Category: Washington DC

Getting Around Washington DC & the Best Places to Park Near the National Mall

Post author By Jess
Post date March 17, 2014

Getting around Washington DC was a bit nerve racking at first. I remember the first time we drove in, just praying we could find a parking spot that was anywhere near the National Mall. After a few trips in, I started to relax and didn’t worry about it anymore. Over the three months we were in the area, we always drove in and found either free or paid parking and then walked.

While researching our options, a lot of websites and blogs I found recommended taking the train in. Although it can be fun and convenient, I also found it cost prohibitive with a family of 5. It was much cheaper to pay $20 for all day parking at a garage than to pay to park at the park-and-ride lot (seriously?) and then also pay the train fare. There are different fares for commute time vs. non commute time as well and the whole thing was just confusing. Hence, we opted to drive.

There are a couple of streets you can park on for free: Madison Dr., and Jefferson Dr. are both limited to two hours. There’s also the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway NW behind the Lincoln Memorial that has 3 hour free parking right along the river, as well as Ohio Dr. closer to the FDR Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial,

All of the paid on-street parking its pretty great and convenient. If you download the Park Mobile App (Apple, Android) before you go, you just need to type in your parking zone and the app will easily start a parking session. They charge you a little bit extra as a credit card fee, but being able to add more time to the meter from inside the museum was really convenient. The app will also send text reminders that your parking session is expiring.

Just be aware that they do restrict the on street parking on many of the streets during commute times. You can park between 10am -4pm, and then again after 6pm I believe. We did lots of little short trips into the city, so this usually wasn’t a problem. Just make sure your car is off the street before 4pm.

For a map and how to bike the national mall with your kids, see THIS post that I wrote a few months ago.

We did ride the metro once, but it was mostly for fun. After our tour of the Capitol Building, we jumped on the metro and rode it up to the White House and then back to our car. It was fun, I just don’t know that I’d ride it all over the city with my kids.

Have you had experience parking or taking transportation in Washington DC? I’d love to hear about it!

Tags Driving in to Washington DC, Parking in Washington DC, Where to Park in Washington DC

Maryland National Parks Washington DC

Fort McHenry and the 2013 Defenders Day Bicentenial

Post author By Sam
Post date February 18, 2014
1 Comment on Fort McHenry and the 2013 Defenders Day Bicentenial

Visiting Fort McHenry was a wonderful experience of connecting with history. We went with some friends from college and timed our visit for one of the Bicentennial events which celebrated the victory during the war of 1812. Although the war began in 1812, it lasted two years and ended in 1814. The Friends of Fort McHenry arranged an annual celebration starting in 2012 and culminating on the 200th anniversary in the fall of 2014.

When We Visited: September 2013

Ages of Kids: 7, 6, 3

Things to Know: The Jr. Ranger Badge is one of the more difficult ones we’ve encountered. You also need to bring your own colored pencils and a pen. Free parking, but its a bit of a walk. Definitely recommend a stroller for little ones.

While Fort McHenry is always there, additional activities included musket demonstrations, bands, plenty of folks in period clothing, and an evening of fireworks. The kids had a bit of trouble with the loud musket demonstrations, but loved exploring the fort and earning their Junior Ranger badges.

While there is plenty of history behind the fort and the War of 1812, our historical realizations focused on three things:

First, the War was all about telling the British: “No, Seriously. We mean it!” The British wanted the American Colonies and came across the ocean to bring us back under the flag of the British Empire. They soon learned that we liked being an independent nation and were not interested in their offer. The war of 1812 also involved the burning of the United States Capital.

Second, was the situation surrounding Mr. Francis Scott Key and the writing of the Star Spangled Banner. Mr. Key (a loyal American) was on a British ship out in the bay during the entire event. He was aboard the ship negotiating the release of an American prisoner, and although he secured the prisoner’s release, they overheard the British plans for an attack on Forth McHenry. The British held Mr. Key and his released prisoner on board until after the attack was over. In the morning, Francis Scott Key raised his binoculars and through the smoke saw the Stars and Stripes “gallantly streaming”. He was so inspired, he penned the words to The Star Spangled Banner, a song which would later become our national anthem.

Lastly, we learned that the “Star Spangled Banner” does not references just any American flag. The title specifically applies to the flag with 13 stars and 13 stripes. They fly the Star Spangled Banner at the fort everyday and we were able to help with the lowering of the large day time flag, and the raising of the smaller flag they fly at night.

