Best time to go: 04/01 - 09/30
Just half an hour north of DC are two public lakeside retreats with playgrounds, boat rentals, picnic areas, and an abundance of history and natural attractions. Seneca Creek is the closest park to the city (less than half an hour from downtown) and has shady picnic spots and a lovely lake with a perimeter trail. …
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If you’re looking for an inexpensive place to pick up your game, head over to the 18-hole course at Hains Point. Named for the Army Corps of Engineers Colonel who designated it as a the landfill from Potomac dredging operations, this man-made island is flat and often cooler than the rest of the city due …
During the pandemic, we were missing other, unmasked faces. So we headed out to Roer’s Zoofari, in Reston, Virginia. I didn’t think Zoofari was overselling the place. Roer’s has a petting zoo with goats, kangaroos, cheetah, and lemurs. It also features a driving tour through fields of llamas, ostrich and buffalo. The animals are exotic …
Calvert Cliffs, Stratford Hall, Westmorland State Park, and Dinosaur Park in Laurel, MD are the most famous nearby digs for fossil enthusiasts. But the best fossil spot for beginners is a hidden gem less than an hour south of DC.
Best time to go: 01/01 - 02/15
Julia will happily spend an hour on her favorite sledding hill in Bluemont Park. The moment her skin touches the snow, though, she’ll inform anyone who will listen that she has broken her arm and needs to go to the hospital immediately. Choosing a good sled hill means finding something that works for both the daredevils and those with more delicate constitutions.
Best time to go: 03/01 - 11/15
Huntley Meadows is one of my favorite bird sanctuaries, and it is less than half an hour’s drive from most of the DC area. Skip to: Trailmap | Hours | Mansion One of the most interesting parts of the park is where the park opens onto the marshland just beyond the visitor center. If you …
Best time to go: 08/01 - 11/15
Frying Pan Park is an exhibition farm in Fairfax County, VA. Although it is best known as the location of the annual 4-H Fair in mid-summer, there’s plenty to do year-round. The antique carousel and live animals are both a short walk from the parking lot. We always enjoy peeping in the henhouse, and the …
Best time to go: 09/01 - 10/31
Just south of Old Town Alexandria is the Dyke Marsh Wildlife Habitat, nearly 500 acres of sodden land along the Potomac shore.
Best time to go: 07/20 - 08/20
These public sunflower fields (situated in the 2000 acre McKee Beshers Wildlife Management Area) are re-planted each summer to attract game birds in advance of the September 1 start of hunting season.
Best time to go: 05/15 - 08/31
An hour’s drive north of Washington, DC takes you to the swimmer’s paradise of Cunningham Falls, along the base of the Catoctin range and within spitting distance of Camp David.
