Spring Break in Williamsburg and Washington DC

I can advise you about DC. Email or call your Congressman now to set up a tour of the White House. You get permission and get on the list by talking to your Congressman's office. The day of you go stand in line at 10am with a bunch of other people and then it takes about an hour to walk through. My 11 year old son LOVED taking a tour of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. You get to see money being printed! (My 6 year old was super interested too). For this you go stand in line at a certain time and only the first 60 or so people get in. If you don't make it you can try for a different time. So it helps if one of you can go early and stand in the line. You can buy a ticket to go up the elevator to the top of the Washington Monument. Check their webpage for how to get a ticket. My kids love the Air and Space museum on the mall and we saw the most awesome IMAX movie there AND the most awesome Planetarium show. Most kids enjoy the National Museum of Natural History. My kids really like the bugs section and the gems. The Renwick Gallery is a cool, small art gallery with these amazing giant sculptures all inspired by nature. It's fun for kids and a nice size for them. Our kids loved it. The National History Museum has "The Star Spangled Banner" the american flag that inspired our national anthem...my kids liked seeing that. They also liked the pop culture section and seeing Tony Hawk's first skateboard. Seeing some of the monuments is cool too...get lunch from a food truck and walk over to the Lincoln monument or the Jefferson monument.They are both so large and grand. Bring a frisbee to play with your boys on the grass. Take them through the sculpture garden outside at the National Gallery of Art. There are so many things you can do and see in DC...it's a little overwhelming One thing I want to take our kids to do is to take a tour of the Capitol. I am not sure how to set that up but I'm sure it's on their webpage. Many afternoons there are free symphonies or concerts at the Kennedy Center...check their webpage. Or you can get tickets for a show one afternoon while you are here if they have something you think your kids will like. Have a fun time on your trip! Your kids are at a great age for this.

how much time do you have?
How much money do you have to spend??

Busch Gardens is expensive. But then most roller coaster parks are. If your boys are NOT roller coaster fans?? there's really not much reason to go there and spend the money...

Williamsburg? There's a lot to do and see...since I don't know your interests. It makes it hard to say how long to spend there.
http://www.visitwilliamsburg.com/
It's a 3 hour drive to DC from Williamsburg...so plan for that...

DC?? Well...that's my stomping grounds...
where do you want to stay? Somewhere that has EASY access to the metro. If you stay INSIDE the beltway - IN DC PROPER?? You MUST STAY OUT OF SOUTH EAST DC - it's NOT a good area... North West DC? EXPENSIVE....I would suggest a hotel in Arlington...
http://www.wmata.com/

Log on to the DC Metro ^^ and purchase your metro cards NOW - then you will be able to get off the plane and go...or go to your hotel and get going....

http://hiltongardeninn3.hilton.com/en/hotels/virginia/hil...

I would suggest the Hilton at Court House - it's REALLY close to the metro and a good area to stay in.

Arlington National Cemetery - take the bus tour - you learn a lot. this is a DAY trip. Stay for the changing of the guard.

Smithsonian - Air & Space is AWESOME!! There is a McDonald's that you can eat at in there - yes - it's expensive but easy access and cheaper than doing one of the restaurants in DC....

Natural History Museum

Walking on the National Mall is fun!! There are kiosk's where you can pick up food - hot dogs and hamburgers..

Check out the Kennedy Center - there are matinees that are fun to see.
Lincoln Memorial is a great visit - the stairs are a good work out. I think the Reflecting Pool is finished.
http://www.kennedy-center.org/

The Vietnam Veterans War memorial is VERY solemn. From there you can walk over to the Korean War memorial and then to the WWII memorial.

Set up a tour of the White House - contact your representative - you will have to give dates of birth, place of birth and social security numbers to be given a background check. It can take a few months to make this happen, so I would get on that now.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/participate/tours-and-events

A tour of the Pentagon is fun. It's exactly one hour and the guide walks backwards the WHOLE TIME!! You do NOT get to stop and read anything though. You learn about the Pentagon... you will get to see the 9/11 memorial and chapel.
http://pentagontours.osd.mil/

I personally did NOT like the Martin Luther King Memorial - the statue does NOT do the man justice...it doesn't look like him...but that's ME...

The Jefferson Memorial is cool...
The National Harbor is cool too!! Ferris Wheel and shops and restaurants!!

Feel free to send me a PM and I can give you more information...

My favorites in DC are:
The Archives at the Smithsonians. This is on the mall in DC, free, and has the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, etc, on display. I love this because you can't see it anywhere else.
The Air and Space Museum near Dulles Airport. It is free (but $10 for parking) and has a space shuttle, the Enola Gay, and many other famous aircraft. Your boys will love it.