If you happen to be in the Baltimore area in Fall 2014, be sure to participate in the last Bicentennial Defenders Day Event!

Tags Fort McHenry, National Park, Things to do in Baltimore Maryland, Visiting Fort McHenry with Kids

Featured Destination Washington DC

Our Top 14 Things To Do in Washington DC With Young Kids

Post author By Jess
Post date February 13, 2014
4 Comments on Our Top 14 Things To Do in Washington DC With Young Kids

We spent 3 months in the DC area and saw A LOT, but what if you don’t have the luxury of seeing only one thing every day or every week? What should you take your kids to see? What should you skip? Glad you asked. Here’s a list of our favorites (and not so favorites):

1. National Mall Monuments & Marine Corp Monument: These are an obvious must. I wrote a blog post awhile back on how we toured the National Mall on bikes with our kids. It would work walking too, it’d just take a little longer. The Marine Corp Monument is farther away, but there’s a free parking lot there so its a quick in and out. Its a lot bigger than we expected.

2. Natural History Museum: Our first experience with the Natural History Museum didn’t go so well. There were tons of people, we weren’t sure what we wanted to see, and consequently it was a mess. Luckily, we gave it a second chance and we really enjoyed it. My recommendations? See the Live Bugs, but skip the butterflies (they cost extra anyway). Learn how the mummification process works on an interactive screen (what kid doesn’t love that?) Stroll the Bones exhibit and show your kids different animal skeletons such as a turtle, snake, fish, and a even a kiwi. We also explored the Gems & Minerals and I sent the kids on a color hunt. “Find a big one that is blue” or “find a small one that is orange”. Definitely pack a lunch as the cafeteria downstairs is expensive and not that great.

3. Star Spangled Banner: This one is in the American History Museum (next door to the Natural History Museum). We spent about two hours in the museum but my kids honestly didn’t love it. Go see the Star Spangled Banner (especially if you’ve ever been to Fort McHenry) and maybe the 1st Lady Dresses and move on. They do have a nice cafeteria downstairs and didn’t mind that we brought our own lunch. One of the workers even pointed us to a bench where we could view the Washington Monument while we ate.

4. Mt Vernon: This could be a full day or a couple of hours depending on your kids. We spent about 6 hours there on one of their Homeschooling Days which I wrote about here. Definitely pick up an Adventure Map at the front desk. The kids have to hunt for clues in the outbuildings and all over the grounds in order to find out the secret code.

5. Gravelly Point & Jefferson Memorial: If your kids like aviation at all, take them to see the planes take off or land (depending on the wind direction) at Reagan International Airport. From there, the Jefferson Memorial is only a short bike ride or walk away. For more details, check out our blog post here.

6. Arlington Cemetery: This was a quick visit. I honestly would’ve spent hours wandering among the rows of graves if I thought the kids would have stood for it. As it was, the day was cold. We climbed the hill to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, watched the Changing of the Guard, and then left. We also witnessed a few wreath presentation ceremonies which was fun but also took forever.

7. Jones Point Park: One of my favorites. A nice, quiet space amid the bustle of Alexandria, Virginia. See our full blog post here.

8. Spy Museum: Definitely for older kids, UNLESS its an event night. We went during their Spooky Spy Night Halloween Event and it was fabulous! The kids had to look for dressed up spies wandering around the exhibits. They had also set up a room with treats (food is not allowed in the rest of the museum), games, and fake mustaches to disguise yourself. The majority of the museum involves reading exhibits and is not very hands on. On a regular day, I think my kids would’ve been bored.

9. United States Capitol: Arrange a tour with your State Senator prior to visiting to get a private tour. I enjoyed seeing the Capitol and it was fun for the kids as well. See our full blog post here.

10. National Archives: A must-see AFTER you watch National Treasure with your kids. We also spent a little time in the Public Vaults which I found fascinating and there was enough to keep the kids occupied for about 30 minutes. No photography in the Rotunda, so unfortunately I didn’t get any photos of the Declaration of Independence.

11. Visit the National Zoo: It is, in fact, a zoo. This doesn’t make it unique to the DC area, so if you are going to skip something this would probably be my choice. Its also very hilly so my kids tired out pretty quick. They have fun exhibits (and the Giant Panda is famous) but nothing overly extraordinary.

12. Touch a Piece of the Moon: The National Air & Space Museum wasn’t particularly riveting. Just inside the entryway there is a piece of the moon embedded in an obelisk which the kids enjoyed. There is also a few airplanes they can go inside, and an exhibit with levers and pulleys to learn how things fly. We didn’t find much else, however, and didn’t spend a great deal of time here.

