It’s election year. People have started the debates on who they would like to see elected, and of course, it gets you thinking of Washington, D.C. We decided as a family to spend this summer visiting the nation’s capitol.

First things first:  If you are planning a trip to Washington D.C., you should contact your state representative to request tours of the Capitol Building and White House at least six months in advance. In addition to those two prominent places, if you want to go to the observation deck of the 550-foot-tall Washington Monument, then it is best to book your free tickets online in advance. There is a service fee of $2 to do this via the internet; however, it will save you from waiting in long lines early in the morning.

Across from the Washington Monument, you will want to get in line at the Bureau of Printing and Engraving by 6:30 a.m. for a same-day tour of the facility where approximately $640 million dollars is printed each day! You can see skids of dollar bills totaling a million dollars on the floor of the printing area. The tour highlights the printing process and the security features within the bills that aren’t visible to the eye. These tickets are also free.

Don’t miss going out to Arlington National Cemetery. The tomb of the Unknown Soldier is phenomenal, with changing of the guard every half hour in the summer to safeguard this tomb. The soldiers are vigilant while marching 21 steps, pausing for 21 seconds while holding their rifle always away from the tomb. They also wet their gloves so the rifle doesn’t slip out of their hands while marching. Also located in the cemetery are the graves of JFK, Jackie O and Robert Kennedy, among others.

Speaking of free, D.C. is home to the Smithsonian Institute, which contains 19 museums and nine research centers locally and over 140 museums worldwide — all free! We toured the Air and Space Museum, which the kids absolutely adored. We saw the actual flyer that the Wright Brothers made their famous Kitty Hawk flight inside. Only 10 percent of the museum’s collections are actually on exhibit in this location at any given time. You also can take a trip out to the hanger in Washington Dulles International Airport, called the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, and see many other planes and a full-scale engineering prototype of the Mars Pathfinder Lander, among other highlights. The museum of Natural History is also a “must” with the kids.

Keep your eyes open while walking in the D.C. streets. We saw a motorcade for Vice President Dick Cheney heading to the Capitol.

Don’t miss seeing the Bill of Rights, Constitution and The Declaration of Independence at the National Archives. You also won’t want to forget The Library of Congress, which holds Thomas Jefferson’s amazing library. The Lincoln Memorial is mammoth, and is made with Indiana Limestone.

From D.C., there are a few other cities just a short drive away that are worth checking out if you have the time. Annapolis, home to the US Naval Academy, is gorgeous. A quaint little town with charming shops along the Chesapeake Bay, this town is filled with history. Also along the harbor, Baltimore is a busier city, with many memorable sights and the National Aquarium.

Where did you go on your summer vacation? Check back on atGeist.com soon for details on our next photo/essay contest. In the meantime, continue to enjoy your summer at Geist!

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