Washington D.C.

What to Do

If you've never been to D.C., or have not been since a sixth grade field trip, add a few days to your trip to Fredericksburg. Whether traveling from Fredericksburg for the day or spending a couple days in D.C., it's a good chance to visit our nation's capitol.

We've tried to highlight some of the different hotspots below. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or suggestions for things to see or do. There are a lot of different tours in D.C. The nice part is most of the activities are free.

Tours and Museums

White House - Tours run daily but you will need to contact your local Congressional office to schedule. Also, make sure you bring your passport or identification if you plan to take this tour.

U.S. Capitol - As with the White House, you will need to schedule a time to visit as well as bring identification.

You could spend weeks in D.C. and not see all the Smithsonian has to offer. Luckily all the museums are very accessible via the metro. The Air&Space museum is located near Dulles airport and you will need a car to get there. Although all the museums are free for admission, there are some such as the Holocaust that offer advanced ticketing.

We would recommend purchasing advanced tickets online for this museum. Give yourself most of the day for the tour as there is a lot to see. Also, you can get your ticket stamped and leave to have lunch at Gordon Biersch - a favorite brewery of Mike and Lauren's (make sure you try the garlic fries).

Very new museum located right near the Capitol and Union Station. If Lauren's dad is missing on the wedding day, look for him here.

Monuments and Memorials

Too many to count. Click on the links below to see some of the ones we'd recommend.

Where to Stay

Most of the time our decisions of where to stay are made dependent on where we can get the most points or where we can stay for free if we have the points. For those of you wishing to spend a couple of days in D.C. touring around, we would recommend staying in the Arlington area. Specifically look for locations around Courthouse, Clarendon, or Rosslyn. These generally have close proximity to the metro and can get you in and out of D.C. while at the same time being less expensive than most hotels located right in downtown.

Getting around

If you don't have to drive in D.C., don't. If you must, remember it's illegal to talk on your phone while driving (although you may notice a lot of DC's finest breaking that law). To fit in with other drivers, make sure you honk a lot for no reason. The lack of parking is the main reason not to drive downtown. You may be able to stumble upon a meter spots but most have a 2-hour limit. There are plenty of parking garages but the cost wills et you back around $15-$20 for the day. We'd suggest you trade in your car for public transportation and have listed some options below.

Virginia Railway Express (VRE) - Convenient option to get from Fredericksburg up to D.C. for the day. The trains make two stops in D.C., one at L'Enfant Plaza and one at Union Station (both are metro stops as well).

METRO - Most of the sites downtown are easily accessible via the Metro. Fares are based on which stop you got on and which stop you got off but it is also possible to purchase day passes.

Tourmobile - Operates a service throughout downtown DC (see map). It's a nice option for those several different areas within downtown. It's also very convenient as you can purchase a day-pass and get on and off at the different stops.

Double-Decker Bus Tour - Another good option for getting around to the different spots within D.C.

Lauren and Mike can always help out if you need any additional advice on getting around D.C.