Day two in Washington D.C. and we were moving a bit slower today. After 9.5 miles yesterday and a 3 hour bike ride, we all needed to sleep in a little. So we ate a nice brunch and headed out around 11.
First stop? 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW – home of the President. We walked over to the North Lawn, which was a first for all 3 of us to see (I have only seen the south lawn before), and it was amazing to see in real life. It’s such a recognizable building that in real life, you hardly think it’s real. I mean, it’s so white. And pretty.
Of course, we popped around to the South Lawn too, which my daughter thinks is a more iconic side. I personally liked the North Lawn. Which side do you think is prettier?
Next up – the Charters of Freedom. My kids were not too excited to head to the National Archives, but once they saw the ACTUAL Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights they were pretty impressed.
We hopped on a bus tour for the rest of the day – our feet just couldn’t take walking much more. Plus, with limited time, it really is the best way to see everything in D.C. And you get an informative tour too. We opted to not get off at the Capitol, as it was under repairs:
But instead got off at the Washington Monument to get a better view of it during the day. And to snap this fun pic:
Lastly, we headed out to Arlington National Cemetery. Again, my kids were not thinking it would be too much fun, but I proved them wrong. They were quite taken aback at the magnetite of the cemetery, the most sacred grounds in America.
Here we saw, John F. Kennedy’s grave site and eternal flame:
The Memorial to Iwa Jima:
And took the time to watch the changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider:
As our tour guard put it so eloquently, Arlington National Cemetery is the most “poignant example that our Freedom is not Free.”
We had a wonderful evening back at our hotel for the night – Hotel Medera – a Kimpton property near Dupont Circle. it’s a great location, just a 15 minute walk from the White House and right by 2 Metro Stations (a blue & a red line).
This hotel really caters to kids, with bunk beds, X-box in the room, and popcorn delivered when you check in. We were thrilled to take the night off and stay in. I’ll tell y’all more about this great property later, but here’s a few pictures from our stay:
We’ve had a wonderful 2 days in Washington D.C. I asked the kids their favorites and what they would recommend to kids their ages. Here’s what they said:
Austin2Boston Day 12: Washington D.C.
