Getting Around DC

As I wrote in the post Subway versus Metro, I love the DC Metro for getting around. In addition, the metro buses are fairly easy, and the DC Circulator buses are excellent for tourists! All three take “SmarTrip” Cards, which we have found to be extremley useful, especially if doing train/bus transfers. The WMATA website has a lot of useful information.

The train itself is super easy to navigate. There are five different lines, each with a different color. You need to know which direction you will be traveling, indicated by the last station in the direction you want to go. Do note that not all trains run to the final station; some trains run a shorter route. Also, check the WMATA website beforehand to know if any stations will be closed or where delays may be expected.

The Circulator buses cost $1 and have quite a number of useful routes. Keep a Circulator map handy!

The DC LIke A Local blog has lots of helpful hints regarding riding Metro.

Thursday Tip – Kid ID

Despite your best intentions, it could happen. You and your children may become separated. Be it in a crushing crowd or a superfast elevator door. Do your kids know what to do?

1. Make a plan. Tell them what to do if they get stuck on a train, etc. Tell them what to do if you get stuck moving away form them. Tell them what to do if you get separated in a crowd in another way.
2. Make sure they have a piece of paper with their name, your name, a contact number for you, a contact number for someone else not in the area, contact information for your hotel.
3. I always give my kids a token amount of money, around $20 to use in the case of an emergency.
4. Any bag that your child has should also contain identifying information. Believe it or not, lost items can be recovered (though not always of course). There are many honest people out there who will do the right thing if given the chance.

What are your tips on preparing for an emergency? I was thinking about this the other day after the shooting and subsequent evacuation at the museum near us in DC. Sometimes I do let the kids separate from me within the museum. What would happen if we were evacuated in different directions? I don’t want to spend all my time worrying, but having a plan can be a good plan.

Web Wednesday

Where are the best bathrooms in DC? What’s a good place to get lunch (not the Air and Space Museum)? What time of day should we visit the archives? All of these questions and more are answered in the DC Like A Local blog. I have found it to be a wonderful resource this year as we have been spending so much time in DC…

While looking for ideas, I came across this resource as well: The DC Traveler, which has a number of useful entries on the National Museum of Natural History.

Tuneful Tuseday – Lucas Miller

In keeping with the nature theme for this week, I’d like to mention a great kids’ musician whose music features zoology and environmental issues. Lucas Miller, out of Austin, TX, has a great set of CDs with tracks such as “Living in Symbiosis,” “I Don’t Wanna Be Part of the Food Chain! ” and “Arribada! (The Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle Song) .”His lyrics are catching, amusing and educational. And fit right along with a visit to a natural history (or science) museum field trip, too!

Night At the Museum

In May, we headed to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History twice! And just about found it to be a different museum the second time. There is so much to see and do, that our second trip had very few repeats other than the giant squid — which is what the girls were desperate to see. There is very little in the museum that is “unique” to DC and the history or our country, so it might be a museum to skip if you are pressed for time or don’t have a budding naturalist. You would have a similar experience at the Field Museum or the American Museum of Natural History. But, if you have some time, we highly recommend a visit!

While I suggest you have a look at the museum’s website ahead of time to get an idea of the varied and numerous exhibits, you might just end up wandering from one to the next and never, ever get bored. We could have spent an entire day in the Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals. The Butterfly Pavilion is worth spending a little cash. Just emphasize the rules about touching the butterflies and watching where you step ahead of time. The one exhibit my girls were not interested in (surprising, given what they claim to want to be when they are adults) was “Written in Bone: Forensic Files of the 17th-Century Chesapeake.” We had some nice surprises from exhibits in hallways off the main exhibits, such as the insect specimen cases.

There are plenty of elevators, but sometimes the flow will bring you to a set of stairs or an escalator. There is a food court, but we didn’t try it out, so I’m not sure what there was on the menu.

The highlight of our second trip was going to see Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian there in the IMAX at the Smithsonian!

National Museum of Natural History Photos

Photos from the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History:

From Natural History Museum, DC – May 2009

Getting Around Ocean City

We spent our Ocean City weekend right in the heart of the boardwalk. We had no need to go anywhere, given the short time that we were there. As we explored though, I noticed a number of different ways of getting around. During the peak tourist season, it is easy to see that a car is not going to be very useful.

