Peterson & Collins Inc

Walking tours would be great if weren't for all that walking. Luckily, there's A Tour De Force: Guided Tours of Washington to the rescue! See some of the city's most popular sites like the White House, the US Capitol and the Lincoln and Vietnam Memorials, all from the comfort of a Segway cycle. You'll be supplied with a helmet and a Segway scooter as well as all the information you need to truly absorb and appreciate the incredible sites that make Washington such a vital place in so many ways. And, you'll see it all without tiring out your feet.

The National Book Festival attracts both writers and readers of some of the world's best-loved books. Several award-winning authors head to the National Mall for this event every September to be on hand for autograph signing and seminar appearances. The kids will love meeting some of the characters from some of their favorite books as they come to life here and are available for photos.

In a world where your kids are enthralled by video games and computers, take them back to a time and place where a well-produced theatrical show meant something special. That place is the Discovery Theater. Part of the Smithsonian, this venue was founded in 1964 as the Smithsonian Puppet Theater. The ways that the stories are presented may have changed, but the original spirit is still very much alive. The kids will see fun and educational presentations and attractions that include everything from Polynesian dancing to live snake shows and dazzling magicians. The Discovery Theater is truly a great choice for family friendly fun.

The Washington and Old Dominion Trail (W&OD or "Wad") is an excellent recreation trail that runs through the Northern Virginia counties. The 45-mile trail is completely paved with nine foot wide asphalt and has a yellow painted center line. To run the whole trail and back means you're looking at a 90-mile trek, but it can be done over the course of two days thanks to the hotels and bed and breakfasts along the trail. The only real complaint from bikers is that there's much traffic most of the time due to the Wad's immense popularity.