{"id":16058,"date":"2016-08-15T06:26:27","date_gmt":"2016-08-15T11:26:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/?p=16058"},"modified":"2021-06-21T08:40:53","modified_gmt":"2021-06-21T13:40:53","slug":"dc-in-less-that-a-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/2016\/08\/15\/dc-in-less-that-a-day\/","title":{"rendered":"See DC in Less than a Day"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/See-DC-in-a-Day.png?resize=1024%2C1024&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"See DC in a Day\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-29340\" \/><\/p>\n<p>One could spend a whole month in Washington, DC, and still not see it all. But what if you&#8217;re short on time? Is there anyway to see DC in less than a day?<\/p>\n<p>Our answer? Yes, provided you are motivated and wear a comfortable pair of walking shoes!<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, for the majority of our family visits to our nation&#8217;s capital city, we&#8217;ve <strong>just been &#8220;passing through&#8221; <\/strong>on our way to somewhere else.<\/p>\n<p>But we&#8217;ve learned to <strong>pack a LOT of sightseeing into a small amount of time<\/strong> &#8212; usually 24 hours or less.<\/p>\n<p>And since <strong>admission is free<\/strong> to all the sites listed below (except Mount Vernon), we don&#8217;t feel pressured to &#8220;get our money&#8217;s worth&#8221; when we go. We feel sufficiently enriched, just getting to spend a short time in each place.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Here&#8217;s our typical itinerary:<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>How to see DC in less than a day<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3>9:00 AM &#8211; Tour the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.loc.gov\/visit\/tours\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Library of Congress<\/a><\/h3>\n<p>Located across the street from the Capitol, this place is a book lover&#8217;s dream. Take a stroll through its corridors and breathe in all the beauty of <strong>the world&#8217;s biggest library.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We&#8217;ve only done self-guided tours, although <strong>guided tours and gallery talks are also available.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Library-of-Congress.jpg?resize=1024%2C728&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"How to do DC in Less than a Day\" width=\"1024\" height=\"728\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-16066\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Library-of-Congress.jpg?w=575&amp;ssl=1 575w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Library-of-Congress.jpg?resize=300%2C213&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Library-of-Congress.jpg?resize=250%2C178&amp;ssl=1 250w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>\n<h3> 9:45 AM &#8211; Walk to Capitol Hill<\/h3>\n<p>It&#8217;s <strong>a short jaunt<\/strong> and normally doesn&#8217;t take us more than 15 minutes.<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3>10:00 AM &#8211; Tour the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aoc.gov\/capitol-buildings\/about-us-capitol-building\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">US Capitol Building<\/a><\/h3>\n<p>To <strong>get a behind-the-scenes look at our seat of government<\/strong>, you&#8217;ll need to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitthecapitol.gov\/plan-visit\/book-tour-capitol\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">book your reservations<\/a> well in advance. Allow 90 minutes for the standard tour.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Capitol-Tour.jpg?resize=1024%2C1024&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"DC in Less than a Day\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-16064\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Capitol-Tour.jpg?w=575&amp;ssl=1 575w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Capitol-Tour.jpg?resize=100%2C100&amp;ssl=1 100w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Capitol-Tour.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Capitol-Tour.jpg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Capitol-Tour.jpg?resize=250%2C250&amp;ssl=1 250w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>We usually alternate between touring the Capitol and <a href=\"https:\/\/washington.org\/DC-faqs-for-visitors\/how-can-i-tour-white-house\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">touring the White House<\/a>. Both tours are free, but there&#8217;s a lot more red tape associated with getting into the White House, and <strong>the Capitol is more central to the other sites on this list<\/strong>, so if you only have time to do one, I&#8217;d suggest sticking with the Capitol tour. <\/p>\n<p>Don&#8217;t miss picking up some free postcards and bookmarks in the gift shop. For a price, you can also get a replica of the capitol dome cast in white chocolate. Sweet!<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3>12:00 PM &#8211; Grab a bite of lunch<\/h3>\n<p>We walked to <a href=\"http:\/\/unionpubdc.