The first morning, we walked to the south end of the boardwalk and decided to ride the Boardwalk Tram north along the boardwalk to 27th street. The fare is $3 a ride; Chloe was free due to her “height impairment.” The tram will stop anywhere for people to board or disembark. The fare is collected by the conductor. It was a great way to see the entire boardwalk without having to walk the whole way and back.

Another great option, if you are an early bird, is a bike. I suppose on the streets (flat and fairly wide), bikes would be useful all the time. However, bikes are allowed on the boardwalk only early in the morning. The hours vary, but the window was 2am until 10am. Bike rental places are everywhere — and offer wide variety of bikes, from reclining trikes to four person surreys.

The bus, especially the one that takes you from the big park and ride to the boardwalk is a great option! While we didn’t ride it, the Ocean City Maryland Blog offers a lot of great advice and tips about riding the bus. The Tow of Ocean City Website gives some details, but without a map, it is not as easy to understand which buses run where.

Travel Goon Kids – Ocean City

What are your favorite things to do in Ocean City, MD
What books or websites do you visit before you go?
What do you not like?
What tips do you have for friends planning to go?

Camille says: “I enjoyed swimming in the waves. I thought the mini-golf courses were pretty cool. I think it is fun to walk down the boardwalk and look at all the shops.”

Chloe says: “I liked going to the amusement park on the pier. I think the beach was nice, and I liked the playgrounds on the beach.”

Here are some tips that came in from a reader via the comments on Park Place Hotel, Ocean City, MD:

• Excellent breakfast and coffee at the Dough Roller restaurant, next door, on the Boardwalk at Third Street, in the Breakers Hotel.
• Other classic Ocean City restaurant choices with affordable prices, within walking distance:
  
  Shenanigan’s Irish Pub & Grille, one block north on the Boardwalk, at Fourth Street
  
  And Melvin’s Steak House, two blocks south, then two blocks west, at Philadelphia Ave. and First Street.
  
  Thrasher’s is a must-do for many Ocean City regulars, as is Dumser’s ice cream and Phillips Crab House.

• For a classic amusement experience, keep walking south of the pier and visit the historic Trimper Rides, with its restored carousel, just off the Boardwalk at South Division Street.

Thursday Tip – Strollers

In January, Chloe, 6.5 at the time, was constantly miserable on our trips to Washington, DC. She didn’t want to go anywhere; she didn’t want to do anything. I got frustrated and cranky and vowed to never take her anywhere again. After we both had a chance to cool off, we discussed what the problems were and possible resolutions. Our solution? I ordered a Maclaren Triumph stroller from Amazon. And traveling has gotten so much more pleasant for all of us!

I don’t enjoy having to drag it through security, especially when I have two or three laptops with me as well. Taking metro and walking to the apartment with the heaviest backpack ever,
the stroller and the suitcase was no piece of cake, especially given that Chloe is a little nervous about riding the escalator with her own rolling backpack (as well she should be).

But, besides that, the stroller was great! We are able to walk around DC in winds that would have blown her away. We are able to walk six miles or more with no whining. We took it to NYC with us last month and though it was frustrating .to get it through the subway turnstiles, it was a life-saver.

We did not take the stroller to Ocean City. And there was only one moment that I wish I had. The Maclaren is not designed to be pushed on the sand, so it would have limited our flexibility too much. However, I could see if we were going to go for a week trip, we would have really liked having it along.

All in all, I’m so glad that we went ahead and bought a stroller. I have to wonder why was I so keen to give up the stroller in the first place….

Web Wednesday

In preparation for a trip, don’t hesitate to ask advice from friends as well as from the “experts.” How else would you know the best place to get fries on the boardwalk (Thrashers) or which mini-golf is the best for you family?

One great “expert” blog for Ocean City is Inside Ocean City. Recent topics about traveling to Ocean City with kids include Restaurants for Kids and Kids Activities. Different opinions on various subjects leave you with much to consider, but maybe some advice you glean will make the difference between a good vacation and a GREAT one!