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112 of 124 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Going to D.C. with kids? Don't buy this book!, July 17, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Frommer's Washington, D.C., With Kids (Frommer's Family Travel Guides) (Paperback)
If you're going to Washington, D.C. with kids, this is not the book to buy. Everything we looked up in the book before and during our D.C. trip was accurate or misleading. We made reservations at a hotel listed as "economical" only to find the real price was $40 more than listed. When we entered the restaurant listed as one that welcomed children, our brood of three was scowled at , mutterings ensued and we were then led to a back table. There was no room to put down food (obviously cocktails were what the establishment had in mind) and the closest thing to food children would like was a plate of fish and chips for an exorbitant price. Every other time we consulted the book, it turned out badly, one way or another. So don't spend $16 on this book because it not only isn't helpful, but it's actually a hindrance. You end up in unsuitable places with unsuitable prices because you think they'll be good for kids.Wrong! So, after our trip, here's what I recommend for 3 days in D.C. with kids: The Smithsonian--as many as you can stand in a day The White House Tour A tour of the Capitol--write to your congressperson beforehand and get a private tour--an aide of Tammy Baldwin's gave us a crackerjack tour and we got to watch Tammy and others vote on the flag ammendment. Buy food and souvenirs from the street vendors--every age can find something cheap to take home that would cost twice, or three times, as much in a store. And it's fun to sit in parks or benches and eat and watch all the different people.
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Frommer's Flop for Families!!!, June 15, 2008
I would strongly recommend you look at other guides to Washington D.C. as Frommer's Washington D.C. with Kids was not helpful and actually was a hindrance. This book gave us misinformation and was completely out of date. I will just share two of our experiences from our first days in D.C. we disregarded the book and relied on our concierge from then on...
The Zoo: Frommer's emphatically advised to get there early (it 'opens' at 6:00) and that you should stop first at the information kiosk to get a map and the daily schedule for feedings etc. They also stated that the Animal Crackers Cafe was open for breakfast. Well, we got there about 8:00 and NOTHING is open until 10:00....not the information kiosk (so we were without maps or schedules and the place is huge), most of the animals were inside the buildings which were closed until 10, none of the cafes were open for anything to eat or drink until 10. What you WILL see before 10 is zoo employees driving trucks and golf carts around setting things up and watering plants. By 10:30 when the elephants were scheduled for their bath my husband announced that he didn't care if the elephants were going to do the cha-cha, he already done enought walking and was ready to leave. Also Frommer's should have noted that the Metro is a pretty long walk to and from the zoo.
The most blatant example of out-of-date information...The National Geographic Museum: Pages 191 and 192 must be from the 1998 guidebook because the permanent displays, interactive exibits, and videos the book describes have been gone (we inquired) for 9 years. No volcanoes videos, no touch and play mammals kiosk, no tornado to 'feel', no flying dinosaur, no orbital flight, no global access video games that "your kids will have to drag you away from", etc. What was displayed while we were there was China and it was good but not at all resemble what we had anticipated based on Frommer's description.
Save yourself $17 and a lot of aggravation and don't buy this guidebook. We are headed to North Carolina and I'll look at Fodors or Michelin.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good resource for things to do, not for food and accommodation, August 7, 2009
I got three guides for our D.C. trip - one was the Frommer's Washington D.C. for Kids [8th edition], Fodor's Washington D.C. and "The Unofficial Guide to Washington, D.C. Since we have a preschooler, I felt it would be wise to read up on activities to do with kids, and this guide [the 8th edition of this book] fit the bill perfectly.
I was not sold on the restaurant or accomodations recommendations, but the activities recommended and places to see for kids was spot-on. For example, I'm glad that I read about the various kid-friendly activities at the National Museum of the American Indian, as we were thinking of skipping that initially. The National Zoo is highly recommended predictably, but I liked the fact that the book lists attractions of particular interest for kids such as the Pollinarium, Great Outdoor Flight Cage, Amazonia, etc. The book also convinced me to check out the DAR Museum [recommended for ages 4-10] which has the New Hampshire Toy Attic on the 3rd floor displaying 18th and 19th century toys etc! Every attraction has a recommended age for children beside it which is helpful in deciding whether an attraction is suitable for kids or not [of course it's also up to parents' discretion].
All in all, a worthwhile guide for doing stuff with kids whilst in D.C.
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