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Union Pub<\/a> to eat. It was only a few blocks from the Capitol (201 Massachusetts Ave). The service was fast, the food was tasty, and <strong>we earned 5 Aadvantage miles for every dollar we spent there<\/strong> &#8212; always a plus in our books. <\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Union-Pub.jpg?resize=1024%2C1186&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"How to do DC in Less than a Day\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1186\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-16067\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Union-Pub.jpg?w=575&amp;ssl=1 575w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Union-Pub.jpg?resize=259%2C300&amp;ssl=1 259w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Union-Pub.jpg?resize=250%2C290&amp;ssl=1 250w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>\n<h3>1:00 PM &#8211; Walk back to the mall to tour Smithsonian<\/h3>\n<p>I would love to spend a full, leisurely day in each of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.edu\/content\/ovs\/mallmap.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">these wonderful museums<\/a>, but <strong>our visits are more of the whirlwind variety<\/strong>. We allow ourselves about 30 minutes per site and try to hit the highlights of each.<\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;ll <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">explore each museum&#8217;s website<\/a> before you go, you can <strong>get an idea of which exhibits you&#8217;d most like to view in person, then head directly to those displays<\/strong>. I&#8217;ve noted some of the things on our &#8220;must see&#8221; list for the ones we visited below (click on the name of the museum to go directly to that website).<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3>1:30 PM &#8211; Visit the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nga.gov\/content\/ngaweb\/Collection\/highlights.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">National Gallery of Art<\/a><\/h3>\n<p>We <strong>take a little time to pose for pictures amongst all the pyramids<\/strong> on the east side of the West Building. <\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/National-Gallery-of-Art-West-Building.jpg?resize=1024%2C632&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"How to do DC in Less than a Day\" width=\"1024\" height=\"632\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-16068\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/National-Gallery-of-Art-West-Building.jpg?w=575&amp;ssl=1 575w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/National-Gallery-of-Art-West-Building.jpg?resize=300%2C185&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/National-Gallery-of-Art-West-Building.jpg?resize=250%2C154&amp;ssl=1 250w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>You&#8217;ll find the gallery gift shop on that end of the building, too. If you want to buy souvenirs of your trip to DC, this is a great place to do so. <strong>They have something to inspire the inner artist in all of us<\/strong>. <\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/The-Art-Gallery-Gift-Shop.jpg?w=1024&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"How to do DC in Less than a Day\"   class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-16069\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/The-Art-Gallery-Gift-Shop.jpg?w=575&amp;ssl=1 575w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/The-Art-Gallery-Gift-Shop.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/The-Art-Gallery-Gift-Shop.jpg?resize=250%2C187&amp;ssl=1 250w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 575px) 100vw, 575px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;d rather skip any possible temptation to overspend, you can bypass the bookstore by using the front entrance of the building, instead. Inside you&#8217;ll find <strong>two full floors of galleries filled with exquisite art<\/strong>, including Leonardo da Vinci&#8217;s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nga.gov\/content\/ngaweb\/Collection\/art-object-page.50724.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Ginevra de&#8217; Benci<\/em><\/a>, Raphael&#8217;s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nga.gov\/content\/ngaweb\/Collection\/art-object-page.26.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Alba Madonna<\/em><\/a>, van Gogh&#8217;s<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nga.gov\/content\/ngaweb\/Collection\/art-object-page.106382.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em> Self-Portrait<\/em><\/a>, Monet&#8217;s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nga.gov\/content\/ngaweb\/Collection\/art-object-page.74796.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Japanese Footbridge<\/em><\/a>, and one of my personal favorites, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nga.gov\/content\/ngaweb\/Collection\/art-object-page.50298.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Daniel in the Lions&#8217; Den<\/em><\/a> by Sir Peter Paul Rubens.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Daniel-in-the-Lions-Den.jpg?w=1024&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Daniel in the Lions&#039; Den\"   class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-16076\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Daniel-in-the-Lions-Den.jpg?w=575&amp;ssl=1 575w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Daniel-in-the-Lions-Den.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Daniel-in-the-Lions-Den.jpg?resize=250%2C187&amp;ssl=1 250w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 575px) 100vw, 575px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>If you are a fan of ornate furnishings (as we are) you&#8217;ll want to <strong>walk through the early American furniture exhibit<\/strong>, too. <\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/American-Furniture.jpg?w=1024&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Early American Furniture\"   class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-16087\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/American-Furniture.jpg?w=575&amp;ssl=1 575w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/American-Furniture.