Trees!

Happy Earth Day and hello citizens of our lovely and glorious planet!  My post today is about trees!  Well, no, not really about trees, but there are lots of trees in the pictures of our recent visits to the U.S. National Arboretum and the Winkler Botanical Preserve.  And, seeing as how it's Earth Day, I thought we'd just go ahead and do some stuff out of doors.

Last week Diggory and I visited the U.S. National Arboretum for the very first time at the invitation of our good friends from church, Abby and her son Noah.  In the midst of our commute, however, I was reminded why I've lived in Alexandria for five years but had never made the trip to Northeast DC just to visit the arboretum.  We got stuck in traffic in the middle of the morning because of a parade (albeit a parade for a good reason, but still) and a trip that should only have been 35 minutes to travel 15 miles, turned into an hour and a half of stop and go, stop and go, slam on the brakes for a jay walking tourist, stop and go, then go really fast, then stop, etc., etc., etc., etc.  Oh, DC traffic, how I loathe you.  I'm not complaining, really.  I'm just sayin'.

But, alas, I am super glad we finally made it to the arboretum, which is an incredibly lovely (and huge) oasis of all things green and growing.  Our first stop was the Arbor House to use the "facilities."  I'd been in the car for an hour and a half, mind you, and drinking coffee the whole time.  The Arbor House has restrooms (with changing tables), a drinking fountain, maps, and a gift shop.  It's near the parking lots at the R Street entrance to the arboretum.  There is also an entrance off of New York Avenue, and there are parking lots scattered throughout the arboretum so you don't necessarily have to walk the whole thing.  AND, there's also a tram!  I thought it would be super fun to take Diggory and Noah on the tram ($4 for adults, children under 4 ride free) but it only runs on the weekends.  Alas.

Running up the hill to the Capitol Columns.

We stopped into the Administrative and Visitor Services building next, to ask about what the best stops for kids might be and found that the large koi pond surrounding the building is closed for renovations.  There are restrooms here too.  Pick up a map, if you don't already have one, and pick up any of the numerous brochures.  There's a cell phone tour of the whole arboretum, a walking tour of flowering trees (available through the "blooming season"), and a calendar of events and programs.  Next we walked through the herb gardens and then up the big hill to the National Capitol Columns.  The twenty-two sandstone columns were carved in the 1820s for the U.S. Capitol building but removed in 1958 during an expansion project.  There's also a small waterfall and a reflecting pool, which Diggory promptly stepped (and then fell) into, resulting in a less than graceful and slightly dramatic rescue and totally not-glamorous wardrobe change.  After that, we walked due west across the lawn, had a snack, and then followed the Eagle Nest Road back to the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum.  The bonsai were really amazing and clearly lovingly attended to and admired.  (I had a bonsai once.  Briefly.  I got it at Epcot Center on a high school band trip to Disney World.  It did not like the three day drive back to Iowa on the non-airconditioned bus.)  We also caught the tail end of the Ikebana exhibition highlighting the flower arranging art of Japan.  The next big event is the Potomac Bonsai Festival, May 3rd through 5th.  And, if you go, don't fret over the thousands of bees.  They're apparently male carpenter bees who have made their home in the wooden pergolas.  They don't have stingers...but they might bump right into your head.

Yep, he literally paused, looked at the water, and stepped straight into the pool. Awesome.

Post-wardrobe change snacks.  

Holding hands to cross the street.

Playing with rocks in the Japanese garden.

Wow.  That's basically the only caption necessary.

We probably covered less than a third of the arboretum in the two hours that we were there...so, I suppose we'll just have to come back.  Wink, wink.