13. Visit the White House: When we were there tours of the White House were cancelled, but we did walk by to see it. On two different occasions we visited both the north and south sides, even taking the subway from the Capitol building to add excitement and cut down on the walking. If you have to pick one, visit the south side as I found it more picturesque than the north (pictured below).

14. Earn a Junior Ranger Badge: There’s actually 3 your kids can earn. The National Mall, the White House, and President’s Park. In order to earn the White House Badge, you have to actually go on the tour (so we didn’t get that one). The National Mall badge is being redone, so we were able to earn a special Martin Luther King Jr. March on Washington Badge. President’s Park is the area around the White House (including the National Christmas Tree) and this one was probably one of my favorites.

Whew. That should keep you busy for a week! Of course there are plenty of other things to do while you are in the area (not to mention the surrounding area – check out Great Falls National Park). Other things we didn’t get to but heard were fun: The Bureau of Engraving & Printing, The Library of Congress (also National Treasure Inspired), The Building Museum, Ford Theater & White House Tour.

Have you been to Washington DC? What was your favorite part?

Tags 14 fun things to do in Washington DC with young children, arlington cemetery, changing of the guard, Declaration of Independence, gravelly point, Great Falls National Park, how to see the jefferson memorial, Jones Point National Park, mount vernon, mt vernon, National Air and Space Musuem, National Archives, National Mall, national mall junior ranger badge, National Zoo, natural history museum, Panda Cam at the National Zoo, president's park junior ranger badge, star spangled banner, The International Spy Museum, Things to do in Washington DC with kids, tomb of the unknown soldier, Touch a piece of the moon, US Capitol Building, US Capitol Tour, visit the white house, Visiting US Capitol with kids, visiting washington DC with kids, white house junior ranger badge, white house tours

Virginia Washington DC

Mt. Vernon Homeschooling Days – Virginia

Post author By Jess
Post date January 30, 2014
1 Comment on Mt. Vernon Homeschooling Days – Virginia

Visting Mount Vernon with Young Children

As Monticello gave me a greater understanding and appreciation for Thomas Jefferson, Mount Vernon did the same for George Washington. The grounds were beautiful, my kids were entertained, and we all learned something. Total win.

When we visited: November 2013

Ages of kids: 8, 6, 3

Tips: Parking is free and close enough you can stash a lunch if you want. I don’t believe they allow picnicking on the grounds, but there are tables outside that were perfect. The Estate is privately owned and does require an admission fee.

We chose to visit Mount Vernon on one of their designated Homeschooling Days. From what I could tell (having not visited on a non-homeschooling day) this involved more activities for kids. More people in time-period dress, and quite a few activities down at the farm. We brushed wool, ground corn into flour, listened to a soldier play marching tunes on his fife, played pioneer games, and watched a woman spin wool into yarn.

Mt vernon Homeschool Days Farm

By far, the best activity is the Adventure Map. The kids have to explore the entire estate figuring out clues to solve a puzzle. Once finished they take the map to the gift shop for a prize. This took us to all of the outlying buildings (including the greenhouse, blacksmith shop, farm and tomb) but kept the kids entertained while we walked.

Mt Vernon Adventure Map The actual tour of the mansion itself was a little disappointing. If you read my report of Monticello, you’ll learn that I LOVED that tour. The guides were informative and interesting, the kids paid attention (mostly) and I felt like we could go back a second time and learn something new. The tour for Mt. Vernon was one long, gigantic, snake of a line that wound itself through the front door, up the stairs, around and back down. We got our tickets from the information desk which gave us a time we could enter the line (any time after is also fine). Once in the line, we plodded along and there were docents in each room who explained the significance. They seriously could have replaced them with computer screens and visitors could just press “play” instead. Every single one was memorized and I even got some dirty looks from one docent when I asked questions after she finished. Oops. My bad. Apparently they are not supposed to deviate from the script. It is a beautiful building and definitely worth the tour, just don’t expect too much.

Mt Vernon Mansion Tour

As with some of our other trips in the Washington DC area, we had previously watched National Treasure 2 in preparation for this visit. It was fun to hypothesize with the kids where Ben might have come up from the river to crash the President’s birthday party. They even have a National Treasure tour that Rachel talked me into signing up for only to learn it was sold out. Cara probably wouldn’t have lasted anyway. Asking around however, we did learn that no, there are no secret tunnels on the grounds. Darn.

