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Megan | Family Friendly Travel • Local Adventures

@explore.with.megan

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📍 Washington, DC
👩🏻👧🏻 Mom of 2
Travel • Local Gems • Mom Life

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We are moving to Washington DC! 🏛️

My husband and I had no idea our next move would bring us all the way across the country! We are so excited about this new adventure, but of course it’s bittersweet. We will miss so many wonderful people that we have met over the past decade living in Portland.

All of my Portland content will still live here, it’s not going anywhere! However moving forward, I will be sharing our life as we explore Washington DC. I hope you’ll keep following along 🥰

Let’s goooo! 👏 by @explore.with.megan

Looking for a BIG indoor adventure for the kids?🤸‍♀️🎉 #hosted

We were invited to visit @funboxbowie in Maryland, and this place is HUGE! 🙌 It’s FUNBOX’s biggest location yet, with a 20,000-square-foot indoor playground! 🤯

The girls had so much fun exploring all the different attractions, including:
✨ Giant inflatable slides
✨ Obstacle courses
✨ Climbing challenges
✨ Cotton Candy Machine
✨ Arcade games and more!

It’s a great option for a family outing, especially on rainy or cold days when the kids need to burn off some energy! And yes, adults can join in on the bouncing fun, too! 😆

👀 Good to know: FUNBOX grip socks are required, and you can purchase them there.
0–5 year-olds MUST be accompanied by a ticketed adult or chaperone inside the bounce park

📍3861 Evergreen Parkway, Bowie, MD 20716
🎟️ 90-Minute FunBox Pass:
Ages 6+ $22.95, Ages 3-5: $17.95, 0-2: FREE (when accompanied by ticketed adult)
🎟️ Ultimate VIP Pass (includes 2 hours of play & $10 arcade card):
Ages 3–5: $26.95, Ages 6+: $28.95, 0-2: FREE (when accompanied by ticketed adult)

Save this for your next family adventure around the DMV! ❤️ by @explore.with.megan

🎃🧱 Looking for a fun Halloween activity in the DC area? @legodiscoverycenters is celebrating Brick or Treat all month long! #hosted

Through October 31, the kids can enjoy Halloween-themed LEGO building activities, special glow-in-the-dark workshops, and The Great Monster Chase 4D movie! 👻 It’s the perfect indoor adventure for LEGO lovers, and the best part? The Halloween activities are included with general admission!

📍 Address: 6563 Springfield Town Center, Suite 12004, Springfield, VA 22150
📅 When: October 1–31, 2026
🎟️ Tickets: $24.99 online, $27.99 at the door

Save this for your next family outing, and tag someone who would love this spooky LEGO adventure! 🎃

#LEGODiscoveryCenter #explorewashingtondc #lego #DCWithKids by @explore.with.megan

🦖 SAVE THIS FOR YOUR NEXT DC DAY WITH THE KIDS! 👇#hosted

If you have a kid who is OBSESSED with dinosaurs, put this on your list! 🦕🌋

The NEW Dinosaurs: Land of Fire and Ice exhibit at the @nationalchildrensmuseum is officially open, and my kids had so much fun exploring it!

This isn’t a “look but don’t touch” exhibit — kids can actually climb, crawl, dig, create and explore! 🙌

🦖 Climb on dinosaurs
🌋 Explore a volcano
🛘 Crawl through a cave
🦴 Dig for fossils
🔎 Go on a prehistoric scavenger hunt
🧩 Try hands-on dinosaur activities & puzzles

📍 National Children’s Museum
1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC
🎟️ $18.95 per person ages 1+, Under 1 is FREE, Members are FREE
⏰ Open 9:30 AM–4:30 PM
🚫 Closed Tuesdays

🗓️ Dinosaurs: Land of Fire and Ice is here through January 10, 2027.

📌 SAVE this for your next DC adventure and send it to the dinosaur-loving parent in your life! 🦖 by @explore.with.megan

🩷🩵 If your kids LOVE slime, add this one to your DMV bucket list! 👇🏼

@sloomooinstitute just opened at Tysons Corner Center and it’s a giant, immersive slime playground! 🤩

There are 13+ interactive “slimescapes,” a slime basin you can actually WALK on slime and tons of sensory stations. Tickets include a DIY Slime Bar where you can create your own slime to take home! 🫧✨

And yes… you can even get SLIMED! 😂💦 That experience is an additional upgrade.

📍 Sloomoo Institute
Tysons Corner Center
1961 Chain Bridge Rd, Suite J016LA
Tysons, VA 22102
(Level 1, near Nordstrom)

🎟️ Pricing: Weekdays $34.99
Weekends: $36.99–$37.99
Everyone 2+ needs a ticket, and admission includes your custom DIY slime.

⏰ Hours: Hours vary by day, so check the ticket calendar for the current available times. The experience typically takes 60–90 minutes.

🚗 Parking: Free parking is available in the Blue Garage at Tysons Corner Center.

