Sights to See at Waterfront Washington DC

Just at the south of the National Mall in Washington DC, lies Waterfront, a neighborhood also known as the “Southwest”. Although it this neighborhood is one of the oldest, dating back to the eighteenth century, the city went through an urban renewal with Waterfront razed except for a few landmarks.

Now, Waterfront is home to many attractions and real estate, and despite it razed and rebuilt, there are still old areas such as the 200-year-old open air seafood market, the Fish Wharf. Since the Waterfront is not exactly a very touristy area, bus charter visitors will find it delightfully uncrowded with hidden gems such as museums and memorials, which are not even known to some locals.

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A Gem in the City - Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens

When it comes to visiting a park during your charter bus trip to Washington DC, there is nothing quite like the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens for an off-the-beaten-path destination. This is the only aquatic garden managed by the National Park Service in the United States, nestled near the banks of Anacostia River.

What used to be a vast marshland that covered the riverbanks of Anacostia, has now been turned into Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, or whatever that is left of that marshland after being dredged for development. Here you can see a plethora of rare waterlilies and lotuses floating by the river in specially cultivated ponds.

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Rock Creek Park

In Washington DC, you can find many large and beautiful parks that offers hiking and biking. The most famous park in DC is The Mall, but there are also other parks worth going to, and one of them is the Rock Creek Park. It is a national park that is heavily populated with deer, as well as squirrels, birds, raccoons and even coyotes. This park is more popular for its paved biking and running trail, in fact, it is the nation’s best trail of its kind. Many charter bus visitors choose to visit Rock Creek Park, not only for its trails, but also for the other activities offered such as picnic spots, golf course, educational programs led by Rangers, and a boat ride center.

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The Whale Museum of San Juan Island

If you have a deep liking for Orcas or otherwise known as Killer Whales, then you would have to make time to come visit The Whale Museum which is a special outfit dedicated to everything Orca. Located in the Pacific Northwest of the United States in a small and relatively unknown side of Washington called Friday Harbor of San Juan Island. Bring the kids out of the humdrum of downtown city center and come connect with nature and learn about these amazingly gentle creatures of the sea.

Unbeknownst to many of our bus charter trips visitors who are coming into San Juan Island Washington DC for the very first time, the museum has been opened since 1979. In fact, it is the first museum of its kind. This amazing attraction has since been steadfastly promotes stewardship programs dedicated to whales and Salish Sea ecosystem. If you are a school teacher or an educator, we reckon that you should find out more about the museum’s extensive list of educational and outreach programs.

Don’t make the mistake of assuming that the exhibits and attractions at The Whale Museum are for kids. We assure you, we were quite smitten by the museum on our visits. It met my expectation because being a whale lover, we thought it was rather thought-provoking because it gave us an insight about how humans and whales can coexist together on planet earth without destroying each other.

The kids, however, will be taken in by the huge, massive whale skeleton mounted atop the museum’s lobby.

As much as it is about teaching visitors about whales, their life and evolution, it is all about history of these huge animals too. On top of that, there is a great deal of information being put out about whale conservation, things being done to prevent the extinction of Orcas.

Visiting this museum will be more meaningful if done right before you book yourself a whale watching tour at sea. This way, you have all the information about what these people are trying to do with their efforts and when you catch sight of one of these magnanimous creatures (yes, the word magnanimous is used because you can’t help but be awed when they decide to make an appearance).

As touristy as this is going to sound, visiting and buying something from the gift shop is a must. We are saying this because the prices are reasonable and all profit goes towards supporting the museum and the effort that they are making. If it makes a difference, it is worth the money.

Family-friendly Activities in Washington DC

We have all heard how Washington DC is not only the capital of the country, but it is also a melting pot of culture. This does not mean that you have to spend an incredible amount of money during your visit, there is plenty of family-friendly and almost-free activities going around all year round in the capital and metropolitan city and here, we will give you some ideas on some unique places and activities that you and your family and friends can indulge in.

For one thing, instead of ‘spending’ money, why not come for a free tour at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing...of money. This is the only place in the country that you get to see this being done. Although the bureau is open all year round, we will have you know that peak season is usually the summer months, more specifically somewhere between March to August. The tour is absolutely free of charge (nothing can beat that, for sure) and the tickets go on a first-come, first-serve basis so, this can only mean one thing for tourists.....you have to come early. The office, thankfully, opens their doors early at 8 in the morning. Some of our charter bus Washington DC tourists and customers lament that there is usually a long line early in the morning and although the office opens up at 8am, the tickets take less than an hour to finish being handed out.

