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Indagare member Kim Dempster spent three nights in Washington with her husband and children, Madison, 11 and Jack, 8.

We recently returned from a quick trip to Washington D.C. between visiting our in-laws in Maryland and heading home to San Francisco. On Indagare’s recommendation, we stayed at the Hay-Adams Hotel.

The Hay-Adams was fantastic and the White House suite was worth the extra money. We were blown away by the view and how close the White House was out our window, we even saw the Marine One helicopter take off a couple times. In fact, we dined in our room for dinner both evenings to enjoy views of the city all lit up–I figured it was best seat in DC! The service at the hotel was superb and everybody was so kind, they managed to give a high-end hotel a really “homey” feel. The waiter at breakfast even knew our son’s name by the second morning.

Kicking off with a night time monument tour was the perfect way to start our trip, and we walked up in the Washington Monument to see the whole city. Our fabulous guide (recommended by Indagare) was very knowledgeable and engaged with the kids in a lovely way. She noticed the light at Congress was on (meaning they were in session) so we spontaneously went to watch the Senate. When we walked in when they were voting on the START treaty, and because it passed, it was on the front page of all the papers the next morning. A very cool, live example of how our government works.

The guide was so great we hired her the next day to take us to the Air and Space, Museum of American History and National Archives. Having an insider and driver meant we saw a lot in a short period of time, as the moved us efficiently from place to place and quickly pinpointed the exhibits and top highlights.

With Indagare’s advice, we spent the last day at the Ford Theatre (where President Lincoln was shot) and the Spy Museum, and loved both. We also got into the White House for tour, which was so special with all the holiday décor.

As regards the crowds and lines, going to Washington D.C in the winter was a huge advantage. According to our guide, the Spring (defined as March-June) is the most popular time to visit DC, especially with the cherry blossoms and Spring Break. During our holiday visit, we didn’t wait in any lines and saw more in three days than some see in a week. There is security at most buildings, monuments and museums, which would take up a huge amount of time if you had to wait and would be burdensome if traveling with kids.”

For Washington, D.C. arrangements, including booking the family-friendly guide mentioned above, contact our bookings team

Also read A Kid’s Guide to Washington, D.C.