Club Wyndham Old Town Alexandria Virginia. Just blocks from DC, this would be a great chance to see the Smithsonian and some of the newer places in the Capital. I am a giant fan of the Smithsonian; I likely have been at least a dozen times before in my life and have fond memories of each trip.
DC is one of the few places that I was able to visit with almost every member of my family at some point. This meant a visit will probably bring back many fond memories, so I am excited to be going.
Video by TheSolomonFamily
Day One Travel & Arrival
From where I live, a trip to DC is a breeze. All you really have to do is make sure you hit the beltway before or after the workflow times for traffic. You do not want to be caught in traffic leaving the major government buildings. It just is not worth it. Better to wait or leave a little earlier.
Since check-in time is so close to those high traffic hours, I plan to go into town early, park my car, then move it later to the resort and enjoy some of the city even before checking in. The drive to the DC area is about 3 hours without traffic.
Per my plan, I chose to get close to DC and spend some time in their area parked during the high traffic time, then head to the resort after check-in time, once traffic dies down.
I chose to head to the Air and Space Museum at Dulles first before heading for the resort. It is a little out of town but on the way. The Museum Hours & Admission are 10:00 am to 5:30 pm and open every day but on December 25, Parking is $15.
The location at Dulles is called Steven F. Udvar-Hazy, and it is part of the now 2 museum location Air and Space part of the Smithsonian. At this location you can see so many historical aircraft that there is truly nowhere else like it in the World. My favorite is the SR71 Blackbird. If you are fortunate, you may get a tour from one of the former SR71 pilots.
As you face the front of the SR71, you see a space shuttle behind it in the next hanger. The Space Shuttle Discovery was flown to Dulles atop a modified NASA 747 on April 17, 2012. It was delivered to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum two days later. Then, on April 27, the Space Shuttle Enterprise departed from Dulles to New York on the same NASA 747 for delivery to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.
Once traffic died down, I moved to the resort. Check-in was a breeze, and the location is great.
The villas here are a nice size for DC and have what you need to rest and relax.
Villa Amenities
- Balcony/Porch
- Blender
- Cable TV
- DVD Player
- Hairdryer
- Ice Maker
Then the resort itself offers all of these options.
Resort Amenities
- Picnic Area
- Laundry Facilities
- Activities Desk
- Business Center/Fax
- Owner Lounge
- Fitness Room
- Concierge Services
Day Two The Smithsonian
The Smithsonian Museums are one of our Nations greatest gifts to everyone. You could spend a wonderful month visiting all the museums of the Smithsonian. So, when you go, you have to pick and choose to make sure you are seeing what you are most interested in.
Here are the museums:
National Museum of African American History and Culture
1400 Constitution Ave., NW
Washington, DC See on Map
Wednesday through Sunday
10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
National Museum of African Art
950 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, DC See on Map
Wednesday through Sunday
10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
National Air and Space Museum
655 Jefferson Drive, SW
Washington, DC See on Map
Thursday through Monday
10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
14390 Air and Space Museum Parkway
Chantilly, VA See on Map
Smithsonian American Art Museum
8th and G Streets, NW
Washington, DC See on Map
Wednesday through Sunday
11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
National Museum of American History
1300 Constitution Ave., NW
Washington, DC See on Map
Friday through Tuesday
10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
National Museum of the American Indian
4th Street and Independence Ave., SW
Washington, DC See on Map
Wednesday through Sunday
10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
National Museum of the American Indian George Gustav Heye Center
One Bowling Green
New York, NY See on Map
Monday through Friday
11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Anacostia Community Museum
1901 Fort Place, SE
Washington, DC See on Map
Tuesday through Sunday,
11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Archives of American Art Lawrence A. Fleischman Gallery
8th and G Streets, NW
Washington, DC See on Map
Wednesday through Sunday
11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Arts and Industries Building
900 Jefferson Drive, SW
Washington, DC See on Map
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
2 East 91st Street
New York, NY See on Map
Thursday through Monday
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Freer Gallery of Art
Jefferson Drive and 12th St., SW
Washington, DC See on Map
Friday through Tuesday
10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Independence Ave. at 7th St., SW
Washington, DC See on Map
Wednesday through Sunday
10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Sculpture Garden
10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily
National Zoo
3001 Connecticut Ave., NW
Washington, DCSee on Map
Open daily 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
National Museum of Natural History
10th St. and Constitution Ave., NW
Washington, DC See on Map
Wednesday through Sunday
10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
National Portrait Gallery
8th and G Streets, NW
Washington, DC See on Map
Wednesday through Sunday
11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
National Postal Museum
2 Massachusetts Ave., NE
Washington, DC See on Map
Friday through Tuesday
10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum
1661 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC See on Map
Wednesday through Sunday
10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum
1661 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC See on Map
Wednesday through Sunday
10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
S. Dillon Ripley Center
1100 Jefferson Drive, SW
Washington, DC See on Map
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
1050 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, DC See on Map
Smithsonian Institution Building (The Castle)
1000 Jefferson Drive, SW
Washington, DC See on Map
Open daily 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Smithsonian Gardens
Smithsonian museum grounds
Washington, DC See on Map
Haupt Garden is open daily from dawn to dusk, Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden is open daily 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except Dec. 25; all other gardens are open 24 hours
Always check the website for updated times and information before your trip. I can share firsthand how sad it is to have something planned out and for it to be closed.
The Castle
I had already seen much of the Air and Space so I started my day at the Castle. Smithsonian Institution Building (The Castle) is the heart of it all and has helpful guides and workers to support your visit to the Smithsonian. You will also find a collection that has something from most major museums here, so you can see a little of everything.
I stopped here for lunch later as well.
Castle Café
Specialty sandwiches, soups, pastries, organic salads, antipasti, Peet’s coffee, espresso/cappuccino bar, teas, bottled beverages, beer, wine, and novelty ice cream (seasonal).
Discounts are available for Smithsonian Members.
Free visitor Wi-Fi
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Closed Mondays and Tuesdays)
The ice cream is good if available. I would get that when you are here. Either that or take the kids to air and space and get them some astronaut-dried ice cream. Less messy than it sounds and tastes great.
Native American Museum
This was closed for updates or something the last time that I tried to go, so I found myself pointed in its direction next. When it comes to museums, the Smithsonian is the world’s best. This was no exception.
Day Three More Smithsonian
I was hooked now. I wanted to see more of the Smithsonian on this trip.
National Portrait Gallery
Since I paint more now than I did on my last visit to DC, I wanted to see the National Portrait Gallery on this trip. Portraits are hard to do, and the masters are very impressive with their paintings. Some of the best paintings are of our former leaders.
You can even preview the American Presidents Area on the second floor online. These are amazing paintings by some of the best artists in our nation’s history. Very impressive work.
The Museum of Natural History
Next, I toured the Museum of Natural History. The world’s most popular natural history museum is dedicated to understanding the natural world and our place in it. Delve into the fascinating story of our planet, from its fiery beginnings through billions of years of transformation, and explore life on Earth through exhibitions and activities, collection objects, and research that happens in the lab and in the field. The museum is larger than 18 football fields and is home to the largest natural history collection in the world.
Those 18 football fields take time and energy. Afterward, I was tired and headed back to the resort. But it was a great day, and this made a wonderful trip.
Want to see the best of DC then book through TZort and stay here.
