Discover why Washington D.C. is  a great place for a family vacation.
  • Current Events
  • Apr10

    Spring is finally here and after our never ending bitterly cold winer I am thrilled. In DC Spring means baseball!

    Washington Nationals Mascot

    Oh, I mean Cherry Blossoms! And with the cherry blossoms come the crowds. Pack your patience if you plan to head downtown this weekend for the annual Cherry Blossom parade as you won’t be alone!

    Cherry Blossoms DC

    Here are three websites to visit if you are looking for information about current events in the city and around the DC area.

    National Cherry Blossom Festival this website is your go to resource for all things cherry blossom. Be sure to check out the specific Blossom Kids tab.

    Red Tricycle  is a great resource and one I use regularly to stay in the know. You can sign up to receive an email each week with a list of weekend activities. This is a great resource all year long, not just during the cherry blossom season.

    KidFriendly DC is another great year round resource with lots of ideas for activities in DC and especially around the DC area. Check it out today for their tips on visiting the Cherry Blossoms. You can also sign up for a twice weekly email that gives you a list of week day and weekend activities.

    My Cherry Blossom tip? Leave your car at home and go early in the morning. Have fun out there!

     

  • Nov13

    Have you got family visiting you for the holidays? Are you looking for somewhere other than a museum to take them? Here are some suggestions…

    Rebounderz Indoor Trampoline Arena 

    Rebounderz Sterling VA

    Rebounderz in Sterling, VA is a huge warehouse of trampolines.The trampoline park is open from 2:00 pm – 10:00 pm on Monday through Thursday and 10:00 am – 10:00 pm on Friday through Sunday. Be sure to check out their daily deals like unlimited jumping on Friday nights for kids 12 and older and take advantage of the option to buy tickets for a specific time 24 hours in advance. Rebounderz is located three miles west of Dulles International Airport in Sterling, VA.

    Ice Skating

    Ice skating in DC has gotten a lot more scenic recently with the addition of two new ice skating rinks. The rink at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden will always be a favorite, but now you can also skate away an afternoon at the Washington Harbor in Georgetown and at Canal Park near the Nationals Baseball Stadium. The ice skating rinks are scheduled to open soon so visit the below websites for more information about opening day and hours of operation.

    National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden – opening in mid-November

    Washington Harbor – opening the second weekend in November

    Canal Park – opening in mid-December

    While you’re there sip on a cup of hot chocolate and take in the views. The National Sculpture Garden has a small cafe with snacks and drinks and there are several restaurants surrounding the rink at both Washington Harbor and Canal Park.

    Imagination Stage

    Imagination Stage will take your child on a journey to one of their favorite books or most loved stories with a musical performance designed especially for children, and more importantly a child’s attention span. With an ever changing offering of plays, a great gift shop and kid-friendly cafe it is a fun outing for the entire family. Visit their website for more information on the upcoming plays scheduled for this fall and winter, Lyle the Crocodile and RumpelstiltskinImagination Stage

     Washington National Cathedral 

    National Cathedral

    Fall is the perfect time of year to visit the Pilgrim Observation Gallery at the Washington National Cathedral. You’ll get a bird’s eye view of the beautiful changing leaves in the city and on a clear day you can see all the way to the Blue Ridge Mountains. Currently the observation deck has an exhibit of the broken pieces of the cathedral that fell during the 2011 earthquake and the reconstruction is visible from many of the windows. The observation deck is open Monday – Friday 10:00 am – 5:30 pm, Saturday 10:00 am – 4:30 pm and Sunday 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm. If you are able to visit on a Monday or Wednesday at 12:30 pm you will hear the cathedral’s enormous organ and every Tuesday and Wednesday a traditional English tea is served on the observation deck at 2:45 pm. The Cathedral is open to the public and free to visitors, but donations are encouraged. Visit the Washington National Cathedral website for additional information.

