Michelle Obama talks DC for kids, teaching her daughters American history, and what she really thinks of the other first moms

In the upcoming issue of Condé Nast Traveler, Michelle Obama opens up about what it's like to live and raise a family in D.C., her family's new-ish hometown. "Washington is a place to be immensely proud of," she tells the mag, "I want to use my role as First Lady to highlight this city." Ever the enthusiast, Obama shares her daughters' most-loved DC spots (including The Newseum and the Freshfarm Market), her favorite burger joint (Good Stuff Eatery-they've even named a healthy turkey burger after her, "The Michelle Melt") and the places where she most enjoys a romantic date night away from the kids (Restaurant Nora, Blue Duck Tavern).

She also talks about the importance of teaching her girls about American history:
"I felt that my kids learned so much more about the history in Europe than they did here. And I thought, 'Well the only way we're going to do that is to show them, right?" And you can't read about it, you have to go see it. So this summer, I really felt like, instead of putting them in camp, we would have Camp Obama." To that end, Obama took her family on a historic tour of American sites like Monticello and Mount Vernon, and Frederick Douglass's house.

But perhaps our favorite part of the Traveler article is when the first lady gives insight into her predecessors:

"Laura Bush has been and continues to be so incredibly gracious and kind and real in a way that I didn't expect. You don't know the people in this house truly until you get to know them."

"Hilary Clinton's legacy left a space for me to be who I am today. She left open a broader possibility of what a First Lady could be. I don't feel like policy is out of reach. She made that change happen."

"Nancy Reagan came to have lunch with me, and we walked around every single room. I want to make sure that all those First Ladies continue to feel that this is their home."

Check out the whole story here, and photos of the first lady in the White House, right here.

Related:
Video: Mrs. Obama on a White House tour

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