For vacations and getaways, we’ve taken the kids to the beach, camping, San Diego, Disneyland, Sedona, Yellowstone,  Zion National Park, Santa Fe, and other beautiful places.   But our family favorite spot is . . . Washington, DC.  For an in depth look at history, war memorials, protesters, science, art, and as many free museums as you can cram in during a vacation, Washington, DC is a cultural mecca for the entire family.

For several extremely humid summer days, my kids and I strolled past the White House, then ambled over to the National Mall.  And stopped at every water kiosk we could find.  The mall is a long rectangle which is anchored by the U.S. Capitol on the East and the brooding and majestic Lincoln Memorial to the West.  On the North and South sides of the mall are the many of the Smithsonian’s acclaimed, free museums.  According to the Smithsonian website, the Smithsonian Institution oversees 19 museums, 9 research centers, and the National Zoo.  It has the world’s most expansive collection of museums and offers an indescribable array of treasures.

For a first-hand look at priceless jewelry, including the so-called cursed Hope Diamond, start at the Museum of Natural History.  Find out how the world’s largest blue diamond was mined in India, made it through the French Revolution, and ended up in the hands of famous jewelers Harry Winston and Pierre Cartier.  The last  private owner of the Hope Diamond was Evalyn Walsh Mclean.  Click on the link to see how bedazzling she looks wearing  her spectacular, showy necklace.  Mrs. McLean also owned the rare Star of the East Diamond and several other knockout pieces as well.  Other gems on display include a 23.1 carat Burmese ruby–the Carmen Lucia Ruby–one of the most breathtaking rubies in the world.  Other, collections in the Natural History Museum include fierce dinosaurs,  meteorites, butterflies, evolution, bones, biology and a vast amount of stuff.

At the American History Museum, history comes to life when you see the actual tophat worn by President Lincoln at the Ford Theatre on the night he was assassinated.   This year, the Smithsonian commemorates the 200 years since Lincoln’s birth with an in depth look at his life, impact and why we still talk about him.  The American History Museum houses 3 million artifacts on topics ranging from American Jazz to dollhouses, electrical lighting to outfits of the First Ladies.  As you study old period clothing, you will note that people were smaller, thinner and had very narrow shoulders in years past.

The most crowded and popular museum is the National Air and Space Museum.

It is packed to the rafters with planes and space history.  As you look at the Apollo 11 command module–Columbia–it is hard to believe that men flew in space capsules so compact.  From the Wright Brothers early 1903 Flyer to Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong’s spacesuits worn on the moon, this museum is a kid’s noisy paradise.  Satellite photos of our beautiful Earth show the impact and changes that humans have added to the planet.

Hieroglyphics at the new Museum of African Art.  When you actually see real Egyptian hieroglyphics, not a replica, it expands your mind somehow.   It’s one thing to look at symbols and images in a book, but quite another to see the language and culture up close.  Why and  how did language change over time?  Ancient Egyptians used symbols and drawings and we have evolved, somehow, to use letters and words.   Loved this new, not so crowded museum full of African artwork,  masks, sculptures and history.

Panda eating bamboo at the National Zoo.  A wonderful, sprawling zoo.  Although easy to access using the Metro subway, the Zoo is large and requires hours of walking.  We lucked out as they were just feeding the pandas and both animals were alert and playful.

To see the U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights, go to the National Archives. We waited a long time to see the founding documents of our nation, but once inside the various rooms, voices drop as the lighting dims and you see, firsthand, the documents, the words, and the signatures.

See real currency being printed at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.  It’s eye opening to see a freshly printed sheet of $20 dollar bills being added to a six-foot stack of bills.   Printing the money is cheap, but it’s the value we give that money that makes it expensive.  Of course, security is tight at the building.  You can, however, buy souvenirs of shredded money in small gift bags in the gift shop at the end of the tour.

For your last stop, go to the International Spy Museum. In a city full of spies, or so claims this private museum, this is a intriuging look at national and international espionage and spying.  CIA.  KGB.  The Cold War.  Domestic terrorists.  Who makes a good spy?  A great liar.  Someone who can convincingly change his or her appearance,  adapt a new way of acting and behaving, and stay in character at all times. And is ruthless too.  As technology advances, the tools of the trade get smaller: pens that are deadly weapons, eyeglasses that can record and magnify, and now micro-sized listening devices and cameras that can be placed nearly invisibly almost anywhere.  After you leave this museum, expect to walk around paranoid for at least several hours.  Somehow you feel that everyone walking on the streets is now a spy and that your hotel room is bugged too.

From my family’s point of view, Washington DC is a national treasure.  In the evenings when we joined my husband, we again strolled along the Mall.  Best night time activity?  Trying to catch fire flies, which my kids had never seen before.  And looking at the somber memorials of the wars.  And the pensive face of Lincoln.

photo credit: stevehdc photo credit: Em_G photo credit: rosemanios
photo credit: kimberlyfaye photo credit: leish76