    ICE

    ICE

    Nothing puts you in the mood for the holidays like the ICE exhibit at the Gaylord National Hotel at Washington National Harbor. After putting on your complimentary parka you will enter a 9 degree winter wonderland made completely of ice. This year’s theme is ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas and your kids will love the hand carved life size Santa and the two story ice slide. After your visit stay awhile and warm up with lunch or dinner at one of the many area restaurants. There are many family friendly options such as Elevation Burger and Rosa Mexicano. You also don’t want to miss the holiday decorations and nightly indoor snowfall at the Gaylord National Hotel.  This year the holiday festivities begin on November 15th and run through January 5th. Visit the Gaylord website for information on purchasing tickets. Gaylord National’s Christmas on the Potomac

    What are your favorite activities when you have family in town? Let us know…

  • Nov05

    The White House

    Just in time for the holidays, the White House has resumed public tours. Be sure to contact your member of congress ASAP if you have family coming to town for the holidays as I am sure there will be a big backlog of tour requests. Click here for more information on the Kids Will Travel website on how to request a tour.

  • Oct03

    We might be in the midst of a government shutdown and that means many sights in DC are closed. But wait! There are still things to do in the Capital city!

    Click on the below links to get more information on the sites that are open in DC.

    Pretend to be a reporter at The Newseum

    The International Spy Museum is always a crowd favorite

    Make a call from the Oval Office at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum

    Madame Tussauds DC

    There are free concerts every evening at the Kennedy Center

    Visit George Washington’s Home at Mount Vernon

    Mount Vernon

    Climb the tower steps at the Washington National Cathedral

    Washington National Cathedral

    Take a trip to the country for a Fall Festival

    Cox Farm Fall Festival

    image by Kamber Petty

    Our area favorites are at Cox Farm and Butler’s Orchard. Join them for hayrides, apple cider and corn mazes.

    So what is closed because of the government shutdown? Here is a list of the popular tourist spots in the city that are currently and unfortunately closed.

    • All the Smithsonian Museums
    • All the National Monuments
    • The National Zoo
    • The Capitol
    • The Bureau of Engraving and Printing

     

  • Mar18

    It is that time of year again, the cherry blossoms are about to bloom and the crowds are making their way to DC. This is a beautiful time of year to be in the city and a popular time. If you are planning a Spring trip be sure to pack your patience as there will be crowds, but there will also be lots to do!

    Washington DC Tidal Basin Jefferson Memorial

     Cherry Blossom Festival 2013

    This year’s Cherry Blossom Festival will run for four weeks from March 20th – April 14th with the peak blossom viewing days anticipated on March 26th – 30th. The best place to see the Cherry Blossoms is at the Tidal Basin. This is the area near the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the Jefferson Memorial and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. My favorite viewing spot is at the MLK Memorial looking over the tidal basin with the Jefferson Memorial in the background. It’s just beautiful.

    My advice is to call your member of congress and request an early morning tour at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. The BEP offers a great tour of the production plant where the paper money is printed. Start out early that morning and walk around the tidal basin to see the cherry blossoms before you take your tour of the BEP. You’ll beat the crowds and enjoy it so much more. Can’t get a ticket to tour the BEP through your member of congress? The BEP begins handing out daily tickets each morning at 8:00am.

    So what else is going on during the four week Cherry Blossom Festival?

    The National Kite Festival will be held on Saturday, March 30th on the National Mall at the base of the National Monument. Didn’t remember to pack a kite? No problem. The Smithsonian Museum gift shops all sell kites so pick one up as you are touring the museum.

    National Kite Festival

    The Corcoran Gallery of Art is offering a kite making class on Saturday, April 23rd in preparation for the National Kite Festival and there will also be stations on the National Mall where you can make a kite during the festival.

    The Tidal Basin will offer Paddle Boat rides daily from 10am – 5pm. You can make a reservation in advance by calling 202-479-2426 and the rate is $12-$19 an hour.

    Tidal Basin Paddle Boats

    The Cherry Blossom Parade will be held on April 13th at 10am. You can find a spot to watch along Constitution Avenue or call ahead for $20 grandstand seating. 1-800-745-3000

    Click here to visit the official Cherry Blossom website and find a complete list of activities. You can also download a free app that gives you even more information about daily activities and offers coupons at area stores and restaurants. Another resource is the Washington Post Going Out Guide which has a list of Cherry Blossom activities in the area. The Going Out Guide is a great resource for current events in the city at any time of year.

    And remember, as always, the best way to make your trip less stressful is to leave the car at home and take the metro. The metro is safe and easy and will take you to all of the major tourist sites. Click here for more information on taking the metro.

    Have a great time exploring the gorgeous city and don’t forget your camera!