We spent almost three weeks in Washington, DC, visiting many museums, the outdoor monuments, the zoo, art galleries, and many more sights. The Smithsonian's buildings alone could have afforded much more time for a complete viewing. We took subways, buses, and walked many miles in DC.


The National Gallery of Art, the Hirschhorn, the Air and Space Museum, and the American History Museum were our favorites, with more than one visit each. We toured the Capitol, the Library of Congress, the National Archives, the Supreme Court, and took a bus to the National Cathedral. We could have spent much more time than we did in DC, but were quickly approaching saturation level with being tourists.
We had several wonderful running sessions in DC also - where else could we start a run going to the Jefferson Memorial, and take in the FDR, Korean War, Vietnam Veterans, WWII, Lincoln Memorial, and the Washington Monument, all in one run?

The security in most places was noticeably more strict - we went through metal detectors, had our bags inspected, and had to throw away water bottles in most places. The Capitol and White House especially have barriers up and strict protocol in how to tour. No cars can pass down Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House, and no tours are given except one day a year.
We had exceptional weather while in DC also - sunny skies, in the 80s, and one one day with rain.
-Debby