Seeing it all in Washington, D.C. (Frugal Family Trips series)

     Okay, I'll admit it.  It's impossible to see everything in Washington, D.C. in seven days.  You could spend months in Washington, D.C., and not see it all.

     But we certainly did our best!  

     We knew that our once-in-a-lifetime trip to Washington, D.C. as a family was an amazing opportunity, so we didn't want to waste any time at all - and we were determined to see as much of the area as we could.

     Here are my tips and our family's schedule so we were able to see more than most people see in seven days' time:

• Realize that you won't be able to see every display or object in every museum, so plan ahead and figure out which floors and exhibits you'll want to explore at different Smithsonian museums
• To save a lot of time, eat at restaurants that are more like "fast food" but still very good (like many of those at Union Station)
• Use the Metrorail instead of driving a car and spending hours trying to find a place to park
• Walk a bit more on the brisk side instead of meandering slowly from place to place. It's great exercise!
• Plan your trip out ahead of time, knowing that you may need some flexibility in case your Metrorail car is delayed due to power outages or breakdowns
• If you have more money to spend, consider a tour of the National Mall on a rented bicycle or a Segway

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     Here is my family's schedule that we followed during our week in Washington, D.C.  Keep in mind that our children were ages 16 and 14 at the time.  One of them loves history and museums, and the other one likes them but also enjoys other activities when traveling (shopping, American Girl Dolls store, etc.).  We did our best to accommodate both of them.  ☺

Day One:

*Breakfast in our hotel in Alexandria, Virginia (to save time and money)
*Ride the Metro from the hotel to Reagan International Airport to rent a car for the next two days
*Drive to George Washington's vast estate, Mt. Vernon Memorial, in Mt. Vernon, Virginia for the remainder of the daylight hours (this was my family's most favorite part of the week!)
*Dinner in the Mt. Vernon area
*Drive back to Washington, D.C. and view the National Mall memorials at night

Day Two:

*Breakfast in our hotel in Arlington, Virginia (to save time and money)
*Drive to Manassas National Battlefield Park in Manassas, Virginia (allow about 1 hour for your visit)
*Chick-fil-A for lunch in Charlottesville, Virginia (trust me, if you've never eaten at Chik-Fillet, it's a neat experience!)
*Drive to Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's estate, located in Charlottesville, Virginia (allow yourself at least 2 hours to visit)
*Dinner in Charlottesville, Virginia

Day Three:

*Breakfast in our hotel in Arlington, Virginia (to save time and money)
*Return car rental to Reagan International Airport
*Tour Arlington National Cemetery and view Changing of the Guard
*Tour Arlington/Lee House
*National Museum of the American Indian (eat lunch in cafeteria there for a wide variety of Native American foods)
*Tour the U.S. Capitol Visitor's Center
*Tour the Library of Congress
*Walk around the White House area
*Dinner at Union Station (inexpensive and moderately priced dining options, many international)

Day Four:

*Breakfast in our hotel in Arlington, Virginia (to save time and money)
*Ride Metro to visit the Pentagon and 9-11 Memorial
*Ride Metro to the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial (Iwo Jima)
*Take Metro to the Rosslyn stop to go up extremely long escalator!
*Coffee at Panera Bread
*Ride Metro to Fords Theater and Petersen House where President Lincoln died
*Lunch at the National Gallery of Art
*National Archives Museum
*Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
*Metro to Kennedy Center for a FREE performance! (and walk past Watergate)
*Dinner at Union Station (inexpensive and moderately priced dining options, many international)

Day Five:

*Breakfast in our hotel in Arlington, Virginia (to save time and money)
*Smithsonian Castle (This was our one disappointment.  It's just an administrative building, best viewed from the outside.  No tours are provided.  I would recommend not visiting this castle.)
*Crime & Punishment Museum
*Lunch at Union Station (inexpensive and moderately priced dining options, many international)
*National Cathedral
*Dinner at Whole Foods near Metro stop

Day Six:

*Breakfast in our hotel in Arlington, Virginia (to save time and money)
*Bureau of Engraving and Printing
*United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
*The National Museum of American History (lunch in cafeteria)
*Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum
*Dinner at Union Station (inexpensive and moderately priced dining options, many international)

Day Seven:

*Breakfast in our hotel in Arlington, Virginia (to save time and money)
*Metro to Union Station for Starbucks ☺
*Smithsonian National Postal Museum
*Back to hotel to check out
*Airport and fly home

Questions?  Helpful tips?

     If you've traveled to Washington, D.C.  in the past and have suggestions or tips, please let us know!  And if you have a question, please ask.  Thanks! 

     Read my other "Frugal Family Tips for a Visit to Washington, D.C." here!