Foogli - web for 'fun'

"I'm broke but still haven't lost my sense of adventure" kind of FUN!

Museums

	Air and Space museum
	There are two Air and Space Museums, and both are really worth it. The one on the Mall is free, as is the one near Dulles (Udvar-Hazy Center, Chantilly, Virginia), however you will have to pay $12 for parking at the Dulles one. If you are even remotely interested in planes, you'll enjoy both so it's well worth the trip. The one in Chantilly has more planes and other flying machines on display (basically it's a history of flyingincluding a full section on space travel. IMAX movies (approximately $8.50), both regular and 3D are available at both official website

	National gallery of art
	If you love art, the National Gallery always has some great collections, and some good variety - paintings, photography, sculpture. So check their website and you can see what special collections they have showing along with their regular exhibits. official website

	National Portrait Gallery
	Must love portraits to go here! But it's great if you do. They have a room of American Presidents that's fantastic, and then the rest of the portraits are gathered into relevant collections like Colonial portraits and American Revolution portraits, which is great if you're like me and need to do this museum in a few trips! This museum is also right next to the Spy Museum and in the middle of Chinatown, so you can break up your day with some different activities. official website

	Spy Museum
	This is a fantastic museum with something for almost eveyone (I say 'almost' because I'm sure there is someone out there that doesn't love James Bond, but I haven't met them yet!).There is a lot to see here, and also some fun interactive aspects to the exhibit. General admission is $18. official website

	Holocast Memorial museum
	This is a hands down one of the best memorial museums that I've been to. Because of that it is somewhat depressing, but just in the right way because it makes us remember. The way the museum is organised and all the exhibits are truely a fantastic memorial to everyone who lost their lives during the holocast and also to those who tried to help the Jews during WWII. I think this is an important museum to visit, and possibly a life changing experience for children of a certain age to be exposed to, but of course you should be conscious of the purpose of this museum before taking your children. official website

	National Aquarium
	Located near the White house on 14th Street in The Commerce Building, the aquarium is easy to get to and a fun field trip. They do daily animal feedings and aquarist talks at 2pm. General admission is $7, but note they do not take credit cards. official website

	American Art Museum
	Along with being a great museum, the Smithsonian American Art Museum also has a fun scavenger hunt in the Luce Foundation Center for American Art. Once you get your hand out from the information desk, you will use your phone to text answers and move on to the next clue. Fun for kids of all ages! official website for directions and information

	The White House
	So of course you can walk around the outside on a nice day and take your photos, but you can also take a tour of the inside, if you have the patience and the forethought to organise it! You need to make the request through your member of Congress (find your elected officials). Requests are accepted up to six months in advance.

	George Washington Masonic Temple
	Built in the 1920's by more than two million American Freemasons, this memorial, museum, library, performing arts center, and concert hall is open to the public, seven days a week. With it's prime location on a hill overlooking Old town Alexandria, it has one of the best views of the town and the Potomac. 10am -4pm. Guided tower tours daily at 10am, 11:30am, 1:30pm and 3pm. Masonic Tours on the first and third Wednesday of each month.

Activities - outdoor

	jazz in the sculpture garden - National gallery of art
	Bring a picnic, blanket and your friends to enjoy live jazz every friday evening. This is only in the summer and will start up again May 22, 2009. Get there early to get a good parking spot and grass location, it's VERY popular. They do have a cafe there where you can purchase food and drinks, but the lines are somewhat unbarable, as is the line to the restrooms, so for the best experience, try to come prepared and in need of nothing other than the desire to have a good time with your friends and listen to jazz! official website

	running, biking, hiking etc. (competitive)
	Other than the trails where you can run under your own steam, there are many organized runs in the DC area, from marathons and half marathons to smaller trail runs. We list the marathons on the events page as they come up. For other trail runs, triathlons , duathlons and adventure races, check this site for starters! Here is some trail running and mountain biking information for Roanoke Valley, VA.

