I have a wedding coming up in Washington, DC, and am considering bringing our girls along and making a long weekend, mini vacation out of it. My aunt lives nearby and we can stay with her and she will watch the kids during the wedding itself (day time wedding, they are not invited).

If you have traveled to or are familiar with the area, how much would we need a car? Is it possible to get from the airport (Reagan I assume) to Arlington by metro with a stroller and suitcases? I'm feeling like we will need to rent a car and bring car seats which makes the whole thing more annoying. My aunt is a ten minute walk from the Metro.

Once there, is it easy to get around without a car? I really want to take them to the zoo.

I'm just trying to decide if it will be fun or not worth the hassle. I may be able to get my parents to come here and watch ththe girls instead. They will be almost 4 and 18 months.