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  • Restaurants

  • Feb07

    Hot Chocolate in the City

    Posted in: Restaurants, Uncategorized, Winter Activities | No Comments

    Winter is hanging on and there is no better way to warm up than with a cup of hot chocolate. So where should you go in Washington, DC for a good cup of cocoa?

    Marvelous Market

    First up is my daughter’s favorite, Marvelous Market. This is a DC area chain and you will find these sandwich shops in Georgetown, Dupont Circle, downtown on K Street and in the Palisades and Chevy Chase neighborhoods. Not only do they have delicious hot chocolate, but they also have a great cup of coffee, sweets and pre-made sandwiches.

    Marvelous Market DC

    Paul

    Another Kids Will Travel favorite is the hot chocolate at Paul. Think true European hot chocolate that actually quite resembles a molten chocolate bar. Decadent. It’s especially good when you dip in a croissant, just a suggestion.

    croissant

    National Sculpture Garden Cafe

    If you’re looking for hot chocolate with a view then make a stop at the National Sculpture Garden where in the winter you will find a great ice skating rink. There is a cute little cafe overlooking the rink with sandwiches, hot chocolate, coffee and wine! It’s a great spot for an afternoon break and good people watching.

    National Sculpture Gallery Ice RinkSerendipity

    If you’re looking for over the top, head straight to Georgetown and Serendipity. This frozen hot chocolate may not warm you up, but your kids will love it just the same. It’s big enough to feed a family so grab a spoon and enjoy!

    Child eating ice cream

    What’s your favorite family winter warm-up activity? Leave us your comments…

  • Dec20

    The National Christmas Tree at the White House

    Posted in: Current Events, Holidays, Restaurants | No Comments

    The Kids Will Travel family headed to the White House this past week to check out the festivities outside. Even if you aren’t able to get tickets to tour the White House during the holidays it is definitely worth a visit at twilight to snap a few pictures from the outside and to see the National Christmas Tree.

    On the South Lawn of the White House (closest to Constitution Avenue and 15th Street, NW) you will find President’s Park. This month the park transforms into a little winter wonderland complete with a giant Christmas tree surrounded by model trains and 56 smaller Christmas trees representing the states and territories and decorated with ornaments made by children from that state. My favorite state tree this year was from Florida. The bright oranges were fabulous.

    Each day through Christmas Eve your children can also visit with Santa in Santa’s workshop. Hours are:

    Monday to Thursday: 4:00-6:30 pm and 7:00-9:30 pm
    Friday to Sunday: 12:30 PM-4:30 pm and 5:30-9:30 pm
    Christmas Eve: 11 AM–3:00 pm

    When we visited earlier this week at 4:30 pm we were the only people in line – score! And he is a great looking Santa.

    Finally, each week day starting at 5:00 pm and weekends starting at 1:00 pm there is live music from various local singing groups. Click here for a schedule of performers. The day we visited we heard a group of 5th graders from a local school. Listening to those sweet voices was just what my heart needed.

    As always, the best way to reach President’s Park is by metro. Metro Center and McPherson Square are the closest metro stops. Click here for tips on traveling by metro in DC.

    And if you are looking for a restaurant near by try Old Ebbitt Grill, or Potbelly. Click here for more of our favorite kid friendly restaurants in the area.

    If you are visiting DC over the holidays or live here and are entertaining guests I hope my blog posts over the last few weeks have been helpful. Be sure to get out in the city and take advantage of the great activities going on this month.

    And don’t forget to follow us on twitter in order to get the latest information on current events in DC. 

    Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from our family to yours!

     

  • Dec12

    Family Fun at Gaylord National’s ICE

    Posted in: Current Events, Holidays, Restaurants, Top Attractions, Uncategorized | No Comments

    ICE is back at National Harbor this year and after putting it off for the last several years (too cold, too crowded, I worried) we went on Monday and the kids loved it. What is ICE you ask? ICE is an exhibit sponsored by the Gaylord National Hotel at National Harbor and is a walk through exhibit made completely of ice. This year’s theme is Shrek the Halls and all your favorite characters from the Shrek movies make an appearance.

    The exhibit is housed in a temporary “tent” across the street from the Gaylord National Hotel and it is cold in there, 9 degrees to be exact. Make sure to bring a hat and gloves. You will be provided with a calf-length jacket to put on over your jacket, but your hands and ears get the coldest. Our daughter is 6 and was not bothered by the cold at all. I had waited to go thinking it might not be worth it when she was younger, but honestly the kids are so excited and the exhibit isn’t that big so you can go through it relatively quickly. Younger kids would definitely enjoy it too.

    You will walk through several rooms depicting scenes from the Skrek movies, but the best room is the ice slide, which is fun for all ages. I don’t know if the kids had more fun going down themselves or watching the moms go down!

    As you leave there is a beautiful and simple nativity scene made of ice. This may have been my favorite part of the exhibit. We didn’t linger for long though as our noses were frozen and the warmth of the gift shop was beckoning!

    It was obvious this is a popular place that is prepared for big crowds. There were lots of rope lines to weave people through to the exhibit and an enormous theater where you watch a short movie about the making of the exhibit. Luckily we went on a Monday and there was NO ONE there. It was awesome. We didn’t have to wait in line at all and the kids were able to go down the ice slides a dozen times with no wait. My advice is to skip the weekend if you can and instead go during the week. The friends we were with had gone on a Friday last year and said the $15 per ticket upgrade to VIP was worth every penny. With this ticket you skip the long line to get in, are ushered straight into the exhibit and you get a hot chocolate at the end.