You can easily spend 1-2 entire days downtown in DC at the monuments and museums. And another 1/2 day at the Air and Space near Dulles. I usually drive to the Air and Space in the morning on the day that I'm leaving, spend the morning through lunchtime there, and then drive home.

You could spend a week in any of those places.

What are they into? The Spy Museum is fun. I second that. Pretty much any of the museums are good for a day. You could also check out the zoo. The new panda just went on display. The museums themselves will have a security line. Pro tip - if a bus just unloaded, try another side of the building. Usually faster than waiting in line.

You can use wmata.com to help plan your trip around if you Metro. Many stations no longer sell paper fare cards so plan ahead and get SmarTrip cards for everybody.

Oh, and unless you register far in advance and get approval, skip trying to see inside the White House. You'd also not be allowed to take anything (water bottles, purses) with you, so you'd need to leave things behind in a car or hotel.

I would definitely do the Air & Space Museum in DC - it's pretty cool anyway, but with the focus on the International Space Station now, it's even more timely. The Zoo is world renowned. Definitely have some down time too - kids just don't want to stand in line and go to attraction after attraction. If you have the same spring break as other states, remember that it will be crowded at all tourist places and you'll have to factor in waiting in line. I'd mix it up - if you are doing the colonial "thing" in Williamsburg and Jamestown, then don't focus on those same years or historical figures in DC.

Are you a member of AAA? They have a free travel service that can help you sort things out, and they have info on discounts and special deals for kids the ages of yours as well as suggestions on the best ways to get around the city.

Oy! We live near DC and go to Williamsburg as often as we can, both places deserve a full week, honestly.

We have had season passes to BG before and even if you don't like roller coasters, there is a lot more to do there. My kids didn't start to like them until the end of our summer pass, but we still LOVED it. So much to do. Williamsburg itself can be done in a day, but there is so much more to do in the area. So you COULD get away with just two days in Williamsburg, but you could easily do a week.

I think you could do Jamestown/Yorktown in a day. We haven't done it yet, because my kids normally want the park, but it's in our plans to do it one day.

The Smithsonians in DC are amazing. And free. I recommend getting the tickets for the hop on hop off bus, they can be pricey, but it's the best way to see a lot of the city without walking 20 miles. We have done it a few times. Union Station is cool too, definitely worth a visit. That's where you could get a Duck Tour ride, I believe they are open during spring break....that's a good ride too. The National Cathedral is gorgeous - whether you are religious or not. Make time to spend a few hours in Arlington Cemetery. Bring a Frisbee and play on the National Mall. Go to National Harbor - it's just outside of the city but we LOVE it there. Have lunch at Cadillac Ranch and if you have the funds, ride the Ferris wheel...I think it's $15 per person. Check out the Gaylord - it's gorgeous. If you get to the Washington Monument, you can easily walk the WWII, the reflecting pond, the Korean War Memorial, the Vietnam War Memorial, and the Lincoln Monument. Spring break should also be Cherry Blossom time...it's March 20-April 17th this year. I have never been, but plan to this year...but be prepared for more crowds than usual!

Added: The Kennedy Center is amazing, and you should go, but just to tour it...you can do that on your own and check it out, the views are picture worthy. If you want to SEE a show, my dancer daughter and I WAY prefer Warner Theater. Also historical, smaller, more intimate, and just a better overall stage show.

The first time I went to DC I was in middle school. We were there for two weeks and saw most of the Smithsonian Museums, all of the monuments, the Kennedy Center, the Library of Congress, the Capitol, the White House, the National Archives, Monticello, Arlington National Cemetery, and a couple of other things. Now there are at least three new museums (Spy, Holocaust, and Native American) and at least a couple more monuments.

Last time I went our kids were under 5. We were there for a week to visit my brother. We basically saw two of the museums, walked by the Washington monument and the White House, and went to the aquarium in Baltimore. It was cherry blossom time and absolutely gorgeous! We walked around that end of the mall a lot just to be among the cherry trees.

You could easily spend the entire week in DC and just scratch the surface of everything that there is to see. My cousin's kids loved the Spy museum when they were the age your kids are. The Air and Space museum and the Natural History museum are cool if your kids are into science. Even at 2 and 4 my kids really enjoyed both of them. I know now that my kids are older they would love the Native American museum (because I have several friends who are Native American) and Monticello (because they are really into Thomas Jefferson-the name of their school). I can't wait to go back now that my kids are older.

Personally, I'd skip the amusement park. There is so much else to do.

