In the Company of Grandchildren

A Vacation Adventure in the U.S. Capital

By Carol Greenberg

The hotel where we stayed served a large buffet breakfast and I knew that we wouldn't be too hungry for lunch. Since most of the buildings have lunchrooms, I packed bread and a jar of peanut butter and planned to make sandwiches at the hotel. We would bring drinks and eat lunch in the lunchrooms. For dinner, we were assured we'd find many restaurants that catered to children.

Most federal buildings are located within walking distance of one another but it can prove to be a long walk. Fortunately, there is a bus that travels along a designated route allowing passengers to board and re-board. Tickets may be purchased at the bus stop. A tour guide on the bus explains each building in detail.

We traveled in the morning and after we checked into the hotel, we were off and running. Our first stop was the National Museum of American History, where we spent the entire afternoon. Among the many items of interest are Alexander Graham Bell's original experimental telephones, Samuel Morse's telegraph, a two-story doll house and the highlight: Dorothy's ruby slippers.

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