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/American-Furniture.jpg?resize=250%2C187&amp;ssl=1 250w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 575px) 100vw, 575px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s right next to the sculpture collection, where you&#8217;ll see Degas&#8217;s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nga.gov\/content\/ngaweb\/features\/modeling-movement\/little-dancer-original-state.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Little Dancer<\/em><\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nga.gov\/content\/ngaweb\/Collection\/art-object-page.1005.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>The Thinker<\/em><\/a> by Auguste Rodin&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/The-Thinker.jpg?w=1024&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"The Thinker\"   class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-16088\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/The-Thinker.jpg?w=575&amp;ssl=1 575w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/The-Thinker.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/The-Thinker.jpg?resize=250%2C187&amp;ssl=1 250w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 575px) 100vw, 575px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>..as well as a lot of nudes (so <strong>beware if you or your children are sensitive<\/strong> about that kind of art). <\/li>\n<li>\n<h3> 2:15 PM &#8211; Walk through the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden<\/h3>\n<p>We always cut through these gardens on our way to the Natural History Museum, but never linger for long. Our favorite sculptures here are the giant metal tree and the yellow house. You should also <strong>keep your eyes open for the albino squirrel<\/strong> we spotted scurrying around the grounds last time we were in town:<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Albino-Squirrel.jpg?resize=1024%2C698&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Albino Squirrel\" width=\"1024\" height=\"698\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-16079\" \/><\/p>\n<p>They also have <strong>a huge fountain in the center of the garden<\/strong>&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/In-front-of-fountain-in-sculpture-garden.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"In front of fountain in sculpture garden\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-16080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/In-front-of-fountain-in-sculpture-garden.jpg?w=575&amp;ssl=1 575w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/In-front-of-fountain-in-sculpture-garden.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/In-front-of-fountain-in-sculpture-garden.jpg?resize=250%2C167&amp;ssl=1 250w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&#8230;that gets turned into <strong>an outdoor ice rink<\/strong> in the winter. Last time we visited in January, we were wishing we&#8217;d allotted enough time to do a little skating.<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3>2:30 PM &#8211; Visit the <a href=\"http:\/\/naturalhistory.si.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">National Museum of Natural History<\/a><\/h3>\n<p>Sadly, the National Fossil Hall has been closed for renovation the last two times we&#8217;ve been in DC. It is scheduled to reopen in 2018. But you can still<strong> explore the Hall of Mammals and the Ocean Hall:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Ocean-Hall.jpg?w=1024&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Ocean Hall\"   class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-16082\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Ocean-Hall.jpg?w=575&amp;ssl=1 575w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Ocean-Hall.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Ocean-Hall.jpg?resize=250%2C187&amp;ssl=1 250w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 575px) 100vw, 575px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The African Elephant in the Rotunda makes a great photo op, and be sure to <strong>go upstairs to view the Hope Diamond <\/strong>while you&#8217;re there, as well.<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3>3:00 PM &#8211; Take a water break<\/h3>\n<p>Bottled water is expensive downtown, so carry some with you from home. It&#8217;s especially important to <strong>stay hydrated<\/strong> if you visit in the heat of the summer. <\/p>\n<p>There&#8217;s a popcorn stand outside the Natural History Museum; the local birds enjoyed it as much as our kids did. <strong>We sat just long enough to drink our water, feed the birds, and listen to a street musician<\/strong> play several verses of Amazing Grace on his saxophone. When the police came by and ran him off, we continued on our way.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Feeding-the-Birds.jpg?w=1024&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Feeding the Birds\"   class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-16083\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Feeding-the-Birds.jpg?w=575&amp;ssl=1 575w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Feeding-the-Birds.