GREAT THINGS TO DO IN DC!

With gratitude to Emily Franklin, DC resident and daughter of Alum Member Nancy Franklin, for this wonderful compilation!

Boating
• Touring kayak company- Atlantic kayak: http://www.atlantickayak.com/
• Mix of kayaking instruction (flatwater to whitewater):
http://www.potomacpaddlesports.com/company/
http://www.outdoorexcursions.com/cart/cgi-bin/store.cgi
http://www.valleymill.com/VMKSwebsite/about.htm
• Paddle Boats on the Tidal Basin: http://www.washington.org/ExistingWCTCForms/details.cfm?rec_id=007504&page_from=cat&CAT=BOATC

Hiking and Nature drives
• Listing of various trails in the area http://www.localhikes.com/MSA/MSA_8872.asp
• I’d recommend the Billy Goat Trail although it can be a bit tough. Here’s a link to an article on it: http://www.baltimoresun.com/travel/bal-li.trips16sep16,1,5771706.story?coll=bal-artslife-travel&ctrack=1&cset=true
• Great Falls: Waterfall area. Depending on the river level it can be absolutely breath taking. On lower level days you may catch a kayaker running the falls or playing on some waves further below the falls. http://www.nps.gov/gwmp/grfa/
• Gravely Point to see the planes take off & land at National (picnic lunch)
• Skyline Drive (beautiful drive): http://www.nps.gov/shen/
• Bicycle and walking trails: http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Trails/9401/walking.html

Rock Climbing
• Sport Rock Climbing Gym: http://www.sportrock.com/
• Earth Treks Climbing Gym: http://www.earthtreksclimbing.com/
• Adventure Schools: http://www.adventureschool.com/

Tour Companies
• Duck Boat tours (of the various touring companies, most of the locals think this is the most creative. It's an amphibious tour bus that takes you around the monuments and then hits the river for a larger tour): http://www.dcducks.com/
• I’ve seen some tours on bicycles which looked like fun but I’m not sure who heads up that tour

Movies, Theater and Music
• Screen on the Green: free movies on the Mall (the mall is the big grassy area between the Capital and the Washington Monument).
• Carter Barron Ampitheatre: Free (some paid performances) outdoor theater http://www.nps.gov/rocr/cbarron/
• Listing of Smithsonian Performances: http://www.si.edu/events/perform.asp
• Sackler Gallery they have live jazz some nights
• National Gallery has a series of outdoor concerts in the sculpture gardens

Museum/Park Suggestions
• International Spy Museum (not a free one): http://www.spymuseum.org/siteintro.asp
• Bureau of Engraving & Printing Tour - see how money is made: http://www.moneyfactory.com/locations/section.cfm/20/21/
• Botanical Gardens: http://www.usbg.gov/
• Woodley Park Zoo. Definitely something to take the kids to: http://nationalzoo.si.edu/default.cfm
• Air and Space museum. The new one out in Chantilly is suppose to be amazing, but that location does cost money: http://www.nasm.si.edu/
• Holocaust Museum is an amazing experience. You will need to get tickets to enter (doesn’t cost to get the tickets). I would definitely recommend this as emotionally exhausting as it is. Generally people want a very relaxed evening afterwards. http://www.ushmm.org/
• Phillips Collection--in DuPont Circle, a short walk from the hotel, www.phillipscollection.org. A really delightful art museum in a charming neighborhood.
• National Museum of Women in the Arts, www.nmwa.org. It looks wonderful!
• Hillwood Museum and Gardens, north of the zoo, www.hillwoodmuseum.org. Reservations required, a limited number are given for a time period. Groups of 10 or more can make a group reservation

Other
• Smithsonian Folk Life Festival will be going on while you are in town: http://www.folklife.si.edu/index.html
• Embassy Row: neighborhood full of embassies from all around the world: http://www.embassy.org/embassy_row/
• Shopping Mall type places–
Friendship Heights (metro accessible)
Georgetown (bus accessible or short cab ride) during the weekends its packed full of people and may not be the easiest to negotiate with small children. Weekdays are less crowded. Becomes a busy place for nightlife since the University is nearby.
Tyson's Corner & Leesburg Outlets (for those with cars)
Pentagon City/Pentagon Row (metro accessible).
• Old Town Alexandria (http://www.funside.com/) for antiques and little boutique type shops. Alexandria also has a harbor area that is a great place to roam around. Usually a few street entertainers and such.
• Eastern Market - Near Capital Hill. Its an outdoor market place with a number of antiques and hand made goods: http://www.easternmarket.net/
• Dupont Circle Farmer's Market - on weekends during the summer: http://www.freshfarmmarket.org/markets.html. DuPont is also a great place for food and bookstores.
• Waterfront Fish Market: On Maryland Ave. down by the waterfront there is the DC fish market with a variety seafood. Very much a locals place with some good seafood restaurants nearby
• Washington Nationals game - see if they are in town that week/weekend for tickets: http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/index.jsp?c_id=was
• Washington Post’s (local paper) Entertainment Guide: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artsandliving/entertainmentguide/
• Baltimore Harbor

Off the beaten path
• Virginia Wine Country (see lots of families picnicking at the vineyards after a wine tasting or just a purchase of their favorites wine): http://www.virginiawines.org/
• Shenandoah Brewing Company (make your own beer): http://www.shenandoahbrewing.com/

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