The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center is about a 20-30 minute drive from the Crowne Plaza-Tysons Corner Hotel. It has a magnificent collection of historic airplanes, including the Enola Gay (relevant to Alex's line of work), an SR-71 Blackbird, and many other fascinating planes.

While you will get to see some of Meadowlark Botanical Gardens during our wedding, if you want to spend more time among the beautiful gardens, ponds, and gazebos we highly recommend you take a trip there and enjoy a leisurely stroll through nature!

You can metro or drive into Washington, DC and enjoy your day visiting museums, galleries, historic monuments, and much more! Our favorites are the magnificent National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the National Zoo. Most museums and monuments are free to tour, though a few privately-owned ones (such as the Newseum and the Phillips Collection) require a fee.

A few marvelous but little-known museums are the Hillwood Estate, Museum, and Gardens; the Phillips Collection, which has an amazing collection of Impressionist art; and the Lincoln Cottage.

It is about a half-hour drive into DC from the Crowne Plaza Hotel-Tysons Corner. You can take the hotel shuttle to the Spring Hill metro station, and take the Silver line all the way into DC.

The Freemason monument is located across the street from the Alexandria train station, about a 20-30 minute drive from the Crowne Plaza Hotel-Tysons Corner. With its height, the monument can be seen from far away in Alexandria and hosts popular tours.

Tyson's Corner mall has scores of shops, from clothing to books to speciality shops. There is also an AMC movie theater, restaurants, and more.

Mount Vernon was the home of George and Martha Washington. You can visit their preserved home and museum to learn about their lives and the American Revolution. It is about a 40 minute drive from the Crowne Plaza Hotel-Tysons Corner.