The Jefferson Hotel

This is a loop around Farragut Square that features a statue of Admiral David G. Farragut. Accessibility: There are likely designated accessible spaces in the paved parking lot off of 17th Street Northwest in the Colonial Parking Garage at the east end of the trail. They are likely van-accessible with striped access aisles. All DC Transit stations are designed to be wheelchair-accessible. The trail surface is paved concrete, smooth, and typically at least 6 feet wide. The estimated grade...

Accessibility: There do not appear to be any designated accessible spaces at the start of the trail off of K Street Northwest and 14th Street Northwest. There is paid streetside parking along K Street Northwest. The trail surface is cement, smooth, and typically at least 4 feet wide. The estimated grade is mostly gentle (5% or less) except for one steep (8-12%) downhill section in the southeast section of the park when heading clockwise. Trail goers using wheelchairs/mobility equipment or...

A scenic walk from the White House, along the National Mall, around the Tidal Basin to the Capitol. This is a great way to see all of the Monuments and Memorials of Washington DC, each unique and important in its own way. The walk starts at the White House and continues through the National Mall, along the Reflecting Pool, around the Tidal Basin, and eventually ends at the US Capitol Building and Supreme Court. This tour will take you through many significant eras in the history of the...

Accessibility: There do not appear to be any designated accessible spaces at the start of the trail off of 21st Street Northwest. There is streetside paid parking along 21st Street Northwest The trail surface is asphalt or cement, smooth, and typically at least 4 feet wide. The estimated grade is mostly gentle (5% or less). This trail will likely be navigable for most trail goers using wheelchairs/mobility equipment or strollers. There are benches along the route for resting.

The city is more varied than guidebooks let on, and a whole lot more fun (especially if, like most residents, you have a clear-cut agenda). Travel + Leisure has taken the liberty of dividing families into four special interest groups: political animals, diplomats and spies, history geeks, and artists and aesthetes, and mapped out lots of activities for each. You can even eat and sleep staying true to character. So skip the forced march, the civics-teacher gulag. Take your cue from your...