I went to Washington DC a couple years ago to visit some relatives and took the time to tour the city. Washington DC is a great city if you’re into museums. I happen to love museums, so this trip was a blast.
The National Mall is a strip of Smithsonian Museums in front of the Capitol in Washington DC. Because the Smithsonian Institute is government funded, all the museums in the National Mall are free, which makes DC an ideal vacation spot for those of you who want to take a trip on a budget.
Make sure you check what other events are occurring during your trip. I didn’t and happened to go to DC when there was a national Boy Scout convention. These kids traveled in the 20s and were in every museum, making it difficult to see each exhibit.
Weather:
We went in August and the weather was scorching! The 10 minute walks to and from each museum were difficult in the 90 degree weather. I would recommend going in the spring or fall when the weather is less extreme.
Must see:
The National Air & Space Museum
Holocaust Memorial Museum
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Mt. Vernon (George Washington’s home)
National Zoo
I would skip:
International Spy Museum - Was pretty lame and not worth the $18 entrance fee
Since there are tons of interesting museums in DC, I created an aggressive itinerary to follow on my trip.
Itinerary and photos after the jump.
