Washington DC: when?
August 17, 2013 6:10 PM Subscribe
We are considering just after Christmas or the week of March 17. Which should we choose?
My wife and I have determined we MUST visit The Wall in DC. We are both teachers, so though we have little cash, we have some time off.
We don't mind if it's cold. We mostly want to see museums (and the Vietnam Memorial) and such.
We were thinking March, but have some fear of the hoards of visiting school kids.. and the weather.
Is there a down-side to going right after Christmas?
Any advice on picking a date would be nice, and feel free to toss in any general advice for visiting Californians.
My wife and I have determined we MUST visit The Wall in DC. We are both teachers, so though we have little cash, we have some time off.
We don't mind if it's cold. We mostly want to see museums (and the Vietnam Memorial) and such.
We were thinking March, but have some fear of the hoards of visiting school kids.. and the weather.
Is there a down-side to going right after Christmas?
Any advice on picking a date would be nice, and feel free to toss in any general advice for visiting Californians.
Seconding December for all reasons mentioned above. Although the weather can also be tricky in March - don't be surprised if you come in March if there's a cold snap.
Don't miss the National Gallery of Art, and while there be sure to pay $5 for the little 'phone' on a lanyard. It lets you punch in a code of the major pieces of art and gives you a self-guided tour. Fascinating!
Also, all the State Christmas trees will still be up - so go find your state tree. Bonus points if you know anyone who has contributed an ornament to it!
We can also recommend a plethora of food choices for any budget, so just ask!
posted by matty at 6:28 PM on August 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
Don't miss the National Gallery of Art, and while there be sure to pay $5 for the little 'phone' on a lanyard. It lets you punch in a code of the major pieces of art and gives you a self-guided tour. Fascinating!
Also, all the State Christmas trees will still be up - so go find your state tree. Bonus points if you know anyone who has contributed an ornament to it!
We can also recommend a plethora of food choices for any budget, so just ask!
posted by matty at 6:28 PM on August 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
I second everything above, down to the ice skating and Zoolights. It will also be easier to get into restaurants, etc. as even many of the locals like myself won't be in town.
Another thing to consider--hotels will likely be quite a bit cheaper in December, especially the dead week between Christmas and New Year, than March. March is the beginning of high tourist season/spring break/potential cherry blossoms, so hotels fill up and rates adjust accordingly. You also aren't going to have people in town for conferences or business during that week (some offices just shut down entirely there is so little going on here then), something else that will keep your hotel rates low. (It may even be possible to get some kind of "Capital Holiday Magic" type package at one of the fancier properties because of how empty the city is.*)
You are right to fear the hordes of schoolchildren in March. So very, very right. (Seriously, it can be hard to walk at more than a zombie shuffle pace when the crowds are really big down at the Mall.)
There may be closings on Christmas Day and possibly New Year's itself, and maybe some funky hours on New Year's Eve, but other than that, most things--definitely Smithsonians--should be open and delightfully people-free. The only downside, as mentioned by cessair, is that tours of some of the institutions might be harder to get, but the buildings themselves should still be open except on Christmas and NY as mentioned above.
*Fyi, do not be fooled by hotels advertising themselves as "just steps from the Capitol!" or "located two miles from the WH" or whatever. DC is geographically small and that two miles from the White House as the bald eagle flies could put you in Virginia/inconveniently far from a Metro stop.
posted by HonoriaGlossop at 6:49 PM on August 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
Another thing to consider--hotels will likely be quite a bit cheaper in December, especially the dead week between Christmas and New Year, than March. March is the beginning of high tourist season/spring break/potential cherry blossoms, so hotels fill up and rates adjust accordingly. You also aren't going to have people in town for conferences or business during that week (some offices just shut down entirely there is so little going on here then), something else that will keep your hotel rates low. (It may even be possible to get some kind of "Capital Holiday Magic" type package at one of the fancier properties because of how empty the city is.*)
You are right to fear the hordes of schoolchildren in March. So very, very right. (Seriously, it can be hard to walk at more than a zombie shuffle pace when the crowds are really big down at the Mall.)
There may be closings on Christmas Day and possibly New Year's itself, and maybe some funky hours on New Year's Eve, but other than that, most things--definitely Smithsonians--should be open and delightfully people-free. The only downside, as mentioned by cessair, is that tours of some of the institutions might be harder to get, but the buildings themselves should still be open except on Christmas and NY as mentioned above.
