Washington, D.C. - Tour the White House

One of the best family vacations is to take a trip to our nation's capital, Washington D.C. There are several things you can enjoy as a family like museum exhibits, carnivals, and tours of the capital city. Just standing in front of the white house is going to leave a lasting impression upon any tourist. You can take a White House tour, but you need to receive approval from your Congressional representative. The process to receive a tour date can take 6 months so you need to plan out your vacation well in advance.  To find out more about booking a tour of the white house visit whitehouse.gov/about/tours-and-events.

After you tour the white house, you should head to the National Museum of Natural History. This is a nice break for the kids because the museum is home to a plethora of animals like lions, bears, tigers, snakes, sea creatures, and even dinosaur bones. This is a great learning experience for kids. Washington D.C. is known for other museums as well including the National Air & Space Museum and the National Museum of American History. Most of the museums offer classes for kids and they will teach them how to create their own masks and cook Indian food. Most of the Museums are part of the Smithsonian Institute. The castle building is the heart of the Smithsonian Institute and it is often used as the symbol to represent it. You definitely need to take the kids here to teach them about a variety of things including animals, science, and history. The tours are interactive and fun for everyone.

Another must-see thing in Washington D.C. is to visit Lincoln Memorial. Lincoln Memorial has been used in a number of movies (Forrest Gump). Lincoln Memorial receives about 3-4 million visitors each year. Not only is Lincoln Memorial famous for is dedication to Abraham Lincoln, it was also the site where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous "I have a Dream Speech." The reflecting pool in front of Lincoln Memorial stretches down to Washington Monument, another unique piece of architecture devoted to George Washington. You can take an elevator to the top of Washington Monument where you can see the entire region.

The National Mall is another great place to visit. Over 2 miles of monuments and memorials line the national mall. The National mall itself is another famous attraction to Washington D.C. It has over 2,000 elm trees that line the streets and 170 flowerbeds that make this area absolutely beautiful. Many people come here to relax and have a nice picnic or attend some of the outdoor festivals.

While you are enjoying your visit to Washington D.C. plan some time to head to Arlington where you can view Arlington National Cemetery. This cemetery is truly humbling as there are miles of gravestones of indiduals that fought for the freedom of our great country. President John F. Kennedy and his wife Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis are both buried here. When JFK died, Jacqueline expressed her desire to have an eternal flame mark his grave. This flame is still lit and millions of people come here to pay their respects to the former President. The only other former President buried here is William Howard Taft.

The reason why Washington D.C. is so popular is because many of the sites are free. People are encouraged to come here and learn a bit about the history of the United States and the people that shaped the country. Even the cost of food is reasonable and the hotel rates are fair which is why it's the prefect family vacation.