The Finns Go To Washington, Pt. 1

Dear reader(s): I realize I haven't posted a blog in months. Years, in fact. Blogs are not as popular, I think, and with the ease of social media like Facebook and Instagram, it is 'simpler' to just post to one of those sites and call it good. However, I want something more detailed and lasting than those 'here for a moment, gone in a flash' options, so I am writing a few posts about our trip to DC. That will probably be all I do for awhile, but that's okay. It's a judgment free zone.

In May 2015, Nathan and I took a weekend trip to Washington DC--our very first trip there, though we had lived within 4 hours of the capital for over ten years. We fell in love with the museums, the history, the Metro, all of it, and we couldn't wait to take our kids back. When we moved from west Tennessee to upstate SC, one of 'bonuses' was putting us closer to DC! It was an exciting day when we finalized our plans and began our countdown to the time when the Finns would go to Washington.

Part One: Overview & Travel Details
Part Two: What We Did & What We Want To Do Next Time
Part Three: Where We Ate :-)
Part Four: Tips/Suggestions/Mostly Pictures

(each of these are separate posts, so don't panic, folks!)

Part 1: Overview & Travel Details

Travel to DC: We weighed the possibility of driving into DC and parking our car at our AirBnb, but we really didn't want to have to drive much in DC. Plus, both Nathan and I had enjoyed riding the Metro, and we knew the kids would love it, so we made the decision to ride the Amtrak into the city. Due to the length of the trip, we opted to drive up to Raleigh, NC and pick up the Amtrak Silver Star from there. We stayed in a hotel in the area the night before the train left and the night it returned, but we decided that was just part of our experience. The Raleigh Amtrak station is gorgeous-- big and spacious, bright and clean, and not busy at all the morning we were there. The Silver Star took us directly into Union Station in Washington DC (total trip time, with stops, was around 5 hrs 45 minutes). Riding Amtrak into town meant we had no vehicle and were reliant on public transportation, but we just factored that in as part of the trip.

Accommodations: In DC, you have two main options for accommodations. You can stay "in city" or "out of the city", which requires a commute in (those are my terms, not anyone else's:-). Prices are lower if you stay in Virginia, but you have to account for travel times/traffic/parking or Metro rides. Different families will decide differently, but we opted to stay in an Airbnb in Washington DC. In fact, our Airbnb was just a couple of blocks from Union Station. It was filled with light, had two bedrooms and a bath and a half, plus a kitchen, dining room, and living room with plenty of space for all of us. The link above takes you to my Airbnb referral, but if you would like the link to our actual 'house', let me know. It was a perfect resting spot for our active trip. We LOVED staying so close to an active Metro Station that also had lots of meal options/shopping for us too. 

Time: We traveled to Raleigh on a Friday, rode the train on Saturday morning, then spent Sunday, Monday and Tuesday morning exploring before riding the train back to Raleigh on Tuesday afternoon and evening. We walked around looking at monuments when we arrived on Saturday, and then spent the rest of the time Sunday, Monday and Tuesday visiting several Smithsonian Museums and other sites like the National Archives and the National Portrait Gallery.

Travel around DC: Because we did not drive to DC, we relied on the DC Metro to get around everywhere. Each person riding on the Metro over five years old* has to have a SmarTrip card, which costs $2 plus any fare you load onto it. I highly recommend the WMATA app, which helps you map your trip and see when trains are arriving/departing. It is not cheap, but if you plan for one trip 'away' and one trip 'back' you can keep costs to a minimum. It may be a wise investment to purchase a 7 Day Short Trip pass (Farecard Options) to cover the fares for up to a week's time.

Thanks for reading! I'll share more in another post. Also, follow me on Instagram @lpfinn, and click on my Washington highlights to see snippets of our travels!

*I thought children five and older had to pay to ride the Metro, but a station attendant told us that children five and under ride free. We would just push Fuller in a stroller through the gate, using my card for me. Nathan also carried him through the gate once or twice. Having a child that rides free is helpful, though, to be sure!