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Feeding-the-Birds.jpg?resize=250%2C187&amp;ssl=1 250w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 575px) 100vw, 575px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>\n<h3>3:15 PM &#8211; Visit the <a href=\"http:\/\/americanhistory.si.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">National Museum of American History<\/a><\/h3>\n<p>Call me a girl, but <strong>my very favorite exhibits in this museum<\/strong> are the <a href=\"http:\/\/americanhistory.si.edu\/exhibitions\/dolls-house\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">doll&#8217;s house<\/a>, the <a href=\"http:\/\/americanhistory.si.edu\/first-ladies\/white-house-entertaining-page-3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">White House china<\/a> collection, and the <a href=\"http:\/\/americanhistory.si.edu\/first-ladies\/first-ladies-fashions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">First Ladies&#8217; gowns<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/First-Ladies-Gowns.jpg?resize=1024%2C443&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"How to see DC in less than a day.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"443\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-16084\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/First-Ladies-Gowns.jpg?w=575&amp;ssl=1 575w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/First-Ladies-Gowns.jpg?resize=300%2C130&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/First-Ladies-Gowns.jpg?resize=250%2C108&amp;ssl=1 250w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Our guys&#8217; favorite exhibits include <a href=\"http:\/\/americanhistory.si.edu\/exhibitions\/price-of-freedom\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Price of Freedom: America at War<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/americanhistory.si.edu\/exhibitions\/inventing-america\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Inventing in America<\/a>, and <a href=\"http:\/\/americanhistory.si.edu\/exhibitions\/star-spangled-banner\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Star Spangled Banner<\/a>. <\/li>\n<li>\n<h3>4:00 PM &#8211; Walk across the Mall to the Museums on opposite side<\/h3>\n<p>Stop by the Smithsonian signature building on the way. Even if you don&#8217;t have time to go into the visitor&#8217;s center inside, take a few minutes to admire and\/or <strong>photograph this beautiful castle <\/strong>from the outside.<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3>4:15 PM &#8211; Check out <a href=\"http:\/\/hirshhorn.si.edu\/collection\/current-exhibitions\/#collection=current-exhibitions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Hirshhorn Museum<\/a><\/h3>\n<p>If you enjoy modern art, you won&#8217;t want to miss this one. We usually <strong>take a quick peek<\/strong> in a few of the galleries. <\/p>\n<p>If we are feeling really adventurous, we&#8217;ll <strong>lecture one another on &#8220;what the artist is trying to communicate&#8221; <\/strong>for any given piece, then read the description to see how close we came to guessing correctly. <\/p>\n<p>My daughter <strong>Bethany introduced us to this game<\/strong>, and she&#8217;s really good at it. Sometimes, her tongue-in-cheek analyses are actually spot on!<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3>4:45 PM &#8211; Visit the <a href=\"https:\/\/airandspace.si.edu\/visit\/museum-dc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">National Air and Space Museum<\/a><\/h3>\n<p>This place is expansive! It&#8217;s <strong>my sons&#8217; favorite museum on the mall<\/strong>. General admission is free, but you&#8217;ll have to buy tickets if you want to watch any IMAX or planetarium shows. We have never done that. There is plenty else to keep you busy while you&#8217;re here. <\/p>\n<p>Keep your eyes peeled for <a href=\"https:\/\/airandspace.si.edu\/collection-objects\/1909-wright-military-flyer\/nasm_A19120001000\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>The Wright Flyer<\/em><\/a> (the brothers&#8217; design that ushered in the age of flight), <a href=\"https:\/\/airandspace.si.edu\/multimedia-gallery\/2001-137hjpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>The Spirit of St. Louis <\/em><\/a>(the plane in which Charles Lindberg made the first solo, non-stop, transatlantic flight), and <strong>many other historical air and spacecraft.<br \/>\n<\/strong><br \/>\n<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/National-Air-and-Space-Museum.jpg?w=1024&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"National Air and Space Museum\"   class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-16095\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/National-Air-and-Space-Museum.jpg?w=575&amp;ssl=1 575w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/National-Air-and-Space-Museum.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/National-Air-and-Space-Museum.jpg?resize=250%2C187&amp;ssl=1 250w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 575px) 100vw, 575px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>\n<h3>5:30 PM &#8211; Walk back to car<\/h3>\n<p>Take your time, and <strong>admire all the beautiful landscaping and architecture along the way<\/strong>. There are lots of big, old trees in this area, and beautifully designed buildings.<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3>6:00 PM &#8211; Eat dinner<\/h3>\n<p>Best <strong>make it some place fairly close by<\/strong>, or you&#8217;ll get caught in rush hour traffic. If you plan ahead, you might even pack an ice chest with goodies and enjoy a picnic sitting on the green grass of The Mall. We&#8217;ve done that before, as it is a great time saver.