*Fyi, do not be fooled by hotels advertising themselves as "just steps from the Capitol!" or "located two miles from the WH" or whatever. DC is geographically small and that two miles from the White House as the bald eagle flies could put you in Virginia/inconveniently far from a Metro stop.
posted by HonoriaGlossop at 6:49 PM on August 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
If you're both teachers, and your March visiting time is your school's spring break, chances are it will be spring break for a million other schools too. Also, depending on when in March your break is, you might hit heavy crowds for the cherry blossom season. The cherry blossoms are gorgeous but not worth the massive crowds.
I grew up spending Christmas breaks in DC. It's blissfully empty everywhere, especially in outdoor sites where it's cold out. Perfect time for the Vietnam memorial.
posted by ActionPopulated at 6:49 PM on August 17, 2013
I grew up spending Christmas breaks in DC. It's blissfully empty everywhere, especially in outdoor sites where it's cold out. Perfect time for the Vietnam memorial.
posted by ActionPopulated at 6:49 PM on August 17, 2013
DC is not spectacularly awful for weather in December (it's south of Pennsylvania, for heaven's sake) - I nth going then over anything that might be classified as "spring break" for anyone anywhere in the world.
Just be ready for slippery patches here and there (due to ice or rain,) as there's an extraordinary amount of marble and other smooth walking surfaces to my admittedly way-too-used-to-broken-concrete mind. I will never again wear smooth-soled shoes for walking in that town.
Oh, and last time I was there it was all about government shut-downs, etc. and maybe it's better now, but: some things may close earlier because they close at "sunset" rather than at a specific time, or just plain "way too early," in the off seasons. The Mall won't be a problem for that, at least (I'm not sure I've ever managed to see the Wall, or the Korean War memorial, in daylight hours.) The National Zoo, on the other hand, closes at a ridiculously early hour in the winter. And the best Smithsonian museums are open "extended hours" in all the busy months.
posted by SMPA at 7:11 PM on August 17, 2013
Just be ready for slippery patches here and there (due to ice or rain,) as there's an extraordinary amount of marble and other smooth walking surfaces to my admittedly way-too-used-to-broken-concrete mind. I will never again wear smooth-soled shoes for walking in that town.
Oh, and last time I was there it was all about government shut-downs, etc. and maybe it's better now, but: some things may close earlier because they close at "sunset" rather than at a specific time, or just plain "way too early," in the off seasons. The Mall won't be a problem for that, at least (I'm not sure I've ever managed to see the Wall, or the Korean War memorial, in daylight hours.) The National Zoo, on the other hand, closes at a ridiculously early hour in the winter. And the best Smithsonian museums are open "extended hours" in all the busy months.
posted by SMPA at 7:11 PM on August 17, 2013
DC is lovely during cherry blossom season but YOU CANNOT PREDICT IT more than ten days out, if that. The winter is either monochromatically gray or charmingly snow dusted and you can't predict that either. That said, the monuments are very moving cloaked in snow, especially the Vietnam and Korean War monuments.
posted by Morrigan at 7:23 PM on August 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Morrigan at 7:23 PM on August 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: In just a few moments the wonder MetaVerse has made my life decisions easier! I am not a big time traveler, so starting with the feeling that I'm not making a big mistake is huge thing for me.
We'll book flights and hotels tomorrow. I'll hoist a brew in honor of you all sometime after Christmas in the nations capitol. Thanks!
posted by cccorlew at 7:25 PM on August 17, 2013
We'll book flights and hotels tomorrow. I'll hoist a brew in honor of you all sometime after Christmas in the nations capitol. Thanks!
posted by cccorlew at 7:25 PM on August 17, 2013
Let us know when you're coming -- maybe we can have a meet-up! I don't know who will be around (I don't know our plans either) but DC Mefites are tons of fun when we get our act together enough to see each other.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 7:26 PM on August 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 7:26 PM on August 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
Yeah, Christmas week will be a ghost town in DC - all the out-of-towners who work there will be home, many federal employees take the week off, the universities will all be on break ... You'll probably have some local families at the museums but that'll be it. Oh, and hotels will be cheaper since you won't be competing with hordes of business travelers.
