Destination - Washington D.C.

SmarTrip is a permanent, rechargeable farecard. It's plastic, like a credit card, and is embedded with a special computer chip that keeps track of the value of the card. It allows you to use the city's subway and bus system.
http://wmata.com/fares/smartrip/

TIP: When you're searching for airfare, put your destination code as WAS. It will search all three local airports for you at the same time.

Dazzle us with your memorable birthday party cakes and ideas. Then upload a photo that illustrates the special occasion for a chance to a $1,000 Birthday Express gift card and more!
http://family.go.com/birthday-party-contest/

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.

Available April through October, this tour explores the whimsical stone gargoyles and grotesques that decorate Washington National Cathedral, and includes a slide show followed by an outdoor tour. http://www.nationalcathedral.org/visit/gargoyle.shtml

When you visit DC, lettered streets run east to west while numbered streets go north to south.

Visit the National Zoo on August 22 and watch the elephants as they are bathed, weighed, and trained to hold still for physical exams, weighing, and x-rays. Lots of staff and volunteers will be on hand to show you how it takes a whole zoo to care for elephants. http://nationalzoo.si.edu

Does spaghetti or mashed peas end up between their fingers and toes...causing such a mess, that you need a hose? Put down the napkin and pick up the camera! Submit a photo now and you could win a Canon digital camera, a digital picture frame, and more!
http://family.go.com/messy-baby-contest/

The DC Circulator bus only costs $1 a ride and takes you to the most of the major tourist and entertainment destinations.

Check out the variety of options for sightseeing on the DC tourism website: http://www.washington.org/visiting/experience-dc/family/tours