I’ve always wanted to visit Washington DC, and I finally got the chance to go a couple of weeks ago! My husband had a mandatory series of business meetings that he had to attend with his job, and the location chosen for the meetings happened to be Washington DC! When we found out the location, Micah said, “Why don’t you and the boys come with me, and you can take them on some field trips while I am in meetings.” Of course I thought it was a great idea! At the time we decided to go, we didn’t know that the government would be shut down. So, as the dates for our trip approached, I was actually worried that there wouldn’t be a lot to do with so many of the museums, etc being closed! It turned out, that there was A LOT that we could still do…AND from what I heard some of the locals say, it wasn’t nearly as busy as at other times…which was a plus for us!
Day 1: Capitol and Library of Congress
The first day, the boys and I toured the Capitol and the Library of Congress. Both of these tours are FREE! We scheduled a guided tour of the Capitol. We arrived early, so we were actually able to go in with an earlier group! We received earphones, as did the other members of our group. This made hearing the tour guide so much easier! I loved this. I wish every guided tour would offer this! The Capitol is so beautiful and patriotic. We really enjoyed our tour!
Secondly, we toured the Library of Congress. Although a guided tour was available, we chose to go on a self-guided tour. Not only is it a beautiful building, but the shelf space equates to 838 miles!! We were able to see Thomas Jefferson’s Library. Mr. Jefferson sold his private library for $23,950 in 1815 after the British destroyed the Library collection in the War of 1812. Last but not least, the boys enjoyed getting to try out a feather pen while we were there!
Day 2: Mount Vernon – President Washington’s Home
The second day we bought tickets to go see President Washington’s home in Mount Vernon, Virginia. This activity was not free, but it was definitely worth going to see! This was one of mine and the boys favorite tours! His home was truly beautiful, and it was so neat being able to see some of their original pieces of furniture!! The boys were fascinated being able to see his original false teeth and toothbrush! Photography inside the home was not allowed, but if you see how beautiful the outside is, then you can imagine how beautiful it was on the inside!
Day 3: The Supreme Court, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, & the National Mall
Micah finished up his meetings, and was able to join the us! First of all, we decided to go to Union Station and take advantage of the Old Town Trolley Tour, which is a hop on – hop off trolley tour! I’m so glad we did this! We got to see so much of Washington DC without having to walk for miles in the super cold weather! Our first stop was for the Supreme Court. We briefly walked inside, but did not stay long enough for a guided tour because we wanted to make it to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing before they closed. With that being said, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing was our second stop. This tour was also FREE! We took a guided tour and we were able to see where and how they print our dollar bills! It was really a neat experience! Photography was not allowed inside the building, (as we saw the money printed), but just so you know, it was $6.4 million per pallet! Definitely worth seeing if you are ever in DC! While we were waiting for the trolley to pick us up, there was a perfect view of the Washington Monument, so of course we had to pose for a selfie! 😁
Our second and third stop, we visited the National Mall where we saw the Washington Monument again, and the Jefferson and the Lincoln Memorial. It’s one thing to read about these and see pictures of the memorials in your History book, but its another thing to actually see them in person! They are so massive and beautiful! I have a new appreciation for History, as well as our President and those in the political offices! All of the memorials are FREE to visit, so its a definite must see if you come to Washington DC! Last but not least, we stopped for some Hot Chocolate while waiting on our trolley!
Day 4: The White House, The Treasury Department, & the Trump Hotel
Our last day, we rode the trolley again. (We paid for the first day and got the second day free!) We visited the outside of the White House and The Treasury Department. Unfortunately, we did not make reservations soon enough to visit the inside of the White House. (You have to make them a few weeks in advance!) They were very beautiful buildings on the outside, and it made me proud as an American citizen just to be able to see our President’s home! Our last stop was the Trump International Hotel, which used to be the Old Post Office. We took the elevator up to the Bell Tower, and the views of Washington DC from there were fantastic! This activity was also FREE! Oh, actually our last stop was for some Hot Chocolate! 😉
Well that’s a wrap! I hope to visit Washington DC again one day, when we have a little more time! But for the time that we did have, we got to see so much in just a few days time! So blessed to have been able to go.
-Laura