Hey there! Want to see the cherry blossoms bloom in Washington D.C.? The National Cherry Blossom Festival is one of the biggest events of the year in Washington D.C.. I went down one year on a lovely Sunday evening and watched thousands of frustrated people stuck in their cars in a traffic jam, having a […]
Hello! Planning a trip to Washington D.C? My husband is a news junkie and the Newseum was at the top of our list on our last trip to Washington D.C. It’s a fairly new museum dedicated to the First Amendment and the free press. We spent a full morning here and found it absolutely fascinating. […]
Hello! Planning a trip to Washington D.C.? On a budget? We’ve been there. Our first family trip to Washington D.C. was over the 4th of July. We wanted to stay within walking distance of the National Mall without paying a fortune. The hotels were all so expensive! We eventually found a hotel in a great location […]
Hello! Are you planning a trip to Washington D.C.? One of the great things about our nation’s capital is all the free activities for families. However, there are a few top-notch activities that will cost you money, such as Mount Vernon. Want to avoid paying full price? You can save up to 47% on 20+ […]
Hello! Need some fun indoor activities for your Washington D.C. itinerary? Washington D.C. is home to 19 free Smithsonian museums as well as hundreds of other excellent museums. As a local, my favorite time to visit Washington D.C. museums is in January and February. The winter months are the calmest time in this busy city that […]
Hello! Last fall, I had the opportunity to take a trip to Washington D.C. with my husband. He is a principal and his school received a national award, which was very exciting! We left the kids at home for this trip, and took the opportunity to try a few new activities. We, with another couple, […]
Welcome! Planning a trip to Washington D.C.? With so many historical sights, activities and attractions to choose from, how do you decide what to do in Washington D.C. with kids? I live in the Washington D.C. area and have five children, ages teen to toddler. These are some of the places my family enjoys […]
Hello! Are you thinking about spending the 4th of July in Washington D.C.? Fantastic! It’s a Bucket List experience. Spending the 4th of July in Washington D.C. was a dream come true for me. I’ve been a history nerd my whole life and Washington D.C. is one of my favorite places. My kids were ages 12 […]
Welcome! Are you planning a trip to Washington D.C.? The Smithsonian’s National Zoo is a great option for families. We have visited the San Diego Zoo and other major zoos in the U.S., and the National Zoo is on par with the better ones. For my animal-loving son, this was one of the highlights of our […]
Hello! Visiting the National Archives was one of the highlights of my family’s Washington D.C. trip last summer. We were there on Independence Day and figured that there was no better way to celebrate our nation’s independence than by showing our kids the original Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights. The National Archives is within a […]
Hey there! Ford’s Theatre is one of those gold-star destinations for history lovers. It’s the place where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, which changed the course of American history. Ford’s Theatre is located in the heart of downtown Washington D.C., just a few blocks from the most popular monuments and museums. Ford’s […]
Hey there! Have you heard about National Harbor? I hadn’t until my husband attended a professional conference there last July. We made a family vacation of it, and had a wonderful time! National Harbor, Maryland is a new planned community and conference venue. It is located about 10 miles from downtown Washington D.C. We loved relaxing by the […]
Hello! Planning a trip to Washington D.C.? A trip to the nation’s capital should definitely include a visit to George Washington’s estate, which is why I take all my out-of-town guests to tour Mount Vernon. Mount Vernon gets a shout-out for being one of the most family-friendly historical sites you can enjoy with children of […]
Hey there! Need a hotel in Washington D.C.? We landed at Kimpton Hotel Madera for the last four nights of our Washington D.C. vacation. It was a great hotel for my family. Hotel Madera is a boutique hotel in Washington D.C.’s historic and stylish Dupont Circle neighborhood. It’s located just a few blocks from downtown, […]
Hello! Looking for something new to do in D.C.? Or someplace uncrowded, but fun? The National Postal Museum might be the best-kept secret in Washington D.C. It’s conveniently located next to Union Station, it is free, and seldom crowded. The up-to-date, hands-on exhibits are fun for families. The National Postal Museum is one of 17 […]
