I love fireworks! And what better place to view fireworks than in our Nation’s Capital on the Fourth of July? Our little family has traveled there a few times to see the sights and hear the sounds on that glorious of days. The Fourth is also an extended celebration of Mom’s birthday, so double party!

2008

On our first official vacation to DC, we obviously had to start by doing the most popular thing and took a tour of the monuments and memorials. We even stopped and waved at the White House.

We later took a dinner cruise around the Potomac and watched the fireworks from the river! It is a beautiful (and oh so crowded), city that has so much to see and do, we couldn’t possibly do it in one trip.

2010

Two years later, we toured the National Archives and saw the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. We also walked around the National Museum of Natural History. The flowers were in the hotel lobby, too pretty to pass taking pictures of ;-)

We watched the fireworks that year right in front of our hotel. Another fun, history filled trip, but again, there was still much more to see!

2011

We went back the next year and decided to tour the Capitol. We had some time to kill beforehand so we strolled around the Botanic Garden, thinking it would offer a tiny reprieve from the humidity. Word of advice, don’t go into a hot greenhouse, in July, in the south. Just don’t do it. After the Capitol we used the underground tunnel to the Library of Congress. Definitely a place I want to go back to and see more of!

We watched the fireworks that year from the Ellipse and had a direct view of the Washington Monument as well.

Cherry Blossoms – March 2011

This wasn’t an actual vacation, just a day trip, but have to share anyway. We were either a little too early or a little too late and didn’t catch the blooms at their fullest “cherry” potential, but the Tidal Basin was still amazing to see all bloomed out. Again, it is crazy crowded, but DC wouldn’t be the same without the hecticness ;-)

Once you know your way around, and can handle massive hordes of hot, cranky people, it’s really not that bad a place to visit. We’ve see most of the big, top touristy things, now it’s time to get into the nitty-gritty and see some of the smaller, off-beat sights. Like what, I’m not too sure, but I know a few former DC-ians that I’m sure can point me in a few directions ;-)