Travel with Brad
Guide to Our Nation’s Capital Tips to maximize your family’s experience in Washington D.C.
by Brad Ferrand
Original Kermit the Frog.
WITH SUMMER WINDING DOWN, there is still time to sneak in a getaway to one of our favorite travel destinations. If you are seeking iconic museums full of national treasures, world-class dining, historical landmarks, and V.I.P. experiences with no cost, then Washington D.C. is for you. We recently traveled to our Nation’s Capital, and we would like to give you our recommendations and tips so your visit to D.C. can be a fun and memorable one. There are so many vacation destinations to choose from. If you are sick of the beach, Disney, or the mountains, Washington D.C. offers a fantastic and convenient experience for New Orleanians especially those with children looking to explore. The best part: most of the things to do in Washington D.C. are free and require no paid admission. Getting there is easy too. Several airlines operating out of Louis Armstrong International Airport offer many non-stop flight options that wont break the budget. We took a very convenient and surprisingly low-cost flight on Southwest Airlines which was non-stop and landed at Reagan National Airport, the closest of the three airports servicing Washington D.C. area. The flight was under two hours, and before we knew it, we arrived at our townhouse, the Robin House, for our stay. The Robin House is a lovely townhouse located on Capitol Hill just two blacks behind the Unites States Supreme Court. It is owned by local New Orleanians Dan Robin, Sr. and Dan Robin, Jr. It is used to host political gatherings and guests from out of town. More information about the Robin House can be found at the following link: www.therobinhouse.com. Our V.I.P. experience in D.C. started with a bang on our first evening. A few months prior, we were able to arrange not just a tour of the White House, but a private tour of the West Wing. Scoring such a
The U.S. Capitol at night.
tour takes a little bit of skill and a little bit of luck. My motto in life is, “you never know unless you ask.”(It worked when I convinced my wife to marry me). I did a little research and asked the right person. We can say that it is much easier to contact our elected representative(s), such as House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, to arrange for a public tour of the White House, but if you can befriend a member of the West Wing staff, you may get lucky like we did and score a West Wing Tour. We met our guide outside a guardhouse on the outer perimeter of the White House, and following a few metal detectors and light pat-downs, we found ourselves standing inside the most powerful and secure office space on the planet. Our tour took us to the Cabinet Room, the Rose Garden, the Roosevelt Room, and, of course, the Oval Office. Our final stop on the tour took us inside the James Brady Press Briefing Room where we were able to pretend we were giving a press briefing and fielding questions from the press. It was a memorable tour that definitely made us feel like true V.I.P.’s. Oh, and it was free. This will be a theme for most, if not all, of the experiences and tours we secured during our visit to