Hello! Big cities can be notoriously expensive, but Washington D.C. offers so many free museums and tours that it is a great destination for families looking for an affordable big-city experience. Here are 25 of my favorite free things to do in Washington D.C. with kids. Museums and Buildings Smithsonian Museums – Washington D.C. is […]
The National Building Museum may not be as popular as some Washington D.C. museums, but the indoor play areas at this museum are the best I’ve seen in Washington D.C. I cannot believe I only discovered this museum after four of my five children started school, because it is a great place to bring toddlers. If […]
Hey there! Looking for tips for the most popular museum in Washington D.C.? I took my 3-year-old son to the National Air and Space Museum last week. I wanted to check out the Spirit of St. Louis since I just read Bill Bryson’s One Summer: America, 1927. This book details Charles Lindbergh’s historical flight in May 1927 when […]
Heads up! The International Spy Museum is moving to a new location, starting January 1, 2019. The museum will open in its new location in Spring 2019. Hey there! Interested in an extraordinary museum experience? Washington D.C. is filled with great museums that are worth your time. This one may make your kids forget that […]
Updates for 2015 The exhibit, titled Pollination Station, will be open Nov. 26, 2015-Jan. 3, 2016 and will feature oversized bees, flowers, and butterflies in a winter wonderland setting. Can you think of anything more festive than greenery and poinsettias? I had heard for years that my kids would love the model train exhibit at the […]
The rotating exhibits at the National Geographic Museum in Washington D.C. ensure that this museum is always fresh. Washington D.C. is filled with excellent museums, but this often-overlooked gem is worth carving out an hour or two enjoy. The National Geographic Museum has two large exhibit spaces that change every few months. You could visit often and […]
Hello! Planning a trip to Washington D.C.? A tour of the U.S. Capitol Building is a must-see for visitors to Washington D.C. Here are some tips to help you make the most out of your visit. There are two ways to schedule tours of the U.S. Capitol Building. The first is through the office of […]
Make time this holiday season to see the Festival of Lights at the Washington DC Mormon temple. This stunning display of over 600,000 Christmas lights is open every night in December and is free to the public. Plan to take in a free, family-friendly Christmas concert at the Visitor’s Center and enjoy the creche display […]
Hello! A Library of Congress tour may not be on the top of the list for first-time visitors to Washington D.C., but it should be. The Thomas Jefferson building, one of three Library of Congress buildings on Capitol Hill, is open for public tours and is well worth your time. Completed in 1897, this beautiful […]
Hey there! Until I moved to Virginia, I dreamed of planning a fall trip to New England to see the fall foliage. Not anymore. Beautiful fall foliage can be found just about anywhere in Virginia. When is the best time to see fall leaves in Virginia? Mid-October to early November is usually peak season for […]
The C&O canal offers visitors a chance to step back in time with two unique canal boat ride experiences. I took my youngest children to Great Falls Park in Potomac, Maryland, to ride a historic mule-drawn canal boat. We experienced riding a canal boat up and down the lock, and got a small glimpse of […]
Welcome! Arlington National Cemetery is the resting place of more than 400,000 veterans. A crisp fall day is my favorite time to visit this cemetery, since you will spend plenty of time walking outdoors. If you go when the leaves are changing in October, the sight is stunning when contrasted with the hundreds of thousands […]
Reston Zoo offers a unique experience that large zoos cannot compete with. My family was able to pet, feed, and play with goats, pigs, sheep, budgie birds, antelope, giraffes, and many more animals on our recent trip to the Reston Zoo, which is an experience we haven’t had in all our years of visiting zoos […]
Hello! Planning a trip to Washington D.C.? The monuments are one of the most popular tourist attractions in Washington D.C. In summer months when the city is warm and crowded, spend your days indoors and see the monuments at night. Monuments at Night Tips Wear good walking shoes because the best way to see the […]
If you are going to be anywhere near the Washington D.C. area this summer, make time to see a performance at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts. This unique venue features concerts and plays nearly every night of the summer from May to September, as well as an amazing children’s Theater in the […]
