Tag Archives: DC Take Out

May 9, 2023 · 11:50 am

Five Things: May 9, 2023

Bonsais at the National Arboretum

 

1. Have you been to the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum within the National Arboretum?  Now is a great time to visit and see the pretty little trees.  There is a special exhibit on view leading up to World Bonsai Day this Saturday when there will be docent-led tours of the museum along with a children’s activity table. Of course, the rest of the Arboretum is always fantastic to explore.  Read more about it here, here, and here.

 

2. The Rock Creek Horse Center was one of our favorite places to visit when our kids were little — back then, we could just pop in and see the horses and even get the kids a pony ride.  While you can’t just stop by whenever these days, they do offer opportunities to meet ponies, see the stables, and take a short trail ride through the woods.  There are a few dates coming up for Pony Meet and Greets and Behind the Scenes Tours of the stables. (And Pony Rides will probably open up this summer… bookmark the site to check back for available dates!)

 

3. A couple of restaurant recs…  Levi and I recently dined at Supra for the first time and really enjoyed our Georgian feast. And Ruta, the first Ukranian restaurant in DC, just opened on Capitol Hill!

 

4. A few easy, last minute Mother’s Day gifts:  Tickets to a see Ali Wong; a New York Times Cooking subscription; a book about DC’s weird, wonderful, and obscure places; a pretty splash-proof tote bag for summer. And special plans to celebrate will make her day, too!

 

5. Serving meals to young children or working in an upscale restaurant? 🙂

 

Younger days at Rock Creek Horse Center

 

 

Leave a Comment

Filed under 2023, DC, Five Things, Spring

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , ,

May 2, 2023 · 2:33 pm

Five Things: May 2, 2023

The Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room at the Asian Art Museum

 

1. The National Museum of Asian Art is celebrating its 100th anniversary over the next two weeks with a big Centennial Festival!  All kinds of events and cultural opportunities will be presented every day through May 14, including concerts, culinary adventures, special museum tours, dance performances and classes, a children’s book reading and signing, and more.  The full schedule and details are available here.

 

2.  Later this week, the Kennedy Center is welcoming the Cirque de la Symphonie to perform alongside the National Symphony Orchestra. The lively, high-flying show promises to wow audiences with jugglers, aerialists, contortionists, strongmen, and more, bringing the music of the symphony to life in unique and delightful ways. Even more, the KFDC community can get 20% off orchestra seats to see a performance May 4-6.  Use the link or the code 513960 online, over the phone, or at the box office to purchase tickets.

 

3. May the 4th Be with You this Thursday through Saturday!  Dress up like your favorite Stars Wars characters and head to Barracks Row on Capitol Hill (8th Street SE) for food and drink specials and more fun.  Join a meet and greet with characters; check out X-Wing & Star Wars deckbuilding demonstrations by Labyrinth; enjoy Star Wars themed art and entertainment; and lots more.  RSVP here and view complete details. (Also, a sale on Star Wars clothes and PJs!)

 

4. It’s been a long time since I’ve mentioned Rakuten (because I had forgotten all about it until a couple of days ago), and its a great service to know about. When you shop online, just access the store via the Rakuten website — they partner with just about everyone — and you can get cash back on your purchases.  It’s free to sign up!

 

5. New IG obsession…so many interesting and helpful ideas!

Leave a Comment

Filed under 2023, DC, Five Things, Spring

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , ,

April 26, 2023 · 7:26 am

Five Things: April 26, 2023

 

 

1. We’re going to be near Harpers Ferry this weekend for soccer, so we’ll likely take advantage and enjoy some fun there, too.  Have you been?  It’s a fantastic day trip or weekend destination from DC with great outdoor recreation and opportunities for historical explorations.  Read more about the West Virginia town in this KFDC post!

 

2. Boing! Big Bounce America, the world’s largest bounce house, is returning to the DC area May 20 –  June 11 at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD. The biggest touring inflatable event includes four massive inflatable attractions: a 16,000-square-foot World’s Largest Bounce House; the newly added Sport Slam featuring a customized sports arena; the 900-foot-long obstacle course named The Giant; and a unique, space-themed wonderland called airSPACE.  Three-hour sessions for varying age groups — 3 & under, 7 & under, 15 & under, and 16 & older — are $22 for the youngest group, $38 for older kids, and $41 for 16+.  Tickets can be reserved here.

 

3. And speaking of Fort Washington, it’s been a long time since I’ve highlighted Fort Washington Park, a great place to enjoy a day outdoors and get a glimpse of the past. You can explore the historic remnants of the fortress dating back to 1824 — including bastions and barracks and cannons — within the grounds and enjoy beautiful views along the Potomac River. Hours for the Fort and Visitor Center are 9am – 4:30pm, Thursday – Sunday. Admission is $10/vehicle to the park, free to Fort Washington.

 

4. A shirt almost exactly like this one (that I’ve had for years) was one of my most worn items in Portugal.  Perfect as a “spring shacket” to throw on over tanks and T-shirts or even a dress when it got a little chilly, also cute enough to wear on it’s own with pants.  Also love this one that’s more of a jacket, but not a typical denim jacket.

