I hope you are all well and spring has finally sprung in the USA!
So, it's only about 8 weeks until we leave for the USA, so I thought I might see if you have any tips for where we should go.
Obviously, we will do a lot of the touristy type stuff, but I'd like to fit in a few 'different' activities too. In New York, I thought we would go to the High Line, which is an old elevated track which is now a wild garden. I think both kids will love that.
In Washington... WHICH museum???? There appear to be LOADS of them!!
Chicago, I think is sorted - we are going to see Sue the T-Rex, as Harry has developed a fascination with dinosaurs too!
Denver, we are going to the Georgetown Loop railroad.
Anyone got any tips for 'train related' fun days out? (or dinosaurs!)
If we've time, we will fit in a trip to the Medina model railroad in Buffalo too.
We are planning to see a submarine in Vancouver... But really open to any and all ideas.
Hope you are all well.
Kacy. x
RRRICH Member # 1418
posted
Kacy -- most of the museums in Washington DC are within walking distance of Union Station. I would recommend the Natural History Museum and the Air & Space Museum (both of these are part of the Smithsonian)
In Chicago, "Sue" the T-Rex is at the Field Museum -- a short taxi ride from CUS.
TBlack Member # 181
posted
Kacy,
For Denver, I'd call up Ira Slotkin (I think he gave you his phone #) and ask him the best way to do that city. Tom
notelvis Member # 3071
posted
If you have time for only two museums in Washington, I would go for the Air & Space Museum and the National Museum of American History.
Both are located on the Mall and can be reached from Union Station easily on the DC Metro. Take the RED Line train towards Shady Grove, disembark at the METRO CENTER station, and get the Blue or Orange line trains two stations south to the SMITHSONIAN station.
RRRich does make a good suggestion with the Natural History Museum as well. I did not include that on my list because it is similar in scope to the Field Museum which you plan to see in Chicago.
And....... if you have loads of free time in DC, you could take the Red Line in the opposite direction, change to the Green line, and go out to College Park where a short ride on the UM Shuttle will land you on the campus of my alma mater, the University of Maryland.
I suppose the highlight of visiting UMCP would be rubbing Testudo's nose for good luck on your trip. In this case, Testudo is a statue of a terrapin, the university mascot, located in front of McKeldin Library. Testudo's nose is very shiny from more the 75 years worth of rubbing during exam week!
notelvis Member # 3071
posted
If I had time for only ONE Museum in DC, I would choose the Museum of American History because one room there is filled with trains.... and I prefer looking at trains as opposed to airplanes!
Jerome Nicholson Member # 3116
posted
In DC: Museum of American History - First Ladies' Inaugural gowns, "star Spangled Banner", notable autos and big steam locomotive, original Automat. Museum of natural History - wildlife dioramas, skeletons of dinosaurs plus woolly mamoth, giant sloth, saber - toothed cat, Hope Diamond. Air and Space - Wright Brothers' Flyer, Spirit of St. Louis, Apollo 11, X-1, X-15, DC3, Skylab, German V1 and V2 rockets, artifacts from Hindenburg, planes from World War 1, World War 2. Which ones fit your interest?
Jerome Nicholson Member # 3116
posted
Maybe the International Spy Museum in Downtown DC. It has items of espionage from spies real(the Rosenbergs) to make - believe (James Bond).
KacyB Member # 52680
posted
Thanks Guys.
I will definitely contact both Ira and GBN. I'm hoping to meet up with both of them while we are out in the US.
Can't believe we really organised this!!! Exciting stuff!
Kacy x
notelvis Member # 3071
posted
Denver, remember the Children's Museum near the train station area...... also the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden, CO has a nice collection of narrow gauge railroad rolling stock as well as a nice library and gift shop.
Golden is on the way to/from Georgetown..... the one concern being that the museum's focus may be 'too similar' to what you will already be experiencing with the Georgetown Loop.
ALSO - Denver may be the opportunity for the family to take in a Major League American Baseball Game if the Colorado Rockies are at home while you're in town. The baseball stadium is practically just across the tracks from the temporary Denver Amtrak Station.
sojourner Member # 3134
posted
Regarding the High Line in NYC, it's lovely, but be sure to get there early in the morning (before 10AM) and preferably a week day, because it's hugely popular and gets quite crowded. I'd also recommend a boat ride around Manhattan. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is pretty cool--esp the Egyptian section and the new American wing, plus rooftop sculptures--and unlike other museums in NY, though the listed entry price is high, they have a very nice policy of saying it is "suggested" but allowing you to pay what you can afford. Central Park (near the museum etc.) is very nice too. Across the park is the American Museum of Natural History, with a VERY famous dinosaur bone collection; but it's pricey and I wouldn't bother with so much else to do. . . . plenty of other dinosaur bones in DC (free) or Chicago.
