Hello all,
I thought I'd be sure to get some good advice here, both from US residents and non-residents. Planning a first-ever trip for next summer for myself and son (9½), partly in memory of our wife and mother, who died a while back without ever managing to get there, much though she wanted to - and partly just to have a good time. A number of destinations and itineraries have been considered and rejected, and at the moment it looks like this: 5 days to a week in New York City, then Amtrak down to Wilmington, Delaware, hire a car (it has the cheapest car-hire in the north-east that I can find - roughly the same for a week as the single train-fare from New York) and a tour round through the Capital region - Chesapeake Bay, DC, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia...
Among the rejected ideas have been San Francisco (too far), New Hampshire (which I would love, but fate would probably arrange for that 230mph wind to be blowing when we went up Mount Washington), Florida (no interest to either of us; my boy would rather see the Metropolitan Museum of Art than Disneyland, strange fellow that he is).
The plan is to book accommodation for NYC, obviously, but then to hope to find cheap-ish roadside motels or camp-sites. Is this a reasonable and sensible way to see this bit of the north-east, does anyone think, or are we missing something obvious? Should we go somewhere else altogether? Why is car hire in Wilmington so much cheaper than in Baltimore or Philadelphia (or so says www.cheapoair.com)? Should we beware of anything? Many thanks in advance,
DF
I live in the greater New York area. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is great. I remember a dozen years ago when I worked with a woman who was French and she was of the opinion that MMA was better than the Louvre. You should be able to find a lot of things to do in the tri-state area of NY-NJ-CT. Just google ...
If you want to swing north, the Boston area is full of historical sights, not all of it connected to that little war which ended with us throwing you Brits out, and of course you'll have a chance to eat Maine lobster--all other types are pretenders--and possibly even hear some Henningmusic.
Also, don't delete Florida from the list so easily, although the travel times may not work out for you. There are plenty of things here that don't involve Disneyland and its progeny--Cape Canaveral; the Ringling Museums in Sarasota; the Morikami Museum and Gardens in Palm Beach County (the outgrowth of a Japanese community in the area during the last century)--plus driving your car on the sand in Daytona, which imagine you don't have that much of an opportunity to do in the UK, and if you have the time, drive all the way down to Key West. And those are just the first couple of things that pop into my head.
Also there are enough flights between Florida and the UK that you should be able to fly back home from here without undue delays.
Most people don't know about the Ringling Museums
http://ringling.org/
The circus museum is actually the least interesting--it comes from the fact that he was the Ringling in Ringling, Barnum and Bailey--but there is also a very good museum of art, the Ringling mansion, Ca'Zan, which was built to imitate a Venetian palazzo, and a functioning Venetian theatre.
Miami, btw, has another Renaissance palace in the form of Miami's Vizcaya.
The above may be slightly biased by the fact that I'm a native of Boston and I've lived in Florida since I was ten.
I think that's a very sensible first trip to the USA, and good on you for not wanting to drive through New Jersey, but I don't think you need West Virginia in there unless you are keen to see... I'm not sure what frankly.
Anyway I've been to some of those places. Wilmington I know nothing about, but you can strike down toward DC, which is not nearly as menacing as its reputation if you stay in a decent area. Plus it has a decent metro and smashing good ethnic food scene. Most of the must-sees in DC are self-evident (memorials and monuments, museums along the Mall, art galleries, tour of Congress maybe, baseball game at Nationals Park) but don't miss the Library of Congress, which is what the British Library would have looked like had it been built by ardent neo-classicists in the 1800s.
Virginia is a beautiful state, one of my favorites, and there's no better way to see this than to head for Shenandoah Park and the area around Charlottesville. If the family likes either history or weirdly serene places where horrible things have happened, battlegrounds such as Antietam (Maryland) and Gettysburg (southern Pennsylvania) can be extraordinary. Try to catch them at off-hours, sunrise or sunset, to heighten the weird beauty of the battle sites. If your history is best served in old house form, there are Mount Vernon and Monticello clamoring for attention too.
