Tag Archives: Spring in DC Area

Spring in DC Area – 3 More Beautiful Spaces to Visit

We have a Special Guest Blogger who has written a series of posts highlighting places to visit during spring in DC. Sara is a longtime host mom in our cluster.
Post 5 of a 5 part series. To read all the posts click HERE.

Azalea_Glenn-Dale-AZ-HS_trail-built-1998_BLB-04-01_300x200Some nature spaces in DC are free, but some require good knowledge of the bus system or a car. The National Arboretum is off Route 50 (New York Avenue) in northeast DC, and is a great place to learn about local trees, but also includes international plantings. There is plenty of space to run around. The Bonsai trees are special – it’s amazing how something so small can be so old! The National Aquatic Gardens are in Southeast and are usually at their peak in May. The National Cathedral in Northwest has a great Bishops Garden. There is also a great view of Washington DC and Montgomery County from the top of the Cathedral, which has just opened up again.

Spring in DC Area – Dunbarton Oaks Gardens

We have a Special Guest Blogger who has written a series of posts highlighting places to visit during spring in DC. Sara is a longtime host mom in our cluster.
Post 4 of a 5 part series. To read all the posts click HERE.

doaks_ggr_cherry_hillDumbarton Oaks Gardens in Georgetown is a special place worth visiting.  They charge a nominal admission fee: http://www.doaks.org/gardens/ (bring your student ID). They are worth a visit at the height of spring. There are a lot of steps, so the gardens are not great for children in strollers. Walk over from Dupont Circle, cross over the P Street Bridge and head up to R street for a chance to see quiet DC side streets and discover just how walkable DC is. Georgetown homes tend to have small gardens, so it’s worth a walk through the side streets to see what people have planted.

Spring in the DC Area – Rock Creek Park

We have a Special Guest Blogger who has written a series of posts highlighting places to visit during spring in DC. Sara is a longtime host mom in our cluster.
Post 3 of a 5 part series. To read all the posts click HERE.

Rock-Creek-ParkFor those of you who enjoy hiking and biking, Rock Creek Park runs north/south from the Canal in Georgetown to the Maryland border. There are bicycle paths and dirt paths through the trees. Beach Drive closes to cars on weekends if you like the idea of a bicycle trek. The C&O Canal runs from Georgetown in DC out to Cumberland, Maryland – over 180 miles away. You don’t have to walk or bike the entire distance to enjoy it on a warm spring day. In addition to entering at Georgetown, Great Falls in Maryland is another place to visit (especially after a rain when the falls become even more impressive). The Billy Goat Trail is great for adults and older kids. The Falls overlook is stroller accessible.

Spring in the DC Area – Capitol Hill

We have a Special Guest Blogger who has written a series of posts highlighting places to visit during spring in DC. Sara is a longtime host mom in our cluster.
Post 2 of a 5 part series. To read all the posts click HERE.

Capitol Hill

2306106620_893951e1b1_nWalking around the Capitol Hill will also give you a taste of what nature has to offer. In this neighborhood behind the Capitol and away from the Mall, the house plots are small, and many homes plant to maximize the beauty of their small gardens. If you’ve not been to Eastern Market:  http://www.easternmarket-dc.org/default.asp?ContentID=1 on a Saturday morning when the Farmer’s Market and arts & crafts vendors display their goods, this is a good season for it. I highly recommend Market Lunch, although lines can be really long. While the softshell crabs are not for the squeamish (yes, you can really eat the entire crab), they are delicious. Locals won’t eat oysters in a month that does not have an “r” in it, so there’s one month left until the long summer without them. For meat lovers, there is the Carolina style pulled pork (vinegary).

Photo: Flick rjs1322

Spring in the DC Area – Brookside Gardens & U.S. Botanical Gardens

We have a Special Guest Blogger who has written a series of posts highlighting places to visit during spring in DC. Sara is a longtime host mom in our cluster.
Post 1 of a 5 part series. To read all the posts click HERE.

Spring is very special in Washington, winter (however brief or long you felt it was) is behind us, and nature puts on a spectacular show. It’s worth heading outdoors to see the color. While some of the plants may seem familiar to you, there are local displays of color, like the redbud, which is in full bloom now. The dogwood might be native or Asian, and it just opened up. For those of you living in Takoma Park, you’ll soon find out why it is nicknamed Azalea City.


conservatory_springshowBrookside Gardens
There are some great places to see what nature has to offer, and most of them are free. Brookside Gardens http://www.montgomeryparks.org/brookside/, adjacent to Wheaton Regional Park, is a great place to walk around, with its duck ponds. Plants are arranged by type – with roses, azaleas, and aquatic plants are together. Many plants are labeled if you are interested in learning what they are. Children like to run on the footpaths and my kids liked to “bang on the sculpture” with their hands when they were younger. Don’t let the closed gates keep you out – they open for cars and pedestrians – but not for deer. There are footpaths to walk into Wheaton Regional Park from Brookside Gardens.

U.S. Botanical Gardens
If you love roses, then the rose garden at the Botanical Gardens is beautiful and free: http://www.usbg.gov/, just southwest of the Capitol Building. The indoor conservatory does seasonal displays. One of my favorite places to sit when the wisteria blooms is the Mall side of the National Gallery. It’s peppery-smelling blossoms are a spring treat.