I want to find a really cool way to tell him that we are going. His birthday is May 17th and that's when I plan to tell him. I just need some creative ideas on a super cool way to do it. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Love the idea of a travel guide/book.
I'd stock it with a Washington, a Lincoln, a Hamilton, a Jackson and a Benjamin for spending money!
As an FYI - we love DC and one of the nest things to visit is George Washington's mansion. And go see the film before you go onto the grounds. IT really sets the tone. Adults and children love Mt. Vernon.
We also love the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History - and Ii live in NY and it's so much better than the one in NYC!
He'll love the Korean War Memorial. It's my family's favorite. Be sure to see it. And be sure to stand where MLK gave his I have a Dream speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. It's profoundly moving.
And please don't miss the Changing of the Guard at Arlington Cemetery. Go towards dusk for one of the last viewable changes. It's something not to be missed.
There is so much to do - you're going to have so much fun!!
And I love the idea of the different bills used for spending money!!
What a fantastic idea!!
A couple of ideas: make sure you visit your senator / congress person's website (I don't recall which right now) and sign up for the behind the scene tours. You have to do that early and provide passport info, etc. My kids have always enjoyed those.
Do you have AAA? Get their Tour Guide and wrap it up with a map. And let him read and start planning as well.
We have taken the bus tour once, and I have to say the night ride was stunning as the monuments are all lit up. Very beautiful!
Love the Cake Wreck idea!!
Order one of these and give it to him to put in his carry on. :-) It's a visitor's guide and map...free! :-) http://washington.org/visitor-request-form.
ETA: Michelle, I can't help but giggle at the idea of a cake-wrecks version of a Washington Monument cake. :-)
Have a special cake made in the shape of the Washington Monument.
aawww!! how great! What would I do?
I would wrap up a tourist map or book of Washington, DC and give it to him with a copy of the tickets so he can see when he's going!
There's a lot to do here!! What's your plan?
Mount Vernon is nice. It's a day trip - you can walk the plantation and house...
Thomas Jefferson's estate Monticello is about 2 hours south of DC and you need reservations now.
Much to do and see!! I'm here so if you want metro passes - send me a message and I can get some extras to you!!
How fun!! We've been twice and enjoyed both trips very much.
I don't know the best way to surprise him but I am sure he will love the trip!
Happy Birthday to him!
Random birthday gifts... Start with less obvious(gift card to White House black market) moving to more obvious(suitcase) as he opens them
I like all the suggestions. For the random gifts ending up with suitcase, you could do as scavenger hunt with clues? Put the guide book/map in the suitcase? I love the cake idea.
What a nice surprise it will be - sounds like a super fun time :)
ETA: just remembered seeing where someone superimposed their husband's picture into famous scenes (tourist attractions) with Photoshop or some editing program. That would be fun too :)
We surprised our kids with a cruise Christmas 2012 and we put 2 new ornaments on the tree where they would see them (one a cruise ship and one Santa with a surf board on the beach) and also got them new carry-ons and I made itineraries for them. It was a HUGE success.
The following year they got iPads and I put pictures on there. The first one was the date we were leaving, the middles ones pictures of our previous trip to Myrtle Beach, and the last one the day we were returning - they got it.
Last year we made a big note with the location and dates of our trip and put it in a big envelope for them. Not as creative as the previous years, but it worked still.
For DC, maybe give him tickets to anything you got tickets for? Or brochures of the museums/historical places you plan to visit?
May is a FABULOUS time in the DC region - you'll love it!! I hope you enjoy our nation's capital. Sometimes I feel guilty that we live so close and don't go do the tourist thing often enough. There is SO much to do!!!
Congressman/woman's office - see what they can offer you, either by going on the website or by stopping by a district office to talk to a real person. Even if Congress is not in session when you go, the staff will be in the Washington office. They work for you whether you voted for their boss or not! My son went on a teen trip to DC and found it very empowering to have Senators and the Congressman welcome them and take them seriously.
AAA - see what discounts they have available and collect those flyers. They also know the "hidden gems" people don't think of. Definitely do Air & Space Museum, other parts of the Smithsonian (there are even exhibits of iconic TV show sets), zoo.
Don't let him rely on his iPad or GPS - get some real maps do help him see the layout of the city.
Travel section of the supermarket or large pharmacy - give him a gift bag of travel deodorant, mouthwash, toothpaste, etc. and a folding toothbrush. Or, get a set of those little 3 ounce bottles you fill with your own shampoo and so on. If you are staying at a chain hotel and if there's a local one near you, stop by and ask the manager for 3 or 4 things that they put in their rooms (pen, notepad, shampoo, bar of soap). Explain you are staying in the DC branch of that hotel, you and your kid love to travel, and you want to give him the "travel bug". Imply that you are going to stay at Marriotts (or Hiltons or Holiday Inns) in all your travels and that you'll think of them first.
Refillable water bottle - you can't take bottled water on the plane unless you buy is after the security checkpoint where it costs a fortune.
Funny comment on a Washington Monument cake - after all the "cake fail" posts on Facebook and elsewhere with a very phallic Monument, I doubt I'd give that to a teenage boy! But a sheet cake with a few different photos of landmarks, okay!
Put all the goodies in a carry-on bag. If he doesn't have a wheeled suitcase, get him one, plus a luggage tag.
Cute ideas below about coins with presidents on them (especially the ones with monuments dedicated to them) and photoshopping his photo onto something else - maybe shaking hands with the President and a word balloon saying, "Hope you'll stop by the House when you come to DC. It's the big white one. You can't miss it."
Have a great time!
Could you get him a Nationals baseball shirt or hat? When he looks at you confused, tell him he will need it to blend in when he's walking around. Or better yet, if you like baseball, get tickets to a game if they are in town. It's a great stadium, easy to get to by Metro, and Ben's Chili Bowl is a must have.
What a great trip. We went whem my daughter was 7 and she loved it.
I would start planning your itinerary and give him a piece of knowledge from that attraction. It is so different to read about it or see it online, so no worries of ruining anything.
We visitied the Lincoln memorial. I would leave a note with the Gettysburg Address and two penny's. The front side and the back side.
My daughter loves Einstein. They are both mirror reader/writers. She took a picture sitting in his lap.
We went to the Garden of the missing Soldier. Changing of the guards. You could probably have fun with a couple of his old army men.
We visited the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. We could only drive past the Pentagon, however, due to the size, you can hardly distinguish the 5 sides. We walked the sidewalk of the white house.
I took photos of my daughter sitting on the steps of Capital Hill, sitting similar to the "I'm just a bill" guy.
There is so much there, I would totally start making sure he is up on his history, because once you are there, it is all so overwhelming. So every week or so, I would drop another clue.
