Washington DC & Virginia, USA 2024

We built this trip around a big family reunion in Kill Devil Hills, NC — the perfect excuse to slow down and travel together. We kicked things off by driving our van from Boca up to Sanford (just outside Orlando) to catch the Auto Train to Washington, D.C. The station was a little tricky to find, but once we dropped the van and boarded, the overnight ride was effortless — we came prepared with snacks and drinks, but note to self: bring blankets next time. It gets freezing at night.

Arriving in D.C. felt like stepping into a living history lesson. We wandered Arlington National Cemetery, watched the solemn changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and tried to explain the gravity of it to the kids in a way they could understand. We timed our visit to the U.S. Botanic Garden just right and were lucky enough to see the Corpse Flower in bloom — thankfully near the end so it didn’t clear the room. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Washington Central/White House with a bustling street view that made the city feel alive even after the kids were asleep. Between bites at neighborhood restaurants and marathon museum visits (Smithsonian Natural History, Air & Space, and the Pop Culture museum), we showed the kids the Declaration of Independence and soaked up as much as possible.

Tom’s uncle met up with us one evening and gave us a moving tour of the memorials — WWII, Jefferson, Korean, Vietnam, Einstein (the boys’ favorite), Lincoln, Washington, and MLK. After D.C., we intentionally took our time heading south through Virginia so the drive would be part of the trip. We toured Mount Vernon and Monticello back-to-back and loved comparing the two estates — different answers to similar questions about history, architecture, and the men behind them.

Finally, we reached Kill Devil Hills and traded sightseeing for sandy toes and family time. The reunion was everything we hoped for: loud, warm, full of stories, and exactly what our family needed. If you love road trips that blend history, tiny surprises, and long, slow drives between places, this one was a keeper.