AAA Traveler - Spring 2014 - 25

A Capital Adventure
Washington, d.c., isn't just for grownups. for a super-fun family vacation
full of teachable moments, you can't beat the nation's capital.
By Laura BLy

From touchable moon rocks at the National Air
and Space Museum to Prairie Dog Playland at the
National Zoo, Washington, D.C., offers kids of
all ages a full docket of vacation experiences, many
of them free and all of them fun.

illusTraTion: duncan beedie

Head to the Mall
Known as "America's Front Yard," the tree- and
museum-lined National Mall, running two miles
from the U. S. Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial,
serves as Washington's spiritual and physical heart.
At the U.S. Capitol, you can take free, one-hour tours
Monday through Saturday, which must be booked
in advance. Your AAA Travel Specialist will be happy
to help with that.
After getting a glimpse of the seat of American
democracy, head down the Mall to "the Castle." The
striking red sandstone building-the Smithsonian
Institution's headquarters and information center for
its 15 Washington museums-is a good launching
pad for further ambles. Family favorites lining the
Mall include the National Air and Space Museum,
the National Museum of American History (home
to Dorothy's ruby red slippers and the original StarSpangled Banner). At the National Museum of Natural
History, kids can interact with butterflies or watch a
tarantula feeding. Arrive first thing in the morning to
get in before the inevitable crowds, and take a spin
on a classic carousel, located just in front of the Castle.
Farther afield
Tucked amid leafy Rock Creek Park, the spectacular
Smithsonian National Zoo showcases more than
400 species of critters, from giant pandas (baby
Bao Bao made her public debut earlier this year)
to orangutans that cavort high above visitors' heads
on a system of cables.

Older kids, meanwhile, love playing cloak
and dagger at the International Spy Museum
or delivering their own weather forecast at the
Newseum, dedicated to the evolution of news.
Above it all
The capital seen from on high delivers unforgettable
views. The Washington Monument, sheathed in
scaffolding and closed for repairs after a 2011 earthquake, reopens this spring. Not keen on joining the
crowds waiting for tickets to the top? Savor other
bird's-eye views from the Old Post Office Pavilion a
few blocks off the Mall on Pennsylvania Avenue, the
Pilgrim Observation Gallery at the National Cathedral,
and the hilltop Iwo Jima Memorial, just across the
Potomac next to Arlington Cemetery. And in nearby
Maryland, the riverfront National Harbor development
is home to the National Children's Museum, where
a 175-foot-high Ferris wheel with air-conditioned
gondolas is set to open this spring.
Getting around
Good bets with youngsters in tow include DC by
Foot's pay-what-you-like walking tours; a borrowed
bicycle ($7 buys 24-hour access to the extensive
Capital Bikeshare program); or a fun DC Ducks
excursion on an open-air, amphibious vehicle.
Old Town Trolley Tour's popular Monuments by
Moonlight tour includes stops at the Martin Luther
King Jr. Memorial, the FDR Memorial, the Lincoln
Memorial, the Iwo Jima Memorial, the Korean War
Veterans Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans
Memorial-all especially dramatic after dark.
Ready for a monumental vacation? your
aaa Travel specialist can help plan a fun-filled
Washington, d.c., vacation for the entire family.

tRaVElER spring 2014

AAA Traveler - Spring 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AAA Traveler - Spring 2014