National Zoological Park

The best thing about the Washington D.C. Zoo is that it's free! It costs me and arm and leg to take all my kids to the zoo in our town, so this would be a must for us. Another nice thing is that it's open until 8:00 pm clear until October so it's something to do in the evening during the hot summer months. The main attractions at the zoo are the giant pandas, but of course they have every other animal a child could imagine.

The International Spy Museum

This looks like a great one for kids. The International Spy Museum contains everything you've been wanting to know about the world of espionage. They've got exhibits featuring the history and secrets of spycraft as well as spies in our world today. Something I thought sounded fun were their ultimate scavenger hunts. Your group can work together to decode messages, solve problems, and interact with spies. My son would absolutely love this place!

The National Museum of the American Indian

This museum is dedicated to the life, culture, history, and art of the Native Americans. While I'm sure this museum is very fascinating, there is a special reason I am doing this post. There is a cafe inside that gets rave reviews. The Mitsitam Cafe was first suggested to me by my brother as being a "must visit" while in D.C. Looking further into the restaurant, there are many people who have similar feelings about it. The cafe features Native foods throughout the Western Hemisphere and while eating, visitors can look out the windows and view the Native atmosphere within the museum.

DC Insider

I found this great site that features all the best insider tips in Washington D.C. including great hotels and restaurants, the best times to visit the attractions, the must see neighborhoods and where to get the best views of the city. I found the information to be very helpful.

The National Aquarium

My kids and I love aquariums so you'll probably see me post the city's aquarium every week. The National Aquarium is the nation's oldest aquarium. It contains 50 tanks with over 1000 specimen, which include sharks, piranha, sea turtles, alligators and much more. The Aquarium is located on the Mall, near the Smithsonian, but is not considered part of the museums. I've read quite a few reviews on the National Aquarium and they are pretty mixed. Lots of people love it and lots were very disappointed. We'll probably give it a try.

Museums For Kids

Although I'm sure that most of the Smithsonian Museums are pretty intriguing for kids, Family Fun rates the National Air and Space Museum and the Museum of Natural History as the best museums for kids. The Air and Space museum has some very interesting artifacts inside including the original Wright 1903 Flyer, the Apollo 11 command module, and a real lunar rock sample that the kids can touch. The Museum of Natural History sounds even more kid friendly with it's dinosaur hall, fossil lab, hall of mammals, discovery room, butterfly exhibit and insect zoo. All of the Smithsonian Museums are located on the National Mall which is my most vivid memory of my trip to

Washington D. C.

Momuments, Memorials, and Much Much More

I'm starting with this mega list of the possible things to do in Washington D. C. Included are some of the major monuments, parks, memorials and museums.

1. The White House and White House Visitor's Center
2. The Capitol
3. Arlington National Cemetery
4. Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial
5. Ford's Theatre and Lincoln Museum
6. Jefferson Memorial
7. Lincoln Memorial
8. Library of Congress
9. The Supreme Court
10. Washington Monument
11. The Mall
12. International Spy Museum
13. US Botanic Garden
14. National Zoological Park
15. National World War II Memorial
16. National Air and Space Museum
17. National Museum of the American Indian
18. National Museum of Natural History
19. Rock Creek Park
20. Potomac Park
21. US Holocaust Memorial Museum

This really doesn't even cover everything but at least it's a start. At least I know I'll have plenty to do in this city.

Cherry Blossom Festival

April is the most beautiful time to visit D.C. because it's cherry blossom season. I think I'll probably wait for this time of year although I'm sure it's terribly crowded. They say hundreds of thousands of visitors come each year just to experience the beautiful cherry blossoms. There is a Cherry Blossom Festival which includes parades, kite and street festivals, cherry blossom walking tours, charity golf tournaments, concerts, freedom walks and runs, and fireworks.

Washington D.C.

Welcome to our nation's capitol city Washington D.C. This is a great family vacation. With some of the nation's best museums and monuments a child's curiosity will soar. It's also considered a great vacation for families on a budget seeing that most of the attractions are free. I experienced Washington D.C. when I was in the 6th grade and I loved it. It was a great opportunity for me to experience first hand all of the things I was learning about in school. I will add links in this section to all of the well-known attractions, but I'm going to try and focus more on the activities that some people may not know about as well as good places to stay and eat.