CHURCHES and CEMETERIES

• Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (beautiful church and grounds)
• Rock Creek Cemetery (park-like setting has many notable mausoleums and tombstones)
• National Cathedral (great view from top)
• Franciscan Monastery (with its arched walkways, 15 miniature outdoor chapels and well-kept garden, the monastery offers a meditative oasis in the city)
• Congressional Cemetery
• Washington D.C. LDS Temple (Huge light display at Christmas time and a large display of nativities from around the world. Temple is closed to the public but there is a nice Visitor Center where they frequently have free concerts in the evening.)
• Christ Church in Old Town Alexandria

GARDENS

• Enid Haupt Garden, behind the Smithsonian castle (BEAUTIFUL during cherry blossom time...escape the crowds of the Tidal Basin and picnic here)
• U.S. National Arboretum (free, beautiful grounds, Bonsai Museum, nice place to bike)
• National Botanic Gardens (wonderful Christmas displays with trains)
• River Farm Garden Park (close, free, beautiful)
• Meadowlark Botanical Gardens
• Dumbarton Oaks (located in Georgetown)
• Green Spring Gardens
• Brookside Gardens
• Ladew Topiary Garden
• Oatlands Estate
• Hillwood Museum and Estate
• Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens
• Winkler Botanical Preserve

OUTDOORS

• Rock Creek Park
• Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park (C&O Canal Trail)
• Bladensburg Waterfront Park (free pontoon boat tours on the Anacostia River)
• National Wildlife Visitors Center
• Turkey Run Park (located off the GW Parkway, picnic areas and lots of hiking trails)
• Prince William Forest Park (hiking/camping/cabins)
• Great Falls State Park
• Patapsco Valley State Park (near Baltimore)
• Sandy Point State Park (beach on the Chesapeake Bay)
• Kayaking on the Potomac (enjoy a unique view of the monuments; rent kayaks in Georgetown)
• Roosevelt Island (Theodore Roosevelt monument and nice walking trail)
• Biking the GW parkway (18 miles from Mount Vernon to Roosevelt Island)
• Scott’s Run Nature Preserve in McLean, Virginia
• Pohick Bay (cabin camping, water park, disc golf, boat rentals)
• National Colonial Farm in Piscataway Park (Accokeek)
• Enid Haupt Garden, behind the Smithsonian castle (BEAUTIFUL during cherry blossom time...escape the crowds of the Tidal Basin and picnic here)
• U.S. National Arboretum (free, beautiful grounds, Bonsai Museum, nice place to bike)
• National Botanic Gardens (wonderful Christmas displays with trains)
• River Farm Garden Park (close, free, beautiful)
• Green Spring Gardens
• Winkler Botanical Preserve
• Meadowlark Botanical Gardens
• Dumbarton Oaks (located in Georgetown; museum and gardens are open to the public)
• Woodys Mini Golf: Perils of the Lost Jungle (rated “Top 5 Mini Golf Courses in America” by Newsweek; this course is awesome!)
• Reston Zoo (encourages animal interaction; wagon ride to see animals included with admission)
• National Zoo
• Water Parks (Great Waves, Pirate’s Cove at Pohick Bay, The Water Mine, Downpour)
• Gravelly Point (watch planes take-off and land at Reagan; also a nice place to walk along the parkway trail or have a picnic)
• National Harbor (nice place to walk around, new location for The Awakening statue, Children’s Museum coming in the future)
• Cunningham Falls State Park (short hike to waterfall, also a lake for swimming)
• Riverbend Park (near Great Falls)
• Fort Washington
• Manassas National Battlefield Park
• Brookside Gardens
• Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens
• Bull Run Regional Park (blue bells in the spring)
• Great Country Farms in Bluemont, Virginia
• Skyline State Park
• Pocomoke River State Park (Maryland)
• Hollin Farms (in Delaplane, VA...pick your own fruit, pumpkins)
• Sky Meadows State Park
• Devils Racecourse hike (along the Appalachian Trail in Maryland)
• Baltimore & Annapolis Trail (biking)
• Hiking on the Cabin John Trail 
• Hiking at Jug Bay Natural Area (16000 Croom Airport Rd, Croom, MD...not to be confused with the Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary in Anne Arundel County) 
• Thompson Wildlife Management Area (amazing display of wildflowers in late spring/early summer, lots of hiking and bird watching) 
• Jones Point Park (New park right under the Wilson Bridge in Old Town. Playgrounds, picnic tables, lighthouse, and great access to the biking trail. Also a great place to start a walk/run/bike ride across the Wilson Bridge to National Harbor.) 
• Oatlands Historic House and Gardens
• Ladew Topiary Gardens
• Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens
• Lilypons Water Gardens
• Seven Oaks Lavender Farm 
• Colvin Run Mill 
• Annmarie Sculpture Garden
• Calvert Cliffs State Park (hike to the beach and look for fossils, also an awesome recycled tire playground) 
• Fletcher's Cove and Boathouse

Back to School...

...and apparently it's 1989. At least that's how I felt after I looked at Amelia's outfit this morning.



Posing in front of the school:





Amelia was so excited to get back to preschool and jumped right into the old routine. She is in the All Stars class at Lee District Rec Center again. I was relieved that I had chosen to stick with only two days a week because it was exhausting getting out the door on time. But she stays for 4 hours which is a nice long break for me.

Amelia left Elsa with a "love bag" this morning. (Apparently, a "love bag" is a bag filled with Elsa's favorite things so she won't be lonely while Amelia is away.)


Elsa REALLY wanted to stay and play in the preschool room.




Amelia with her teachers, Mrs. Wilson and Mrs. Deputy.

