ofiuco

ofiuco t1_iqrroed wrote

Weather: it's going to be chilly most likely and rain is a possibility. Should be nice weather though. Mid October is when the leaves change color and are at their most spectacular, which is also a good activity. The National Arboretum is a good place to see fall colors or you can go farther afield and check out the countryside like Shenandoah NP (about two hours away)

There will be a lot of fall activities around the area, like pumpkin or apple picking, spooky Halloween things, festivals and markets, though they may be farther afield in VA or MD versus in the District.

for a 5 year old, the Smithsonian Zoo, the Museum of Natural History, and the Air and Space Museum are good for kids. You MAY need a timed ticket, check the Smithsonian website to see. It's a good idea to grab one in advance if you can. I'd start looking right now. Some other faves of mine: National Botanical Garden, Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, Library of Congress, National Portrait Gallery

Food: you will be able to find many things that fit the bill, if it needs to be halal I'd check something like Yelp or TripAdvisor first. My favorite local specialties include Korean (especially KBBQ and Korean fried chicken), Ethiopian food, Central/South American food like Pupusas and Peruvian chicken (really quite a lot of Peruvian around in general), and seafood. Maryland Blue Crab is the stereotypical thing to eat in this area.

Baltimore is like 1.5 hr away and driving to Baltimore is not an enjoyable experience imo. I feel like there is enough to do in DC as it is.

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