👚 Tip: Wear clothes you don’t mind getting messy in! Long hair should be tied back, and definitely leave the good shoes at home. 😂

Would your kids love this?! 🩷

#SloomooInstitute #SloomooDC #TysonsCorner #DMVKids #DCWithKids by @explore.with.megan

🫧✨ Bubble Planet Experience 🫧

Last weekend we visited @bubbleplanetexperience , an immersive experience with 11 themed rooms & installations filled with colorful lights, giant balloons, bubbles, projections, optical illusions and interactive spaces. 🫧🌈

📍 524 Rhode Island Ave NE, Washington, DC
🎟️ $23-$32/adults, $18-$24/child
Kids 2 & under are FREE (VR experience is extra $)
✨ VIP: $32-$41 and includes the VR experience + souvenir
🅿️ Paid parking
⏰ Plan for about 60–90 minutes.

A few things to know:
✔️ It’s self-guided, so you can move through the installations at your own pace
✔️ There are tons of photo opportunities 📸
✔️ Socks are required for the Bubble Pit area
✔️ The installations are a mix of bubbles, balloons, lights, projections, sensory experiences and interactive play

If you’re looking for something different from the usual DC museums, this is definitely one to add to your list! 🫧💗 by @explore.with.megan

One thing about me…I will find any and all Pokemon themed treats 😇

____________

Washington DC
Pokemon Donuts
Krispie Kreme
Explore DC with kids
Dc Mom by @explore.with.megan

We are officially Washingtonians 🏛️

We had a few free days before the girls started school so we tried to pack as much in as we could! @museumofillusions_dc was so fun! We also really enjoyed the @nationalchildrensmuseum and @smithsoniannmnh 🤍

It still doesn’t quite feel real that we’ve said goodbye to Portland. I already miss it so much 🥹

If you’ve been to DC or lived here in the past, comment what we should do next! ⬇️

#washingtondc #dcmoms #museumofillusions by @explore.with.megan

Only a few more weeks until we move our family across the country to Washington DC!

We’ve made 6 years worth of memories in this house and I’m so thankful @rachelbrooksteinphotography could capture these photos in our cosiest spaces. [gifted]

The couch where we snuggled up for movie nights every weekend

The playroom where the girls’ imaginations ran wild and they made every craft imaginable

The backyard where we picked berries from our garden, and the girls would swing for hours

Their bedrooms where we read them bedtime stories each night

Thank you @rachelbrooksteinphotography for making sure we never forget this house that became a home.

Rachel is currently booking Fall Sessions, and if you mention this post you’ll receive $100 off your booking! 🤍 by @explore.with.megan

August tends to be the hottest month of the year in Portland, and that means it’s peak splash pad season!

Every Friday this summer, @explore.with.megan, @daniee.marieee and I have been showcasing a few of our favorite splash pads and interactive fountains in and around Portland.

Here’s some more info about the splash pads featured in this reel 👇

💦 Tanner Creek Park
📍3456 Parker Rd, West Linn, OR 97068

This West Linn splash pad is perfect for younger kids. The sprays aren’t too big and there’s plenty of room to run around. There’s also a playground, field and large picnic shelter that makes it the perfect spot for a summer picnic!

💦 Columbia Park & Annex 📍 4503 N Lombard St, Portland, OR 97203

This splash pad is SO whimsical, featuring giant flower spray structures.

💦 Conestoga Recreation and Aquatic Center Splash Pad
📍 9985 SW 125th Ave, Beaverton, OR 97008 🎟️ $5.75/child (resident); $7.75/child (non-resident)

This splash pad is great for toddlers as it is completely fenced in! There are change rooms inside the facility and lots of shaded seating.

This is the last part in our series but summer is far from over! What’s your favorite splash pad in the Portland area? Let us know in the caption! by @explore.with.megan

[gifted] Somehow I am carrying MORE in my bag than I did when my kids were babies 🤣

A good quality backpack is essential for a day trip with the girls. The Cascade Backpack from @portlandgear has been amazing for storing the 18374783 snacks my kids need.

Check out the new @portlandgear location at @washingtonsq 🤍
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#portlandgear #pdxnow #pdxmom by @explore.with.megan

The cutest new restaurant opened with a patio that is perfect for a girls night out!

[hosted] @hearthandvinepdx is a New American Brasserie that recently took over the Henry Weinhard Building in the Pearl District. They’re serving up delicious food and drinks with a seasonal approach based on fresh ingredients from the Pacific Northwest, and everything we tried was SO GOOD!

Here’s what we ordered:

🍸 Pickle Martini off the Make Your Own Martini menu
🧀 Burrata
🦐 Shrimp cocktail
🍅 Margherita Pizza
🥩 Painted Hills Filet Mignon
🍨 Skillet brownie & ice cream

Have you been to Hearth & Vine yet? Let us know in the comments!

Best patio Portland, New restaurants Portland, Best restaurant Northwest Portland

#hearthandvine #parentsnightoutpdx #nwportland #exploreportland #pdxeats by @explore.with.megan