Travel at Home: Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens

DC has some surprising little bits of nature tucked away.  The National Arboretum is a must-visit, but if you're here in July you really can't miss the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens.  Both are free admission and free parking.  Unfortunately, a car is required to reach this gem.



The park preserves the wetlands that were once widespread in DC (though these are reconstructed).  The showpiece part of the park is a series of small ponds with paths between them, each pond housing its own variety of water lily.  They bloom around July and there is a festival the third Saturday in July each year.



Beyond the ponds there is a much larger wetlands complex with a boardwalk that takes you on a nice little jaunt.  We saw a giant heron perched in a tree in the distance.



Lilies aren't the only flowers in bloom; there are gorgeous wildflowers everywhere.  Wildlife is abundant as well: frogs, butterflies, and a deer that we managed to startle.



If you prefer to stay on solid ground, there is a nice little trail to the Anacostia; it is under a mile and flat (though if you're using a stroller you'd need the jogging variety with big tires).  You hike along the edge of one of the wetlands, which peeks through the trees at you.  At the end the river view is picturesque and there are benches to rest on.



It's recommended to get to the park early to see the maximum number of blooms.  Not being morning people, we arrived in the late afternoon and it was still gorgeous.  You can see the rest of the photos here.

As mentioned, you need a car to get there; be sure to look up directions in advance as it is set into a residential neighborhood.  

Biking the Sligo Creek Trail

 I took the day off work today, and decided that I would celebrate by going for a ride.  I'd only been on the Sligo Creek Trail in Montgomery County, MD once before and the ride had to be abbreviated, so today I wanted to bike the whole distance.

I cheated and started the ride by taking the Metro to the West Hyattsville Station.  The Northwest Branch Trail runs next to the station (come out the faregates and turn right); it connects with the Sligo Creek in something less than a mile.

The trail is a perfect for a nice and easy ride.  It is very flat for DC--it runs along the creek, and the creek doesn't have any rapids, lol--with a slight incline going from W Hyattsville to Wheaton.  The last mile or so is noticeably uphill, but not at all steep.  I was out for a "Sunday drive" kind of ride, slow and meandering.  It took me about an hour of riding time each way.  The trail is 10.2 miles long; according to Google I rode about 9 miles each way so I missed some of the trail at one end or the other.

About 15 minutes into the ride, this happened:



The mother of all blowouts.  Luckily, I had stopped my bike because I was hearing a weird sound.  It turned out, the bead of the tire had come out of the groove of the wheel.  About 10 seconds after I stopped there was a MASSIVE explosion.  It sounded like a gun shot.  I thought I was going to be surrounded by a SWAT team within 3 minutes (nobody ever came).  I can now claim my first successful field change of a tire, pumping with a tiny pump and then having to deflate no fewer than 4 times to get the bead set correctly.  I had brought two tubes with me, along with two patch kits.  I would have needed a whole lot more patch kits if I'd gotten another one of these.  I was nervous the rest of the ride, but luckily both tires held air until I got home.

I rode up to the top of the trail (to Wheaton Regional Park) and turned around.  I took the photos on the way back.  The trail takes you under 495, so beware, those who fear to go outside the Beltway!

 Nearly at the end is the Kemp Mill Shopping Center with several Kosher restaurants, as well as a grocery store and a CVS.  The restroom at the CVS was not terrifying, though it's one of those in the warehouse/back room area.  Staff was nice about letting me in.  I bought packing tape.  It was on sale, buy one get one 50% off.










I stopped at a bench to eat my lunch.  Nice and shaded.



There are areas of young trees (I rode through this water crossing without realizing there was a bridge right next to it)....



and areas of mature trees.



Mostly the creek is still and clear...



Though there are a few parts where it is moving.



The path has dozens of lovely wooden bridges



 and also dozens of playgrounds.

 

Maybe not dozens, but it is so nice for the neighborhoods to have all these little playgrounds everywhere.  They are not full parks--no restrooms or other facilities (hence the CVS).

It's mostly shaded but there are a few fields.  This part is my favorite, only a little bit of a ride from the W Hyattsville Station.



I know the land is clear for the powerlines,



but the tangle of vines and ground cover is so lush!  And there aren't that many wildflowers on the rest of the trail, at least at this point in the summer.

