The Lincoln Memorial

The National Park Service, as we mentioned a few weeks ago, is again offering several “entrance fee free” days in 2017! One of the free dates is Presidents Day, February 20th. We’ll be heading to Crater Lake National Park in southern Oregon to go snowshoeing, but there are literally hundreds of options (417 options, to be exact) for taking advantage of the fee free days. The list includes national parks, monuments, battlefields, military parks, historical parks, historic sites, lakeshores, seashores, recreation areas, scenic rivers and trails, and even the White House. Check out the full list!

If you’d like to hit several NPS units in one stop, Washington, DC is a fantastic place to do it. They have 25 NPS units in DC! We’ve visited DC several times (along with our friend Flat Stanley once — see photos below), and there’s always lots to do and see. Many of the museums in DC, while not NPS units, are also free, making it a budget friendly destination. Definitely bring your walking shoes and make a plan for each day so you don’t miss out on any of the places you want to see.

Some highlights in and around DC this Presidents Day Weekend:

• The Lincoln Memorial will honor President Abraham Lincoln’s birthday at a wreath-laying ceremony that includes a dramatic reading of the Gettysburg Address.
• The country’s largest Presidents Day Parade will be held in Alexandria, Virginia along the streets where George Washington once walked.
• The 500-acre Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens, the home of George Washington, will offer three days of special events for Presidents Day weekend including music, demonstrations, wreath-laying ceremonies and storytelling.
• The Smithsonian National Museum of American History will present The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden exhibit.
• The National Portrait Gallery will offer a variety of family fun activities ranging from calligraphy workshops to scavenger hunts, games, music, and hands-on activities.

A few of our favorite DC spots are shown in the photos below. If you’ve got a favorite spot to visit in DC, please leave us a note in the comments. And enjoy your next visit to our nation’s capital or wherever you travel, whether it’s for a week or a weekend.

Two Einsteins

The Washington Monument

The Capitol

World War II Memorial

Smithsonian “castle”

MLK Memorial

FDR Memorial

Lincoln Memorial

WWII Memorial

A gorgeous night sky view

Cherry blossoms at the Jefferson Memorial

NPS police officer and Flat Stanley

Flat Stanley visits the Supreme Court

Photo fun with the Washington Monument

The White House (there’s a fence around it!)

The Library of Congress

DC’s Voyage to the Sun trail

The Washington Monument at sunset

Smithsonian exhibit