By Alan Kirk
Washington, D.C. is a town that can be a lot of fun as a tourist. The month of June is a time of change for the weather, though. It's typically not as hot as the middle of summer in late July and August, but it still can have occasional days with high temperatures over 100 degrees F. This means that when you when visit Washington, D.C. in June, you should not completely abandon any outdoor plans, but you should also include indoor entertainment plans as well in case you are in town during one of the early summer heat waves.
Visit the Museums in Town
Washington, D.C. offers a lot of indoor entertainment for visitors during the month of June, which can be a break from the early heat. The Smithsonian Museums are all free and offer a large variety of activities for adults and children alike (SI.edu). The American Art Museum offers an opportunity to see a variety of art both modern and from the year of our country's birth. The Air and Space Museum is a museum that lets children and parents revisit our quest for both air travel and space travel as you can learn about the history and future of both. The Museum of Natural History is where you and your children can learn about the dinosaurs and see some of the large skeletons and fossils from the prehistoric ages. On cooler days in June where you don't mind being outdoors, the National Zoo is actually part of the Smithsonian, and you can enjoy visiting a large variety of animals there, with occasional special visitors from zoos around the world.
Tour the Capitol or White House
Public tours are available for both of these government buildings. Surprisingly it can be easier to get a tour of the White House than it is for the Capitol. For the White House, you can line up outside the visitor's gate on a Saturday for the public tours. You can also contact your U.S. Senator's office ahead of time to get tickets that allow you to avoid standing in the longer line that the general public uses. Speaking of contacting your U.S. Senator's office, if you want to tour the Capitol Building you must make this contact. Senators have staff members and interns trained to take visitors on tours of the Capitol Building throughout the week. You will need to make arrangements in advance, as you can not just walk in and ask to go on a tour. Try requesting tickets for both of these tours six to eight weeks in advance before you arrive to improve your chances of going on the tours.
Washington Nationals Game
Major League Baseball has returned to Washington, D.C. after the city lost the sport back in the 1950's. The Washington Nationals are a major league baseball team that plays in the National League East division. Their stadium is newly built and is located along the water in southeast Washington, D.C. A word of caution, though, because the area surrounding the stadium can be a little on the rougher side and you should be careful traveling there alone, especially at night. Stay with the crowds when entering and leaving the stadium.
About the Author:
Alan Kirk has been writing for online publications since 2006. He has more than 15 years' experience in catering, management and government relations. Kirk has a bachelor's degree in business management from the University of Maryland.
