Hope you can hold it: Quick trip to Washington DC

We drove up to Washington DC for a very quick weekend trip. Immediately, I noticed a big change: Every single rest stop in Virginia on I-85 and I-95 is blocked off. They were closed due to budget cuts, apparently. Losing access to the rest areas makes traveling with a toddler so much fun, let me tell you. This seems like a real asshole move on the part of the state legislature. But if there is one thing I have learned from this so-called “great recession,” it’s that state governments can’t manage money worth a damn.

We did a few different things while we were in DC this time, which I would like to suggest if you find yourself in our nation’s capital. First, we visited the Great Falls National Park for an early-morning hike. The Maryland side offers a pleasant, flat walk (stroller-friendly) next to the canal that George Washington dug (not with his own hands, though). On the other side are stunning views of the Potomac. I suggest getting there early, though, to beat the heat and the tourists. Also, watch out for the speeding cyclists.

Art can be fun and scary.

On an afternoon trip to the Mall, we visited the Hirshhorn Art Museum — that’s the round one — and the Sackler Asian Art Museum, which is located behind the Castle. both of these museums are nice refuges from the tourists, as they aren’t nearly as popular as Air and Space, Natural History and American History, and they always have some interesting exhibits going on. The Asian Art Museum was displaying beautiful Japanese ceramics, and if you keep walking through the underground gallery, you come out in the African Art Museum, another overlooked museum.

The Hirshhorn had an interesting exhibit going on. The artist created glass boxes exactly the same dimensions as FedEx shipping boxes. He then put the glass boxes inside the cardboard shipping boxes and shipped them FedEx to the museum. They came out the other side shattered, chipped and cracked. He put the glass boxes on display — with their shipping containers — and called it art. I felt inspired to do something similar, so I gave my baby one of the exhibit brochures, which he ripped and shredded and mouthed as we strolled through the museum. When he was done, I displayed my new artwork on the museum floor. Where’s my commission?

While you’re at the Hirshhorn, don’t overlook the exhibit in the basement. For some reason, they put all the creepiest art down there. I’m just glad these artists aren’t making horror movies. The Sculpture Garden in the back is a nice place to enjoy some ice cream and let the toddlers run around on the grass.

One full day is not a lot of time to spend in a great city like Washington, but a little time is better than nothing. Here’s a list of several other free or almost-free activities you can do while you’re in the area.