Most of the trail is off road, but there is a small portion on a quiet street with nice little single family homes.



The trail is fairly well signed, though there are some dogleg road crossings where I got confused.  There are two tricky crossings of busy roads where you have a crosswalk and can push a button for flashing lights, but no signal.  The other crossings are on quiet roads or have signals or stop signs.

After a nice 3 hour interlude (well, the 20 minutes changing my tire was not so nice), I was back at the metro.  Bikes are allowed in the DC metro system outside of rush hour.  You must use the front or back door of the car.





All photos are here.

Dandies & Quaintrelles Full Moon Ride

I have been wanting to do an event with Dandies & Quaintrelles (also check out their Facebook page) forever. They, or really he--as it is one very dedicated guy who does most of the work (thank you!)--are the ones who organize the Tweed Ride (I have scoop that it will be mid-November this year) and the Seersucker Social (which I missed, but Cidell attended). Bicycles and dressing up? Truly, two of my very favorite things, and who would have thought the combine them? Brilliant!

Anyway, I finally caught a break with the advent of the White Night/Full Moon Ride tradition! I didn't make the first one in July, but I was determined to go to the August ride. I emailed around and my friend Donna was game (thank you, Donna!). There is never a strict dress code for D&Q events, but there are suggestions. The style guide for Full Moon Rides calls for light colors, but beyond that it is your imagination. The white clothing is both stylish and practical for nighttime visibility.

I had actually completely forgotten about my McCall 5045 50s style dress until I went hunting in my costume/evening closet (not to be confused with my regular closet, my auxiliary summer dress hanging rod outside my regular closet, or my coat closet). It is white, retro, and definitely a full enough skirt to bike in--woo hoo! As you can see, there are all manner of interpretations of the dress code--some people went full retro, others were in t-shirts and shorts...and everyone had a great time regardless of what they were wearing.

This ride was a joint venture with BicycleSpace, a great new bike shop that is really working to create a bike community. I've taken my bike there a couple times and had truly great service at a very reasonable price. We started off with a trumpet calling us to arms (or bikes, as the case may be), followed by a performance of "Night and Day." We were encouraged to sing along, but few of us knew the words so there was a lot of humming and ad lib. Then we were off!

There were somewhere between 50 and 75 people, I would guesstimate. The ride was well-organized, with both leaders at the front and sweepers behind to make sure nobody got lost. The leaders had whistles to make sure cars were aware of us.

The ride was, in a word, awesome. I have no idea how far we biked. Based on the amount of time were out and the landmarks I could recognize my guess is somewhere between 10 and 15 miles. I know that sounds like a lot if you're not big on biking, but I had taken a 40 mile ride earlier in the day out to Mt. Vernon so I was quite depleted. At our pace I did not even feel this ride.

In the middle of the ride we arrived at the Navy Yard area near the Nationals Stadium and took a break for Truckeroo, a monthly food truck gathering. What fun! There were at least a dozen trucks parked in a safely enclosed area with lots of people enjoying their wares. We had met for the ride at 8 so I was plenty ready for dinner. I got the very last portobello panini from Capitol Greenz. Bleu cheese, yum!

We resumed our ride and took a pause at the Capitol to ride around and around the roundabouts (more fun than it sounds), and did a stop at the White House to see the moon shining overhead.

We ended our ride at Logan Circle, spreading out picnic blankets and being serenaded by our trumpet player and a guitar.

I cannot even tell you how much fun I had. My only hesitation about doing a D&Q event was I feared it would be snobby hipsters who would be too busy being cool to have fun and too afraid of losing hipster cred to talk to the likes of me, but I was completely wrong. It turned out that the participants were--wait for it--nerds. Yes. They are my people. Everyone was incredibly friendly. You could pull alongside anyone and start a conversation with them and nobody would miss a beat. I talked to at least a dozen people and didn't meet more only because the evening came to an end. If you're in DC and own a bike, there is literally no reason you should not be doing this. And if you don't own a bike, there are plenty of places to rent one!

Unfortunately, I didn't get a lot of photos because my camera does not take good pictures at night and I need both hands on the handlebars at all times. All my photos are here. There are photos from the previous Full Moon Ride here. It appears I'm the only one who's added photos to the Flickr pool from this ride. So it's hard to tempt you/make you jealous with pictures, but trust me you should be!

