We have all gone through those trying and testing times when we have racked our brains to come up with a family friendly outing, a fun vacation, an exciting place, or just a short trip to take our children during weekends and holidays…it can get pretty maddening when you have active kids and no planned program…we all have looked up to friends and searched through newspapers, and browsed the net to help us get out of this fix…do not despair yet…this month we bring you a compilation of interesting places that you can take your children in the DC Metro Area.
Annapolis—the capital of Maryland!
Annapolis is located about 20 miles east of DC’s 
capital beltway making it an ideal destination for a day trip. Annapolis is a small town with great historic charm that is hard to find.
Chesapeake Children’s Museum (Plan to spend 1-2 hours!). Essentially, it’s a play room offering a great deal of play and learning opportunities for children of all ages, especially the smaller kids. The museum also has turtles, fishes, rabbits and other small animals that kids can look at and touch. Chesapeake Children’s Museum is located at 25 Silopanna Road in Annapolis, MD. This “museum” alone is probably not worth 1 hour drive, but if you plan to go to Annapolis anyway, that’s a good place to take your 2-7 old. For more info go to .
Lunch at Cantlers, a waterfront restaurant and crab house! (Expect to spend around 1 hour - there might be 40 min wait!) You can enjoy live crabs in this very informal eatery. You can spend your waiting time in the shaded area downstairs where they sort crabs. Kids will enjoy watching the “sorting” guy. They also have live turtles here. They don’t serve them! (Thank God!). Check out .
Spend the rest of the day at the Annapolis Harbor where you can find lots of fun things to do, go on a historical tour, take a boating trip, visit the Naval Academy, go kayaking, or simply window shop at the City Dock.
Baltimore—the largest city in Maryland!
Baltimore is a vibrant waterfront city where you can 
find lots of fun things to do. National Aquarium (Plan to spend about 4 hours!). Families with more stamina can spend a whole day here. The Aquarium is located on 501 E. Pratt St on the harbor. I strongly recommend planning your trip using the planner feature on their website, , where they recommend discount parking, but you must validate your ticket! The full package includes 4D movie experience and dolphin show. We realized we were only able to see 50% of exhibition in between attending the dolphin show and the 4D Theater. We spent 4.5 hours there. We left very happy and very tired. We’ll definitely go again!
Another interesting activity for kids at Baltimore is Port Discovery Children’s Museum. It is great fun for kids ages 2 and up. The museum is an ideal place for kids aged 2 to 10; it is a place where children can stimulate their imagination and use their energy. They say that Kidsworks, a three-story climbing structure, is for ages 5 and up, but my 2 1/2 year old climbed it 7 times with some assistance from her Daddy. There’s a lot of stuff to do here and one can easily spend 3-4 hours. You can eat at nearby McDonalds! Adjacent parking offers weekend flat rate of $7. You must validate your parking ticket at Port Discovery box office. My daughter was thrilled with this visit and we are definitely coming back! For more info go to
Mount Vernon—open every day of the year!
Mount Vernon, (Plan to spend 3-4 hours here) is one of the former George Washington’s estates. It offers lots of outdoor fun and many, many activities for both kids and adults. Mount Vernon is open seven days a week, everyday of the year! All children get a free informational and entertaining adventure map of Mount Vernon along with his ticket. This map that is filled with puzzles leads the kids around the estate in a search that enables them to learn more about the place they are visiting. There is so much to see and do at Mount Vernon and it might be a good idea to browse their website and pick out the things that you would most like to do during your visit to this historical place. The main attraction here is George Washington’s house and estate, but you will find lots more than just that, so log onto .
Another George Washington estate, The River Farm, may not be as entertaining as Mount Vernon, but is good place for those who enjoy spending time outdoors and for those wholike gardening as this is now home to the American Horticultural Society. The River Farm is located in Alexandria, VA; and consists of a mansion and beautiful gardens.
Reston Zoo—right in the heart of the city!
It is incredible but true that right in the heart of Fairfax County lies a 30 acre green haven called the Reston Zoo. It is located on Hunter Mill Road, Vienna, VA. The Zoo encourages kids to interact with animals so your child will enjoy petting and feeding animals. The Zoo is not as big as the National Zoo but it is very hands on. Kids will get to see zebras, giraffes, camels, bison, monkeys, deer and many more animals. The baby animal enclosure is a sure hit! Children can also go on pony rides and safari wagon trips. You can even hold your child’s birthday party here! For more info go to.
National Museum of Natural History—a wonderland!
The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History is a stimulating place,
because the museum helps kids discover the natural world through lots of exhibits and hands on activities. This Museum is located at the intersection of 10th Street and Constitution Ave and the admission is free. They have a wonderful play room for kids ages 2 and up (called children’s lab…). Kids can spend hours here reading history, walking around the Dinosaur Hall; they can catch a glimpse of the Hope Diamond in the Gems and Minerals Hall, or explore the Discovery room and the Insect Zoo. For more info go to .
Barnes and Noble—for a quick unarranged trip…
For a quick unplanned outing the best choice might be your local Barnes and Noble which might be offering story time on Saturdays. Check with your local store for story times. You can enjoy leafing through magazines over a cup of coffee while your little one sits through the story time and interacts with other kids! (Good luck with that!) Some of these stores have mini-railroad with Thomas train personages.
Regina Kholmatova & Vidya Rangan
What is Thanksgiving? Is it just turkey…turkey and more turkey?
All of us get to enjoy a long weekend holiday for Thanksgiving and we associate the festivity to cooking turkey, hosting a grand dinner for relatives and friends, getting to the Mall and shopping into the wee hours managing to snag attractive deals, and watching endless hours of football or catching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV!
How many of us know that Thanksgiving is a unique American festival? By tradition and as the name implies Thanksgiving is the time to give thanks, in the olden days since it was celebrated during the harvest months most gave thanks for a grand harvest and spread cheer and gratitude amongst their community members. Thanksgiving is primarily celebrated in the United States and Canada; on the fourth Thursday of November in the U.S., and on the second Monday of October in Canada. It is believed that the very first Thanksgiving in the United States was celebrated sometime in the 1600’s where the English Pilgrims shared their bountiful harvest with the Native Indians who has helped them. Today, the festival is a time to meet and greet, share and enjoy good cheer with all near and dear, along with enjoying a sumptuous meal of turkey and of course other good eats!