My dad was a history buff. He would load us in the car and drive to DC to explore. Those are some of my best memories.
Make a day trip over to mt Vernon.

Thank you for the advice!

simply stunning lit up at night!

I expect the national mall area to be safe. I am staying around half a mile north of there. We plan to be on foot for the entire trip.

gladly do it again!

I have already contacted my congressman's office about possible tours there.

Beautiful paintings and murals. But spend a day in the Smithsonian Air and Space museum. I never missed going to it when I was in DC.

They certainly are "must see" destinations for me.

including not only the constitution but all First Lady inaugural ball gowns, Wahington's teeth (which were ivory and hinged at the back) and all sorts of stuff from America's Attic. In addition, the Capitol building is there and I think they are probably allowing at least partial tours of the White House now that Stupid is long gone.

The Smithsonian wasn't much into household items, as I recall it was more interested in war gear of the period.

DC has great places to eat, a small but good Chinatown on H Street and Popeye's Chicken for fast food in a lot of different locations. Popeye's was the one thing I missed when I left DC.

I actually preferred the tours in Boston for Revolutionary War period stuff including Old Ironsides, the Paul Revere House (were they really that short?) and the graveyards where so many of the founding fathers lie.

I could see myself spending an inordinate amount of time there.

And thanks for the tip on Popeye's Chicken. I haven't been to one of those since I lived in Hawaii decades ago.

is seldom crowded, and it's neat seeing all the portraits of presidents that are typically found in history or social studies texts.

I would have overlooked that one!

and--in addition to all the fantastic portraits--I got to see a great exhibit on Teddy Roosevelt.

The FDR monument is interesting.

Take the tour at the Archives.

Contact your Congressperson's office and schedule a White House tour and the Capital Building.

Other than those, any of the other monuments are great.

Take a side trip to Mount Vernon and/or Monticello. Both are great.

I have already contacted my congressman's office and took a shot at scheduling any and all tours they can help us get into. Guess I have to wait and see if any of them are approved. We tried to schedule our trip so we would just beat the tourist season.

Ford's Theater another feature, both on or near the MALL, all the Smithsonian museums, PLENTY of history, and if weather is good, a lovely place to visit. Check which shows which of the features you're interested in.

I haven't taken the ride-on buses (have lived in the area since 1978,) but understand broad overviews are available.

Have FUN!

That's in walking distance of our hotel. I will definitely check that out!

and has a regular season of shows. And places to eat nearby. And FBI nearby.

Have FUN!