	Running, biking, hiking etc. (non-competitive)
	To enjoy the outdoors more leisurely, here are some links to getting out and about in the DC area. There are loads of hiking trails, of different levels, including kid-friendly trails. If you need some motivation, or just someone to hike with, there are organised hikes, and most of the clubs are free and offer other activities like camping, biking, backpacking as well as hiking. another website. For dog friendly trails check out this website.

	Running, biking, hiking etc. (non-competitive)
	To enjoy the outdoors more leisurely, here are some links to getting out and about in the DC area. There are loads of hiking trails, of different levels, including kid-friendly trails. If you need some motivation, or just someone to hike with, there are organised hikes, and most of the clubs are free and offer other activities like camping, biking, backpacking as well as hiking. another website. For dog friendly trails check out this website.

	Washington Monument tour
	Tours of the Washington Monument are free but if you want to plan ahead you can purchase them online for $1.50. You can just go down there and see if there are tickets but then of coures you run the risk of having to wait for a later tour or not getting a ticket at all depending on how popular it is that day. There are loads of museums to spend time in while you wait, so so long as you are not in a hurryThe tour takes approximately 30 minutes, but you can stay up at the top for as long as you want. However, the windows you look out of are quite small so you can't hog them for long! official website

	Kayaking on the potomac
	As far as I'm concerned there is nothing more fun that getting out on the river for a kayak (in warm weather!), and Jacks is the place to rent. They are right under the Key Bridge in Georgetown and I have never seen them run out of kayaks. Location wise from there you can paddle up the river where it's very serene, or down river to the monuments (although if you're new to kayaking you may not make it to the monuments, so I suggest staying close to home initially at least!). $10 for the first hour, $20 for the second and $35 for the whole day. $5 to launch your own boat. official website

bike Trails

One of the greatest things about living in DC are the bike trails. The Mount Vernon trail offers you great views of DC monuments and Maryland, not to mention the bridges, the potomac and the parks that you bike through. Bring a picnic and stop along the way and enjoy it all! Generally the path is pretty flat, there is some terrain south of Old Town, where the path goes through the woods as it meanders around the GW parkway, but that's walkable if you're exhausted by then or with small children.another website.

Other great trails are the C&O trail, which used to be a towpath for the canal and goes for 184 miles, starting in Georgetown and heading north, it is a very scenic bike/walking or jogging route.

There are numberous other trails, check this site for more details.

	watch the airplanes - gravelly Point
	With views of the Potomac, Washington, and Regan National Airport, this is a great recreational park (with picnic tables and loads of grass to play or lay on). However besides ALL this, the best thing about this park is the exhilerating view of landing (or taking off) planes from Regan Airport. Mere feet from the beginning (or end, depending on weather) of the runway you can spend hours just watching planes. Bring food and something to lie on because you won't want to leave! Bonus, if you own your own kayak or boat, you can put in here AND this is on the Mount Vernon bike path (listed above) so you can ride your bike to the park. Note though, in case it's not obivious, you can NOT fly kites here. a website

	Movie on the mall (summer only)
	National Mall between 4th and 7th, they run a movie every monday night at dusk (around 9pm) for a couple of months in the summer, check website for schedule of movies and dates. You need to get there early if you want to be close to the screen, but they are good at setting it up for audio so you can hear from pretty much anywhere. Bring a blanket, stuff to eat and drink, and don't forget to take your trash with you when you go! a website

	Wolf Trap Music
	The Wolf Trap has a very eclectic series of performances to fit all tastes (opera, popular bands, musicals etc). They have several stages, but in the summer specifically they have a stage that has covered seats infront but a lawn beyond that where you can bring a picnic hang out with your friends in a more relaxed manner. Lawn seats are around $25 depending on the artist and it's a fantastic way to see a band. It is located out in Virginia in the direction of Dulles airport. official website

	Ghost Tours - DC and Old Town, VA
	It seems that other than Politics, DC seems to be best known for all the people that have died here, so there are ample tours that can make those little hairs on the back of your neck stand on end! Georgetown is a pretty area to walk around, so a great tour site. Old town also has similar benefits. There is also a Lincoln Assassination walking tour. Other areas of DC, particularly around the White House also have some good walking tours of the ghoulish variety. Prices around $10-$15. Dogs are not allowed on most walking tours, so check if want to bring yours.