First day of school celebration at Krispy Kreme:

ROAD TRIPS

• Annapolis
• Longwood Gardens (located in Pennsylvania, about 110 miles away; these gardens are AMAZING and worth the drive...open year round)
• Harper’s Ferry
• Virginia Beach
• Richmond
• Monticello
• Williamsburg/Jamestown
• Hershey, PA
• Lancaster, PA
• Philadelphia
• Baltimore: Aquarium, Port Discovery Children’s Museum, Fort McHenry, Baltimore Museum of Art, Maryland Science Center, Inner Harbor
• Chincoteague Island/Assateague Island National Seashore
• Shenandoah National Park/ Luray Caverns

FOOD

Click here to see the Washington Post's lists of the best places to eat in several categories. (Best Burgers, Best Cheap Eats, Best Sushi, etc.)

Eammons (fish and chips in Old Town)
Restaurant Eve (Old Town)
The Majestic (Old Town)
Vermilion (Old Town)
Society Fair (Old Town)
Fontaine Caffe and Creperie (in Old Town)
The Dairy Godmother (in the Del Ray neighborhood)
Del Ray Pizzeria
Ben’s Chili Bowl
Gadsby’s Tavern (“Fine Dining Since 1770” in Old Town)
Comet Ping Pong (pizza)
Fast Gourmet in DC (in a gas station near Meridian Hill Park)
Virtue Feed and Grain (Old Town)
Taylor Gourmet (gourmet deli sandwiches and sodas)
Best Buns Bakery
Locolat (Belgian chocolate)
Shake Shack
2Amys
Teds Bulletin
Montmartre
7th Hill Pizza
Pitango (gelato and sorbet)
Ray's Hellburger
Good Stuff Eatery
We the Pizza
Citronelle
Rasika (best Indian)
Sushi-Ko (www.sushiko.us)
BLT  (www.bltsteak.com)
Hook (www.hookdc.com)
Oyamel
Zaytinya
Slice N Dice (Crystal City mall food court)
ACKC (artfullychocolate.com)
Paul (french bakery)
Meiwah 
Jaleo
Founding Farmers
Busboys & Poets
H Street Country Club (fun D.C.-themed indoor mini golf, good food)
Hill Country Barbecue Market
Bobby's Burger Palace (Bobby Flay's new burger joint)
Afterwords Cafe at Kramerbooks
Ris (heavenly butterscotch pudding)
Mangialardo and Sons (traditional Italian subs on the Hill)
Dangerously Delicious Pies
Perrys (rooftop dining in Adams Morgan)
Carmine's (Italian...big portions during restaurant week)
Ardeo+Bardeo (rooftop dining)
Bibiana Osteria-Enoteca (Italian in a romantic setting)
Sushi Taro
Co Co. Sala (amazing brunch involving lots of chocolate!)
Toki Underground
Haandi Fine Indian Cuisine (lunch buffet)
Shophouse Southeast Asian Kitchen
Burger Tap and Shake
Cashion's Eat Place
District Commons (good for restaurant week)
Little Serow (Thai food...$45 fixed price menu)
Palena
Honey Pig (Korean BBQ)
Lunchbox (in Frederick, MD) from chef Bryan Voltaggio
Red Truck Bakery (delicious bakery in Warrenton)
The Green Pig (Clarendon)
Et Voila
Mintwood Place
Marcel's
Union Market
GBD (Golden Brown Delicious donuts)
Astro Doughnuts and Fried Chicken
Pupatella (pizza)
Mellow Mushroom (pizza)

Truckeroo (monthly food truck festival)

MUSEUMS

• Natural History Museum
• American History Museum
• National Air and Space Museum (also check out the Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles Airport)
• National Gallery of Art (“Jazz in the Garden” during the summer)
• Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
• National Museum of the American Indian (excellent cafeteria–we like the Indian Fry Bread with Mexican hot chocolate in the winter)
• National Postal Museum
• U.S. Navy Museum
• National Geographic Museum 
• National Portrait Gallery
• National Building Museum (fun play area for kids, neat building, traveling exhibits are always interesting)
• College Park Aviation Museum
• Corcoran Gallery of Art (free on Saturdays in the summer)
• The Phillips Collection (museum of modern art)
• National Museum of Crime & Punishment
• Spy Museum
• United States Holocaust Museum
• Newseum
• President Lincoln's Cottage
• Sewall-Belmont House and Museum (Headquarters of the historic National Woman’s Party)
• Sackler Gallery and Freer Gallery of Art
• Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
• Lyceum (Alexandria's history museum)
• Drug Enforcement Administration Museum and Visitors Center
• Lincoln Cottage
• Mount Vernon (check out the Candlelight Tour at Christmas time, and many other annual events)
• National Museum of the Marine Corps 
• Textile Museum 
• Art Museum of the Americas
• Museum of Women in the Arts
• Frederick Douglass National Historic Site (You can tour the house or just visit the grounds and visitor center. Nice views of D.C.) 
• Calvert Marine Museum

MONUMENTS/HISTORIC SITES

• Monuments on the National Mall
• Teddy Roosevelt Island
  
• Mount Vernon (check out the Candlelight Tour at Christmas time, and many other annual events)
• Frank Lloyd Wright’s Pope Leighey House/Woodlawn Plantation
• Netherlands Carillon/Iwo Jima
• Manassas National Battlefield Park
• Fort Washington
• George Washington Masonic Memorial
  

THE ARTS

• Fords Theater (newly renovated...check website for schedule of plays)
• Kennedy Center (free concerts every evening; open late...nice views from terrace)
• Wolf Trap (great outdoor performance venue; check the schedule for performances...cheaper lawn seating is usually available)
• Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, VA (This former prison is now much like the Torpedo Factory: you can talk to local artists and watch them work.)
• Torpedo Factory (watch local artists work)