DC Burger Joints . . .

If you’re looking for a burger joint in DC, there’s plenty to pick from.  Here’s my top 5: 

1. Five Guys (Best all around for flavor, toppings offered, and value.  Plus they have excellent fries.)
2. Ray's Hell Burger (Best for flavor and juiciness.  These burgers are huge!)
3. Big Buns (These are good burgers.  They offer a variety of sauces.)
4. Elevation Burger (Ate here once, they were good, but I’ve had better).
5. Good Stuff (Ate here once.  Decent burger, but thought it was over-hyped and expensive.)

Washington Nationals

On Monday we went to the Nationals Home Opener. This was the first time I've been to this park. It was a lot of fun. We baby bjorned Noah on the metro and packed up his diaper bag. I specifically got seats in left field in the back of the section so Noah would be in the shade if it was too sunny or protected if it rained. We were in Section 108 which was also near the Family Restroom. The only negative was that the seats were a little small so I had to make sure Noah wasn't grabbing the guy next to me. We lasted until about the fifth inning when the temperature started to drop. We didn't want Noah to get sick so we decided to leave early. Noah was more interested in watching the scoreboard instead of the field, but otherwise, he had a good time. He was knocked out on the way home. The park also had other things for kids to do like a playground, arcade, and family picnic area. If you're looking for something fun to do with the kids this summer, a baseball game at the Nationals Park is a great idea!

Spring DC Family Events . . .

Been trying to put out more review-type blogs so here’s some up and coming family friendly activities for those in the DC area . . .

Saturday, March 28 –
43rd Annual Smithsonian Kite Festival (http://kitefestival.org/). We’ve been to this event several times and it is always great fun to see all the kites from huge to small filling the sky around the Washington Monument. It is a great way to welcome Spring in the DC area. Even though Noah is too young to fly his own kite, he’ll have lots to see to stimulate his senses. Weather permitting, it is a great time to pack up a picnic (eateries are far and few in this area) and enjoy it with the family on the monument grounds. This event also takes place in close proximity to the cherry blossoms on the tidal basin which are forecasted to bloom from March 28 until April 11 with the peak period from April 1-4. I drove by the cherry blossoms this morning and there wasn’t much to see, but the buds are just starting to open up. Also at the Tidal Basin are cultural performances at the Jefferson Memorial for the National Cherry Blossom Festival (http://nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/cms/index.php?id=390) which kicks off with an opening ceremony at the National Building Museum. Also at the National Building Museum is the Festival Family Day (http://nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/events/eng/event_display.php3?event_id=250) for those looking for indoor activities (the forecast is currently calling for 50% chance of rain) including hands-on activities for the kids, demos, and performances.

Monday, April 13 –
White House Easter Egg Roll (http://www.whitehouse.gov/eastereggroll/). This post is a little late since tickets went on sale and sold out yesterday. The White House decided to do something different this year and make tickets available via their website. In years past, people camped out as early as the afternoon before to attend one of these uniquely DC events that gives the public access to the white house grounds. Tickets were available and released at various times during the day; however, every time I got “thru” I got a message saying that tickets were no longer available. The website was not very user friendly, and apparently the high demand also caused the server to crash several times. Washingtonians are pissed. Anyway the event is open to children under the age of 10 so Noah still has a couple of years to get in. I would love for him to get in just once. I guess we’ll try again next year. At least the hubby is happy I won’t be making him camp out on the Elipse any time soon.