2018 was a pretty busy year for traveling, and after taking the kids on some short and long trips, we decided to spend the long weekend in DC. We left Thursday night after work, and got home Tuesday night, giving us three full days plus Shabbat to explore. We chose DC because it had a lot of great places for kids, including all the free museums and the zoo. It also had a lot of museums and monuments for the adults to enjoy. Of course, being DC, it gave us the opportunity to add a ton of stamps to our National Parks Passport.
Friday
National Zoo – Our first stop was the National Zoo. The kids loved it – they were able to run around and see all the animals, and loved riding the carousel. Of course, we made sure to stop by and visit the pandas!
National Mall and Monuments – We took the afternoon to visit all the monuments around the national mall. We started at the Washington Monument, and walked around the Tidal basin to the Jefferson Memorial. Next were two newer memorials we hadn’t been to before, the FDR Memorial, and the MLK memorial. These were interesting memorials that told a story of the lives and accomplishments of these two monumental figures (pun intended). Next was the WWII memorial, where we even got to dip our feet in the fountains and appreciate the enormity of the war. We then visited the Lincoln memorial, and briefly lost Allen for a few minutes (he found his way into the gift shop) and the Vietnam and Korean War memorials. We then walked through the Constitution Gardens and circled back around to the National Mall.
Saturday
Natural Museum of American History – Since all the museums were free, we were able to visit a few on Shabbat. This museum had artifacts from American history including the star spangled banner as well as pop culture like Dorothy’s ruby slippers. It also had a play area for the kids, which was a must for us, as the boys’ patience for museums was extremely limited.
Museum of Natural History – After having a picnic lunch on the National Mall, we went to the natural history museum. The kids got to see the dinosaur bones, and other exhibits on animals and fossils.
National Portrait Gallery – Highlight here was the official and unofficial portraits of all the presidents.
Sunday
National Air and Space Museum – Starting the day off here, we watched the Elmo in Space movie, which Allen loved, but Joseph was too loud. Saw the airplanes, and got to touch a piece of the moon.
National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden – Cool sculptures outside the National Gallery.
Ford’s Theater – The famous site of Lincoln’s assassination included a museum about the history around the civil war and the story of Lincoln’s life and assassination.
Newseum – Museum dedicated to the news. They had lots of old newspapers, an exhibit where the kids could be newscasters, and an exhibit with a piece of the Berlin Wall.
Monday
White House – We didn’t visit the White House itself, but the visitor’s center right outside
Old Post Office Tower – quick stop to the top of an old tower with nice views of the city.
National Archives Museum – pretty serious museum, with the highlights being a copy of the Magna Carta and the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and the Bill of Rights
Hirshhorn Museum – the Smithsonian’s art museum
African American Museum – The newest addition to the Smithsonian collection, we had to book timed tickets to get in. This museum was really well done and took a few hours to explore. It went through the history of blacks in America, from Slavery in the colonial era to the civil war, and civil rights through to President Obama. People were very emotional inside and we really learned a lot about the nuances of slavery and African Americans in shaping America’s history.
Smithsonian Castle – Quick stop to see some of the exhibits here.
Tuesday
Arlington Cemetery – We left DC, stopping first at Arlington Cemetery in Virginia. We saw the graves of those honored to be buried here, including some Jewish gravestones. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier memorial to those who’s bodies were never recovered was really moving.
Fort McHenry – On our way home, we stopped in Baltimore. We visited Fort McHenry which was the site of the battle that inspired the Star Spangled Banner. We explored the fort and some of the exhibits in the museum.
Port Discovery Children’s Museum – Before continuing our drive home, we walked along the inner harbor district. There wasn’t much to do, but we took the kids to the children’s museum to get some of their energy out before the long drive.