I'm a little bit obsessed with food and drink, so about that: Maryland is legendary for its crabs and seafood, so get your fill of fresh crab. DC is home not just to various exotic cuisines (e.g. Ethiopian) but also a good bit of serious Americana, like the half-smokes at Ben's Chili Bowl or the very deeply fried fish at Horace & Dickie's. If you make it up to Gettysburg, PA, I have (after 8ish years) extremely fond memories of pheasant pie at the Farnsworth House.
This region is home territory for Dogfish Head, one of America's most respected (and hoppiest) breweries. If you like serious ales, and especially IPAs, Dogfish Head will keep you very happy all holiday long.
--
If everyone's going to give plugs for their home states, I should point out that the rest of America absolutely wilts in the face of the sheer Americanness of Texas, but if you're coming in the summertime, Texas will be 100 degrees F and unbearable.
Sounds like a plan. A couple questions - how many total days do you have? Where are you flying in and out of (or planning to)?
Destinations are many. As you are planning to be there in summer,you could go all sorts of places to see the ocean if that is of interest. But in terms of things to see, Boston is one I'd personally try to squeeze in (and lots to do with all sorts of history there). Philadelphia has lots of history, but its Philadephia (:)). In summer, I believe all the famous houses in Newport are open and this can be fun. It is a beautiful locale with much history: http://www.newportmansions.org/ (http://www.newportmansions.org/).
In DC, I'd try to get to the Air and Space Museum - possibly my favorite museum anywhere. Around DC, Colonial Williamsburg would be a great place to go (http://www.history.org/ (http://www.history.org/)). They will have all sorts of events in summer (great for kids), and there is a lot to see and enjoy there.
In terms of rental cars, a couple thoughts: 1) Most expensive at airports, they are usually reasonable when renting from a local site, 2) Keep re-checking. Prices will usually fluctuate in the coming months (you won't need a car inside NYC). In my experience, the best prices will be available 1-2 months before your trip, but you never know. I would check directly with the car rental places: Budget, NAtional, Enterprise, etc. Hertz is usually most expensive (though not always) and Enterprise and Budget are usually competitve. Also. it can be more expensive to rent and return to different location. Perhaps renting somewhere in DC would make more sense?
As to NYC, so much to see: Cloisters, Frick, Met, MOMA, Guggenheim, the Rock, etc. A boat around Manhatten can be a lot of fun too.
But really it depends on your priorities, so the more you can share on that, the better help I think you will get.
Ohio has assorted things of interest for the museum minded: Dayton has the Air Force Museum, the best collection of American and international military aircraft.
See:
http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=265 (http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=265)
http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/exhibits/coldwar/index.asp (http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/exhibits/coldwar/index.asp)
Toledo has one of the top art museums in the country: Cézanne, Calder, Cole, Degas, van Gogh, El Greco, Holbein, Kiefer, Matisse, Miró, Monet, Picasso, Rembrandt, Rubens, etc.
http://classes.toledomuseum.org:8080/emuseum/ (http://classes.toledomuseum.org:8080/emuseum/)
If Disneyland seems too tame for the 10 year old, the fastest, steepest, most insane roller coasters can be found here in Ohio: on Lake Erie and in Cincinnati:
http://www.cedarpoint.com/things-to-do/roller-coasters (http://www.cedarpoint.com/things-to-do/roller-coasters)
http://www.visitkingsisland.com/things-to-do/thrill-rides (http://www.visitkingsisland.com/things-to-do/thrill-rides)
Quote from: Cato on December 02, 2012, 03:02:31 PM
Ohio has assorted things of interest for the museum minded: Dayton has the Air Force Museum, the best collection of American and international military aircraft.