That brings us up to today...when Diggory and I spent our Earth Day morning at the Winkler Botanical Preserve in Alexandria, VA.  It's super close to our house, but I'd never actually been there because I couldn't figure out (and/or didn't take the time to figure out) how to actually get there.  Where's the entrance?!  Well, needless to say, it's not advertised very well and the signage isn't great...but I think that's sort of the point.  It's a preserve.  It's not a park.  I won't go into the details, but you can read about how the preserve is currently threatened by the expansion of office and federal buildings on Seminary Road here, and there's another good review of the preserve here.  The main entrance is at 5400 Roanoke Avenue.  Turn off of Beauregard Street onto Roanoke Avenue and drive all the way to the end of the street.  Go up a short hill and drive through the metal gate.  There's a small parking lot on the left.  Park there, and voila, you're at the preserve.  There are a bunch of trails, generally arranged in a loop around a small pond and a waterfall.  If you walk straight north, toward the gigantic BRAC building looming on the horizon, you'll come to Catherine's Lodge, used for programs in partnership with Alexandria Public Schools.  We saw some geese and that was cool for Diggs, "honk, honk," but the flora was absolutely spectacular, and I was totally impressed with how well maintained the preserve's trails are and how truly peaceful it was, even considering the ever-present drone of Interstate 395.  We turned right to walk around the pond, crossed a bridge, and found the top of the waterfall...clearly man made, but still nice...and then walked back down, making a big loop.  There were trails that led into the southern part of the preserve that we'll have to check out next time.  We had to meet daddy for lunch, after all.  But, even though this was our very first visit, I know we'll have to make this a regular outing.  I was totally impressed.  I've said that already, I know, but it's true.     

Annnnnd...there's the big BRAC building.

Wow, a stick!

Stop to smell the flowers.

Running past the lodge.  Please don't run into the pond, Diggory, please!

Climbing rocks...after filling pockets with smaller rocks.

We practiced saying "green" a lot.  Because there was a lot of "green."

See, a lot of green!

We also talked about moss.

I also put Diggory in a tree.

Hiking the trails above the waterfall.

See?!  We really did go have lunch with daddy.  Food trucks on 7th Street in L'Enfant Plaza.  And, yes, there's a food truck that sells cookies and milk.  Yum!

Catching Up...Yet again, yet again.

Hum, so, wow.  It's been a long, long time since I've updated my blog.  Bad, mommy blogger, bad.  Suffice it to say that I have actually been going to museums and other historic sites.  I just haven't had (ahem, or taken) the time to actually sit down and devote an entire nap time to writing.  That said...I'm not going to devote this entire nap time to writing either, so I'm going to do more of a photo essay...for the sake of time, yours and mine.  

Since the end of February, Diggory and I have been to six sites together, and I went to one more without him.  So, yes, I'm a little behind in my one-a-week, goal...maybe I'll play catch up one of these days.  First, I wanted to go to the Alexandria Black History Museum, and I thought Black History Month would be the perfect motivation to final get there.  It's a very small museum, but the permanent exhibition, Securing the Blessings of Liberty, on the history of African-Americans in the Alexandria region is extremely well done, full of information, and just every so slightly text-heavy...an incredible feat for such a large and important topic.  I especially liked the panel of photographs listing homes in the area with important slave and African-American histories.  Maybe we'll devise our own walking tour one of these days.  From a logistical stand point, there's plenty of free and metered street parking in the area, and the museum is directly across Wythe Street from the Charles Houston Recreation Center, which has a small soft playroom.  

Checking out the permanent exhibition at the Alexandria Black History Museum.

The Alexandria Black History Museum in the background, across the street, is partially housed inside the historic Robert H. Robinson Library, built in 1940 following a sit-in at the segregated Alexandria Library.

Over the next several weeks, Diggory and I visited several sites with my parents, aka Nana Lynn and Grandpa, who were in town for a few weeks.  First, we visited the Nordic Cool exhibition at the Kennedy Center.  The exhibition closed on March 17th...another reminder to get my posts up in a timely manner...but the building and performances themselves have an excellent history, and it's a marvel of architecture, to be sure.  There's a parking ramp under the Kennedy Center, and it's not terribly expensive, if I recall.  If you're on the metro, there's a free shuttle to and from the Kennedy Center from the Foggy Bottom metro station.   

Checking out Scandinavian design with Grandpa.

Half Norwegian?  I think so.  (Posing with the Lego mural.)

Building with Legos.  I didn't know they were Danish-designed, did you?

"Hi, Grandpa!"  Inside one of the artworks in the Nordic Cool exhibition.

My very own little Viking.  He's only an eighth Norwegian, but he somehow got the blonde hair and blue eyes!  Woo hoo!

