<p>Any input into family weekend? Will be going down that weekend,but doesn’t seem like much that is really interesting going on. Do they really think the parents or students for that matter want to eat in TDR? I’m sure mine is going to want to get away from that food and go out for something good for once. What are we registering for, if all the meals and many other activities have a fee attached?</p>
<p>I went last year, and honestly wish I had visited on my own schedule (which is what I plan to do this year). It was hard to get a decent rate at the nearby hotels, and I only attended two of the events, a political forum which was actually quite interesting, and a tasty but pricey brunch that was poorly attended. (I think I might have been game for a few others, but D was horrified by them, and since the whole point of the visit was to spend time with her, I selected events that appealed to both of us.) Unless there are a lot of events that sound good to you, I wouldn’t bother attending. And if you’re worried that your kid will feel abandoned, well, many of my D’s friends and dorm-mates didn’t have parents present, and they all seemed to be having a fine weekend anyway, plus there’s a good chance your child will get invited to dinner with another family.</p>
<p>Thanks for the input. We plan on going,but I’m with you on the"own Schedule" plan. Nothing sounds all that interesting and I would rather spend time with my D. For the money that they’re asking for things, I would rather go to some nice places for lunch and dinner, and spend extra for quality food. Our plan is not register and just “wing it” with the D. Hopefully she has a grasp of the Metro by then and we can go to a few nice places.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that if the scheduled events are of no interest, there’s no particular reason to visit that weekend as opposed to any other–my “own schedule” will be avoiding that weekend entirely and visiting another time. </p>
<p>Just in case your D hasn’t gotten comfortable with the Metro, the DC Metro website has a trip planner function that will get you where you need to go. If you’ve ever dealt with the NYC subway, the Metro will seem like a piece of cake, and amazingly civilized as well.</p>
<p>My best advice is to book your hotel now. My second best advice is to dine on fried chicken and other Southern delights at Georgia Brown’s, particularly if you have some big appetites with you. My third best advice is to visit the Newseum, if you’ve already been to all the tried and true DC attractions–it’s great fun if you have any interest in journalism, history or current events, plus the cafeteria is darn good for lunch. </p>
<p>Have a great trip!</p>
<p>Thanks again for the input. From NJ so have used NY subway, I know she’s been using the Metro some, so we should be good in that aspect. Hotel has been booked for a few months, as I know from S school, they book up fast. Thanks for the food tip,but not a fan of southern food unless its real BBQ. Newseum sounds like a good one, been to all the rest to many times.</p>