Most kids find it easy to fall in love with Washington DC’s absolutely surreal Metrorail system. It gives them a taste of what a traditional train ride is like and of course, if you are visiting during the summer months, the experience will serve as a respite from the punishing summer weather. The day passes are a real steal, for your information and you can use the day pass for rides in the rail all over the city so, if you are not already chartering a Washington DC tour bus, taking the day pass would be a great alternative. But for large groups, we would strongly recommend renting your own party bus, charter bus, shuttle coach or mini bus in order to make the most out of your time here in Washington DC.

When you are done with all those wonderfully free activities in the large metropolis Washington DC, then it is time to bring the rented charter bus to Rock Creek Park at night. It is an expansive, rustic park that measures right up to more than two thousand acres which includes Peirce Mills, The Old Stone House, a nature center, golf course, tennis court, kids’ playing area and stable. It is Washington DC’s equivalent of Central Park. At night, people come here to watch the stars...and we think you might want to do that when you are here too.

United States Botanic Garden, Washington DC

The United States Botanic Garden in Washington DC is a great place to visit if you have a couple of hours to spare as you plan your itinerary for a day’s trip to Washington DC in a charter bus. It is a huge garden with three complexes – two outdoors and one indoors. It is a really neat and interesting building with a variety of themes inside and totally worth your time visiting.

We would usually suggest to our Washington DC charter bus visitors to consider taking up a guided tour whenever they visit the United States Botanic Garden. This is because they will be able to learn more about the Garden’s plants with a guided tour compared to just going round the whole place by themselves. The guided tour takes about forty five minutes and it is free – all that you need to do is ask for it at the Visitor Information Desk upon arriving at the grounds of the Garden. However, if you intend to make this a trip for a big group, you will need to call them up in advance, at least four weeks in advance of your date of visit to book for a guided tour.

At the United States Botanic Garden, they have permanent exhibits as well as different kind of exhibitions and displays at different months of the year. This only means that whenever our Washington DC charter bus visitors go at any one time of the year and return on a different occasion, they can expect to see something different here and they will not get bored seeing the same exhibits again and again. In the Conservatory Terrace of the United States Botanic Garden is where they keep their permanent exhibits that would make you feel as though you are traveling around the world in there, with plants that are found in subtropical, tropical and arid regions in the world as well as medicinal, economic and endangered plants. Every year, from late May right up to mid-October, the Conservatory will put on thematic displays of plants. The other two complexes that you can find more interesting and unique plants are the National Garden and the Bartholdi Park. Both the Conservatory and National Garden are open daily from 10am till 5pm, while the Bartholdi Park is open from dawn to dusk and they are all open on weekends and holidays too - which means visitors can go any time of the year without the fear of being disappointed.

National Museum of American Jewish History, Philadelphia

Conveniently located right on the Independence Mall in Philadelphia is the National Museum of American Jewish History and for many serious museum goers, this is a “must visit museum” whenever they are visiting Philadelphia. Hence, many bus charter passengers in Philadelphia will never hesitate to ask for a trip to visit this museum when they are visiting this part of the city.

Some of the National Museum of American Jewish History’s permanent exhibits are the Hanukkah Lamp from Lodz (Poland), engraved Kiddush Cup from Russia, Hanukkah Menorah from Russia and a portrait of Joyce Mears Myers by Edward Green Malbone. These are just some of the many Jewish traditional items on display at the museum. For those traveling for the first time to the museum in a Philadelphia charter bus, the museum is open from Tuesdays until Fridays, from 10 in the morning until 5 in the evening, while on Saturdays and Sundays, they are open from 10 in the morning until half past five in the evening.

If you happen to be visiting the National Museum of American Jewish History on Wednesdays over the summer, they have a special offer – “Pay What You Wish” and we believe that this is a very good deal for all Philadelphia chartered bus visitors! In fact, it would be really wise to take full advantage of this offer while you can, so don’t miss out on planning a trip here with your friends this summer!

Usually, Philadelphia chartered bus visitors would sign up for a guided tour by a docent at the National Museum of American Jewish History and they always come out of the tour telling our bus drivers how much they have enjoyed themselves at the museum because of how well they were treated at the museum by the museum staff as well as how much they have learned just listening to the docent guide sharing about the museum and the history of the American Jewish. Do give yourself a least a few hours to fully enjoy all the exhibits and displays in the museum.

The efficiency and knowledgeable museum staff at the National Museum of American Jewish History is something to be praised – it is something that we almost always hear our bus charter passengers whenever they leave the museum grounds. Also, not to forget, the exhibits in the museum itself are also something that they talk a lot about too, during the journey home in the chartered bus.