While in DC, we saw many of the traditional sites. But we also made time to rest, which was vitally important. There was one day where an exhausted kid and bone-weary grandma and grandpa stayed behind because they just couldn’t do any more. At the time, it seemed like a big deal that some of the group wouldn’t see “everything,” but then we realized when someone’s tired, the most magnificent site will mean nothing to them. The rest of us went out for the morning but came home shortly after lunch. We needed the rest, and realized that it is okay to split up.
Five full days, with an easy day in the middle for rest, was absolutely enough time for us to be in DC. Yes, the museums close at five, which makes for an early evening, but even so, after five days there wasn’t one of us who wanted to look at anything more. It was time to move on.