	Memorials by moonlight Walking Tour
	this tour takes place only between memorial and labor days but is well worth it, the Monuments are lit up beautifully at night, and you'll get the added bonus of the informative guide when you take the tour. official website

	Cruise the Potomac
	There are several pre-organised cruises that you can find around town, some are sightseeing tours (which includes normally either a real person or a recording giving details of sights along a standard route either out of Georgetown or Old Town Alexandria), and some are chartered by companies and they sell tickets and you just cruise and drink. But you can also organise your own party by chartering your own boat (another website). You can also just hop on a boat from Georgetown to Old Town (or vica versa) from the docks for a short cruise past the monuments and then you can continue your party at a bar/restaurant at your destination (note that the 'taxis' don't run all night, and have a variable schedule throughout the year.

	Mount Vernon
	George Washington's country home Mount Vernon of course offers all the educational tours and experiences that you'd expect, but it is also a fantastically beautiful place to just walk around. From the beautiful views of the Potomac from vast lawns behind the house, to the gardens and country roads that you can take to look around the rest of the large property, you can choose whether you just wander around yourself or take the guided tours. If you have seen the Nicolas Cage movie you might enjoy the National Treasure Tour that includes areas of the house usually not open to the public. Also note that for a few dollars over the admission price you can get a years pass - well worth it if you even think you might come back. General Admission $15, various other prices for kids, seniors etc. official website

	Duck tours
	Whether you've lived in DC for longer than you can remember, or just have friends visiting, you should give the DC Ducks tour a try, just for fun! It really is an unusual feeling when you drive into the water in one of the original WWII DUKW amphibious vehicles. A 90 minute tour is around $30 and well worth it we think, you might learn something new about DC in the process! official website

Activities - indoor

	Laser Tag
	I have not been to any laser tags in this area, but I've done paintball and that was really fun, but incredibly painful (perhaps I'm just a wimp!). So I think the idea of getting the fun of this type of activity along with lasers instead of getting hit by paintballs must be a winner! There are a few places to do this in the area, these are just a few I found: Sterling, VA (website) and Potomac Mills, VA (website) $8. Want to step it up a bit? Tactical Laser Tag takes it to the next level. they have an outdoor and indoor setups and seem to be a bit more serious in the tactical department then your average indoor laser tag. website

	Go-Kart Racing
	The closest go-kart place seems to be in Sterling, but they get great reviews, so while we haven't tried it yet, it might be worth a go (ha ha!). Prices are reasonable ($24.50 for 'arrive and drive') but call first to make sure it's not being used for a private party. official website

Supreme Court

The Supreme Court offers a variety of visitor entertainment and that will be a completely different kind of fun if you are at all interested in the judicial system! As far as listening in on oral arguments of a current case, you will have to A) show up on a day that they are having oral arguments (10am start, lines start up to 2 hours earlier depending on interest of case) and B) wait in one of two lines to get in. The first line will allow you to sit in on the whole argument (or for as long as you want) the second line is a 3 minute line, that (obviously!) allows you only three minutes in there, but if you are in a hurry or get there too later for the first line, it's a great alternative so that you don't feel like you missed it completely!