Just a few days later, we all made the trek to Hot Springs, Virginia for the Virginia Association of Museums Annual Conference.  I was presenting a workshop on mannequin dressing for museum textile collections with a lovely friend and colleague of mine...and I have to admit, I was perhaps a little more excited about spending some time at The Homestead than I was about the conference itself.  The Homestead was opened in 1766 and has an extremely rich history. The Jefferson Pools are their own little wonder...ever taken a dip in a hot spring, surrounded by an octagonal building built (and just ever so slightly patched up) in 1761?  I have.  

Diggory and Grandpa at The Homestead.

Building a snowman at The Homestead.

Inside the Ladies' Pool House in Warm Spring, Virginia.

The lobby at The Homestead.

See, we actually did do some work?!  The presenters at VAM.

On our sojourn back to Northern Virginia, we stopped at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello.  A check box ticked off on that ol' bucket list.  I won't describe all the details, but I was pleasantly surprised that they were so child friendly and accommodating.  Diggory got sort of upset at one point, and the tour guides guided my mom (God, love her) someplace else (where ever that was) and brought us the stroller, etc.  I think he just really didn't want to be on the tour...he wanted to run around, and I don't blame him, he'd been strapped into the car seat for over two hours already.  So, once the tour was over, he did get to run around, and he promptly fell into the mud.  Red mud.  It was awesome.  Luckily, there were bathrooms nearby.  Logistically, the site itself is great...the new(ish) visitor's center and museum are extremely accessible, there's a shuttle up to the house itself, the cafe is great (lots of high chairs and indoor and outdoor seating), and there are family restrooms just past the entrance.    

Yep, red mud.

Our tour group entering Monticello.

Momma and Diggory at Monticello.

Grandpa taking pictures...we did a lot of that.  Beautiful day, and beautiful views of the Charlottesville area.

Before Grandpa and Nana left, we needed to check some things off Grandpa's sight seeing list.  Namely, the exhibition The Civil War in American Art at the Smithsonian American Art Museum (which is beautiful and closes on April 28th) and President Lincoln's Cottage.  Both of these don't really count as blog-worthy sites, not because they're not awesome (they are) but because Diggory and I already "did" SAAM last year and he didn't come with my dad and me to Lincoln's Cottage.  But, alas, they are museums...and you should go to them.  A few notes about Lincoln's Cottage.  It's accessible through the Eagle Gate of the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Northwest Washington, DC.  Admission is $15 for adults and $5 for children ages 6-12.  Children under six are not encouraged to visit, due to battlefield imagery and tour length of approximately one hour, though I suspect it's more of the tour length that's the issue.  Tours are guided in small groups, and once you're in the house and on your tour, an upset child would be a huge distraction and inconvenience.  Just sayin'.

Nana pushing the stroller through the water scrims in the courtyard at SAAM/NPG.  Do you see our "artful" designs in the lower left?   

Taking pictures after the tour at President Lincoln's Cottage.  Wonderfully restored, great visitor's center and permanent exhibition, free parking, not hard to get to.  

Ha, ha!  That brings us to today!  This morning Diggory and I ventured into Georgetown to run an errand, and I thought, "Hey, let's just check out the Old Stone House while we're all the way into the city."  So, we did.  And it's true when they call it an urban oasis.  The garden in the back is so sweet and quiet, in the midst of the chaos that is M Street NW.  I've walked by many times, and I think I did poke my head in the gift shop on the lower level once, but I'd never been into the actually museum.  Very interesting, indeed.  The house itself is the oldest structure still standing in the District of Columbia.  Built between 1764 and 1766, the house was used as a residence and merchant's shop, and even a car dealership until it was transferred to the National Park Service in 1950.  And, wonder of all wonders, more than 85% of the structure is original...that's really quite a feat.  Parking can be tricky in Georgetown, but there's a public ramp right next door...and don't discount street parking, though it can be a little tight.  The last two times I've been in Georgetown I've found a free spot and a metered spot within two blocks of where I needed to be, and today, our meter still had 48 minutes left on it when we arrived.  And that's really something...especially when a quarter only buys you seven minutes.  There aren't any public restrooms at the Old Stone house, but there's a bounty of restaurants and cafes nearby, and a Barnes and Noble right across the street, if need be.  Oh, and other than the ground floor, it's definitely not stroller accessible...but you probably assumed that.

Okay, that's it for today!  Where will be go next?  I've got some ideas...stay tuned.

