Monthly Archives: March 2012

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.

Happy International Women's Day

international-womens-day

Each year around the world, International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8. Hundreds of events occur not just on this day but throughout March to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women.

Organizations, governments and women’s groups around the world choose different themes each year that reflect global and local gender issues.

To find out more visit: http://www.internationalwomensday.com

White House Easter Egg Roll 2012 – Enter the Ticket Lottery

From the White House website:

“On Monday April 9, 2012, the First Family will host the134th annual White House Easter Egg Roll. This year’s theme is “Let’s Go, Let’s Play, Let’s Move” and more than 35,000 people will be joining us on the South Lawn for games, stories, cooking demonstrations and, of course, the traditional egg roll on the Lawn. Starting at 10 am EST on March 1 you can click here to enter the lottery and win a chance to join the fun (lottery opens on March 1 at 10 am EST and closes at 10 am EST on March 5, 2012).”

Enter for your chance to win a ticket to join the fun! Here is a picture of Ingrid at the Easter Egg Roll last year.

What is the White House Easter Egg Roll? (answer from recreation.gov)

“The White House Easter Egg Roll is a tradition that dates to 1878. Originally, young children in Washington, D.C. would flock to Capitol Hill every Monday after Easter for egg rolling and a day of activities. Members of Congress grew tired of the growing crowds and passed an Act of Congress which prohibited egg rolling on the Capitol grounds. The event was moved to the White House in 1878 after President Hayes was approached by young children to use his backyard to roll eggs. Nearly every Easter since, the White House has invited young children to roll eggs on the White House lawn.

Today, the Easter Egg Roll has grown from a few local children rolling eggs on the White House Lawn to become the largest event held at the White House, filled with live entertainment, sports and interactive cooking demos. And, of course, the traditional rolling of the Easter eggs.”