Washington DC. The Nation’s Capital. This is one city that is chock full of history and reverence for our country. Its no wonder its a destination for field trips for students all across the country.

Not just for a school trip. DC makes a great vacation destination, especially for older kids and teens.

The National Mall is not a shopping mall, but is a grouping of buildings dedicated to our government. It is over 2 miles from the Lincoln Memorial to the US Capitol building. In between, you have various war memorials, monuments and The Smithsonian.

While summer is typically the season for family travel, DC can get rather hot and humid in the summer. Which really is not conducive to walking the length of the Mall, especially with kids in tow. Spring or Fall, would be much more pleasant. We went during the summer, but I’d love to go back in the Spring, especially when the Cherry Blossoms are in bloom, that would be just so pretty, all the little pink flowers.

The Mall, is best accessed by the Metro, as parking is limited. The Metro, by the way, was pretty efficient and clean, by way of Metros. Growing up in Chicago, we’ve seen a many subway and “el” stations to be not so clean.

So here are our top picks for exploring Washington DC and the Mall.

For starters, you just cannot miss the Washington Monument the Lincoln Memorial.

The Washington Monument

The Washington Monument, which was built to honor our first President stands at one 555 feet and took over 50 years to build. It recently underwent a renovation to modernize the elevator. Yes, there is an elevator to take you to the top. If you are interested, make sure you make reservations!

Interesting fact, the Washington Monument is two colors. Due to a lack of funding, construction stopped in 1854 and did not resume until 1879. Marble was used from a different quarry. Hence, the different colors on the obelisk. You will see the line at about 150 feet.

The Lincoln Memorial

The Lincoln Memorial is one of the more iconic DC structures. It’s breath-taking when lit up at night.

The building is modeled after the Parthenon in Athens, Greece. Walking inside the structure, a feeling of reverence overcomes the body. Viewing the side chambers, you can see inscriptions of his second inaugural address and the Gettysburg Address on the other. The marble makes the inside feel cool. A nice break from the heat from outside. Take your time. Read the inscriptions. It’s so interesting that in many ways, his words still ring true. Even to this day.

Then you get to the statue of Lincoln himself. Massive in size. He sits in solitude and contemplation. The statue was originally supposed to be 10 feet tall. But it was enlarged to measure 19 feet from head to foot. If he were to stand up, he’d be 28 feet tall.

The Smithsonian

The Smithsonian is not a single museum but actually a grouping of museums. It is home to the world’s largest museum, education and research complex. All of these museums are free to the public. Which is amazing and remarkable.

At the center of it is the imposing red brick castle. This is the Smithsonian Visitor Center.

The museums include:

• The National Air and Space Museum
• National Museum of African Art
• American Art Museum
• National Museum of American History
• National Museum of the American Indian
• and many others.

Quite a lot a museums to tackle. We did not visit all of these, but we did make it to quite a few. I think the kids favorite was the National Air and Space Museum.

National Archives

Hands down, the reason to visit the National Archives is to see the actual documents that established our country:

• The Declaration of Independence
• The Constitution
• The Bill of Rights

These are the holiest of holy documents to our country and forms the basis from which laws are created. It’s very much like visiting the Sistine Chapel. Quiet. No photography.

It was surprising to see how faded the documents actually are.

Did you know that the Constitution is only 4 pages? The way it was written was to provide a framework for our government.

International Spy Musuem

The International Spy Museum, while not a “government” museum, it still contains a lot of history. This is an independent museum, so you will have to pay entrance fees.

So, as you enter, you are given your cover identity. Memorize the details in case you get caught, or interrogated.

As you stroll around the museum, you will explore gadgets and gizmos used by actual spies. Some artifacts from movies. You’ll explore the world of espionage. Without which, we may not be an independent country, or WWII may have ended differently. Then you’ll learn about code-breakers and how data is analyzed.

At the end you’ll find out how you did as a spy.

Very fun and interesting museum.

The White House

Last, but not least is the White House. Home and office to the President.

Our first president, himself, selected the location for the White House. After 8 years of construction, President John Adams and his wife were the first occupants of the White House. It has been occupied by every President since.

Public tours of the White House are granted, however, you must submit a request via your Member of Congress. You will also have to present valid government-issued identification.

However, if you can’t get a tour, stop by the White House Visitor Center. You can learn about its history and construction. There are displays of the White House and models of the building. Even actual china used.