In a couple of weeks I’m going to New York for four days and then onto Washington DC for three, before heading down to South Carolina for the eclipse. Anyone have any recommendations for things to do in NY and DC? Will be me and my 15 year old daughter so need to be age appropriate.

Interested in what folks say about NYC, but after a very short trip to DC recently I can heartily recommend the whole Lincoln Memorial (very moving), reflecting pool (for people shouting ‘Jenny’ in Forest Gumo style), and the Smithsonian museums are very good.

Not sure how into air and space your daughter is, but the Air and Space museum I visited 2 days in a row as it was bloody fantastic, the absolutely amazing best bit being retired NASA folks and Retired pilots giving real life wonderful talks about some of the ridiculously cool exhibits. I spent about $200 bucks on tshirts and hats for the kids and joined as a member of the smithsonian club thing as it was just so fabulous. Might not be great if you’re not into Saturn 5 rocket boosters. 🙂

No idea about Washington but the following for NY:

Top of the Rock
Baseball (if you like sports)
Ellen’s Stardust Diner (cheesy but the staff are aspiring Broadway stars and they sing)
Grand Central Station
Highline Park
Liberty
Ellis Island
Katz Deli (go hungry and don’t lose your ticket)

If you are interested in history the Tenement Museum is really interesting.

NYC

Circle Line tourist boat tour is always a laugh, bit cheesy but a great way to see the city and Statue of Liberty fairly close up (imo a trip the actual statue is a wate of time)
Out and back on the Staten Island Ferry (I do like boats) but maybe nit both if you do the Circle Line
Eating .. search out some real Italian places, pizza and pasta galore with some proper NY Italian accents 🙂
Top of the Rock is a good call (proposed to my wife there) you get a great view of Empire State and queues are less
Grand Central (if you are in midtown, another good call from @gastro)
Walk up 5th to the Park, the Park itself of course (its huge but a stroll around the bottom bit and looking back at Plaza Hotel and the sky scrapers is cool)
9/11 memorial, Wall Street and Battery Park then Fulton Street (shops, restaurants ….)

DC, the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum and the Pentagon tour are well worth doing. From memory there are (I think four) other Smithsonians in the area if bloody awesome things aren’t your bag.

And yes, you can tour the Pentagon, it’s the next stop on the metro after the shopping mall (Crystal Park or something similar IIRC). It’s like wandering around a set from the X-Files, properly fascinating.

And yes, you can tour the Pentagon

We turned up there a few weeks ago and the nice man in a camouflage suit with a rifle said that we weren’t allowed in without an appointment.

Otherwise (for Washington): the National Mall (Lincoln memorial through to the Capitol building) and associated memorials is great, as are the Smithsonian museums (all free). If you’re flying out of Dulles, then the Air and Space museum near the airport is bloody brilliant – Space Shuttle, Concorde, Enola Gay and a blimmin SR71. $2 bus ride from the museum to the airport.

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FWIW, we found Washington a pleasant place to wander around.

Thanks for all the ideas, quite a few I hadn’t thought of.