Our Washington DC Staycation with Kids!

*This is a sponsored post. All opinions are mine*

Last weekend, we made a last minute decision to have a staycation in Washington DC.  We usually (sadly) avoid DC with the kids for lots of reasons.  It's pretty far when you still have a napping toddler, the kids don't like museums, it can be hard to get a reservation at a good restaurant, and it's expensive.  I'll bet you are wondering if we made it?  HA!  Yes, and we enjoyed it too!  Although I'm sure the other guests in our fancy hotel didn't feel the same, more on that later...

The first thing that we did was try to find a good hotel.  The weather forecast was GORGEOUS and PARTLY AWESOME, so we wanted to stay within walking distance of the monuments and the mall.  Not the suburban mall...this one.  Lots of green spaces for the kids to run and easy access to all of the free Smithsonian Museums.  (Oh, I just love a ( [free] museum.)  I wanted to stay somewhere really nice with an indoor pool.  

I found the perfect option, only a block away from the National Mall AND on Pennsylvania Ave, just a few blocks from the White House.  Those hotels aren't cheap.  In fact, they are usually crazy expensive, but I found a great deal with Groupon Coupons.  You guys, I used a coupon for Priceline, from Groupon, and it made the hotel very affordable.

We arrived, and immediately set out for shenanigans.  It has been a mild winter, but the kids have been cooped up since we got back from Disney.  It was nice to let them run around in the grass!

As you can see, they have a ton of food trucks all around the National Mall, which made finding food for the kids a breeze.  They are typically very affordable, but you will want to have some cash.  Be sure to try one!

We made a reservation at my favorite restaurant (and even got a coupon via Groupon), which is also kid friendly, it's called Founding Farmers.  They have amazing cocktails, and a very approachable farm to table concept.  I just love it. We let the kids share a piece of chocolate cake and break all the manners rules.  I, of course, took pictures.

Back to other hotel guests not loving us? We had an another family join us on our adventure, and their room was on another floor.  It was early in the evening, so we all went to their room for a nightcap...and fun!

and on the way back...

The next morning we moseyed on over to the National Mall, where I was determined to get a ticket to the new Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.  It can take up to a year to get tickets, so go online in advance of your visit.  Along with all of the National Museums, it is free, but it is the only one that requires a ticket.  I stood in line, got a ticket, then waited in line again (very unlike DC) to get in, and then waited in line for an hour and a half to get into the main exhibit.  Thankfully, the two littlest kids were outside, because in that line we were told that it wasn't appropriate for Clara.  She is 7, and I appreciated the advice.  Daddy took her upstairs to the more kid friendly, interactive exhibits, while I waited FOREVER.  I'm glad I did, because it was fantastic.  It was sad, and awful in a lot of ways but very well done.  It also made me very glad that I didn't have the kids.  It's an exhibit you will want to see before taking the kids, so you know the parts to avoid.

Do it.  Washington DC is so amazing, especially when the weather is fine.  There are so many things that we didn't have time to see on this trip, and I want to do it again...soon.

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