“I’d Like to Be the First One to Welcome You to…”

If you’re like me, you probably have heard that same line four or five times before you’ve finished at trip – it seems to be a staple whether you arrive by plane or train, and even by car you sometimes catch it in passing, at a hotel, a motel, or a bed and breakfast.

I don’t know about you, but it takes a little more than meaningless platitudes to win me over. Without using too many buzzwords (a hard habit to break), I’d like to tell you why the difference is, as the header describes it, like “night and day” at a PMHS hotel. In fact, if you’re on this page, you’ve probably already stayed at one. By now I hope you know that your stay is our priority. That’s because we treasure the shared experiences that, in our eyes, make the world go round.

Yep. That’s right. What we do, we do for you.

2 Premium Museums Worth a Look in DC

Although some of my favorite museums in DC are free, and are definitely worth a look (see my previous post), there are two paid contenders that go the extra mile to provide hours of interactive content.

1. The International Spy Museum
The Spy Museum tops the list as my favorite place to take friends and family who visit me in the DC area. From the very start, when you are taken into a room to choose your new identity, an identity you will have to remember for the test later on. Sights and sounds call up the Cold War, and the James Bond prestige of espionage. Imagination is unbound; many of my childhood escapades found their roots here. Definitely worth a visit, both for parents and kids.

How to Visit:
Address: 800 F ST NW, Washington DC, 20004
Phone Number: 202.EYE.SPYU (202.393.7798)
Visiting Hours: 9:00 AM-7:00 PM (High Season)
10:00 AM-6:00 PM (Low Season)
Tickets are $19.95 for adults, $14.95 for children, $15.95 for seniors, law enforcement and military. They are available here.
Parking is also available and ranges between $10-20 depending on length of stay. For more precise directions to parking, check out the official website.

2. The National Museum of Crime & Punishment
The Crime Museum is a slightly more recent discovery for me. Located in the heart of DC, this is an excellent museum for all CSI and NCIS fans, but has such scope that even pirates and other pre-modern plunderers get an exhibit, as well as cyber-thieves. Although sporting a few “dead bodies”, the museum is great for all ages, and is definitely worth a visit.

How to Visit:
Address: 575 7th St. NW
Washington , D.C. 20004
Phone Number: (202) 393-1099
Visiting Hours: 9:00 AM-7:00 PM (High Season)
10:00 AM-6:00 PM (Low Season)
Tickets vary greatly in pricing (though much the same as at the spy museum), but are cheaper when bought online. They are available here.
Parking garages and other directions may be found here.

Top 3 Great Things to Do with Kids in and near DC

As a longtime DC resident, I must say the list of my favorite things to do is quite a lengthy one. As our hotels make some of the activities in the wider DC area easily accessible, let’s start with one of my all time favorites:

The Udvar-Hazy Center
For those who don’t know, this is the second and larger of the two Air and Space Museums. When I say larger, I mean huge! Where else could you keep a full size space shuttle, the concord, and, my personal favorite, a Lockheed Martin Blackbird (which happened to be cast as a robot in the second Transformers movie). Whether you want to spend a day there or just pop in for a quick look, there will be something to please everybody, with two IMAX theaters, a planetarium, simulators, and a mix of science and history. If you want to visit the Air and Space Museum on the mall, a head start for parking is your best bet.
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
14390 Air & Space Museum Parkway [map]
Chantilly, VA 20151 USA
Admission is free, but parking is $15.00, so there is a bit of a catch there.
Info: 703-572-411
10:00 am – 5:30 pm
(May 25 – September 3: 10:00 am – 6:30 pm)
For Online Directions:
Google Maps

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
This one is a very close second on my list. Although you may have to wake them up early to get the best parking spaces and make the trip a success, the Natural History Museum, with its 125 million specimens, will keep them entertained for hours (the trip should take about 2 or 3 hours). If you do visit with the kids, be sure to save time for the Discovery Room, a place full of interactive activities.
Directions:
National Museum of Natural History
1400 Constitution Avenue Northwest,
Washington, DC
It is accessible by the Smithsonian metro stop on the orange and blue lines.
Admission is free.
Info: 202-633-1000
Regular hours are 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The museum extends their hours during the summer months, please check official website for updates.
For online directions:
Google Maps

The National and Reston Zoos
Although slightly less well known than the National Zoo, the Reston Zoo is worth a visit because it allows you to get up close and personal with the animals, feeding them and touching them (Here’s the place for all your future veterinarians). Being further away from DC and much less well known, it allows you to dodge some of the larger crowds that you can find at the National Zoo. On the other hand, the National Zoo with its over 400 species of animals, and free admission makes for an amazing day of discovery; it also has some of the rarer animals, and excellent exhibits, and so is probably more appropriate for more mature children. I enjoy both, but there is a serious time commitment involved here – I’d plan for 3-4 hours, each.
Directions
The National Zoo
3001 Connecticut Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20008
Free Admission (except for parking)
For info check website (link in header)
Grounds open 6 a.m. – 8 p.m., exhibits 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
For online directions:
Google Maps
The Reston Zoo
1228 Hunter Mill Road
Vienna, VA 22182
Admissions: $12.00 Adults, $11.00 Seniors, $9.00 Children (2-12 years), Children under 2 are free.
Info: 703-757-6222
Open March 11-November 26
March and November: Open daily, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
April-May and September-October: Open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Memorial Day-Labor Day: Open daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
For online directions:
Google Maps