Govt Shutdown

[Devils Horse]

Interesting stuff Jim. I have never been but I plan to go. Do you stay at a Hotel in DC and just walk around? Drive around? Public transit? Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks Don.

We got a deal on a timeshare condo at the Wyndham in National Harbor, Md. Bought tickets from a hop on/off trolley service that has 3 routes, each route having a bunch of stops at points of interest. The trolley service had a shuttle from National Harbor to downtown DC at a central stop. All the route drivers provided a narrated tour.

You really only need to take a trolley to anything beyond reasonable walking distance from the National Mall. Things like the National Cathedral (gargantuan awe inspiring church constructed by conventional means using NO steel) or Arlington are too far to walk to.

There is more than you can do in several days within walking distance on the mall, so all you need to do is don a good pair of shoes (pun intended) and get yourself there. Each museum can take the better part of a day, and there are some great, great, GREAT museums in DC. American History, Natural History, Air and Space, Spy, Holocaust, American Indian just to name a few.

It's a bit of a hike, but you also can walk to the Capitol, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, etc from the National Mall area. I'd avoid the Whitehouse, there's a bad smell in that area for some reason.

BTW, you need tickets to go up in the Washington Monument, they give out 2000 tickets at 8:30am, but you have to be in line early to get any. We avoided the lines and went up in the Old Post Office instead, no lines and bigger windows with almost as good a views
as the WM.

Set aside enough time! The Capitol for example will take at least a full day assuming you also visit the Library of Congress, which by all means you should do. I know kids are overstimulated these days, but you'll see their jaws drop in DC for sure, and so will yours.

Go for it brother, you'll be moved to tears many times if you love this country as much as I do. Send me a PM if you want, and I'll give you company names and details.

[Tim_T]

A lot of the stuff in D.C is free. The Smithsonains, the zoo etc. If you are there on a weekend you can buy a day pass on the metro for $5. At least this was all the case a few years back. We went a few times, Mr B-I-L was an attorney up there and when in law school did an internship for McConnell.

[Devils Horse]

Good call Tim, forgot to mention admission is free at almost everything there. We took the metro in one day. $4.25 to park all day, and about $5.50 apiece for the round trip tickets. Didn't see anything about a weekend pass, but didn't look for it either. If you take the green or orange line in, get off at the L' Enfant station.