See:
http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=265 (http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=265)
http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/exhibits/coldwar/index.asp (http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/exhibits/coldwar/index.asp)
Toledo has one of the top art museums in the country: Cézanne, Calder, Cole, Degas, van Gogh, El Greco, Holbein, Kiefer, Matisse, Miró, Monet, Picasso, Rembrandt, Rubens, etc.
http://classes.toledomuseum.org:8080/emuseum/ (http://classes.toledomuseum.org:8080/emuseum/)
If Disneyland seems too tame for the 10 year old, the fastest, steepest, most insane roller coasters can be found here in Ohio: on Lake Erie and in Cincinnati:
http://www.cedarpoint.com/things-to-do/roller-coasters (http://www.cedarpoint.com/things-to-do/roller-coasters)
http://www.visitkingsisland.com/things-to-do/thrill-rides (http://www.visitkingsisland.com/things-to-do/thrill-rides)
There is also a Busch Gardens in Williamsburg. Haven't been there in years, and they probably don't have the same rides as in OH, but it is closer to where he is currently planning and would not require as much extra travelling.
Well, thanks for all the advice so far, folks. A few points to answer:
Coopmv - I also hope the MMA is easier to get into than the Louvre, which was somewhere I queued for hours once before giving up.
Jeffrey - Yes, Boston was certainly on the list, and we had even thought of dashing over for a day from New York, until I discovered it was 200 miles and roughly the same number of $ on the train. I think Maryland etc. may be our colonial history bit for this trip, with Boston to be saved for the New England trip that may follow in years to come.
Brian - West Virginia was on the list because my Rough Guide says I simply must see the New River Gorge, and the Allegheny Mountains sound good too. Perhaps my suspicions should have been aroused by the way that the whole state is dealt with in 3 pages. We did have some hiking and camping in mind, but perhaps the Shenandoah National Park would serve just as well. I intend, as a public librarian myself, to go and pay homage both at the Library of Congress and the New York Public Library. And Dogfish Head has gone on the list already.
mc ukrneal - Time is a bit flexible, but probably not more than a fortnight. Planning at the moment to fly to/from New York. Newport might be fun, if for no other reason than that our local "city" (recently upgraded and still immensely conceited about it) is also Newport - and to call it the a***hole of the universe would be to defame that useful orifice on which we all rely every day. (Or would it be a**hole in US spelling?) The Air and Space Museum sounds like a must-see - for me, a child of the Apollo missions, as well as for the little fellow.
Thanks for the thoughts about car rental. I think we'll make it a circular trip, so hiring and returning to the same place. DC (again according to www.cheapoair.com) is up there with New York for price - of all the places we might be likely to pass through, Wilmington came out cheapest - a place I had no other reason to see, other than that it has a river called the Brandywine.
Cato - <If Disneyland seems too tame for the 10 year old>. Not at all - he's scared, I think, hence the cool act about being too old for Disney. I think perhaps Ohio is a bit off-route for this time - perhaps the Air and Space Museum will make up for missing Dayton.
Thanks again for all this, everyone.
DF
Quote from: DaveF on December 03, 2012, 12:29:01 AM
Jeffrey - Yes, Boston was certainly on the list, and we had even thought of dashing over for a day from New York, until I discovered it was 200 miles and roughly the same number of $ on the train. I think Maryland etc. may be our colonial history bit for this trip, with Boston to be saved for the New England trip that may follow in years to come.
DF
Shame; the train journey between Boston and New York takes you through some beautiful coastal scenery. Me and the other half were ever so slightly disappointed by Boston; it ain't New York, that's for sure. Must get back to NY soon.
With two weeks, I would definitely try to plan some days outside the cities. NYC and DC are good for 6-10 days. Then it just depends what you want to see. You could go to New Hampshire/Maine, which have gorgeous scenery. Newport I mentioned. There is also Mystic Seaport - http://www.mysticseaport.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.viewPage&page_id=71D629AE-DFE3-7BEE-77C24ABDB528DB9E (http://www.mysticseaport.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.viewPage&page_id=71D629AE-DFE3-7BEE-77C24ABDB528DB9E).
From DC, I also mentioned a few places that are not too far, but there are some wonderful places for nature further south too. Blue Ridge mountains, for example, or some other similar type nature spots. But they require more travel time. There is also Monticello (Jefferson's estate), a couple hours outside DC. For something closer to DC, there is Mount Vernon (I'm guessing 30-40 minutes to get there).
