Local Summer Activities

Summer Fun at Gaylord National & Giveaway

by sarah on 06/01/2012

Shrek and Friends at Gaylord National

Our family loves Gaylord National, a gorgeous hotel nestled in the National Harbor!  For the adults, there are lots of great shops and restaurants to enjoy throughout National Harbor; and, for the children, Gaylord offers a host of fun activities.  If you’re looking for a getaway this summer, but want to stay close to home, do consider heading to Gaylord for a weekend.  I guarantee that you won’t want to leave!

With the coming of summer, Shrek and his friends are headed to Gaylord National Resort for the ultimate vacation in the Capital region! Children and families of all ages can join them with Gaylord’s all-new Summer Fun with Shrek & Friends package – available on weekends from May 25 through September 2, offering unforgettable experiences with world-famous DreamWorks characters.  Guests at Gaylord National Resort will be greeted with a DreamWorks activity book and a pair of Shrek ears, as well as a priority reservation for the ShrekFeast interactive character meal – where you’ll become an honorary ogre or ogress.

Additional activities and excitement for the whole family include: 

:: A DreamWorks Character Parade Front-of-line access to DreamWorks character Meet and Greets
:: A Puss In Boots Quest for the Magic Beans Scavenger Hunt
:: Family movie on the pool deck (weather permitting)
:: Souvenir family photo Special wake-up calls by DreamWorks characters
:: FREE Fireworks Show over the Potomac River on Saturday nights!*

Prices start at $229 for one night, and $379 for two nights (Per room plus tax, resort fee and parking. Limited availability. Extra nights and atrium upgrades may be available at prevailing rates. Not retroactive or combinable with other offers or groups. Other restrictions may apply). To book a Summer Fun with Shrek & Friendspackage at the Gaylord National Resort, visit www.DreamWorksExperienceatGaylordNational.com or call (301) 965-4000.

Can’t make it for the entire weekend? Join them for a little “fairy tale fun” with Princess Fiona’s Cookie Castles on Friday and Saturday afternoons. You’ll have sticky fun decorating your very own sugar cookie castle with candy and royal icing. Then, you’ll be dubbed an official “knight” or “lady” of Far Far Away by Princess Fiona, AND receive an official souvenir royal scroll.  Price is $29.99 plus tax per castle.  This is a one-hour experience, starting at 4PM.

And, be sure to stay a little later to enjoy their free weekend offerings, which include a Saturday Night Fireworks Shows over the Potomac River; Atrium Aerial Dancers Show – featuring aerialists suspended from our 19-story atrium; and a DreamWorks Character Parade Atrium Fountain Show.  These fun, family activities will be available all summer long (through September 2), and are open to both daytime hotel visitors and overnight hotel guests.

:: Giveaway Details ::
The best part?  We have a certificate to Princess Fiona’s Cookie Castles to give to one of my lucky readers, so your little “knight” or “lady” can enjoy decorating a sugar cookie castle of their own!  To enter, just let me know whether you’ve ever been to Gaylord National! 

This contest is open to the US and will close at 11:59 PM on June 14, 2012.  I will draw the winner by Random.org, and they will have 48 hours to respond to the email notification that they won.  Their certificate will be mailed directly to them.

For extra entries:
1) Follow Gaylord National and Capitally Frugal on Twitter.  (Leave your Twitter ID.)
2) “Like” Gaylord National on Facebook. (Leave your Facebook ID.)
3) “Like” Capitally Frugal on Facebook. (Leave your Facebook ID.)
4) Tweet about this giveaway, including @capitallyfrugal and @GaylordNational in your tweet.  (Leave a link to your tweet.)  Sample tweet: I want to win a Princess Fiona’s Cookie Castle Experience from @GaylordNational & @Capitallyfrugal! You can enter too: http://www.capitallyfrugaldc.com/2012/06/01/summer-fun-at-gaylord-national-giveaway/
 
Disclosure: I received no monetary compensation for this review – I just love running giveaways for my readers!

