Summer Vacation Ideas

If you wish to give your kids the gift of a vacation where they will learn a huge amount about our nation’s history, no place is better than a summer vacation to the United States capitol of Washington DC. No where else in the country will you find more history than in this small city. In Washington DC, you will find an endless supply of Smithsonian museums and historical monuments, not to mention the White House and the Capitol building. You can easily spend a week here and still not see everything, so it is important to have a schedule and plan so you can fit in the key sites to the city.

The Smithsonian museums should not be missed. What many people do not realize is that the Smithsonian is not just one museum, but a collection of museums each specializing in a certain era or factor of American history. The most popular and most often visited Smithsonian is the American History Museum. This museum houses such historic artifacts as President Lincoln’s infamous top hat, Archie Bunker’s easy chair, and Judy Garland’s ruby red slippers from the Wizard of Oz as well as the awe inspiring Old Glory original American flag. You can easily spend the entire day exploring these walls. There is something new and exciting around every corner.

The Air and Space Museum is another interesting Smithsonian to explore, especially if you have children who are fascinated with space ships, astronauts and aircrafts. In this museum, you will find airplanes flown by the Wright Brothers and Amelia Earhardt. You will also find out everything you needed and wanted to know about space exploration including flight plan information and space artifacts gathered from several space missions taken by astronauts in our nation. This is a truly incredible museum that should not be missed.

If you want to give your kids a true history lesson, the National Holocaust museum should not be avoided. This museum, though not a part of the Smithsonian group, it is simply remarkable. Older children will appreciate this museum more than younger ones, so keep that in mind. You will read and witness stories from Holocaust survivors. You will see artifacts such as concentration camp uniforms and bunk beds from Auschwitz that will leave an indelible impression in your mind. The most moving aspect of this museum is the shoes. Thousands and thousands of pairs of shoes from victims of the Holocaust are piled stories high in this presentation. To see these shoes that were once worn by innocent people who died in a horrible bloodshed will not soon leave your memory. A summer vacation in the United States Capitol should be experienced at least once in your lifetime.