Enjoying the sunshine on the steps of the Old Stone House.

The dining room in the Old Stone House.

 Climbing the stairs to the garden at the Old Stone House..."Look, Mom! No hands!"

Gadsby's Tavern Museum

Diggory and I took the bus (yes, the bus) to Gadsby's Tavern Museum in Old Town Alexandria yesterday morning.  I'll start off by saying that the bus ride itself was a lovely adventure, and Diggory was so excited about it that we went out to the bus stop almost fifteen minutes early to wait with unbridled anticipation.  Silly goose.  Even though the route each way takes almost 45 minutes, Diggory was (mostly) content and happy and I don't mind taking a gander at the beautiful homes along upper King Street in the Rosemont neighborhood.  A girl can dream.  

"Ride bus, mommy? Hooray!"

Our bus route brought us to within one block of the museum at 134 N. Royal Street.  There are two entrances...one to the museum and one to the restaurant (which is really fun, by the way), but the museum entrance will be clearly marked.  As a bit of background, the museum actually consists of two buildings named for John Gadsby, who operated the c. 1785 tavern and the c. 1792 City Hotel between 1796 and 1808.  The establishment was the site of numerous theatrical performances, dances and balls, and meetings of local organizations, and welcomed the likes of George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and the Marquis de Lafayette as its guests.  

We were there to take part in the tavern's hospitality as well, meeting our friend Amanda and her two lovely children at the museum for Tavern Toddlers, a program for walkers through age 36 months held in the historic ballroom every Monday (September through April) from 10:30am to 12:00pm.  It's open play time with books and toys (blocks, a tunnel, and old-school clothespins...sounds weird, but Diggory thought they were awesome...etc.), music for dancing, and a craft.  The admission is $7.00 per child, but you can buy a pass of five visits for $30.00.  There were about 15 children there during the height of the organized chaos, which I'm told is a fairly typical turnout, though there are sometimes as few as four and as many as twenty...depending on the weather.    

Yep, we take our photo in mirrors.

Diggory and his pal inside the tunnel.

As for logistics...street parking with a two-hour meter limit is available all around the museum, but if you prefer the convenience and reliability of a parking garage, there's a garage under City Hall (on the adjacent block).  The entrance is on N. Fairfax Street...sort of across from the Carlyle House.  I wouldn't recommend bringing a stroller, because there are a lot of stairs, but if you do, you can park it inside the museum.  The ballroom is on the second floor (above the restaurant side of the building) and the restrooms are up more stairs from there, on the third floor.  There's no changing table, but I was told it's okay to change diapers in the ballroom, if you need to do that.  

In full disclosure, we did not actually tour the museum, but I did peak into some of the furnished rooms as we walked from the entrance to the ballroom.  It's a really interesting space, full of history, and I'll have to go back sometime for the comprehensive experience.

After our visit, we ventured a few blocks down King Street for lunch, and then hopped back on the bus for the ride home.  Diggory fell asleep, as I suspected he would, and I snapped the photo below.  It might very well be one of the last times my little boy falls asleep on my lap.  Sigh.  

Once again, we had an awesome time on our museum outing...and now it's time to think up our next big adventure!

Hush.  It's time for sleeping.

Jones Point Park and Lighthouse

Last week, on a fabulously sunny and warm "winter" day, Diggory and I ventured south to Old Town Alexandria to investigate Jones Point Park.  If you haven't been, and you live in the Washington, DC area, go there.  Like, right now.  I am totally impressed and kicking myself for not finding it sooner.  And here's why.

First, the park is steeped in history.  The highlight, at least for me, is the lighthouse.  Built in 1855, the Jones Point lighthouse is the last riverine lighthouse in the Chesapeake Bay region.  It served an important role as a navigational tool on the Potomac River and supported the maritime economies of Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.  The exterior has been renovated - and it appears as though the interior is currently under construction.  Maybe it will open to visitors sometime in the near future?  Anyone know?  In addition to the lighthouse, the paved and gravel paths throughout the park are lined with interpretative signs and historical markers, including several cement plinths marking the original Virginia boundaries of Washington, DC.  In fact, one marker is the south cornerstone dating from 1791 or 1794 and is thought to be "among the oldest existing physical monuments associated with the Federal City."  Other signs discuss the ecology of the Potomac River and native species of fish, the history of commercial fishing in Alexandria, the now-dismantled WWI shipyard that used to occupy the space, and the history of the indigenous cultures in the area and archaeological artifacts found within the park.