On the car, the problem I see with the site you provided is it does not seem to show all the rental car locations. So you may have better luck looking indivdually, as they have so many locations. Within Enterprise car rental, for example, I found 169/week to 259/week for the same car at locations within a few miles from each other (excluding taxes). However, I would try to plan this with the flight. You might look into flying out of DC instead of NY to save you some time. Sometimes it will cost a lot more, but sometimes not. Worth a look. But while I would plan something convenient in terms of location, Wilmington is not close to DC. Well, it's not far, and it is on the way from NYC, but it's close to Philly, not DC. What is the price you were quoted to rent a car in Wilmington?
Quote from: DaveF on December 03, 2012, 12:29:01 AM
Brian - West Virginia was on the list because my Rough Guide says I simply must see the New River Gorge, and the Allegheny Mountains sound good too. Perhaps my suspicions should have been aroused by the way that the whole state is dealt with in 3 pages. We did have some hiking and camping in mind, but perhaps the Shenandoah National Park would serve just as well. I intend, as a public librarian myself, to go and pay homage both at the Library of Congress and the New York Public Library. And Dogfish Head has gone on the list already.
Oh! Oops - not only do I know the New River Gorge, I've gone down it on a raft! Whitewater rafting there is a heck of a lot of fun, most assuredly, but if you can find some hiking and outdoorsy activities on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia, that should save you a few hundred miles' traveling and you'll still be in some of the country's finest scenery.
Quote from: DaveF on December 02, 2012, 01:11:44 PM
Hello all,
I thought I'd be sure to get some good advice here, both from US residents and non-residents. Planning a first-ever trip for next summer for myself and son (9½), partly in memory of our wife and mother, who died a while back without ever managing to get there, much though she wanted to - and partly just to have a good time. A number of destinations and itineraries have been considered and rejected, and at the moment it looks like this: 5 days to a week in New York City, then Amtrak down to Wilmington, Delaware, hire a car (it has the cheapest car-hire in the north-east that I can find - roughly the same for a week as the single train-fare from New York) and a tour round through the Capital region - Chesapeake Bay, DC, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia...
Among the rejected ideas have been San Francisco (too far), New Hampshire (which I would love, but fate would probably arrange for that 230mph wind to be blowing when we went up Mount Washington), Florida (no interest to either of us; my boy would rather see the Metropolitan Museum of Art than Disneyland, strange fellow that he is).
The plan is to book accommodation for NYC, obviously, but then to hope to find cheap-ish roadside motels or camp-sites. Is this a reasonable and sensible way to see this bit of the north-east, does anyone think, or are we missing something obvious? Should we go somewhere else altogether? Why is car hire in Wilmington so much cheaper than in Baltimore or Philadelphia (or so says www.cheapoair.com)? Should we beware of anything? Many thanks in advance,
DF
New York City is one part of the US not to be missed. The parts of the city which create the most stunning impression are the Wall Street Area and Midtown (the famous canyons created by skyscrapers). A lot of colonial history took place in New York, but a large part has been demolished. For instance, near the NY Stock Exchange, you will see a sign saying "George Washington was sworn in as the first US president on this site" but the building is long gone. New York has superb museums, of course, but they are very expensive ($20 per person, at least, I think). The Metropolitan Museam has a bit of everything, but MoMA, the Guggenheim or the Whitney might appeal more, depending on your taste. The Cloisters, in upper Manhattan, has a museum of medieval art. Something I like to do is start at Columbus Circle and walk all the way down Broadway to battery park (maybe detour to attractions along the way, like the Jefferson Market Library, http://www.nypl.org/locations/jefferson-market).
Boston has a lot of Colonial History (the Freedom Trail) with the old state house, some meeting halls and churches preserved from colonial times. It also has the charming North End, stuffed with charming Italian Restaurants, etc. Probably Boston and San Francisco have the most European-esq feel to them of US cities, and might not be the epitome of the 'American' experience.