    After we went through the exhibit we took the kids down to the harbor to look at the Christmas tree and then had a quick dinner at Rosa Mexicano. There are lots of kid friendly restaurants to choose from in the area. Click here for a complete list.

    Our final stop was back at the Gaylord National Hotel where we watched the nightly lighting of the Christmas Tree at 6:30 pm in their atrium. It is quite a spectacle with a light show, dancing fountains and indoor “snow.” p.s. Santa was also there with no line for pictures. May be a better option than the mall!

    We were back in the city by 7:30 pm and the kids were tucked in bed at their normal 8:00 pm bedtime. No crowds and a margarita at dinner means it was a Monday treat for everyone!

    Click here for more information about ICE. The website has great background information on how the exhibit is made and you can also buy tickets online. Adults are $30 and children are $23.

    National Harbor is not metro accessible. The hotel does provide a shuttle that runs throughout the day from Union Station and the Old Post Office Pavilion to the Gaylord National. Tickets are $20 for a roundtrip for adults and $10 for a roundtrip for kids. Click here for a schedule of shuttle times. This is certainly an option if you don’t have a car while you’re in DC. If you do have a car it’s an easy 30 minute drive from the city. Click here for directions.

    ICE and Shrek the Halls runs through January 6, 2013.

     What do you want to see in DC over the holidays?

     

  • Nov20

    Thanksgiving Guests? What to do when the meal is over…

    Posted in: Current Events, Holidays, Restaurants, Travel Tips, Uncategorized | No Comments

    This year, and every year, I am very thankful for my family and I am looking forward to spending Thanksgiving with at least some of them in DC this week.

    If, like me, you have guests visiting for the holidays – or you are a guest visiting DC for the holidays – you will need something to do once the Thanksgiving feast is over and the kids are getting restless.

    A great resource any time of year is the Washington Post’s Going Out Guide. It is full of up to date information about area museums and special performances. Definitely a resource to check out if you are planning a trip to DC or just looking for a weekend activity. Last Friday I was very excited to find the Going Out Guide included the Holiday Guide 2012. In the guide you will find an interactive calendar and museum suggestions for the whole family, from the hipster to the traditionalist and of course the kids.

    A good place to go for a little bit of everything is Chinatown/Penn Quarter. Leave the car at home and hop on the metro to the Chinatown/Penn Quarter metro stop. This area is home to the International Spy Museum, is a short walk to the National Sculpture Garden Ice Skating Rink, the National Mall (home to the Smithsonian Museums) and lots of kid friendly restaurants. You will also find a small selection of shops, including a special holiday market next to the American Art Museum on F Street. There is also a movie theater and a bowling alley in this area.

    If you want to avoid the city, head the opposite direction and check out the Air and Space Museum at Dulles.

    This is where you will find the Space Shuttle Discovery, and other aircraft from World War II all the way to today’s spy planes. Don’t miss the IMAX movies and the flight stimulators, always a big hit. There is no metro stop so you will need a car to reach this spot.

    And we of course all know that as soon as Thanksgiving is over, Christmas is right around the corner. Stay tuned for our upcoming post all about Christmas activities in the DC area: model trains through a woodland wonderland, afternoon tea and a nightly indoor snowfall.

    But until then, Happy Thanksgiving from the Kids Will Travel Family to yours and safe travels to DC or wherever the road takes you this week.

     

  • Sep13

    The National Book Festival

    Posted in: Current Events, Festivals, Museum, Restaurants | No Comments

    The 12th Annual National Book Festival sponsored by the Library of Congress will be held next weekend, September 22-23, 2012 on the National Mall. This is a great opportunity for your kids to meet their favorite author and get excited about reading.

    To get a copy of this great poster email bookfest@loc.gov with your name and address.

    This year the National Book Festival will host over 100 authors. Various pavilions will focus on different topics ranging from Fiction & Mystery, History & Biography, Children & Teens, Poetry, Home & Family, Urban Fiction and Graphic Novels. Click here for a complete list of authors and don’t forget to check out the Target Family Story Telling Stage and the Let’s Read America pavilion sponsored by PBS Kids and Lego Duplo.

    Various authors will read from their books throughout the weekend. Click here for a schedule so you can plan your trip around hearing your favorite author and having your favorite book signed. You may purchase books at the festival or bring your own book to be signed. At our house we are especially excited about meeting Mary Pope Osborne, author of “The Magic Treehouse,” and Marc Brown, author of “Arthur.”

    National Book Festival hours are Saturday from 10:00 am – 5:30 pm and Sunday from 12:00 noon – 5:30 pm. The festival will be held on the National Mall (home to the Smithsonian Museums) between 9th Street and 14th Street, NW. The National Mall will be especially busy and parking will be tough. The best thing to do is take the metro to the Smithsonian stop.

    It’s a big festival so download the map here to help you navigate among all of the different tents and look for a volunteer who can also help you find your way around. One of the great hands-on sponsors of the event is the Junior League of Washington who will provide over 550 volunteers, for the 11th consecutive year. Keep an eye out for one of these ladies in the bright pink shirts if you need some help.

    Need a bite to eat while you’re there? Most Smithsonian Museums have cafeterias, click here for a list. Or visit the Kids Will Travel restaurants page for suggestions on spots in Penn Quarter and Chinatown. It’s a short walk from the mall and there are lots of kid friendly options. And finally check out our blog from last week for more tips on eating out in DC with kids.

    So who are you and your kids excited about meeting at this year’s National Book Festival?

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