Biking to Mount Vernon

I had the day off last Friday and it was an amazing, glorious summer day in which it was possible to be outside, unlike the 100F+ degree days that had kept us cowering indoors the past few weeks. So I decided to go on a long bike ride. The DC area has a plethora of great bike trails (see also, Capital Crescent, C&O Canal, W&OD, Custis, etc.), but I have always been partial to the Mt. Vernon Trail, which runs 18 miles roughly alongside the George Washington Parkway next to the Potomac river from a little north of Teddy Roosevelt Island in Rosslyn (Arlington, Va) to Washington's estate, Mount Vernon. I have ridden along the trail many times, but this was the first time I went all the way to Mount Vernon. I'm hooked!

First of all, the trail is awesome. It is paved, so perfect for biking, and except where it goes through Old Town Alexandria is completely separate from the road and therefore very safe (be sure to share the trail with runners, walkers, and inline skaters). In Old Town, the bike trail runs along low-speed limit streets with good visibility.


There are a few tricky points where the trail seems to disappear. The Park Service Map sort of shows them, but when you're on the ground it can be tough to figure out. The first is when the trail enters Alexandria. You run paralell to some railroad tracks and then it seems to peter out. Stay on the street closest to the river, Union Street, for a couple of miles (look for the bike stencils painted on the road). At the end of Union Street, the trail seems to dead end at a playground. There is a tunnel to your right--head through the tunnel and the signs on the other side direct you to the left along another street. The photo is of the other side of the tunnel--coming back, this is the only hard part because you have to spot the tunnel going off to your right.

Eventually, the street you're riding on is closed to cars but continues as a trail under an underpass and then it really seems to end in an apartment parking complex. To your right is a paved inclined embankment (see photo at right). Bike up the ramp. At the top a huge medallion is embedded in the sidewalk (you can't miss it) and it points to the left for the Mt. Vernon trail.

These small annoyances aside, the trail is phenomenal. It goes through several little ecosystems like the swamp on the left and the marsh at the top of the post. There are several rest areas with bathrooms, many drinking fountains, and dozens of benches and grassy areas to pull over for a rest and to enjoy the scenery.

I pick up the trail from the 14th Street bridge (entrance to the protected bike/pedestrian crossing is near the Jefferson Memorial) in the District, but if you're looking for a shorter ride, bikes are allowed on Metro subject to a few rules--not during rush hour on the weekdays (7-10 am and 4-7 pm) and only in the front and back doors, not the middle door with one bike allowed per door. No extra fare is required. Take the Yellow/Blue line to Braddock Road (a little shorter ride down to the trail) or King Street (a little more scenic, but also more crowded) and ride downhill toward the river until you pick up the trail or Union Street, respectively. From there it's about 10 miles to Mount Vernon.

I am a slow rider; from my door (in the middle of DC) to Mount Vernon took me about two and a half hours. You do not have to be a fitness nut to ride the trail, but you do need to be in reasonable shape. If this is the first exercise you're getting in a couple of years, I can't guarantee you'll make it or that you'll be happy if you do. There are gentle rolling hills and--I'm not going to lie to you--the last mile is almost entirely uphill. The estate is called Mount Vernon, after all. Mile Marker 0 is at Mt. Vernon, so the mile markers count you down and cheer you on as you head toward your goal. Riding back to Alexandria, on the other hand, is practically a coast!



There are plenty of bike racks at Mount Vernon, though when I arrived a Bike'n'Roll tour was obviously on the premises because the rack was full! It must have been a special event because a Mount Vernon tour is not on their website. I have done their Mall tour and highly recommend the company. They also rent bikes and have a location in Old Town.

Admission to Mount Vernon is $15. They have added a visitor's center with a short film in the past few years. I recommend the film, if only to sit in a cool darkened room for a bit and see Pat Sajak in colonial costume.

The house (pictured above) is really only a small part of the Mount Vernon complex. Actually, it is referred to as "The Mansion" but is quite modest by today's standards. The objects and decorations inside are interesting, but after seeing it once I've not waited in the long line again to return. The real draw of the mansion is the one experience you *must* have while visiting: sitting on the back porch overlooking the Potomac. It is a gorgeous, relaxing, timeless experience with great views. No need to wait in line to go through the house for this; just walk around to the back.