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Wolf Trap Giveaway {Tickets to the King & I}

by sarah on 05/29/2012

Filene Center, Credit to Robert Llewellyn

This August, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s famous musical, The King & I, will hit the stage at Wolf Trap.  The original run of The King & I was awarded 5 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Actress, and Best Actor and includes the classic songs “Getting to Know You,” “I Whistle a Happy Tune,” “Happy Young Lovers,” and my favorite, “Shall We Dance.”  I’m sure the majority of you are familiar with the King & I’s heart-rending story line of a British schoolteacher who tames the heart of the unbendable King of Siam – but, its gorgeous music and dance makes it a classic that can never be seen too many times!

You can choose from the following performances: August 31st at 8:00 PM; September 1st at 2:00 PM or 8:00 PM; and September 2nd at 2:00 PM or 8:00 PM.  And, tickets range in price from $20 – $80, depending on the time and location of your seat.  For those of you on a budget, I highly recommend the Lawn Seats – many of our friends get there early (to insure a good seat) and take a picnic dinner to enjoy while they wait for the performance to begin. 

Or, for those of you who would rather not cook, Wolf Trap’s Ovations Restaurant offers a pre-event buffet or á la carte items from your favorite area restaurants, including J. Paul’s, Georgia Brown’s, Neyla, Paulo’s, and more.  Ovations opens 2 ½ hours prior to show time, and reservations are strongly recommended.  For a slightly cheaper option, let Capital Restaurant Concepts, Official Picnic Caterer of the Wolf Trap Foundation, prepare your picnic under the stars.

The King & I is just one of the many shows that will be held at Wolf Trap’s Filene Center this summer.  Be sure to check out their entire list of performances – you will find it difficult to just pick one!  Some of the events I’ve drooled over are Yanni, the Pirates of Penzance, ABBA, and the Sound of Music Sing-A-Long.

:: Giveaway Details ::
The best part?  We have a family four pack of tickets to the King & I (you can choose your show, subject to availability) to give to one of my lucky readers.  To enter, just let me know your favorite of Wolf Trap’s summer performances!  This contest is open to the US and will close at 11:59 PM on June 14, 2012.  I will draw the winner by Random.org, and they will have 48 hours to respond to the email notification that they won.  I will then put them in touch with my contact at Wolf Trap, and they will be able to coordinate ticket pick-up, show of choice, and date.

For extra entries:
1) Follow Wolf Trap and Capitally Frugal on Twitter.  (Leave your Twitter ID.)
2) “Like” Wolf Trap on Facebook. (Leave your Facebook ID.)
3) “Like” Capitally Frugal on Facebook. (Leave your Facebook ID.)
4) Tweet about this giveaway, including @capitallyfrugal and @Wolf_Trap in your tweet.  (Leave a link to your tweet.)
 
Disclosure: I received no monetary compensation for this review – I just love running giveaways for my readers!

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Review & Giveaway {Tickets to the Spy Museum}

by sarah on 05/24/2012

I’m sure many of you are wondering whether I mysteriously disappeared down a black hole  – but, never fear, our family is visiting my parents who live 5,000 miles away!  We’re treasuring the time we have with them, so posts will be a little sparse over the next two weeks, but I have lots of fun giveaways for you to enjoy in my absence!

Spy School Courtesy of the Spy Museum

A few weeks ago, we suggested you add Wolf Trap’s Children’s Theatre in the Woods to your “Must-Visit” list this summer; and today, we will be highlighting the awesome International Spy Museum.  My husband and I visited the International Spy Museum when it first opened in 2002, and found it highly entertaining.  And, last year, after my intrigue-loving brother-in-law begged and pleaded, we took him for a visit.  We chuckled over the 1960′s version of “high-tech” spy gadgets and wondered how on earth we survived the Cold War with such hugely obvious listening devices!  The guys drooled over James Bond’s “spy car” and I enjoyed reading the interesting historical facts about the KGB.

For those of you who are not as familiar with the Spy Museum, it is the only public museum in the US dedicated to espionage and the only one in the world that provides a global perspective on the subject.  According to their website, it features the largest collection of international espionage artifacts ever placed on public display, many of which have never been released before.

