My husband Mike and I recently spent time with our daughter and son-in-law in Washington D.C, after their jobs took them to Virginia.
Next to California, it is my favorite area of the country. Even so, I had not been back since our kids were little.
Two decades ago, we visited George Washington’s Mount Vernon home and Ford’s Theater, where an assassin shot Abraham Lincoln. At the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, our children loved watching sheets of $100 bills roll off the press.
While all fascinating, we did not repeat any of those stops this time around—which goes to show how much there is to see and do in and around D.C., where you could sightsee for weeks without scratching the surface.
All federal sites are free—making Washington an affordable family trip. And most of them do not require reservations (although check in advance to avoid surprises).
Want to drop by the Smithsonian Natural History Museum for half an hour just to see the woolly mammoth? And then the American History Museum to glance at the first ladies’ inauguration gowns? Why not?
We began this trip with a U.S.
Capitol tour, booked via email through our representative’s office. An informative guide led our group through the breathtaking Rotunda and the National Statuary Hall featuring 50 historic figures from each state. The Crypt room houses an empty tomb intended for Washington, who instead opted for burial on his farm.
From the Capitol, we walked through a tunnel to the Library of Congress, which harbors millions and millions of books, manuscripts, photographs, works of sheet music and more. A well-preserved Guttenberg Bible, printed in the mid-1400s, is (remarkably) on display.
We also peeked inside the Supreme Court, not in session. It was surreal to view the nine vacant chairs where justices sit to make decisions that shape our country.
Even more humbling is the National Archives. All in one room, guests can view our nation’s three most revered documents: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights—all scripted in perfect, still-legible cursive.
Reservations are recommended for the popular Museum of African American History and Culture, which opened in 2016. We spent almost four hours there and yet never advanced beyond the lowest of the six floors. The massive museum deserves multiple tours to absorb.
Of course, a visit to D.C. is not complete without climbing the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. The moving Vietnam Veterans, Korean War and Martin Luther King, Jr., memorials are within easy walking distance of each other.
Perhaps my favorite site was the National Portrait Gallery. Not only do the paintings of presidents make for great entertainment, each accompanying bio serves as a CliffsNotes version of American history.
Our nation’s capital is an accessible, beautiful, and educational city offering endless delights. I am thrilled to have reason for frequent returns.