We made a last minute decision to tourist around Washington D.C. with the kids for spring break – along with the rest of the world, ha. The cherry blossom festival was happening, despite the fact that those beauties hadn’t bloomed yet. However, the magnolias were in peak bloom, and we found the most beautiful grouping of them in the Enid A. Haupt garden. Situated on the Smithsonian grounds, it’s on the way to the museums and I highly recommend strolling through, any time of year. It was a bustling spot of course, with everyone jockeying for position to get their best gram. I managed to capture this one despite having one adult and two five-year-olds who weren’t as keen to spend the morning blossom hunting. Thankfully they indulged me with a few photos in the garden before we went off to see the sites…
Marie and Henry were in wide-eyed wonder for much of the trip, since everything is seemingly larger than life – and it was only in retrospect that I realized the significance of our visit. While they’ve been to D.C. before, they were too young to appreciate the monuments and museums, so we mostly focused our energy on those. We spent some time wandering the Lincoln Memorial and grounds, taking it all in (and doing our best to dodge the huge school + tour groups). They have a decent understanding of who Abraham Lincoln is for their age, and seemed to grasp how important he was to our nation after standing at his massive marble feet. I felt a bit emotional, feeling the gravity of it all there.
The National Museum of Natural History was a hit – albeit a bit overwhelming. I remember visiting as a child and feeling terrified around so many huge creatures, and while Marie and Henry had a few moments of near terror, they were mostly just amazed. Even as adults you can’t help but feel overcome by the majesty of our evolution and earth. They were a bit too young to stand and read through each display (especially given the crowds) so we moved through fairly quickly letting them be the guides, stopping whenever they showed serious interest in something. We took an uber to lunch around the corner at the Old Ebbitt Grill and it did not disappoint – super kid-friendly and excellent food. We had plans to walk past the White House but the crowds were too insane, not to mention our negative feelings about the current tenants. Next up was the Air and Space museum, which I have to say had the biggest impact on them and their imaginations.
I didn’t take too many photos there, as we were all so busy interacting with the exhibits and enjoying ourselves. After waiting with bated breathe to see the Air France Concorde, I learned that it’s housed in their companion facility at the Dulles Airport. The kids didn’t care of course, but it was such a bummer for me! We spent a lot of time in their awesome gift shop and came away with an “astro teddy” + “hello kitty in space”. The perfect finale to our time on the Smithsonian grounds was the carousel of course – not to be missed! Not only is it beautiful but it’s a piece of history – on the same day that Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I have a dream” speech, an 11-month-old child in Baltimore was the first African American child to ride this carousel, which was relocated to this spot in 1981.
I have a weak spot for Georgetown, so not only did we stay there (at The Graham – don’t miss the rooftop view) but we spent a full day exploring it. We didn’t let the rain slow us down – the kids were melting hearts (including ours) giggling underneath their shared bubble umbrella. We wandered in and out of boutiques and stopped for beautiful facades and walls, of course. We headed to a new-to-us neighborhood for lunch at 2 Amy’s, which we had heard was awesome and went out of their way for kids. It was the perfect place to refuel, and lived up to the hype. This moment that my husband captured outside is one of my favorite photos from the trip (and sadly, I’m so rarely in the frame…working to change that).
Of course we strategically made Ladurée our last stop, seeing as we had to bring fresh macarons home with us. Ok full disclosure: we went there on our first day as well, seeing as it was just steps from our hotel (what a coincidence, lol). We managed to get a table inside (it’s cozy) and have tea and treats before filling a cooler bag for the road. It’s totally my fault that the kids are so obsessed with this place, and I still get nostalgic when biting into a vanille macaron, and always will. Our macaron stash came in handy when we got stuck in horrendous traffic getting home to Philadelphia. Despite that, I can’t wait to return – it’s one of my favorite cities in the states. Have you been with kids? If so, what were your favorite activities?
