Washington D.C. is one city on travel bucket lists for many American families. One of those places that parents love to explore with their kids especially those of middle school age where U.S. History is a part of their curriculum. For us, we felt that bucket list desire, but it was a little more personal than that too. My husband went to school in D.C many years ago and has always wanted to take our family back to see where he lived and all the places he remembered. Sure, we hit many of the monuments, memorials and museums, but we also explored Georgetown as a little trip down memory lane too. Here are my recommendations for a family trip to D.C. with grade school and middle school-aged kids.
Spring in D.C. is such a beautiful time. It was still quite cold during our stay, but as you can see the skies were blue and the sun was out. We missed the real show of cherry blossoms in the city by a week or two, but were so thrilled to see some still in their glory as we walked and biked throughout the city. Our favorite days were the ones we spent on bikes, including a fun sunset tour of the monuments with Capital City Bike Tour.
My top 3 sites to spend most of your time at besides the presidential and war memorials are The Museum of Natural History, the White House Visitors Center and Arlington National Cemetery. Our favorite museum was the Natural History Museum which surprised us. We have been to the Natural History Museums in NYC and London as well as the wonderful Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, so we didn’t expect this one to be any better than these impressive ones, but it was. Be sure to schedule in at least one IMAX film. We caught the National Parks Adventure that I’d been hoping to see. Our kids also really enjoyed the new White House Visitors Center which gives a thorough history of the White House.
Two things I loved while in D.C. – watching my husband share some of his life with our kids and watching as our kids fall in love with the art of photography. It reminded me that they learn so much from what we say, but even more from what we do. It was a joy for me to watch them with their cameras trying to capture the beauty of each stop. One of them even caught me in the act. It’s funny to see a pic of myself taking a pic!
We were graciously hosted by the Four Seasons Hotel in Georgetown. It is located at the end of beautiful quintessential M Street. We loved being able to stroll the many boutiques and restaurants that dot this part of Georgetown. It’s within walking distance to campus for our personal campus tour with my Hoya Saxa husband. We also enjoyed its proximity to museums and monuments without having to stay in the midst of the tourists spots. The rooms were beautifully appointed as you’d expect from a Four Seasons and the staff most helpful in securing reservations or recommending things to do and see. Thank you Four Seasons Georgetown for helping to make this a wonderful few days together exploring our nation’s capital.
Whether traveling to a big city or relaxing on a beach, the Four Seasons is the finest hotel for taking care of families. I appreciated the large family room, the friendly staff and modern luxury as a bit of respite from the busy city exploring we were doing each day. There are a few things on my list I didn’t get to this time, I can’t wait to come back!
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For more posts on our urban travels, you can read about some of our favorite trips to NYC, Boston, London, Florence, Seattle, Portland, and of course at home in San Francisco!
