How To Visit Washington DC
It does not matter what side of the isle you are on or if you like/agree with who is in power in Washington you owe it to yourself and your family to not only visit DC but to do it to the fullest. Anyone can hop on a tour bus or a plane and go to DC and get tickets to some of the amazing things to see. With a little planning and a few phone calls you can do it to the fullest. If you contact your Congressman or Senator they or their staff will take you on a Capital Tour. Even if you have been on a tour before you have not been on one like this. You start in their office and then hit the tunnels and get the full tour experience. If you ask you can usually get them to take you out on the Speakers Balcony. This is literally off of the Speakers office and you never know who you will see in there.If there are in session you can sit in the balcony and listen to the debates and if they are not in session sometimes you can get onto the floor. There are also options that some members will give night time tours and those are usually a little quieter and more one on one. They can also help get you White House tour tickets.
I will admit that depending on what side of the isle your representative is on and with who is in the Oval office if they are in the same party the White House tour is easier to get. There are also pages that you can follow that will tell you what event are are different embassies that are open to the public. Some of these wil have certain attire guidelines.
Of course go to as many museums as you can. Im not sure there are any I have been to that I didnt enjoy. I would highly recommend the Holocaust Museum, it is one of my favorites right now. I would also suggest getting tickets to the Library of Congress. You will have to get times tickets ahead of getting to DC but it is worth it. If you have a few minutes to spare before the library go have a coffee at Quill & Crumb. It is located across the street in the Folger Shakespeare Library. It is worth a visit as well and not crowded at all and nice to get away from all the tourists for awhile.
Of course Mount Vernon, Vietnam Memorial, The Washington Monument and all the others are great too. Just do your homework and know which ones you need advanced tickets to and which ones are good for a hop on hop off tour. And the night time tours and great. Usually not as many school groups but can get a little crowded but all are worth it.
One of the most important things to remember if you are going to try to get into these tours is dress appropriately and wear comfortable shoes. Ill do a separate post soon on where to eat while you are there.
