get out of DC). Or, if Nathan's interested in the Civil War and not tied to Gettysburg specifically, you could do Harper's Ferry which can be reached by commuter rail. I also think Manassas/Bull Run can probably be reached by commuter rail. I haven't been to the Manassas Battlefield, but I can vouch for Harper's Ferry being one of my favorite trips from when I was a kid.
Whatever you decide, there are plenty of things to do and I'm sure you'll both have a great time.
Posts: 959 | Registered: Jan 2002
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Thanks for the link, Dags -- that looks like an awesome tour! Risuena, I'll be sure to check into the other options you mentioned. I hit the Smithsonian Flight museum in my college days, and it was a blast, Liz. We are flying into the Reagan airport. What is the restaurant you'd recommend?
Nathan is fascinated by the Civil War, and he is currently memorizing the Gettysburg Address for a speech competition. What's most interesting to me is that he has thoroughly dissected and analyzed the speech based on his reading of the Civil War.
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There are a ton of great, free things to do in the city. The Smithsonian is an obvious choice. Unfortunately the National Museum of American History is closed for renovations. The zoo is also lots of fun, and Metro accessible (Woodley Park or Cleveland Park on the Red Line). The National Arboretum is underappreciated. It's not on the Metro, but there is a bus on weekends. I've never been up there, but I've heard the view from the top of the National Cathedral is spectacular.
This Metro site is very useful for figuring out how to get around. You can click on the individual stations to get more information, including maps of the area.
Congrats on having an awesome kid. Growing up in DC, it was always a little ironic when the "prize" for something was a trip to Washington. Posts: 2149 | Registered: Aug 2000
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Try the Lincoln Memorial after dark. It's awe-inspiring.
If Nathan is interested in the Civil War, he really will need to come to Richmond at some point. After all, it was the seat of the Confederacy and the final resting place of its president. It's also Richmond's 400th birthday this year, so a ton of neat historical stuff is going on. Oh, and I live here. Posts: 3037 | Registered: Jan 2002
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Harper's Ferry is way more interesting than Manassas, in my opinion. But Gettysburg is better than both.
The restaurant is Jaleo, and it's in what I consider easy walking distance of the Mall. Tapas are just so fun, and these are the best I've ever had.
Posts: 834 | Registered: Jun 2005
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Since you have such limited time, I would really recommend skipping Gettysburg altogether on this trip. There are a lot more worthwhile things you could do right in DC. I'd recommend going to Ford's theater, where they have a neat museum in the basement and also give an interesting talk about Lincoln's assassination.
I'm sure there's plenty of other civil war related stuff right in the city that you could find.
Posts: 4292 | Registered: Jan 2001
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We've got a book or two to poke through, as well as the great links folks shared.
Question to DC folks: any idea on how hot and humid I can expect it to be in late April? Nathan takes a medication that makes overheating/heat stroke a serious problem, and I am trying to plan ahead on that end, too . . .
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Even though Smithsonian's American History Museum is closed, you can still see some of their "greatest hits" exhibits in a hall on the second floor of the Smith's Air & Space Museum (just across the Mall). There's a tree trunk that's full of shot from the battle of Spotsylvania there, as well as Lincoln's hat, so you can still get a bit of a Civil War fix.
Posts: 471 | Registered: Jul 2002
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weather.com says average highs in the high 60s and low 70s. (Record average high for the month was 94, and it was a relatively warm winter.)Still looking for humidity stats.
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The International Spy Museum, the coolest, most fun, and interesting museum I have ever been to.
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