<\/p>\n<p>Otherwise, I suggest cross-check <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aadvantagedining.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Aadvantage Dining<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.restaurant.com\/referfriends\/ReferredBy?refextid=1DLUH&#038;prti=5157&#038;ext=em_raf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Restaurant.com<\/a> for deals at nearby places. <strong>We&#8217;ve eaten some great Indian, Italian, and Mediterranean cuisine in the DC area <\/strong>thanks to these programs.<\/p>\n<p>We usually prefer to <strong>try out locally-owned restaurants<\/strong> whenever we&#8217;re on vacation, but if you are traveling with kids who prefer the big chains, you should also check for any <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/kids-eat-free-in-the-usa\/\" >kids-eat-free deals<\/a> in the area.<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3>8:00 PM \u2013 Tour National Monuments at night<\/h3>\n<p>No one-day, whirlwind tour of Washington DC would be complete without paying a visit to the national monuments. But since those are open all day long, we normally save them for the evening hours. <\/p>\n<p>After all the walking\/rushing we&#8217;ve done earlier in the day, we prefer to <strong>drive from one memorial to another once the sun has set<\/strong>. <\/p>\n<p>You can usually park on the street for free in the evenings and walk up for a close-up view. We highly recommended doing so (especially for Lincoln and Jefferson), as <strong>the memorials look beautiful and brilliant, all lit up at night<\/strong>. <strong>Include a minimum of these four sites on your tour:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Lincoln Memorial<\/li>\n<li>Washington Monument<\/li>\n<li>Jefferson Memorial<\/li>\n<li>White House.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The First Family&#8217;s residence looks beautiful at night, so be sure to <strong>drive down Pennsylvania Avenue after dark<\/strong>, as well. I&#8217;ve taken some beautiful night pictures of DC&#8217;s monuments and memorials. If you&#8217;re a camera buff, you&#8217;ll want to pack a tripod for still shots.<\/p>\n<p><strong>One thing we&#8217;ve never fit in but would really like to see?<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/nationalzoo.si.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Smithsonian&#8217;s National Zoo<\/a>. Admission is free there, too, but the <a href=\"https:\/\/nationalzoo.si.edu\/visit\/hours.cfm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hours of operation<\/a> have made it impossible for us to go and still do everything else on our schedule.<\/p>\n<p>And that wraps up our whirlwind tour. If you have to see DC in a day, this is one way to do it.<\/p>\n<p>If your travel itinerary allows you the luxury of <strong>spending a couple of nights in the DC area<\/strong>, though, we&#8217;d recommend visiting <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mountvernon.org\/plan-your-visit\/?gclid=Cj0KEQjw0MW9BRDxtYTn2_S699MBEiQAw33y4yivN4mcBuvh0GVV_H9aNCIfHWkkFEPAg7EfCNh1VS4aAmuH8P8HAQ\">Mount Vernon<\/a> on your way into town (don&#8217;t miss the 4-D theater presentation included in the price of your ticket), then the <a href=\"https:\/\/nationalzoo.si.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">National Zoo<\/a> on your way out.<\/p>\n<h2>More Travel Ideas for Families<\/h2>\n<p>If your family loves to go as much as mine does, check out my book <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3urdDdU\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Pack Up &#038; Leave<\/a>. It\u2019s chockful of smart tips that will make your next family road trip or vacation more economical, educational, and memorable.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3urdDdU\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Ad-Pack-Up-Leave.png?resize=1024%2C350&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Pack Up &amp; Leave: Travel Tips for Fun Family Vacations\" width=\"1024\" height=\"350\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-24740\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Ad-Pack-Up-Leave.png?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Ad-Pack-Up-Leave.png?resize=600%2C205&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Ad-Pack-Up-Leave.png?resize=300%2C103&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Ad-Pack-Up-Leave.png?resize=768%2C263&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"display:none\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/DC-in-Less-than-a-Day.png?resize=600%2C908&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"How to see DC in Less than a Day\" width=\"600\" height=\"908\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-16073\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/DC-in-Less-than-a-Day.png?w=600&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/DC-in-Less-than-a-Day.png?resize=198%2C300&amp;ssl=1 198w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/DC-in-Less-than-a-Day.png?resize=250%2C378&amp;ssl=1 250w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>One could spend a whole month in Washington, DC, and still not see it all. But what if you&#8217;re short on time? Is there anyway to see DC in less&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":29340,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[109],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16058","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - 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