In the Company of Grandchildren

A Vacation Adventure in the U.S. Capital

By Carol Greenberg

The White House tour was led by Secret Service personnel. The guides provided us with information, but the kids were more interested in seeing the president. Unfortunately, it didn't happen. We rushed through the Capitol building since Congress was not in session. Note that if you are planning to visit Congress you will need a pass.

Day Three

A guided tour at the Federal Bureau of Investigation showed the bureau's fight against "the bad guys": drugs, terrorism and espionage. Window displays allow views into the analysis labs' activities. We saw fingerprinting, DNA analysis, handwriting and paint and fiber clues used for solving crimes. The high point of the tour comes at the end, when an FBI agent fires two semi-automatic weapons in the shooting range. The kids loved it! I suppose it's the TV culture.

After spending two and a half wonderful days in Washington, D.C., we went to the hotel for check out and on to Union Station where we bought last-minute souvenirs, small gifts for our family members who weren't lucky enough to accompany us and had a late lunch in the massive food court.

Next stop: Grandma's house in Philadelphia. Nobody was interested in watching TV or going to sleep. As we munched sandwiches we talked about our Washington adventure and the possibilities of our next trip – somewhere.

Photos courtesy of the Washington, D.C., Convention and Tourism Corporation.

Want to see more?

• A Presidential Getaway: Celebrate Presidents' Day with a Family Trip
• Long-distance Grandparents: Creative and Fun Ways to Stay in Touch
• Capitalizing on Fun in D.C.: What to Do and See in Washington, D.C.
• Grandtravel: Grandparents Traveling with Grandchildren
• Check out our Article Library.
• Talk about it!