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11.06.2012

Capital Crushers- Washington DC with a Toddler

On a recent trip to Washington, D.C., I was shocked. I still can't believe that we had so much fun. "We" being my 2 year old toddler and I! It felt like I was touring the city with a friend. The weather did not cooperate, it was raining softly the whole day. T hates his rain cover and I hate umbrellas. As a result, we arrived slightly damp at each stop.

Our day began at the National Building Museum, I was very excited about this one. They have a space created especially for toddlers called the Building Zone which promised kid-sized Bob the Builder equipment for kiddies to experiment and explore. It was educational for me and awesome fun for T. Despite the lightly falling rain, I made the trek from our parking garage to the somewhat out of the way museum. We made it just as the museum was opening. On the walk over, I had repeatedly touted the fun we would have to my tour group of one. He was hyped, I was beyond excited for him to run off and leave me be for an hour. When we walked in, we oohed and ahhed the giant marble columns that faced us from the entrance. I quickly located the information booth, saw a list of exhibits that required additional payment and thought, "So D.C. museums aren't REALLY free!," then I stopped dead. There was an information sign with a huge picture of Bob the Builder. It read, "Exhibit closed for renovations 10/15-10/20." What date is it today? DARNATION!!!

We heaved a great sigh and walked out.

Quick contemplation about where we were, where we should go and how to get there led us to the National Mall where everything else was located. Our first stop, National Air and Space Museum, was an immediate hit the moment we stepped past security. The airplanes, rockets and vehicles locked in T's attention and we quickly ran from plane to plane to exhibit. There is a large children's area with exhibits that explain the science of flight. Preschoolers will love fiddling with gauges, buttons and wheels. Older kids can learn about gravity, atmosphere, torque and etc. Within the children's area, a small stage area is set up for short talks and presentations. We walked in while a boy stood center stage being fitted for an astronaut suit and a guide explaining why the suit was necessary (environmental concerns) and what it was made of (Kevlar was in there). There is also a gift shop with freeze-dried ice cream, memorabilia, astronaut costumes, etc.

After 2 hours running around Air and Space, we went next door to the Museum of the American Indian. This time we were in search of food at Cafe Mitsitam, a very child-friendly food court with interesting food choices plus wine and beer. They feature food that Native Americans really would've eaten prior to modern conveniences and much of it is very familiar, roast salmon, pumpkin soup, roast vegetables. We had the fried bread, duck sausage soup, a quinoa salad and a wild mushroom salad. I enjoyed it. T gobbled up most of the fried bread dipped in soup. Very satisfying. They also have chicken fingers, fries and buffalo burgers. We said our good-byes after lunch, vowing to return in the future for a more thorough visit, and headed to the Museum of Natural History.