I love that the Spy Museum lets you delve into the world of spooks, by allowing you to adopt a cover, break codes, and identify disguised spies.  If you’d like to bump up the intrigue, you can choose to become an “Operation Spy.”  For one intense hour, you will be on a mission to isolate a missing nuclear trigger.  Just crack a few safes, interrogate a suspected double agent, decode a few messages, and you will rival Jack Bauer…well, at least, for a blissful 60 minutes.

Parents, to make the experience even more rewarding for your child, take some time to look at all the Educator Resources that the Spy Museum offers.  Their guides offer questions for discussion, activity suggestions, and books and websites for further reference.  If you spend a few days leading up to your visit reading about the Cold War or the science behind the cool espionage gadgets, your child/family will have a better understanding of the history behind the Museum.  And, you’ll get in some summer time reading and learning without too much pain!

:: Admission Fees :: 
Adults & Children (ages 12+): $19.95
Seniors (65+) & Military/Intelligence Community: $14.95
Children (ages 5-11): $13.95
Operation Spy Only (ages 12+): $14.95

:: Giveaway ::
And, the part all of you have been waiting for…  The Spy Museum is offering a pack of four tickets to one of my lucky readers.  This giveaway is open to the US, and I will choose the winner by Random.org on June 14, 2012.  To enter, just let me know whether you’ve ever visited the Museum before.
For extra entries:
1) Follow Capitally Frugal & the International Spy Museum on Twitter. (Please leave your Twitter ID.)
2) “Like” the International Spy Museum on Facebook. (Please leave your Facebook ID.)
3) Tweet this giveaway and leave the link to your tweet! (Please include @IntlSpyMuseum and @capitallyfrugal in your tweet.)
Disclosure: I received no compensation for this review – I was just given tickets to give away to one of my readers.t

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AMF Bowling {Free Bowling for Kids}

by sarah on 05/08/2012


Select AMF bowling centers are offering two free games of bowling per day, until 8 PM, for kids 15 and under. (Keep in mind that shoe rental is not included.)  This offer is valid, starting Monday, May 14 and lasts through Monday, September 3 (Labor Day).  Parents, just need to visit the AMF website to select a participating center (over 250 locations) and complete a simple registration form.  Then, free game coupons will be emailed to you every week, beginning May 14th. To read the full article…

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Local Summer Activities: Wolf Trap {& Giveaway}

by sarah on 05/03/2012

Last summer’s list of local family activities was so popular that I will be running a series of posts again, throughout the month of May.  Many of them will have giveaways to go along with them to make them even more exciting, so be sure to check back frequently!

One of my favorite family-friendly venues is Wolf Trap – their music programs are phenomenal, and I love all the guest artists they bring into town!  And, since any music sets my four year old’s feet tapping and arms waving, I’m thrilled that she’s finally old enough to enjoy Wolf Trap’s summer theatre this year!

Every summer, Wolf Trap hosts “Children’s Theatre-in-the Woods“, a beloved outdoor theatre for children, which has been a tradition for generations.  This annual series of over 30 performances kicks off on June 26th and continues through early August, and is set in a picturesque grove amidst 117 wooded acres.  These family-friendly shows last approximately 45-60 minutes, and begin at 10:30 AM on Tuesdays through Saturdays.  It’s a place where your children will enjoy lively adventures in music, dance, storytelling, puppetry, and theater. All performances are recommended for children between Pre-Kindergarten (age 4) and 6th grade.

The 2012 season will offer a diverse array of performance genres including kindie rock, Latin, Afro-Caribbean, country, folk, jazz, bluegrass, and pop-rock, as well as Irish dance, ballet, puppetry, and musical theatre. Thirteen new artists will grace the outdoor stage including Justin Roberts,German puppeteer Matthias Kuchta, jazz group Coal Train Railroad, and the  drama ensemble Pushcart Players. Three audience favorites will also return this year: the Culkin School of Traditional Irish Dance, DinoRock, and pop-rock singer Robbie Schaefer, the guitarist for the popular Virginia-based pop band Eddie from Ohio and host of Sirus XM Radio’s Kids Place Live. To read more…

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