(Disclaimer–we were invited to stay and visit these places to facilitate a review.  All opinions are my own.)

At the end of July, our family took a quick trip to Washington, D.C., to explore the sites.  There are so many options of places to stay in D.C., but when you are looking at six people staying in a hotel, your options quickly get expensive or disappear.  Embassy Suites is always a great choice for familes, so we were thrilled to be invited to check out the Embassy Suites Chevy Chase Pavilion.

This neighborhood was awesome!  Beautiful homes and an up and coming high end shopping district surround the hotel.  Our hotel was connected to a pavilion that had World Market and The Cheesecake Factory.  I loved that we could do so much within our hotel or just outside of it.  The pavilion had a few levels that were lit in neon lights that would change color different times of day.  It was a really cool atmosphere.  There were many great restaurants and shops nearby, which was fun.

Our hotel room was perfect for our needs, enough beds and pull out sofa made it roomy enough for six, along with a kitchenette and dining table, and bathroom.  Everything was nicely decorated, new TVs, and a beautiful view overlooking the pretty neighborhood.

The great thing about Embassy Suites is you don’t have to worry about breakfast.  Each morning, you can go downstairs to the third floor, overlooking the pavilion, and have a made to order breakfast.  This was certainly one of the nicer complimentary breakfasts that I have experienced, as it wasn’t really a help-yourself-type of buffet.  There were cooks who would take your order and assemble your breakfast just how you liked it, then you would be able to go and sit and enjoy your breakfast with your family.  The food was delicious!  I loved the omelets, while my boys loved the french toast.  Bagels, fruit, cereal, oatmeal, yogurt, juice and more were just some of the offerings you could have each morning.

After exploring the town and heading into D.C., which is only about 10-15 minutes down the road, we could come back and unwind with their evening reception.  The reception, held in the same location as breakfast, was a place to grab soft drinks  (or alcoholic beverages, if you so choose) and snacks like veggies, goldfish crackers, pretzels and more.  There were also a ton of games you could play, if you were in the mood.  It was a great way to transition into night time activities after a day full of exploration.

There was also a very nice indoor pool on the top level of the hotel for guests to use, as well as a fitness center, if you wanted to spend your night relaxing.

The staff was very friendly and accommodating.  When we needed help, they were quick to respond or offer advice for our trip.  Embassy Suites Chevy Chase was a fantastic choice for our hotel stay and I would definitely recommend this hotel for families.  You can learn more about the hotel by visiting them online.

While in D.C., we wanted to check out some of the sites that we hadn’t before.  We decided that Madame Tussaud’s was something we had all wanted to do before and there is one convienently located in downtown D.C.. We were thrilled to be guests to check it out for ourselves.  For history buffs, especially, this location is fun to see the presedential wax figures from the beginning of our nation’s history to the very popular display of Barack and Michelle Obama.Being huge fans of the Beatles, we were excited to find that there was a display of them walking across Abbey Road. So, of course, my four boys walked across next to them.It is really amazing to see the likenesses of celebrities up close and personal.  The attention to detail is incredible! So much so, that I found myself waiting for someone to move forward so that I could go into the next room, only to find it was a wax statue!  It was fun to see how they compare to you in real life.

This is a super fun museum that allows for great photo-ops with the family.  Put your arm around JLo, interrogate J. Edgar Hoover,  dance with the Biebs, pose with Johnny Depp, or take in a play with Abraham Lincoln–there is a lot to see at Madame Tussaud’s!

To learn more about the museum, plan your visit, and get good deals, find them on the web.

http://www.newseum.org

As I mentioned, we wanted to find some new things to do in the city, as we have been to Washington, D.C. many times.  This is a great thing about this city, as there really is so much to do!  We were invited to check out the Newseum while on our trip and we jumped at the chance to see it.There is no shortage of museums in this city, but what makes this one unique is it’s perspective.  It is all through the eyes of journalism.  It is remarkable to think how journalism effects our world and when you visit this museum, it really makes you stop and think.The Newseum is great for all ages, as there are many floors and exhibits, both interactive and multimedia. Children can star in their own newscast and touch the Berlin Wall.  One can see the mangled tower that was on top of the World Trade Center, standing as a silent witness to the attacks.

The FBI section of the museum that showed many artifacts from cases in history, was absolutely fascinating.  The ladder used to kidnap the Lindbergh baby, shoe bombs, and mafia evidence were just some of the items to be seen.  For older eyes, there was a Pulitzer Prize section of the musuem that showed very moving, yet graphic photographs throughout history.  I didn’t bring my kids into this section, as it was too much for them to see.  However, for an adult, it was a very interesting exhibit. There was also a very large section dedicated to JFK, which was very good. My kids loved going to the 4D movie at the musuem.

One of my favorite areas of the musuem was the archives, where you could find newspapers from all over the country outlining our country’s history.  It was incredible to read and see the actual newspaper articles from historic events like the Salem Witch Trials all the way to current day events.  This area was so rich in history and reading the actual articles was so educational.

The museum was very well done and you could easily spend lots of time here.  It is nice that your ticket allows you to leave and come back to make the most of your visit.  This is definitely a great museum to visit when you are in town!  Learn more about the musuem by visiting their website and begin planning your trip!