In all, the Smithsonian has 19 museums, galleries and gardens, as well as a zoo.  All of its museums and the zoo in Washington DC offer free admission.  With 11 of its DC museums located on the National Mall, they are super convenient… and the price can’t be beat! On our first trip to DC, we spent a lot of time in the Air and Space Museum and then popped into the Natural History Museum for a bit.  On this trip, we did the reverse – we spent hours in the Natural History Museum (much longer than we expected) and …

Located adjacent to the West Building of the National Gallery of Art, the Sculpture Garden features over 20 works of art on 6+ acres of the National Mall.  With 6 public entrances at various points around the block, it makes for an easy diversion from wherever you are headed on the mall.  We actually stumbled across it on our way back to the hotel from the monuments and some of us chose to explore the grounds.  (Others of us chose to rest on the benches, while still others of us chose to climb trees, which they quickly found out was …

Washington DC is famous for its monuments.  They can be found everywhere from the National Mall to random street corners throughout the city.  A celebration of those who shaped our nation, you can spend days wandering the city trying to see them all.  With just an afternoon to dedicate to this pursuit, we focused on the monuments on the National Mall between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial.  With the boys tiring and the weather questionable, we fit in what we could. We started at the Washington Monument, perhaps the most iconic structure in DC.  This obelisk is the …

After Ford’s Theatre, we decided to head to the White House Visitor Center.  We didn’t plan our trip to DC far enough in advance to schedule a tour of the actual White House through our Congressman but had heard that the visitor center was a neat experience. There was some confusion about where the visitor center was actually located and our GPS seemed to be as confused as we were.  We figured it would be next to or near the White House so we headed that way.  We checked out the front of the White House before asking a security …

Ford’s Theater is the site of President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination.  It is a National Historic Site run by the National Park Service and is made up of four separate parts: the Theatre, the Museum, the Petersen House, and the Aftermath Exhibits.  But part of what is unique about it is that it doesn’t just function as an historic site.  It is also an active theatre.  Amazingly, the same theater where Lincoln was shot is still used for live performances today.  It must be a strange and unique experience to watch a show on the same stage that Lincoln was watching …

After two and a half full days exploring the city of Atlanta, it was time to head home.  We wanted to fit in one last activity before hitting the road and decided some time outdoors would be a good idea before the drive home.  About 25 miles north-east of Atlanta, Stone Mountain fit the bill. Georgia’s most visited attraction, Stone Mountain boasts 3,200 acres of natural beauty and a wide variety of attractions.  Everything from mini-golf to a full-size locomotive to a laser light show can be enjoyed in the park.  But our quick visit on the way out of …

With two Duke alumni in the family, college football is an afterthought in our home.  We are all about college basketball.  But still, with one ticket left in our CitiPASS book and two hours until closing, we decided that the College Football Hall of Fame was worth a stop.  After an emotional visit to the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, burning off some steam (both physical and emotional) was a great idea for the kids. College football fan or not, the Hall of Fame is a fun and interactive experience.  Upon entering the building, you walk onto “The …

The National Center for Civil and Human Rights brilliantly interweaves the history of the American Civil Rights movement with current global human rights issues.  It is a powerful and thought-provoking museum best understood and appreciated by adults and older children. The museum is located on the same grassy grounds as the Georgia Aquarium and the World of Coca-Cola, across from Centennial Olympic Park.  The land was donated by the Coca-Cola Company, giving the museum a prime location adjacent to some of Atlanta’s top tourist attractions.  Designed by architect Philip Freelon, it is an impressive building from the outside.  The center’s …

Our family loves aquariums.  LOVES them.  I’m not sure how (or why) we waited this long to make the 5 hour drive to the second largest aquarium in the world, but it was one of the deciding factors in our spring break location selection.  We could not wait to go here on our trip.  (Although technically we did wait until Monday, figuring that a sunny weekday might be slightly less busy than a rainy weekend.) Funded by a $250 million dollar gift from Home Depot founder Bernie Marcus, the Georgia Aquarium opened in 2005 with over 100,000 different species living …

While the boys have ventured into the world of soda, they very rarely get caffeinated soda so they have limited exposure to Coke.  Maybe that is why they were fascinated with the idea of going to the World of Coca-Cola.  I was interested because I love both the drink and its advertising so I thought it would be a cool museum to explore.  It did live up to the boys caffeinated dreams and there were a few cool features, but overall we found it a little underwhelming. Located across the street from Centennial Park and across the lawn from the …