Destination - Washington D.C.

The 2009 National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will be held on Thursday, December 3, 2009, at 5:00 p.m., on the Ellipse next to the White House. If you can't be here, watch it live on your PBS station. http://www.thenationaltree.org

The National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden ice-skating rink is open November 14, 2009 through mid-March 2010, weather permitting. View magnificent works of sculpture while skating in the open air and enjoying music from the state-of-the-art sound system. http://www.nga.gov/ginfo/skating.shtm

The public may visit the Lincoln Memorial 24 hours a day. However Rangers are on duty to answer questions from 9:30 A.M. to 11:30 P.M. daily.
http://www.nps.gov/linc

Tis the season to be jolly...and we hope to give you just that: the most stress-free Christmas you've ever had! Enter now and you could win $2,500 for all your shopping needs and much more! http://family.go.com/sweeps/family-christmas-spree/

"Washington is a city of Southern efficiency and Northern charm." ~John F. Kennedy

Know the lingo; fit in like a local. Washingtonians call their subway system "Metro". And the number one rule of Metro ettiquette is Stand to the Right, Walk to the Left. If you're going to stand on the escalator, stand to the right so folks that want to walk up will have a clear path.

Stop by the Zoo at 11am for the octopus feeding. The giant Pacific octopus will eat almost anything it can catch.

The four-acre George Washington: Pioneer Farmer site celebrates the harvest season with FREE horse-drawn wagon rides, a straw bale maze, an opportunity to meet General Washington! http://www.mountvernon.org/

Family.com is now on Twitter! If you use Twitter you can follow us @Familydotcom. Check it out and tweet! http://twitter.com/familydotcom

If you're looking for an affordable vacation, take a look at some of the fun, free and almost-free experiences that await you in DC. http://beta.washington.org/visiting/browse-dc/attractions/100-free-things-to-do