   

I tried to remain patient and let Diggory run at will.

The lighthouse.  Peek inside the windows on either side of the door facing the water for a view inside.

We frolicked on the rocks in front of the lighthouse.  In hindsight, not my most responsible parenting moment...but throwing rocks into the water is just so much fun!

Second, you get to walk UNDER the Wilson Bridge, which in itself is pretty cool.  The parking lot for the park is accessible from Royal Street on the south side of Old Town Alexandria.  It's located just north of the Capital Beltway (I-495), so you get to walk under the bridge to get to the lighthouse.  Maybe I'm just a total geek, but I thought it was pretty cool.  There's also a few picnic tables, basketball hoops, impressively clean restroom facilities with a changing table, and two playgrounds - one on the north side (and better for toddlers) and one of the south side (and better for older kids).  Here's a map of the park, for your reference.

Cool bridge architecture and interpretive signs.  Neat!

So, that brings me to my third point.  The playgrounds are AWESOME!  Diggory has always liked swings, but the slides, climbing apparatus, and squishy ground (for falling) is just really, really cool.  Good luck pulling your kid away from them...maybe tell them that they can go throw rocks in the water.  Oh man, I swear I'm a good mom.  All in all, it was a wonderful morning in the sunshine.  And we'll be back again soon.

Yet another picture of Diggory in a swing.

There are a bunch of these path markers.  This one is for a rabbit, but there's one for a raccoon, a dog, and several other animals.

Potomac River sunshine.

Hillwood Museum and Gardens

This morning Diggory and I had the great pleasure of visiting Hillwood Museum and Gardens with our friend Christina.  I have to admit that our main impetus in making the sojourn was to see the temporary exhibition Pret-a-Papier: The Exquisite Art of Isabelle de Borchgrave before it closed, which it does, tomorrow, in fact, though since I had never visited Hillwood before, I thought it was just about high time.  I'm totally slapping myself for not visiting sooner.  I thought it was too far away and too hard to get to...but it's not...so go, you too.  

For those of you who know me, you know that I used to work for the Society of the Cincinnati, which maintains it's headquarters and museum at Anderson House, in Dupont Circle.  So the easiest way I, personally, can describe the grounds and mansion house at Hillwood is that it's like Anderson House, but even more fabulous.  Snicker, snicker.  (There's a handful of people who will catch this inside joke.)  As the former home of Marjorie Merriweather Post, who purchased the estate in 1955 and quickly decided that it would become a museum, the rooms and collections literally sparkle, filled with her collections of Russian imperial art and French furniture and other decorative arts.  Even the wallpaper is shiny and luminescent.  It's an absolute joy to see...and the plus side is that you can guide yourself with the handy 25-page brochure.  There are guided tours, but it's super convenient to go at your own (quicker) pace when you have a toddler tagging along.  In fact, Hillwood markets itself as a family friendly venue.  Before we visited, I browsed their website and was shocked/pleasantly surprised to find an entire page dedicated on how to visit with youngsters.  Among the most noteworthy amenities are stroller-friendly walking paths through the gardens, convenient parking on-site, frontal baby carriers available to borrow from the front desk (because strollers aren't allowed inside the mansion), complimentary coat and bag check, and a quiet room for nursing mothers.  Bravo!  Check out the calendar of events and look what's going on.  There's a preschool series of programs for children ages two through five, family fun days, garden days, concerts, and a variety of lectures and talks.

So, to sum things up, because I've decided to keep this one short...enjoy the images below...and imagine yourself immersed in splendor...and then visit yourself, you'll be glad you did.  Diggory is going to wake up from his nap at any moment...

Diggory, looking rather mischievous, posing for Christina.     

Admiring the very shiny displays of silver.  

The Japanese Garden is spectacular!  Plan on spending a good chunk of time just looking, pondering, and listening to the rush of water through the ponds and waterfalls.

A view inside the Adirondack Building, the main venue for the exhibition Pret-a-Papier.  Indeed, these garments are made of entirely of paper.  There were ten displayed in the mansion and the rest were on view here.  Absolutely awe-inspiring!