Also second the reccomendation for Thomas Sweet in Gtown over B & Jerry’s. Two shops in Gtown well worth stopping into — Dawn Price Baby (expensive but worth the splurge) on M Street and Proper Topper across from Thomas Sweet.

I think I might do the Mall and a Smithsonian stop on the same day, since they are both right there, or if you want to hit a lot of museums, plan to spend two whole days there. Museums are really crowded in the summer, and if you want to do something like visit the Charters of Freedom at the National Archives, try to get there early or prepare to wait in line for a while. My favorite parts of the Mall, though, are the sculpture gardens. I love the art tucked among the white marble buildings of bureaucracy.

Just south of the Jefferson Memorial is East Potomac Park, and there is a very cool statue there of a man emerging from the ground–fun for kiddos to climb around on. There is also a playground there and mini golf.

If you need to eat while you’re on the Mall, the National Museum of the Native American has a good food court. If you can head away from the Mall to eat, try going up 7th street past the Navy Memorial, you could go to one of my favorite restaurants, Jaleo, for tapas. Or take the yellow/green line one stop to Chinatown and there are a bevy of options. I also love Eastern Market, which is just past the Library of Congress and has a stop on the orange/blue line.

I think to visit the White House you need to request tickets from your congressional representative?

The Postal Museum is really fun–I know, but seriously, it is, and it is very near Union Station.

I love the zoo, but if it is a hot day (and DC in the summer could potentially redefine hot and humid for you), the animals will really be suffering. If you are in Northern Virginia and have younger kids, you might want to try the Reston Zoo, which has some petting-zoo features and lots of room for running around (no pandas, though In NoVa, I also enjoy the Newseum, in Rosslyn. Very interactive and fun museum.

Glen Echo Park in Bethesda is a gem. There is a carousel, puppet theater and a children’s museum.

Okay, this is getting to be more than you can do in a week! Don’t even get me started on Baltimore … have fun!

What’s missing? Splashing in the super neat water features in the covered courtyard at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery (next to the Gallery Place Metro on the Red Line). And they sell Gifford’s ice cream. Yum!

And beware: there really is just about nothing to eat on the national mall. Make sure to pack snacks