THINGS TO DO:
1. Walk Around the Arlington National Cemetery Area (3.2 miles round trip)
- Park in the Arlington National Cemetery parking lot - there is a fee, but it is next to the visitor's center which has air conditioning, water fountains, and bathrooms
- Begin your walk at the Visitors Center (Point A) - stop and get a map and other information
- Walk to United States Marine Corps War Memorial (Point B)
- On your way back to Arlington National Cemetery, stop at the Netherlands Carillon (Point C) - this is one of the greatest views of Washington, D.C.
- Continue to the Women in Military Service for America Memorial (Point D) - take the time to walk the stairs to the top of the memorial and view the gallery inside the memorial
- Walk to President John F. Kennedy's Gravesight (Point E) - see the Eternal Flame and view the Arlington House
- Finish your visit by attending the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns (Point F) and visiting the Memorial Amphitheater
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| United States Marine Corps War Memorial |
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| View of Washington, D.C. from the Netherlands Carillon |
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| Women in Military Service for America Memorial |
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| Eternal Flame at President John F. Kennedy's Gravesite |
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| Arlington House |
- Have a picnic
- Watch the planes take off and land at Reagan National Airport
3. Drive to the Air Force Memorial (3.0 miles)
- Take 20 minutes to walk around the memorial - this a yet another amazing place to view our nation's capital.
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| Air Force Memorial |
4. End the day at Hayes Park (3.0 miles) - especially if you are doing this day trip with children during the summer
- Cool down at the "spray ground" - be sure to pack swimming suits if you plan to do this - your children can change in the bathrooms
- Play tennis or basketball
- Play on the playground
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| Arlington National Cemetery (Point A); Gravelly Point Park (Point B); Air Force Memorial (Point C); Hayes Park (Point D) |
THINGS TO KNOW:
This is a great day trip that takes you to some wonderful memorials, but doesn’t pack in so much that you don’t have time to enjoy them.
So that you can plan your bathroom/snack/water breaks: our walk around the Arlington National Cemetery area took about 3 ½ hours. Had it been necessary, we could’ve gotten through it a little more quickly. If we had the energy to get home very late, we could’ve spent more time enjoying this part of the day. The gallery inside the Women in Military Service for America Memorial is a great resting spot if you need one. If you’re too tired for the stairs to the top, take the elevator at the far end of the monument - it's worth the effort to go up there. When you go to see the Changing of the Guard, try to get a spot on your right hand side as you’re looking at the tomb - that is where most of the ceremony takes place. You will be asked to stand and remain silent through the 5-10 minute change, so find a place you can do so comfortably.
Gravelly Point Park is a lot of fun for the airplane and boat aficionados. The picnic area is right next to the water and Reagan National Airport. The planes fly right over your head and then make the sharp turn necessary to avoid D.C. Be prepared for the loud noise of the planes’ engines. We didn’t feel the need to provide earplugs for our family, but we did notice that some parents were protecting their children’s hearing.
The best place to get a photo while on the site of the Air Force Memorial is from the far corner of the parking lot. As you drive into the parking lot, go all the way back to find the spot we stood to get the shot that we did. We were pleasantly surprised to find that there is more to the monument than what you see from the road and we enjoyed walking around it and reading about it.
The “Spray Ground” at Hayes Park has a few little tricks. The first important thing to know if you plan on playing in the water is that the water is only available from Memorial Day – Labor Day, and even then only during certain hours. Check the website before you go. Also, the sprinklers run on a timer so as to not waste water while people aren’t there. The local residents all know how to turn it on every 5 minutes or so.
This is a great day trip that takes you to some wonderful memorials, but doesn’t pack in so much that you don’t have time to enjoy them.
So that you can plan your bathroom/snack/water breaks: our walk around the Arlington National Cemetery area took about 3 ½ hours. Had it been necessary, we could’ve gotten through it a little more quickly. If we had the energy to get home very late, we could’ve spent more time enjoying this part of the day. The gallery inside the Women in Military Service for America Memorial is a great resting spot if you need one. If you’re too tired for the stairs to the top, take the elevator at the far end of the monument - it's worth the effort to go up there. When you go to see the Changing of the Guard, try to get a spot on your right hand side as you’re looking at the tomb - that is where most of the ceremony takes place. You will be asked to stand and remain silent through the 5-10 minute change, so find a place you can do so comfortably.
Gravelly Point Park is a lot of fun for the airplane and boat aficionados. The picnic area is right next to the water and Reagan National Airport. The planes fly right over your head and then make the sharp turn necessary to avoid D.C. Be prepared for the loud noise of the planes’ engines. We didn’t feel the need to provide earplugs for our family, but we did notice that some parents were protecting their children’s hearing.
The best place to get a photo while on the site of the Air Force Memorial is from the far corner of the parking lot. As you drive into the parking lot, go all the way back to find the spot we stood to get the shot that we did. We were pleasantly surprised to find that there is more to the monument than what you see from the road and we enjoyed walking around it and reading about it.
The “Spray Ground” at Hayes Park has a few little tricks. The first important thing to know if you plan on playing in the water is that the water is only available from Memorial Day – Labor Day, and even then only during certain hours. Check the website before you go. Also, the sprinklers run on a timer so as to not waste water while people aren’t there. The local residents all know how to turn it on every 5 minutes or so.
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