My wonderful father-in-law is coming to visit for a week to watch our son. Summer camp is over and school doesn’t start until next week, but my wife and I both have to work. “Papa camp,” we’re calling it. So we brainstormed a bunch of fun things he can do in and around DC — mostly in the Alexandria area of North Virginia in August.
- Water Mine Family Swimmin’ Hole
- Library (Kingstowne)
- Swimming Pool
- Huntley Meadows Park
- Movie
- Smithsonian (Air and Space, Natural History)
- Miniature golf (Top Golf, Burke Lake)
- National Botanical Gardens (next to Capitol)
- National Arboretum
- Bowling
- Carousel (National Mall, Burke Lake, Lee District Park, Springfield Mall)
- Miniature train ride (Burke Lake)
- Metro Train ride to anywhere
- Great Falls Park
- Ice skating
- Chinquapin Park (Huge playground)
- Cameron Run Great Waves Water Park
- Hidden Pond Nature Center
- Playground
- Frying Pan Farm Park (hay rides)
- Potomac Boat Cruise (coupons)
- Old Town Alexandria Dock (Watch the street performers)
- George Washington Mason Memorial (weird tour, great view)
- Paddle Boats (Lake Accotink or Tidal Basin)
- National Zoo
- Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage (6 p.m. daily, no tickets required)
- Mount Vernon
- Toy trains (Borders or Barnes & Noble)
- Washington Monument (Free, reservations recommended)
- See money being made at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing
- Discovery Theater on the National Mall
- Go to the top of the Old Post Office Tower. (Great view of DC)
- National Building Museum (Huge indoor space for bad weather days)
- Bike ride
- Play T-ball
- Play Soccer
- Story hour at A Likely Story Children’s Bookstore
- Pizza at Generous George’s Postive Pizza & Pasta Place
- DC United game
- Washington Nationals game
- Watch airplanes land or take off at Graverly Park
- National Postal Museum
- Visit the “Awakening” sculpture at Haines Point
- Reston Zoo
- Ice cream!
- Visit a golf driving range.
Please share your own ideas by posting a comment.
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