Last week DC Reagan National Airport invited DC Mom Blog Contributors for an absolutely magical morning: Breakfast with Santa! Even the most hesitant little ones in our group totally warmed up to Santa, and it was the perfect opportunity to get us all in the holiday spirit. DCA is our favorite airport for several reasons and now we can add this special memory.
Our morning started with a little meet and greet with Santa in front of Reagan National’s beautiful Christmas tree. Added bonus and attraction was of course watching all the airplanes.
Next we were treated to breakfast with Santa. We sat in the open seating area at Il Viaggio Italian Kitchen and were served breakfast from Kapnos Taverna. All the kids had opportunities to come up and chat with Santa, sit in his lap, and give them their Christmas wish lists.
Santa had the sweetest story time with Christmas themed books that can be found right at the airport. The kids were completely captivated by the books. You can find Leffy Christmas Gift at Pen & Prose, and Where Do Diggers Celebrate Christmas?, Babes in Toyland, Clifford Celebrates Hannaukka and Elmo’s Litte Dreidel at Ink by Hudson.
Several of the toddlers in the group were a little nervous about Santa initially. In fact, my three-year-old really wanted us to turn the car around on the way there. But this low key environment, with an opportunity for him to spend lots of time with Santa, broke down his walls. By the end of our time with Santa, he was goofing around and laughing with Santa while I stood back.
5 Reasons I Love Reagan National Airport
As mentioned, we love Reagan National Airport, and it’s definitely our first choice when planning trips.
1. Proximity
On our trip to Reagan National I was reminded just how easy it is to get there! It took just about 30 minutes from our home in Capital Hill to drive and park there. And, if you don’t want to drive it is metro accessible via both the Yellow and Blue lines (Reagan National has it’s own stop). I’ve lived in other cities with airports far out from the city. It’s an incredible to have an airport so close.
If you prefer to drive, you can even pay ahead and reserve your spot so you don’t have to worry about finding a close one when you arrive.
2. The Views!
Since Reagan National is so close to the city, it provides beautiful views of the monuments and downtown upon arrival.
3. Ease of Getting Around
Reagan National Airport has that small airport feel, with the benefits of a bigger airport. By that, I mean it’s easy to get in and out of, but I can find plenty of affordable and direct flights to places I want to go. Plus since it feels smaller, walking with children in tow is much more manageable. Traveling with kids is already stressful enough, so getting around the airport easily is important to me.
4. Local Offerings at DC National Airport
On our way out, we checked out the current Made in DC Pop Up located right in Terminal B. I saw several things I wanted for myself, but certainly this is also a great spot to pick up some presents on the way out of town on your next visit to DCA. Whether it’s new earrings for yourself, or a cute DC District onesie for a new niece or nephew, it’s definitely worth checking out. They even have a Children’s advent calendar!
We were impressed to hear about all the local restaurants and shops within the airport (and to hear that many of these restaurants are run by small business owners and women). You can find Ben’s Chili Bowl, Starr Hill Brewery, CAVA, Taylor Gourmet or the Good Stuff Eatery just to name a few. Click here to see a full list.
The last time I flew through Reagan National Airport also so pleasantly surprised to see so many of my favorite snacks (for me and my toddler) at the terminal. We’ve had to go gluten free at times, and that can be hard to work around. There are many healthy options that can accommodate different dietary restrictions or choices.
5. Nursing Rooms
It’s always lovely to have the option of a private nursing room – especially when your baby hits that super distracted age where they do best nursing in a quiet location. Reagan National has three nursing rooms available throughout the airport. The nursing rooms have a chair, changing table, outlets and hand sanitizer.
It truly was a lovely experience meeting Santa. I didn’t know how it would go, and whether my little guy would take to Santa, but he did! How did your little ones do with meeting Santa?
Here is to you and your family this holiday season! We hope you have a lovely time with your family. And if you are traveling through Reagan National Airport this season, be sure to check out all the local offerings.
