Great places to go on spring break: Washington, D.C.

As the winter holidays are over and the New Year has passed, February is pretty much on its way out too. And boy is it going out with a bang with the snow we've had here in the region this week (not to mention the unusually low temps the last few weeks). 

While the kids all had somewhat of an "unofficial" mid-winter break this past week, their actual scheduled vacation is right around the corner. 



I've decided to do short series on great family-friendly places to go on spring break in the DC region. There are many options, you can choose to do the more traditional route such as Disneyworld or Florida beach, but that's what everyone else is doing on spring break. 

If you live outside the District, why not break the mold and try something different and come to the mid-Atlantic? And if you live in the DC region and aren't able to travel, you can easily make your own "staycation" and find lots of things to see and do.

While it's true the U.S. Capital is not the stereotypical beach destination, the weather is perfect for touring this grand city and its suburban attractions. It's actually a very popular time of the year to visit.

Each spring the Cherry Blossom Festival takes place and this is a very popular annual event. The blossoms are simply breathtaking and definitely worth a view. Right now the National Park Service's "bloomwatch" hasn't started, but it seems spring will likely be a bit delayed by the cold weather and all. In addition, the city has an Earth Day Festival in April, and its famous White House Easter Egg Roll that takes place annually on Easter Monday.

Check out my recent "things to do in the spring post" for more details on these events and more.

Planning a spring trip to Washington, D.C.

Then, of course, there are the usual attractions, such as the museums.

Northern Virginia, just a hop, skip and a jump from Washington also contains many terrific destinations. There are many parks, historic landmarks, and family fun activities. Popular attractions to tour in Northern Virginia are Mount Vernon, Arlington Cemetery, Smithsonian's Air & Space Museum at the Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Manassas National Battlefield Park and Old Town Alexandria, to name a few.

Over the next week or two, I'll be posting some more ideas. For locals, these will be day trips or you can even turn it into an overnight. My next post in this "spring break" series I'm planning is to Luray, Virginia.

The Hope Diamond can be viewed inside the National Museum of Natural History