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I love the National Mall, I really do.However, after living here (in Sterling) for five years, I have to admit sometimes I find the whole experience of taking visitors to the National Mall very repetitive.
My parents, my siblings, my friends, my wife's friends, her parents, etc. Everyone wants to go to the National Mall (and rightly so). But for me personally, when I hear someone is visiting, I can't help but think "Here we go again, another weekend touring the National Mall". And they always want to go to the same museum, Natural History and Air and Space. those were the first two I visited too, but now I feel like I have seen everything there.
Sometimes I try to take people to other places, such as the Billy Goat trail, Shenandoah, Alexandria, kayaking to Georgetown, etc. But in the end, more often than not, visitors want to go to the National Mall. Even if they have been there before, they are like "Oh we have been there, but not in years, so I rather we go to the National Mall".
Have you ever felt this way? Are there any under-the-radar places you like to take friends and family that visit you?
I stop being a tour guide for my friends and family years ago. At one point I had season passes at a variety of places because it was cheaper than multiple admission fees like the Mt. Vernon estate.
I just give them a map, a tour book to borrow, and some brochures and let them go explore on their own and meet them for dinner. I honestly couldn't handle the Natural History, Air & Space, American History, the Archives, the Washington Masonic Temple/Memorial, the White House, Mt. Vernon or the Baltimore Aquarium anymore.
I might be in the mood for an art museum I haven't been to in a while, especially if there is a special exhibit or something I would have otherwise be interested in doing.
I find a lot of times, if spending time with me and my family is the primary reason for the visit, they'll compromise and find something we all would like to do.
I promised a cousin of mine long ago that I would take her around the city whenever she dropped by, hoping it was one rain check she'd never cash. Well, she did just that 3-4 weeks ago, when she asked me to accompany her on a tour of the Mall, concluding the adventure with a comprehensive walk-through of the Holocaust museum. I don't know what sort of madness compelled her to end a beautiful day on such a grim and solemn note, but downing shots of Tanqueray immediately after certainly improved my disposition.
Dump them at the Mall. Really, it's easy for them to get around and you can pick them up later. It's not like they're going to be mugged and they can walk everywhere.
I don't ever mind and I grew up here so I've definitely seen it all already, wherever the visitors want to go. But usually they are friends or family that I don't often see so I'd rather spend time with them, and I don't mind being a guide. Plus my kids always like going down there, no reason required. The Mall is, I think, a must-see for people that haven't been there yet.
I suppose if the visitors were someone I didn't want to see I might pack them off on the Metro. Sometimes I have to do this if I have work or something when they are here.
I guess if I lived way out in Loudoun it might get old, but I'm 15-20 minutes away in Springfield.
I like taking visitors to the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam War Memorial, the MLK Memorial, and other memorials in that area. Never gets old. I always take them late at night so that it's just us, no crowds.
When I lived in DC I never minded taking people to the Mall, but there were a couple of museums I got tired of (mostly Air & Space).
Perhaps next time you have visitors you can take them down to the Mall, but when they want to go to Air & Space or Natural History you can tell them you will meet them in two hours and you can go check out some of the other museums that you haven't been to as much.
It isn't free, but the Newseum is really cool. I also like the National Cathedral. Those are probably my top two reccomendations that aren't on the Mall. You mentioned the Billy Goat Trail and Alexandria, which are great. There is also the National Building Museum, Library of Congress, Union Station, Supreme Court Building (you can also go hear a case when Court is in session), the National Portrait Gallery, new MLK memorial, the Botanic Garden, the Arboretum, the National Zoo, or in the summer a game at Nationals Park.
Monument walks are fine, as a good walk is always welcome on a nice day. Visiting crowded musuems over and over again can get old quick. Perhaps you could accompany your guests to the mall, do some walking, then split up if they really want to go to the classic spots.
Or just push them out the door with a map and promise to meet for dinner.
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