The Spy Museum in DC is a lot of fun, though it has a fee. Most other museums in DC are free. Natural History (part of the Smithsonian) has some very fine dinosaur bones, as noted, and a good mineral & gem collection, among other things; plus, there is a special exhibit about the digs at Jamestown that has lots of old bones and forensic info on ID'ing them that I think your kids may find really cool. American History (another Smithsonian) has some cool old trains etc., but, depending on the time, the First Ladies gowns there can be so mobbed you won't want to wait in line. The Library of Congress is pretty neat to see, and from there you can walk through to the visitors center at the Capitol, which is also worth seeing (unless lines are huge).
If you go to the free Natural History in DC, you may have had enough of the dinosaur bones and not want to pay for the Field Museum in Chicago! But it's cool too. Be sure to see the Bean at Millennium Park. The Chicago architecture folks (in the Santa Fe building) offer cool boat tours and also one on the Loop. Segway tours are also popular in Chicago and seem like fun, though I've never done one.
Denver is actually kinda boring, IMO, and the train station is being worked on so there is a temporary one of little interest. There's the mint and the capitol, or maybe you can take a bus tour to Rocky Mt Park? Of better yet, if your tinerary isn't fully set, I would recommend stopping in Glenwood Springs instead, a small mountain town with inexpensive hot baths, fun to visit.
Vancouver's a beautiful city.
Whatever you do, have fun!
Jerome Nicholson Member # 3116
posted
Denver has a theme park called Elitch Gardens where I'm sure the kids won't mind spending a day. Check it out: http://elitchgardens.com/
There are also Six Flags theme parks near Washington, New York, and Chicago, but Elitch Gardens is right next to downtown Denver and can be reached by Denver's light rail system.
Geoff Mayo Member # 153
posted
+1 for the boat ride around the entire Manhattan island - takes about 3 hours I think.
+1 for the hot open air pool at Glenwood Springs. Bring sun lotion!
posted
Thanks for correcting my typo, Goegg--I meant the MINT in Denver and will fix my post so as not to confuse.
Jerome Nicholson Member # 3116
posted
If you don't have three hours for the cruise around Manhattan, Circle Line also offers a half - circle tour later in the afternoon, going halfway around the island then turning around. When it passes Lower Manhattan on the return, the Sun has set and the buildings are all lit up. The Brooklyn Bridge looks like it is made of a string of pearls, and the Statue of Liberty's torch and crown are illuminated. The boat's PA system plays New York - themed songs, giving a wonderful mood to the pasengers. You won't go wrong with either tour. Then maybe go to the top of either the Empire state Building or Rockefeller Center for a look at all of New York at night.
Geoff Mayo Member # 153
posted
quote:Originally posted by sojourner: Thanks for correcting my typo, Goegg--I meant the MINT in Denver and will fix my post so as not to confuse.
Sorry if I missed that one!
DonNadeau Member # 61606
posted
Consider an overnight in Glenwood Springs, west of Denver. The Amtrak Station is just across from the Glenwood Springs Pool, a huge and wonderful environment for all ages. You will also find a large assortment of other family-oriented activities, including white water rafting adjacent to Amtrak's scenic route through Glenwood Canyon. Frequent local bus service connects the station area to Aspen.
posted
Totally concur with Sojourer's opinion of Vancouver. Take an all-day ferry/bus tour to Victoria and Butchart Gardens. Expensive but so worth it.
We will have 3 days in Manhattan, but that's not to say I trust my son on a boat for 3 hours, so the 30 minute trip sound idea. I will check that out.
THe mint sounds brilliant. I've always been a bit fascinated by the US currency. Do you know that you have the least protected currency in the world? Or that over 3% of your economy is fraudulent? I used to work in anti counterfeit R&D for De La Rue, so I know quite a bit about holograms and security threads etc., In the second world war, Germany infiltrated the UK with loads of counterfeit £5, which is why we have so much security. Same happened between Iran and Iraq and Pakistan and India (respectively, obviously). Apparently your economy is big and stable enough to cope with it. So, would be keen to visit the mint.
Love the ideas on Vancouver too. Got to push the boat out a bit, as it's unlikely we'll be back in the area any time soon.
GBN - I am going to message you now.
Kacy x
KacyB Member # 52680
posted
Oh, and we have a couple of days in Glenwood springs - think everyone will enjoy the break there.
notelvis Member # 3071
posted
Ohhhhh.......
If this is what you mean by 'pushing the boat out a bit', the Victoria, BC tour out of Vancouver suggested by DonNadeau is worth a day if you can spare it.
My wife and I spent three days in Victoria in 2004 as part of a larger vacation which included time in Seattle and Winnipeg. Now, nearly a decade later, we still regard Victoria to have been the highlight of that trip and one of our best vacation memories ever.
The bus driving on to the ferry is really neat. The scenery from the ferry (passengers are allowed off the bus to go up to the upper decks) is some of the finest I have ever seen and it's particularly exciting when two of the ferries going opposite directions meet in one of those surprisingly narrow interior passages.
OK - to be honest, in my wife's opinion it was possibly our best vacation ever. In my opinion, without Victoria our ride on the Canadian would have been just another nice train ride!
pelican Member # 754
posted
The mint makes coins, not currency. But - if you are interested in the printing of the real stuff - that is done in Washington at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and they have free tours.
posted