The very last thing we did on our way out was the Donald W. Reynolds Education Center. Detailed and interactive exhibits lead you from George Washington’s childhood through his terms and president and finally his funeral procession. There are 2 great films, one an immersion film about the Revolution War that included snow and cannon fire! The other is a 360 panorama about his life. Both worth seeing. There is also a children’s room with puzzles, dress ups and other activities for smaller children.

We all definitely gained a greater understanding and respect for our nation’s first president, his life and sacrifices for our country.

Tags mt vernon, things to do in virginia, visiting Mt Vernon with kids

National Parks Washington DC

How to Bike or Walk the National Mall with Kids

Post author By Jess
Post date December 5, 2013
1 Comment on How to Bike or Walk the National Mall with Kids

During the months we stayed in Northern Virginia, we visited the National Mall and Monuments at least a half dozen times. We learned what worked and what did not. When some friends visited, we planned a tour around the mall with the ages of our kids (and theirs, which match pretty close) and it turned out great. We thought we’d share, for the interest of anyone attempting the same thing.

When we visited: Fall 2013

Ages of Children: 8, 7, 6, 5, 3, 2, 2 months (combined kids of two families. NOT all ours!)

Time: 2.5 hours

Bikes: Three older kids on bikes, and 3 year old on a strider bike. Adults walked, which nicely matched speed of our littlest on the strider bike. Also bring a bike lock long enough to lock up all the bikes.

Strollers: The 5, 2, and 2 month old rode in 2 different strollers, which also contained stacks and water. If strollers are not needed, those items can be easily carried in a backpack.

Don’t forget to bring: water, snacks, bike lock, the National Mall smart phone app, and pens for your Junior Ranger booklets.

I can’t remember who it was that originally suggested we bring the kid’s bikes with us to the National Mall in Washington DC, but whoever it was, they are a genius. Having their bikes helped our kids last a lot longer, see more, and made the whole outing feel more adventurous. That said, you can still walk the route I propose, just know that if you have little kids you’ll probably need a stroller as the distance is quite far.

Where to park your car? I was so nervous for first trip into Washington DC. I had heard that everyone takes the metro, there’s no parking anywhere, and traffic is terrible. While that last statement is most definitely true, we parked in downtown DC dozens of times and I always seemed to manage to find a spot. To see the National Monuments, there are 2 different places I’d recommend to park. Both are free, 3 hour parking. The first is along Ohio Drive (see bottom of the map). This street runs parallel to the Potomac River and is pretty lengthy, offering many opportunities to park your vehicle. Choose a spot farther south near the FDR Memorial for easiest access to this route. The other option for parking is up behind the Lincoln Memorial on Rock Creek and Potomac Pkwy. If you are coming off the Memorial Bridge, take two quick left hand turns (there also might be a U-turn necessary in there somewhere). I believe there is generally parking on both sides of the street.

After you park, its time to go! Make sure you grab water and snacks and head across the street towards the FDR Memorial. They usually have rangers stationed outside, and you can ask for your Junior Ranger Booklet for the kids. From there you basically walk in a very large circle.

From the FDR Memorial, walk north to the Martin Luther King Junior Memorial, and then across the street to WWII. There are restrooms located near WWII Memorial that are clean, well-kept and close by. From there, cross the street and head east towards the Washington Monument. At the time of our visit, the WM was under construction (earthquake retro-fit) so we were not able to get tickets and go up to the top. Cut across to the north side of the monument, and then if you go just a little farther east you can get a glimpse of the White House.

Head down the north path back towards the WWII Memorial. Follow the signs for the Vietnam Memorial. The path will take you through the Constitution Gardens, and on the opposite side of the lake you can see the memorial dedicated to the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Walk your bikes through the Vietnam Memorial, and you’ll come out within sight of the Lincoln Memorial. Head over, lock up your bikes and climb to the top. Spend some time checking out the Reflecting Pool, and then when you are ready grab your bikes and head over to the Korean War Veterans Memorial.

Once you are finished there, you just need to head back! We stopped by the FDR Memorial one last time to turn in our Junior Ranger Booklets and pick up our badges. The kids were also not quite ready to go, so we walked the length of the Memorial (when we started we just saw a small piece and decided we wanted to see the WHOLE thing – totally worth the time) and came out the other side pretty close to our car.

Don’t be afraid to bring your kids to enjoy the National Mall and create some great memories. Our kids loved it, and yours will too!