We're outside DC too and did staycations last summer and this summer. We enjoyed both and wondered why we hadn't done it before. Google "DC off the beaten path" to get ideas of places that aren't packed with tourists. Some ideas off the top of my head:
- You can spend a day checking out the Botanical Garden, National Museum of the American Indian, the Capitol Visitor Center, Library of Congress Jefferson Building, and walking around Capitol Hill. And it's all free!
- Another nice day trip is a walk around Old Town Alexandria (there's a free trolley to the waterfront from King St. Metro), cool off at the Torpedo Factory Art Center, take a water taxi to the National Harbor, cool off inside the Gaylord, and take the boat back to Alexandria. Just stay away from all the stores.
- You can hike or bike along the C & O canal and go to Glen Echo Park.
- The book Capital Splendor, by Barbara Glickman, features over 30 local gardens and parks.
- For day and overnight trips there's Shenandoah National Park, Great Falls, Harpers Ferry, St Michaels and Annapolis, and Chincoteague. If you go to Shenandoah there's a nice little alpaca farm in Marshall VA and several wineries along the way.