Look at tripadvisor for hotel reviews. You'll get a LOT more information there plus it's hard for us to recommend anything without knowing your budget.
In DC your boys will probably most enjoy the air and space museum. It's also REALLY great to rent bicycles and see all the monuments that way because it is a LOT of walking (and we are a family that likes to walk!) You can try to make reservations to tour the White House but when we were there a few years ago reservations were 10 to 12 months out so you may be too late at this point.
Williamsburg is cool but unless your kids are really into history you probably don't need more than a day or two there. Busch Gardens is as fun as any amusement park, so that's a matter of personal taste I suppose.
Seriously though, get on tripadvisor, you will get so much more detailed, relevant and current information, all from real people who have been there recently.
Have fun!!!

Williamsburg you can do a quickie look in a day but if your sons are interested in Colonial history they would appreciate two days--take an evening ghost tour if one's available on the night you're there, eat in one of the taverns in the colonial area, and especially time your visit so you're there if and when they are doing one of their live-in-the-streets events where costumed characters (real historical figures) are acting out events all over the colonial area. Your sons can rent boys' colonial costumes at the visitor's center to wear all day if they're really into that era.

Yorktown is OK, but you can't really see both that and Jamestown in one day unless you do it very superficially. Jamestown is better for kids this age if they like ships -- there are replica ships there and the kids may be amazed to see how small the ships were that the colonists used to cross the Atlantic to settle Jamestown. Jamestown alone is a full day, for us. would really think about how into the early colonial history your kids are, and focus on Jamestown and Williamsburg for at the very least three days --and that is not including a day at Busch Gardens. (Frankly, Busch Gardens is fine but there are theme parks with roller coasters all over the country; I'd focus on the historic stuff your kids can only see down here and just not do a theme park. And you say your boys are not big coaster fans; Busch Gardens is really all about the roller coasters so I'd think about that again.)

Spend a lot of time before you come going online to the Smithsonian sites (www.si.edu and then you click for each museum's site). Pick and choose. It won't work to try to "do" all the Smithsonians because there are too many and your kids will be worn out by them. Natural History is great but if they want dinosaurs, be aware: The main dino exhibit is now closed and being renovated for several years to come. Great IMAX theatre there and also at Air and Space Museum. The American history museum is fascinating, but again, see what specific exhibits are there that would interest them rather than trying to cover the whole museum. Word of warning: The Smithsonians are indeed a treasure but their cafes are extremely expensive. That's fine if you're expecting it but otherwise, consider bringing a picnic from somewhere and eating it outside.

FYI, the Air and Space Museum has two locations, one in DC and one way out (near me) in Virginia. The Va. one does cost because you must pay to park and it's quite a drive. If they love love love vintage airplanes and want to see (but not go inside) a space shuttle it might be worth it, but otherwise, you want the DC main location and not the Va. one.

Spy Museum is not a Smithsonian and therefore costs money but is pretty cool if your kids are into it. Again, research before you go so you and they know what's up. The Spy Museum does special packages where kids can "be a spy" and do various activities--check it out.

National Harbor -- I know some folks love it but other than a Ferris wheel and shops and restauraunts -- I don't get it. Again, research to see if it's what you want. Even if you do have a car with you, you'd have to navigate DC's roads to get there as it's not in DC itself but in Maryland a few miles outside town. It would take up a lot of time you could be doing other things that are closer together. That's just my take on it of course.

If you're first timers here it's fun to be truly touristy and do the hop-on-hop-off tourist trollies or buses with commentary. You can get on and off as you please so you're not just riding all day long! These also go to Arlington National Cemetery across the river from DC if you want to go there.

And of course see the monuments. Again, pick and choose; talk with your boys about which ones most interest them and go there. Have fun!

the smithsonian is a national treasure. i took my kids a gazillion times and we STILL haven't seen it all. the air and space and the natural history museums just eat up a whole day all on their own. then the hirshhorn (depending on what's being exhibited of course, but they're pretty wonderful about whom they pick) is another one that just can't be rushed through. what startled me, though, is how amazing some of the ones i assumed would be 'boring' turned out to be. the national portrait gallery was mesmerizing. sackler and freer are unforgettable. and if your boys are boyish, you may just HAVE to make the relatively small trek out to the udvar-hazy center. i'm not even a big airplane buff, but seeing the space shuttle is pretty daggone awesome.
we got so wrapped up in our (unsuccessful) attempts to devour DC over the years that we never even made it out to willamsburg, but my homeschool friends tell me i shorted my kids badly by not doing it.
if it were my boys they'd certainly vote for busch gardens. there's way more there than 'coasters. but as a mom i'd steer clear of overpriced parks and stick with DC. even if you tear yourself away from the wonderful (AND FREE) smithsonian there are so many fantastic monuments and memorials to visit. jefferson is unforgettable. viet nam will break your heart. the holocaust museum is sobering, but a must for anyone who wants her kids to experience (not just read about) history.
and the zoo!
:) khairete
S.

The Spy Museum and The Newseum are both must sees.