 

5. A fantastic feature about one of my (and I’m sure many others’) all-time favorite authors. Those books we loved as kids, are often some that stick with us the most! And they are still great kid reads… Sasha loved this one, and Owen actually did a book report about this one back in elementary school. And in case you haven’t heard, this movie comes out on Friday!

 

Leave a Comment

Filed under 2023, DC, Five Things, Spring

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

April 11, 2023 · 9:23 am

Five Things: April 11, 2023

 

1. Not all of the area cherry blossoms are past their peak… the Kwanzan cherry trees at Congressional Cemetery are in glorious full bloom right now!  And the locale on Capitol Hill makes for a great visit beyond the flowers with gravesites of notable people, lovely peaceful paths to stroll, and geocaching opportunities. You can also bring your dog to run around off-leash most days. Admission to the cemetery is free, but a doggy day pass is $15.  Open dawn to dusk, and be sure to check that it’s not closed for a funeral. Read more about Congressional Cemetery here.

 

2. The National Cherry Blossom Festival wraps up this weekend and culminating with two of its best events: The annual National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade on Saturday (10am – 12pm) and Sakura Matsuri on Saturday and Sunday (10:30am – 6pm).  The parade always draws thousands of people to watch the procession of floats, giant helium balloons, marching bands, and a variety of performers make their way down Constitution Avenue, so plan to arrive early to stake out a spot on the curb for a good view of it all. Following the parade (or even during to beat the crowds or on Sunday), head over to Pennsylvania Avenue where Sakura Matsuri, the annual Japanese street festival, will feature live music, dance performances, all kinds of Asian and Western foods, martial arts demos, Japanese art, and much more. Admission to the festival starts at $10 for ages 13 and up (free for 12 and under).

 

3. Five great road trips to take this spring, all within a four-hour drive from the DC area.

 

4. A friend just told me about this item for long flights. She said while it looks ridiculous, she used it on an overnight to Europe and had the best sleep she’s ever had on an airplane.

 

5. I recently shared a write-up about our summer vacation in Greece, and there’s now a new a post with packing recommendations for a trip there.

 

Leave a Comment

Filed under 2023, DC, Five Things, Spring

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , ,

April 4, 2023 · 11:51 am

Five Things: April 4, 2023

Bluebells galore at Bull Run

 

1. As the cherry blossoms pass their peak, bluebells are starting to bloom!  You can see them in a few places around the area, the most popular being Riverbend Park and Bull Run Regional Park, which has a dedicated Bluebell Trail that we hiked this past weekend. While Bull Run has larger patches of the pretty periwinkle flowers and an easy 1.5-mile trail that’s great for little legs, I personally prefer the longer out and back hike at Riverbend that stretches along the Potomac to Great Falls, where you can take in spectacular views of the Mather Gorge.  Admission to Bull Run is $8/car, free at Riverbend. Even more, Riverbend will be celebrating the bloom at its annual Bluebells at the Bend Festival this Saturday, April 8 — tickets are $10/online ($12/day of) and can be reserved here.

 

2. If it’s tulips you want to see, Burnside Farms’ annual Festival of Spring begins today, and some tickets are still available for this week! (They are sold out for the weekend, though a limited number of day-of tickets will be sold online each day starting at 12am.)  More than 150 varieties of tulips and 30 varieties of daffodils dazzle on 15 acres of fields, and you can pick five stems of your own to bring the beauty home. Admission also includes play opportunities — bouncy fun,  cornhole games, hop on-hop off wagon rides, antique tractors and a real life size caboose, authentic dutch wooden shoes to “klomp” around in, and more.  You can BYO food for lunch or a snack al fresco in the picnic area, too. Burnside Farms is located in Nokesville, VA, about a one-hour drive from DC.  Admission is $19-23 for weekdays, $27-31 weekends — purchase in advance.

My honest review: If you have never been, this is a fun, unique outing that all ages can enjoy, and the vast fields of flowers are quite a sight. We enjoyed it few times when the kids were younger. However, it’s become very popular and expensive over the years, and I don’t consider it a must-do every year like, say, Ren Fest. For a spring splurge and with older kids, something like this is my preference. But with little kids, who get free admission under age 6 to Burnside, seeing the tulips is a great option for an outing!

 

3. If you’re celebrating Passover tomorrow evening and need some help with your Seder, Eater has a round-up of places around DC where you can find Passover meals.

 

4. Just bought a great dress from this company for our upcoming Spring Break trip — they have so many pretty options! (Btw, that is a referral link that gets you 15% off your first order.)

 

5. 10 Happy Things for April 🤗

 

Bonus: If your kids are off from school this week (or will be in the next few), and you’re looking for more ideas for things to do, be sure to check the KFDC guide for Where to Go & What to Do During Spring Break 2023!

 

Leave a Comment

Filed under 2023, Five Things, Spring, Virginia

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , ,