New View

We're well settled in to our new home - I'll post some photos when we get the art up on the walls! Our location and nature provide their own pieces of art - the view from the deck off our kitchen is onto Miss O's favorite park. The back gate opens onto a grassy side of the play park so it is very easy to get to the park and get home in a flash if needed.

That's our raised deck you can see through the swings.What a blessing!

There are swings, a see-saw, slides and climbing frames, a rope bridge, and a little climbing house.  The city does a great job of keep the park's grassy areas - so we have a lawn with no maintenance.

We can't wait to welcome our friends to our new yard!

Great Day Out: Green Spring Gardens 2

Yesterday I told you about the children's space at Green Spring Garden. Today you get to see that it has something for everyone!

"Green Spring Gardens is a "must visit" for everyone in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area. It's a year-round gold mine of information and inspiration for the home gardener. It's an outdoor classroom for children and their families to learn about plants and wildlife. It's also a museum, a national historic site that offers glimpses into a long, rich history with colonial origins. 

There's something here for everyone: a wooded stream valley with ponds, a naturalistic native plant garden, over 20 thematic demonstration gardens, a greenhouse filled with tropicals, and a well-stocked horticultural reference library. Visit the Garden Gate Plant Shop and our two gift shops where you'll find gift ideas ranging from books and gardening gloves to china and wind chimes. Green Spring will educate, inspire, and delight you. The gardens are always changing, so come back often for new ideas."

The horticultural education center with its shops, library, art exhibits and friendly staff is a welcoming air conditioned escape from the Virginian sun. There are expanses of grass for running and rolling; wooded pathways and inviting seats; gorgeous planting and wonderfully educational programs for all ages.

Green Spring Gardens is free to visit - there's a suggested donation at honesty boxes in the parking lot of $2 per day per vehicle or $20 a year. That generosity and openness flows throughout the gardens - it's a wonderful gem of a garden, so spread the word!

Great Day Out: Green Spring Garden's Children's Garden

Last Friday The Beloved was off for the July 4th holiday. As far as weather allows, family days off always include a picnic - there's nothing quite like eating outside! After a stop at Panera Bread for their Strawberry and Poppyseed Chicken Salad we headed to one of our favorite places -  the children's garden at Green Spring Gardens.

 

There are picnic benches and tree trunk seats right beside the Children's Garden. Miss O loves its open invitation to touch, dig and investigate.

Dotted around this garden are fun wildlife habitats that you could copy at home - the area hums with butterflies, bees, critters and birds.

They have done a great job using texture, smell and color to draw children to nature. Every time we go we discover something new - it's such a treat!

Green Spring is a hidden gem - so pack your sandwiches and fill a flask - we'll see you by the bird cafe!

Great Day Out: Theodore Roosevelt Island

Looking to escape to a wooded wonderland a stone's throw from DC? Then take GW parkway to Theodore Roosevelt Island (or Teddy Roosevelt Island as the locals call it).

Maintained by the National Park Service the island is actually a living memorial:

"In the 1930s landscape architects transformed Mason’s Island from neglected, overgrown farmland into Theodore Roosevelt Island, a memorial to America’s 26th president. They conceived a “real forest” designed to mimic the natural forest that once covered the island. Today miles of trails through wooded uplands and swampy bottomlands honor the legacy of a great outdoorsman and conservationist." 

We headed off with a picnic on an overcast weekday morning and at times it felt like we'd the whole island to ourselves. We sidestepped a few joggers and exchanged pleasantries with a couple of dog walkers, and we spotted one family of tourists; but other than that it was us, the trees and the birds... Ok to be honest the island is, at certain times, on the flight path for DCA, and Rosslyn's skyscrapers and Georgetown's hubbub are right there. However, on the forest paths you can block out the hum of the city and the mechanical birds, and lose yourself for a little while on the short trails.

There are three short trails around the island - the Swamp Trail, Upland Trail and Woodlands Trail. They're not marked on the ground which is really quite freeing! We just wandered happily - going whichever direction the wildlife, sunlight or Miss O's feet, led us. Towards the center of the island is Memorial Plaza with it's imposing statue and large quotation columns of Teddy Roosevelt. Unfortunately the decorative fountains and moats on the plaza have been drained for repair - I'm sure they'll be stunning when they're fixed.

It's a great morning out with a toddler - there is plenty of shade, lots of nature to explore and few others to navigate or distract. Picnic spots are limited - there are some nice spots right on the Potomac River - romantic for adults, asking for trouble with a little one. So just bring a rug and perch on a fallen tree at the edge of the forest. Perfect!

New neigborhood gem: Stomping Ground

With a toddler and a limited budget for babysitters, finding family friendly places for brunch has become our eating out mission. Our latest tasting adventure was a new Southern-inspired restaurant in Del Ray, Alexandria, called Stomping Ground.