The grounds are extensive and well-kept under the "Living History" philosophy. In addition to the Upper Garden's butterfly-attracting flowers, it is still a nominally working farm with fruit trees and a vegetable garden and a few livestock. Allegedly, costumed interpreters work the farming area of the grounds, but I've never managed to catch them even though I have been to Mount Vernon many times. There is a little climb through the forest (the sign estimates 10 minutes) with signage about local plants and wildlife, as well as a nice pier (left) ending in a gazebo from which boat rides depart. I've never taken the boat ride, but you can walk onto the pier without a ticket.

Be sure to pay your respects at Washington's tomb, set up in the location he specified in his will. Washington died with no children--it is suspected that smallpox rendered him sterile--and the estate is run by the Mount Vernon Ladies. In a sense, it is fitting that he had no children because that way all Americans sort of get to "own" him without anyone having a larger claim. The Mount Vernon Ladies definitely take a proprietary interest. During one of my visits there was a Mount Vernon Lady acting as an interpreter at the tomb. I asked her if George and Martha had any children (and thought it odd I didn't already know). She replied that "The General and Mrs. Washington did not have any children." Although nobody owns Washington's legacy, apparently the hoi polloi ought not be too familiar!

The ride back down to Alexandria is a breeze and goes by fairly quickly. Back in Old Town, I kept my eyes out for this welcome sight and stopped for an ice cream lunch (never mind it was 6:00 in the afternoon).

I had such a fun day, though I confess I was pretty beat by the time I finished my ride. I bought an annual pass to Mount Vernon ($25--only $10 more than one time admission) so I'll have to make it back eventually! Just give me a little more time to recover...

All photos are here.

Harper's Ferry, West Virginia

My mother came to visit this weekend, and she wanted to do a day trip and see some historical sites and also take advantage of the nice weather we were having. It was too late in the day to drive to Colonial Williamsburg--a trip I have not yet made--but Harper's Ferry in West Virginia is about an hour and a half drive and had the requisite history and outdoor attractions. The town is run by the National Park Service. Follow the signs to the parking area, and then take the free and frequent shuttle bus down into the town.

Harper's Ferry, built at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers, was established as an armory for the new United States by George Washington. The view was beloved of Thomas Jefferson, and the picture to the left was taken at his favorite lookout spot. It played an important role in the Civil War--including the starting of the war. John Brown staged his famous raid on the armory here, a raid that was successful for a few days and then ended with his execution. He was almost 60 years old when the raid took place. I hope I have that kind of stamina.

The town has been restored and many of the buildings are historical displays of what they would have been like around the time of the civil war. Some are staffed by costumed interpreters, which is always fun.



The rivers are a draw in themselves. The Potomac is popular for tubing, and at the point where the bus drops you off to visit the town the Shenandoah (left) is shallow and calm, very nice for wading.

There are more pictures here.

There is a lot more information in my very first podcast!

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To visit where my podcast is stored, click here. If you are tech-savvy you can probably download it to your iPod from there, but frankly I have no idea how this is done.

United States Botanic Garden: Photographer's Paradise

One of my favorite spots on the Mall is often treated by tourists as a second-class citizen, the United States Botanic Garden. I would call that a misnomer; it's more of a giant greenhouse. The National Arboretum, off the Mall but worth the trip, is the rolling acres of grounds you picture when you hear the words "Botanic Garden."

It's the closest building to the Capitol building on the right (if you're facing the Capitol). It's a gem of a place, small and easy to digest in under an hour but so pleasant you'll want to stay a little longer. It's great for kids because they can make noise and walk a little briskly (though probably not yell and run around). There's a children's garden that is well-maintained with lots of hands-on things to do.

Granted, you won't see the icons of American history, the taxidermied zoo of Natural History, or more fine art than you can shake a stick at, but nature's art is pretty impressive if you ask me. And nature's art is well-curated and ready for the (picture) taking. If you're a photographer, now is the time to bust out the macro setting on your camera and go to town. The gardens are incredibly manicured and it seems as though they are laid out with the photographer in mind. I am not a photographer by any means, but maybe these pictures will give you some ideas of what you're missing out on if you don't make a quick trip into the Botanic Garden. They were taken on a trip to Garden on August 19, 2007. There is always something blooming.