Washington has the monuments, obviously, and the Smithsonian, which has the great advantage of being FREE!!! You can wander around the National Mall, saunter past the Lincoln Memorial, stand where Martin Luther King gave his "I have a Dream" speech, go past the Jefferson Memorial, the Washington Memorial, wander into the Natural History museum and see some dinosaur bones, over to the Air and Space Museum and see the actual capsule in which Neil Armstrong took his ride to the moon and back, into the Hirshhorn and see some odd modern sculpture, into the National Gallery, Portrait Gallery, Sackler, Freer Gallery, all without spending a penny. Note that the Air and Space Museum has a lot of it's big, impressive stuff at the Udvar-Hazy center, near Dulles Airport.
The Colonial theme parks don't do it for me, but the Washington Area has Mount Vernon, George Washington's estate. It has been restored to approximate it's state when Washington lived there (surprisingly modest, given that Washington was the wealthiest man in the colonies at the time of the rebellion). Thomas Jefferson's estate (Montecello) is also nearby. The dwellings for the human slaves held by the founding fathers have been conveniently eliminated, but you can imagine how many squalid lives were necessary to sustain the affluence of a few, in those days.
I don't see the point of West Virginia. You have trees, hills and pretty scenery in Europe too, no? If you want something outside you experience, you can visit Arizona or New Mexico and see the desert.
One thing to keep in mind with regard to car rentals is geographic and mileage restrictions. Some rentals have unlimited miles, others charge you per mile over the mileage allowance. Also, some rentals restrict the area you are allowed to drive, so if you are planning to drive the car outside of the state where you rent it, be sure this is not an issue. I rent cars directly from the rental company rather than a travel sites. There are usually discount codes online which can give you a better rate. I rarely pay full price for a car rental. Finally, you should be aware that the class of car you reserve is really just a preference and you may end up with something entirely different. This is more of an issue at smaller airports where the car inventory is limited. For example, you might reserve a mid-sized car and when you arrived at the car rental desk, your options are a minivan or a pickup truck.
Quote from: mc ukrneal on December 03, 2012, 05:52:34 AM
On the car, the problem I see with the site you provided is it does not seem to show all the rental car locations.
No, it doesn't, but I worked through all the major locations along the line of the railway from New Jersey to DC - Trenton, Philadelphia, Baltimore - and Wilmington beat them all by quite a margin. Even some off-route places such as Dover, DE, were much more expensive. And if we end up in a pick-up truck, my boy will be thrilled.
Quote from: mc ukrneal on December 03, 2012, 05:52:34 AM
What is the price you were quoted to rent a car in Wilmington?
$163 per week for a "Compact" (Ford Focus or similar) from Enterprise, which seems to allow unlimited mileage and not to restrict you to one state (lucky, given that it's Delaware).
Quote from: Scarpia on December 03, 2012, 07:00:23 AM
I don't see the point of West Virginia. You have trees, hills and pretty scenery in Europe too, no?
Yes, we do - West Virginia is off the itinerary, and the Blue Ridge Parkway is increasingly on it - perhaps even follow it down into North Carolina so we can say we've been in "The South".
Nothing "seems" about that.
Inevitably you are being given numerous recommendations, and I think your original plan was the most realistic. One week based in New York, one week in Washington. Small day trips such as Mount Vernon (40 minutes from DC) or Colonial Wiliamsburg (about 2 hours away). That's plenty for one trip. You need to consider not only car and train, but accommodations. The longer you stay in any hotel, especially if you book weekends, the cheaper. I live 50 miles east of New York City and so it's a frequent day trip for me for museums or theatre. When I visit DC, I drive down and usually stay either at the Radisson in Crystal City, VA, or the Legacy in Rockville, MD. Both have relatively good rates and are right near Metro stations into town.
Do Boston on another trip when you can see New England; do North Carolina and Virginia on another trip to the South. Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, West Virginia, San Francisco — forget about it. This is a really big country and you may not be prepared for the distances involved. Or the traffic if you're driving. Or the crowds in a big city like New York. Better to plan less than frustrate yourself trying to do more.