 

It's marketed as "your casual neigborhood place" which prides itself on "Seasonal first. Local and organic whenever possible. Buttermilk biscuits always". And it certainly lived up to its aims.  The vibe is relaxed with friendly staff and customers. It's industrial, parred down decor; varying seating options; mix and matched crockery; draws hipsters, young families, and retirees alike to breakfast Tuesday through Sunday, 7am to 3pm.

I ordered the Avocado Smash - a perfectly poached egg on top of yummie avocado mixture all hidden in a heavenly buttermilk biscuit. Accompanied by a sweetened ice tea it was a NOVA taste of the South. Delicious! 

Great Day Out: Fort Ward

Last week a friend introduced me to Fort Ward Museum & Historic Site in Alexandria, VA. We liked it so much we've been twice already! It's a 10 minute drive from our house and it's perfect for a walk, play and picnic.

Alexandria City's website explains the historical importance of this Civil War site: 
"Fort Ward is the best preserved of the system of Union forts and batteries built to protect Washington, DC during the American Civil War (1861-1865). Fort Ward Museum interprets the site's history and offers exhibits on Civil War topics, education and interpretive programs, tours, lecture and video series, bus tours, and living history activities throughout the year. The Museum and Historic Site also interpret Alexandria, Virginia as an occupied city, the city's role as a vital Union Army crossroads, life within the Defenses of Washington, and the everyday life of Civil War soldiers and civilians. The historic fort provides visitors with an excellent understanding of Civil War-era military engineering. About 90% of the fort's earthwork walls are preserved and the Northwest Bastion has been restored and reconstructed to its original condition."

The City have done a great job of preserving this historical gem whilst making it accessible and user friendly for all sorts of visitors. There are civil war focused lectures and camps, reenactments and soldier led tours. The key parts of the fort are accessible and well interpreted with signage that has just the right amount of information that you can linger with a kid in a stroller, take in the info and not have cries of "Aw Done!" 

There is circular roadway that roams through the forested site - there are a few cars driving slowly, just keep it in mind for the little ones. Mostly the traffic is walkers, strollers and joggers.

 

 

Throughout the site there are picnic areas with tables and grills. They are brilliantly located in the shade of ancient tress that could tell a tale or two. As a City resident you can reserve these picnic areas which accomodate between 25-100 people. $75 gets you 4 hours of grilling and feasting in the forest - brilliant! There are lots of wide open spaces for to kids to burn off energy and plenty of large trees to use as a canopy for a rug and a flask of tea. Yes, folks even when it's 90 in the shade we love a cuppa.

With a play park, an amphitheater, two sets of public restrooms, two parking lots, stunning trees and free admission Fort Ward is definitely a wee gem! We can't wait to go back!

Great Day Out: Meadowlark Botanical Gardens

The weather is divine today in Virgina, just perfect for some quality family time. It's Memorial Day and as we remember with deep gratitude those who gave their lives for their country, it also calls us to treasure those we love who daily give of themselves for us and others.

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens has been on my to do list for a while. I'm always looking for days out within 45 minutes from home that our 17 month old daughter, Miss O, and I would both enjoy! Off Beulah Road in Vienna, and just down the road from Wolftrap, the gardens are really easy to get to for anyone with access to a car in the DC Metro area.

With picnic packed my husband aka The Beloved; Miss O; and I arrived at Meadowlark around 10.45am (it opened at 10am). We paid the daily rate of $5 per adult to tour the gardens, Miss O was free. You can take get an annual family pass for $45.

Meadowlark's website says: "Beauty, conservation, education and discovery flourish throughout the year at this 95 acre complex of large ornamental display gardens and unique native plant collections. Walking trails, lakes, more than twenty varieties of cherry trees, irises, peonies, an extensive shade garden, native wildflowers, gazebos, birds, butterflies, seasonal blooms and foliage create a sanctuary of beauty and nature."

If you're a keen photographer the foliage, floral, geography and light are stunning. There are lots of benches and adirondack chairs invitingly resting in picture perfect spots, and there are stroller/wheelchair friendly paths and steep trails if you fancy a cardio workout.

A couple of years ago my family bought me a sweet Sony NEX-5R for my birthday and I've developed a love for taking photos of flowers. Meadowlark is a wonderful spot to practice!

The Korean Bell garden is an evolving partnership with The Korean American Cultural Committee - it's perfectly sited atop the ridge overlooking the lakes. 

Meadowlark is a great spot for little ones - although you'll need the stroller for the hills & some vigilant care around the lakes. There is a fairy garden, geese and ducks, and lost of educational programs and camps for budding nature lovers.

Clean public restrooms with a baby changing facilities are in the welcome center - along with frogs and fish to keep the little ones amused. The little gift shop sells stuffed animals, water, prints, books and snacks. The best thing about the shop is the wooden pens and magnifying glasses fashioned out of wood from the Meadowlark trees. Great presents that are inexpensively priced! Win win!

You are not allowed to picnic in the gardens but there is a picnic area with lots of shade and seating just beside the ample parking lot. We wandered the gardens for an hour then ate sandwiches and drank Tetley tea out of a flask on a rug under a tree. A perfect day outdoors not too far from home!