Family of 6 visiting D.C. for the first time this month.
1. I keep reading one should stay at the Embassy Suites is in DuPont Circle. The Embassy Suites site doesn't recognize "DuPont Circle". Anyone know the street?
2. Kids are 4,6,11,14. What is the best way to see D.C. considering their ages?
3. What is a Segway Tour?
4. Kids want to see the Mint (as it was called when I was a kid). Do we need advance tickets?
5. Need 2 or 3 kid-friendly, yet unique restaurants-any suggestions?
Thanks for your help.

The hotel is at 1250 22nd St. NW.

The only Embassy Suites in that area is the "Embassy Suites Hotel Washington, DC" on 1250 22nd St NW. Its about 1/3 mile, or about 4 blocks along New Hampshire Ave from Dupont Circle.

Embassey Suites is on 22nd St. NW

There is no mint in D.C. Perhaps you are talking about the Bureau of Printing and Engraving? They do bills and other paper currency products; a mint does coins.

With the kids, a Segway tour is out.

It's touring the city on a Segway.
http://www.citysegwaytours.com/washi...way-nigh.shtml

Food isn't that great, but if the kids haven't been to an ESPNZone, then that's a possibility. (Take aspirin/ear plugs for the adults ...)

Also, there's the dining at the Indian Museum, a wide range of America foods including at times buffalo in various forms such as tacos and burgers.

Not to make your trip-planning any more difficult, but I seriously would vote against the ESPNZone in DC for a meal. It is the worst meal I have had in years, and it cost about 4 times what it should have cost. You can take the kids there to play the games, but only stay for a meal if under extreme duress. Honestly, I'd let them play the games and watch TV, then take them across E Street to Harry's for burgers or grilled cheese. Harry's is cheap and good, but it's not much to look at (and it's directly across the street from the ESPN Zone).

Agree that the Segway Tour is out if you're with kids.

You'll need advance tickets for the Bureau of Engraving.
http://www.moneyfactory.gov/locations/section.cfm/20/21

As I mentioned, food isn't the reason to go to ESPNZone, but my trips (only with kid groups) have been OK and not that much different in price for the area.

http://espn.go.com/espninc/zone/s/WashingtonDCmenu.html

Never been that impressed with Harry's. Cramped space and usually crowded with school groups from the horrible hotel it's in. Decent burgers but little else. Different strokes, I guess.

A lot depends on how adventurous of easters the kids are, too. Some kids would do great at a small plates place like Jaleo. If you get a nice day and would like to east outside, you could get a nice variety of stuff at Old Ebbitt Express -- and take it to the Ellipse. Four bucks for a nice plate of pasta of the day.

http://www.ebbitt.com/main/home.cfm?...Ebbitt_Express

Even Old Ebbitt itself might be an option -- if the kids can sit for a bit. It's pricier than the Express but it's a bustling historic room and has a big menu.

http://www.ebbitt.com/main/home.cfm?...Category=Menus

just got back from dc over the 4th (throught the 10th). Yes, get to the bureau of engraving by 8am for daily tickets given out, or talk to your congressman about arranged tickets. Old Ebbitt's Grill is a must do, I brought my two boys 9 and 11 and it was great, the maitre 'd was very nice to us and gave us a great booth. Skip espn, a nightmare, do spy museum, near that area. dupont circle is a bit seedy, i thought. we stayed at the george near the capitol, great location, and near union station, much cleaner than dupont area i thought. also liked the dubliner in our area for easy dinner if you are in the hood. you can get tickets through the national park service for the washington monument (in advance), much better than queing up at 8am!! also, the cafe at the national gallery of art was good, and kid friendly...we ate there twice as very convenient. the air and space museum's food is a joke. also heard cafe at american indian museum was good, have fun, tell george hello!

i think the williard hotel was convenient to white house and all, rate on expedia was good, didn't do it, but nice location, also, cabs are cheap and soooo easy, don't walk your feet off!

While everyone has the right to define "seedy," I think most people would argue that Capitol Hill near the Hotel George is "seedier" than DuPont Circle. Why did you find the Circle seedy?

My family and I just got back from DC last week. We spent 3 nights at the Doubletree Suites on New Hampshire Ave--nice suite hotel with large rooms, only 1/2 block from the Foggy Bottom Metro stop. My kids are 8 and 11, and we took the Metro everywhere--very easy to get around.

I second the recommendation for the Spy Museum--about 2.5 hours of interesting exhibits. And, we ate at Harrys--nothing special, but reasonable prices for decent burgers.

We stayed at the Embassy Suites a few years ago - this area is anything but 'seedy' - possibly one of the nicest neighborhoods in DC, quiet and safe. Dupont Circle is a few blocks away, which is a lively, artsy, area with lots of places to eat. The Luna Grill is a fun place for kids - lots of inexpensive kid friendly food.
For a good lunch option with kids, check out the Post Office building just a few blocks from the Mall. It has a food court with several fast food places, and a great observation tower.
I would thing the Air and Space Museum, and the Natural History Museum (dinosaurs) would be the top attractions for youngsters.

I was just as surprised as these seem, it was the street people and trash that made it seem seedy, just an opinion, and i would think a train station area would be worse...maybe more attention has been paid to clean it up, not that there weren't street people and trash there too...just my feeling in both areas...i think too, i EXPECTED dupont circle to be nice and just didn't find that immediate area to be...granted there are some nice hotels in the area i am sure. take your pick, i think i would look for a hotel near the white house to be MOST central. Only an opinion, my friends...

Pizzeria Paradiso is very good in Dupont Circle too.

amen to that...there is also a location in Georgetown. Very good a kid friendly.

i live in DC and agree with the description of dupont circle being seedy due to the large amount of trash in the circle over the weekend. it is truly awfull. We pay enough tax dollars that the city should pick up trash in the parks on the weekends.

DC should take a look at Rittenhouse Square in Philly if they want to see how to set up a beautiful park for people to use. Of course, Rittenhosue is taken care of by the park buildings that surround the park but it is really how a park shoud look.

Sarah,
We just got back this week and stayed at the Omni Shorham thru Quikbook.com for only $99. We had two queen beds and a balcony. Room and hotel were very nice and we no almost no signs of bad upkeep. I think I saw one corner of wallpaper turning up and our sink was cracked. But they took care of us whenever we asked and we were very happy there. One block from metro station and we were on it once or twice a day. Couple of the restuarants near there were good too. The Open City is good for breakfast and busy everytime we came by it. Chipotes on the corner was handy for dinner one night, and MacDonalds was good enough for breakfast another day when we had to hurry.
As for downtown, we didn't do so good being near recomm restuarants when we were ready to eat. We did the food court in the Old Post Office twice, Union Square once and Hard Rock once. We didn't want to spend big bucks or 1.5hrs to eat as we were always in hurry. In five days, we still did not see all that we had hoped to, even with four tours already scheduled.

I also saw today that LeElafant was running $99 specials 7 days a week with full breakfast. So you might find good deal.