This was our first visit to Washington DC area as a family. We stayed at the beautiful Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor. I was really impressed with the National Harbor layout. It was a family friendly resort community along the Potomac River, just south of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge.

The National Harbor resort community was designed like a small town, with block after block of retail shops, dining, residential and hotels. The waterfront area was stunning with a sandy beach, marina, pier, carousel, ferris wheel, swan paddle boats and restaurants overlooking the Potomac. The sidewalks and streets were filled with pedestrian traffic and reminded me of a bustling little town.

While there were numerous places to eat great good, we especially liked Rosa Mexicano, Mexican restaurant where we dined al fresco, discussed our sightseeing plans and people watched. The fresh guacamole and enchiladas were excelente!

My children especially liked the Capital Wheel, a 180 foot high ferris wheel that gave the best views of National Harbor and the surrounding Washington DC area.  At nighttime, the Capital Wheel lights up and becomes a wonderful illumination backdrop to the resort community’s nightlife.

We also visited The National Zoo to see the Pandas, of course!  It was a sunny Spring day and the kids had a great time viewing the animals. The zoo is part of the Smithsonian Institution and therefore does not charge admission. The grounds were beautiful and all food selections were good and reasonably priced.

This was a wonderful destination to visit with lots to see and do. If you have not yet discovered National Harbor or had the opportunity to visit the National Zoo, you should add these to your family travel “must do” list. We are already making plans to come back next Spring. Buen viaje!

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