PS No waiting on line as a rule to get into the Met in New York; and the $20 is a suggested admission. It's the most visited place in the city, but the wide entrances make getting in/out very efficient.
Quote from: (poco) Sforzando on December 07, 2012, 11:06:09 AM
Inevitably you are being given numerous recommendations, and I think your original plan was the most realistic. One week based in New York, one week in Washington. Small day trips such as Mount Vernon (40 minutes from DC) or Colonial Wiliamsburg (about 2 hours away). That’s plenty for one trip. You need to consider not only car and train, but accommodations. The longer you stay in any hotel, especially if you book weekends, the cheaper. I live 50 miles east of New York City and so it’s a frequent day trip for me for museums or theatre. When I visit DC, I drive down and usually stay either at the Radisson in Crystal City, VA, or the Legacy in Rockville, MD. Both have relatively good rates and are right near Metro stations into town.
Do Boston on another trip when you can see New England; do North Carolina and Virginia on another trip to the South. Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, West Virginia, San Francisco — forget about it. This is a really big country and you may not be prepared for the distances involved. Or the traffic if you’re driving. Or the crowds in a big city like New York. Better to plan less than frustrate yourself trying to do more.
PS No waiting on line as a rule to get into the Met in New York; and the $20 is a suggested admission. It's the most visited place in the city, but the wide entrances make getting in/out very efficient.
I think they upped it to $25, however, children under 12 are free. So $25 for two is not really so bad. You'd pay $20 for the Central Park Zoo for the both of you (total) in comparison.
Quote from: DaveF on December 03, 2012, 12:47:31 PM
Yes, we do - West Virginia is off the itinerary, and the Blue Ridge Parkway is increasingly on it - perhaps even follow it down into North Carolina so we can say we've been in "The South".
Virginia fought with the Confederacy in the Civil War and has long been considered "The South." Especially if you end up in the countryside south/west of the Blue Ridge Parkway or near Colonial Williamsburg, you will have been in the South, certainly.
Yelp is a website which can recommend you fantastic restaurants in more or less any major city; it's only just getting a foothold in Europe but it has America very well-covered.
Quote from: (poco) Sforzando on December 07, 2012, 11:06:09 AMThis is a really big country and you may not be prepared for the distances involved.
To illustrate Sforzando's point, the distance from DC to NYC is equivalent to the distance from 10 Downing Street to Blackpool. Driving from the eastern edge of Texas to the western edge of Texas on highway 10 takes 880 miles, which is like driving from Exeter to Glasgow
and back.
This is all invaluable advice - thanks to you all. I know the distances are going to take us by surprise, but I still somehow imagine that American roads will be straighter and less congested than British ones - perhaps I'm in for a nasty shock there too. Both the journeys quoted above as examples - Central London to Blackpool, Exeter to Glasgow - involve the motorway system round Birmingham, which can get ferociously snarled up at any time of day.
A more-or-less two-centre affair is what this holiday will probably turn into - one week NYC, one DC-ish, Maryland-ish, Delaware-ish. Regarding restaurants (Brian), my Lonely Planet guide helpfully gives the address of Dogfish Head - best live music on the Eastern shore it says, too.
DF
Quote from: DaveF on December 07, 2012, 12:15:34 PMperhaps I'm in for a nasty shock there too.
Perhaps.
Dave --
What month are you planning to visit and are you a fan of the heat?
We took a similar vacation a couple of years ago in August. We had a great time in New York City but arrived in Washington, D.C. at the start of a heatwave. The temperature hovered around 105 degrees F (about 40 degrees C) all week.
It was the most oppressive heat I ever experienced until I visited New Orleans in July.
Just stay away from Boston and you'll be fine. :)
Quote from: Brian on December 07, 2012, 12:25:44 PM
Perhaps.