Weather: DC gets a bit cold in the winter, but more than that, it's wet. You'll want good, warm waterproof shoes and a good wool coat or waterproof parka. Maybe a hat too. And plan on lots of stops for coffee, etc.
posted by lunasol at 7:59 PM on August 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
Weather: DC gets a bit cold in the winter, but more than that, it's wet. You'll want good, warm waterproof shoes and a good wool coat or waterproof parka. Maybe a hat too. And plan on lots of stops for coffee, etc.
posted by lunasol at 7:59 PM on August 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
As a Washingtonian i think the wall is nice in winter. It makes the experience more fulfilling, especially when you go with someone who knows someone on the wall. I'd also recommend walking over the bridge and seeing the changing of the guard in Arlington Cemetery at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, it's quite moving. Also, the Korean War memorial is a stones throw away from the Wall. I could spend hours there.
posted by hiddenknives at 11:14 PM on August 17, 2013
posted by hiddenknives at 11:14 PM on August 17, 2013
I like this area around holiday weeks for this reason exactly - it's quieter and you can go to popular restaurants, museums, etc. without everything being crowded, and your hotel is likely to be a lot cheaper too. It'll be getting dark at like 6 p.m. but walking around the Mall after dark is lovely as there are lights everywhere (quite safe too).
It can get miserably cold at that time of year so don't forget to check the weather reports and wear layers of clothing - for a walk around the National Mall in December I'd probably be wearing leggings under my jeans, an extra pair of socks, an extra layered top under my sweater, a fleece under my coat (or a down coat if it's below 20 degrees), a wool hat, a scarf, gloves.. I get cold really easily so YMMV, but better to have to remove an extra layer than not have one & cut your walk short because you're freezing. Apologies if this seems obvious but I feel like I've heard from quite a few people who moved to the area from the South or the West coast and weren't prepared for just how cold it can get.
Who knows whether the holiday tours at the White House will happen (due to the budget sequester, they aren't currently) but if some miraculous resolution to the budget is passed before December, you may want to contact your member of Congress and request tickets to tour the White House. Don't get your hopes up on that one though :)
posted by citron at 7:37 AM on August 18, 2013
It can get miserably cold at that time of year so don't forget to check the weather reports and wear layers of clothing - for a walk around the National Mall in December I'd probably be wearing leggings under my jeans, an extra pair of socks, an extra layered top under my sweater, a fleece under my coat (or a down coat if it's below 20 degrees), a wool hat, a scarf, gloves.. I get cold really easily so YMMV, but better to have to remove an extra layer than not have one & cut your walk short because you're freezing. Apologies if this seems obvious but I feel like I've heard from quite a few people who moved to the area from the South or the West coast and weren't prepared for just how cold it can get.
Who knows whether the holiday tours at the White House will happen (due to the budget sequester, they aren't currently) but if some miraculous resolution to the budget is passed before December, you may want to contact your member of Congress and request tickets to tour the White House. Don't get your hopes up on that one though :)
posted by citron at 7:37 AM on August 18, 2013
Response by poster: Great advice all around. I'll take it all. I'm booked and looking forward to visiting what, from California, seems like a far off country.
Thanks again.
posted by cccorlew at 12:24 PM on September 17, 2013
Thanks again.
posted by cccorlew at 12:24 PM on September 17, 2013
Morrigan: "The winter is either monochromatically gray or charmingly snow dusted and you can't predict that either. That said, the monuments are very moving cloaked in snow, especially the Vietnam and Korean War monuments."
I can predict for you: DC hasn't really been cloaked in snow in three years. We got a dusting or two last year, but it was usually gone by the next day.
posted by schmod at 1:09 PM on September 18, 2013
I can predict for you: DC hasn't really been cloaked in snow in three years. We got a dusting or two last year, but it was usually gone by the next day.
posted by schmod at 1:09 PM on September 18, 2013
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It might be difficult to get a tour of the Capitol from your Member's office that week because many of the staffers will be out for the holidays, but I think the visitor center will still be open.
Definitely try ice skating at the sculpture garden while you are there! And the zoo lights are fun if you make it that far north of the mall (easy by metro).
posted by cessair at 6:17 PM on August 17, 2013 [1 favorite]