Tips for a three-day trip to D.C.?

Many of the museums off of the reflecting pond are free.

If you want to keep the cost down, those might be good to hit first.

The National Zoo is free as well, but unless you are jonesing to see a Panda, you might have better ones in NYC. In fact, I have been to both, and the National Zoo is on par with The Bronx Zoo. No Yankee jokes, please.

The Metro runs a little different than the Subway, so I think day passes are your best bet. The charge for the ride is on distance.

I would also check out if there are any demonstrations planned that weekend on the lawn. They can be fun.

The Spy Museum costs money, but if you are choosing to go through it, try to watch Breach with Chris Cooper.

Oh, do me a favor, if you see Bush, Cheney or Rice, be sure to call them swine fecal matter for me.

 

Not sure about the Washington Monument (every time I've been to DC it has been under repair), but all of the other monuments are free.

Definitely hit the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, the Vietnam Wall and anything else. They are breathtaking.

Just promise me you won't be one of those people that talks on their cell phones and lets their kids run wild around the memorials. I hate those people.

Nothing like trying to stand at the feet of Lincoln and read his powerful words engraved in the wall, only to have some little rugrat, screaming at the top of their lungs trying to climb onto Lincoln.

Oh, and I've haven't been to DC since the WWII Memorial opened. Is it as awesome as it looks in pictures?

 

Oh, and I'd definitely recommend seeing Arlington Cemetery. It is amazing. The eternal flame and the tomb of the unknown soldiers is very fascinating. Plus they have a memorial for the astronauts that died and many other cool stuff there. It is a cool view from the hill in the cemetery overlooking the city and being able to see the four points laid out - the cemetery, the Capitol building, Washington Monument (and one more I can't remember).

 

From the wife...it's too late to see the cherry blossoms, right?

Spy Museum looks very cool. Yeah, no zoo; we just went to the Bronx Zoo and that's enough zoo time for the year.

And...no kids, so we'll be the ones getting annoyed.

 

If you have the time, drive down to Mount Vernon one day.

 

Sorry.

Don't try driving anywhere. You could waste 1/2 a day.

 

What about the Newseum?

[/ducking]

 

Fixed, in accordance to some of the neanderthals on here 10 years behind the times.

 

I second Arlington. Very cool indeed. What I did was went to Arlington, i purchased the hop-on, hop-off bus pass and then let that take me past all the sights. You can jump and off the busses as you like and it's 100 times easier than driving. Finding spots to park can be brutal. My pass was good for two days. Changing of the guard was pretty cool at Arlington although I was a little underwhelmed by JFK's grave for some reason.