Ah, c'est le Périphérique! OK, we will éviter comme la peste. Merci. London's the same - best way is straight through the middle (avoiding the congestion charge zones) rather than round either of the ring-roads (M25 or North/South Circular).
Quote from: Szykneij on December 07, 2012, 01:13:10 PM
What month are you planning to visit and are you a fan of the heat?
School term finishes on 6th July (bah! would have liked to be in NYC 2 days previously for what is alleged to be a whole lotta fun), so as early as possible after that for 2 weeks. A moderate fan of heat (it's so long since we had any here that I struggle to remember), but our non-package-deal flexibility means that if things get too oppressive we can head for the hills.
Quote from: The Six on December 08, 2012, 12:22:15 AM
Just stay away from Boston and you'll be fine. :)
Ouch! Because of the heat or because of... Boston?
It's really unfortunate that one snarky, unexplained comment can lead you to ignore as enjoyable a tourist location as Boston. It's a great town to visit, with a major art museum that bears comparison to New York's and numerous interesting historical sites. As for the heat, 2012 was a very hot summer, but unless this trend continues, summers in northeast USA are warm and humid but not unduly oppressive.
Too bad you'll miss the July 4 celebration, but truth to tell, you can see it on TV and once you've seen one firework, you've seen them all.
Since you seem to want to stay focused on NYC and DC, here are some thoughts of mine on places to see.
New York: For art museums, the Met and MoMA for sure, the Guggenheim and maybe the Frick and JP Morgan Library if you have time. The Cloisters is the separate medieval branch of the Met way uptown, but worth a detour. Go up to the top of the Empire State Building for the views, and all the way downtown for the Statue of Liberty. Lunch in Chinatown followed by a walk up to Little Italy for the pastries at Ferrara's. Other small neighborhoods downtown worth seeing include Greenwich Village and the Lower East Side, and Chelsea if you're interested in the art gallery scene. Definitely tour United Nations headquarters. Many people are afraid to see Harlem because that's where (shhh!) the blacks live, but you can get a bus tour, which is best on Sundays because you can visit one of the churches to hear the gospel singing. For music, see what's doing at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. If you want to catch a hot Broadway ticket like the Book of Mormon, book early from home (the language might be too adult for a little kid, but use your judgment). In summer you might want to catch a play at Shakespeare in the Park. The outer boroughs are less interesting than Manhattan, but your kid and the kid in you will enjoy a trip to the Bronx Zoo, and the Brooklyn Museum is also very fine.
Washington, DC: On the National Mall, see the NASA Museum, the Museum of American History, the Holocaust Museum, and the National Gallery (both west and east wings). The best small art museum (impressionist/modern) is the Phillips Collection near Dupont Circle. The Washington Monument may still be closed from the earthquake a couple of years ago; I wouldn't waste time seeing the Lincoln or Jefferson, but the two monuments on the Mall not to miss are the Vietnam Veterans' and the recent WW2. If the FBI Building reopens tours, don't miss it. You will probably need to contact your embassy to see if you can get tours of the White House and the Capitol; I would not miss either. Arlington Cemetery is not worth the bother; the Library of Congress definitely is. See what's playing at the Kennedy Center for music. Mount Vernon is worth a day trip, same for Williamsburg.
As for driving, you can find congestion in any major US city any time, so you should feel right at home. All the same, I honestly don't see the need to drive at all; you can easily get around either city by subway or bus, and you can avoid the trouble and liability of a car by using Amtrak. And of course we drive on the right side of the road, which you may or may not be used to.
Quote from: The Six on December 08, 2012, 12:22:15 AM
Just stay away from Boston and you'll be fine. :)
Oh, gosh.
Quote from: karlhenning on December 10, 2012, 05:51:05 AM
Oh, gosh.
Gosh indeed.
Edited to add: if you want to see just one natural history museum, I would choose the American Museum in NY over the one in Washington. Your kid will love the dinosaurs. If you want to see a major library, I would see the Library of Congress over the 42nd Street main branch in NY.
For the Museum of Modern Art in NY, the high point is the 5th floor if time is short.