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Category: Washington D.C.

Washington DC Family Vacations

[ 0 ] February 28, 2012

Washington DC is the home of the executive, judicial and legislative arm of the government. What could be a better place to consider for kid friendly vacations? A misguided impression that most people have is that Washington is filled with nothing but stuffy politicians who sole obsessions are polls and ratings. None of this is true. At the heart of Washington is a thriving city filled with attractive locations and vacation packages that make it a great choice for a family holiday. There are dozens of things to do during your visit—things that your kids and family will enjoy doing. Some of these include;

  • Visit the Smithsonian Museums: Stop by the Smithsonian and watch the eyes of your kids light up as you take them on a history tour that will itself become historical. The large collection of museums is a popular favorite with families. There’s a zero charge admission fee and lots of exciting things to see. Popular places to stop at Smithsonian include the Air and space museum and the Museum of Natural History where you’ll find the kid-friendly Hall of Paleobiology.
  • Visit the National Mall: The National Mall is a great place to visit if you wish to while away the time and keep your interest spiked. It spans over a walking distance of 5 miles so be sure to wear comfortable shoes. The National Mall is a popular destination of most tourists and is reportedly visited by over 20 million tourists every year. Be sure to take your camera with you and get some really amazing shots.
  • National Zoological Park: Kids go giddy around animals and entry into the National Zoological Park is free. What’s there not to love? Connected to the Smithsonian, the National Zoological Park is a great place to visit if you’re looking for a fun way of spending the afternoon. There are over 2000 different animals within the zoo as well as a couple of children play areas to visit.
  • Visit the Lincoln Memorial: Based on its size alone, the Lincoln Memorial is a ‘Larger than Life’ experience that your kids will actually love. Visit the monument of one of the country’s most loved experience and read his famous speeches. The memorial of Honest Abe is visited by millions of people every year. More importantly, admission to the memorial is free, which is a great option for families looking for budget-friendly vacation packages.
  • Washington Monument: It’s a pretty popular and distinct landmark so a visit to the Washington Monument is a good way of spending the day with your kids. At one point considered to the tallest structure in the world, you can take a ride to the top of the obelisk and enjoy an impressive view of the surrounding city. Like most monuments across Washington, admission is usually free.

Finding affordable accommodation options at Washington DC is not difficult. There are dozens of hotels with vacation packages that you can consider for your holiday. Washington DC is top on most families list of kid friendly vacations. Be sure to make your reservations early to avoid the season traffic.

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Famous Family Vacation Spot: Washington DC

[ 0 ] February 15, 2012

Being a prey to the common misconception that Washington DC is nothing but a place for white marble structures and there is nothing fun about it. This fact is by the most false statement. This is a city which is an amalgamation of seriousness and fun. It caters to need of your learning side and also gives you an opportunity to satisfy your hunger for fun.

 

Things you can do in Washington DC:

  1. The first that is a must watch is the National Mall:  This is a collection of 8 different museums that give a complete taste of the complete history o America. They cover from art to space exploration. They get you to experience the history and then move on to adventures like discoveries and space etc….do not end the day without watching a movie at the biggest IMAX screen.
  2. Then you could tour the National Monuments and Memorials: Here you can relive the days when America fought for its Independence and the different wars it had to be part of and suffer. There are many monuments that make a chill run down your spine by just being there and witnessing it. Mainly a tribute to all the great leaders of America and along with some War Memorial it is a must watch.
  3. National Air & Space Museum: This is a place where you could just let go of kids and they would return with the utmost knowledge of everything in the Air and space and a lot of entertainment as they get to watch the best 3D film the Hubble that is recommended by many parents. This is a place for you also to spend some children free time in the museum and learn something along with having fun.
  4. National Gallery of Art: With 2 buildings to its fame where 1 building is dedicated to the art from 13th – 18th century art collectables the other is dedicated to the modern art. A good walk as it is approximately 0.9 miles from the centre of the city.
  5. The Newseum: This is the name given to a museum dedicated to News. A place where you can get to view the birth and growth of News. It helps the museum goers to understand why and how News is made. They also have an option of watching the action that goes on behind the scene.
  6. The Library of Congress: This is one of the biggest Libraries in America, with may be not all the books in the world but has 532 miles of shelves and 115 millions of items, with 7000 added each working day.
  7. Lincoln Memorial and Reflecting pool: The 19 Foot high statue of Abraham Lincoln along with the Reflecting pool (which may be under renovation right now). The most important thing is the feeling that you get when you stand exactly in the place Martin Luther King Jr stood in front of Lincoln Memorial and delivered his monumental speech “ I have a dream”.
  8. The National Museum of Natural History: A one of its kind Museum which is a part of the National Mall holds the most eminent collection of Natural history specimens and human artefacts. It would be a thrill to see the tools, houses of the early man and the skeletons of Dinosaurs.

With many many and many more interesting historical, adventurous and fun places to see. Washington DC stands out in the choice of being an amazing Family Vacation spot in the US.

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Washington D.C. Family Vacations

[ 0 ] February 2, 2012

At least once in a lifetime, everyone should consider family vacations to Washington D.C. Not only will your entire family be able to see and enjoy the history that is jam packed into this city, but there are more and more beautiful museums available for kids of all ages and in addition to this, the city is filled with amazing places to eat.

One of the special facts about Washington D.C. is that the city zoning laws prohibit the construction of skyscrapers. This could be a completely new experience for children from big cities such as New York City, Boston or Toronto and thus it makes a great family vacations destination.

Historical Buildings

Washington D.C. is of course famous for its abundance of historical buildings and top family vacations would be very incomplete without a trip to the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial, not to mention of course the White House and the U.S. Capitol Building.

For kids who are science and history buffs, there’s Smithsonian and the Natural History Museum. And don’t forget that after a long day of trekking around the city visiting all the famous sites, you can view one of the many wonderful live shows playing at the Kennedy Center.

Seasonal Family Vacations

Washington D.C. also has a number of seasonal events that you can time your holiday nicely around if you want to see something special in the city with your family. There are many events for instance on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The National Cherry Blossom Festival is held every spring in partnership with Tokyo, Japan. The Japanese people gifted 3,000 cherry trees to be planted in West Potomac Park. If you can get there this spring, 2012, then you will probably experience the most beautiful cherry blossom festival for at least the next hundred years because it is actually in 1912 that the trees were gifted by the Japanese people.

If you visit the White House in at Easter this year, then you can take part in the 134th Easter Egg Roll. This is a long-standing tradition where thousands of children from all over the country come to the President’s house to take part in the ancient spring tradition.

Recently, a White House Kitchen Garden was also installed by the President’s wife and 30 students at a time from high schools across the country are allowed to visit.

White House Tours

One of the greatest things about going to Washington D.C. is that you can organize for your family to take a tour of the White House. These tours must be requested in advance through your local Member of Congress. You can submit your request up to six months in advance and it is advisable to do so because the demand is so high. International tourists can also visit the White House, but they need to book through their embassy in Washington D.C. to be able to enjoy family vacations in the President’s home.

Washington D.C. is one of the most popular destinations for family vacations, especially for kids who are history and science buffs. Read on to find out more about what you can do in the capital.

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