This link shows you which actual cases are going to be in-session for which day. This link will give you an overview of the next year or so of in-session days (with no case description) in a downloadable pdf so you can plan ahead if you want. NOTE that although for instance it might say "October 2008" that actually is the calendar from that time forward, so that would be what you'd want to review for the months AFTER that date. Here are the next few dates for 2009 when they will be in session: FEB, 23,24,25, MARCH, 2,3,4,23,24,25,30,31, APRIL, 1, 20,21,22,27,28,29. But as always check information in case it changes!
official website

	Court Tennis (NOT the tennis your thinking of!)
	If you really want to try something new and you have any interest in racket sports, this is the game for you. McLean has the ONLY Court Tennis court in this area, and it's a fun game. Sort of like tennis, sort of like racketball, this game, played indoors on a weird looking tennis court, is the original tennis game and you'll have fun learning, not to mention how special you'll feel that you've played this unique game. The club gives free one hour lessons, and free 30 day membership, so there is really nothing to lose if you are interested in giving this a shot (ha ha). official website

	Old Post office Tower
	On the corner of 12th and Pennsylvania Ave, there are not many places you can get a better view of the mall from once you make it up to the tower. It's free and not something that every tourist will know about, so there tends to be less people there. Check their website for opening hours official website

	Rock climbing (indoor)
	Indoor rock climbing is a really fun way to spend an afternoon with your friends, regardless of your experience. If you are a beginner then the indoor rock climbing walls are perfect as you'll probably feel safer in the controlled environment, and if you have some experience, then you can enjoy the more difficult walls - there's something for everyone. Sportrock in Alexandria are very friendly and their prices are reasonable ($18 per person, $9 gear rental). a website

Restaurants with a twist

	Cafe Salsa - Old Town Alexandria
	On Thursday nights they have $2.95 Mojitos from 4pm to close. And it has been said that Cafe Salsa has the best mojitos in town and so we thought that for that price, it's probably worth testing it! 808 King Street, Old Town Alexandria, VA - 703-684-4100

	The Dung Beetle bar
	So we've never been here, but we thought it warranted being on our site simply because we truely admired anyone calling a place that servers food something like this. So we applaud their Foogliness, and if you find yourself in the Winchester, VA area, and you end up there, please let us know how it is! Restaurant and bar open from 11:30am to 1:30am. a website

Other

	Paint This - Old Town Alexandria
	Paint your own pre-made ceramic items, from bowls to vases and lots of things inbetween. official website

	Throw your own 'National day of...' themed party
	We at Foogli realise that sometimes the best place to throw a party is your own back yard (or living room or kitchen or...). So here are some of the strangest National Holidays (how did some of these happen!) that might help you come up with something truely bizaare as a theme for your own party at home. Sometimes fancy dress might be the only way to make some of these work, but as that can lead to months, if not years of entertainment post party (make sure you have a camera handy!) so we think that just makes it more Foogli! Here are a few holidays that we enjoyed, however you can find the rest online at other sites (a website): January 10: Peculiar People Day. January 12: Feast of Fabulous Wild Men Day. January 25: Opposite Day. February 20: National Hoodie Hoo Day. March 12: Alfred Hitchcock Day. March 20: Festival of Extraterrestrial Abductions Day. March 26: Make up your own holiday Day (Foogli favourite! We're thinking of petitioning for this to be every day of the year!). April 2: National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day (if you want to throw a party but are feeling very poor). April 18: National Jugglers Day (buy some juggling balls (save the poor oranges!) and learn how to juggle with your friends). May 29: End of the Middle Ages Day. June 30: Meteor Day. July 1: Creative Ice Cream Flavor Day. July 30: National Cheesecake Day. August 18: Bad Poetry Day. August 31: National Toasted Marshmallow Day. September 13: Defy Superstition Day. October 25: Punk for a Day. November 6: Marooned Without a Compass Day. December 3: National Roof-Over-Your-Head Day (these days, what better thing to celebrate!). And finally, what better way to end the year than with: December 16: National Chocolate Covered Anything Day.

NOTE: All prices were accurate at time of posting. Please double check the cost of activities if price is an issue. Recommended sites and their
companies are NOT Foogli sponsors or affiliated to Foogli in any way, they are just suggested places to retrieve more information.