This mural serves as the backdrop to some reserved parking spaces. There is metered street parking…read moreavailable within a reasonable walking distance, but it may be difficult to find. You can also pull into the driveway and get a quick look at the mural. The mural is larger than life and in great shape. It is the work of Alberto Clerencia, artistically known as Sabek. He is a Madrid-based street artist renowned for large-scale, international murals. It only took him 5 days to paint The mural depicts two women, one black and the other white, dressed alike, set against light foliage. They have a thin bar that goes across both of their eyes. The bar is not a mistake or a repair job. It is intentional and represents a spectrum. That aligns with the mural's hidden meaning, which may fall on opposite ends of the spectrum, but beneath the stereotypes and prejudices of our outer layers, we are all still human. This is a nice mural, especially once you know its backstory. Anyway, as with most murals that I have visited and reviewed in the past, this is probably not a very long stop. It is not a destination attraction. I was there for less than 5 minutes. So, you may want to consider adding stops at other attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

This nature-inspired sculpture is the work of John Ruppert. It was funded through the DC Office of…read morePlanning's Streets for People grant program and was sponsored by Mount Vernon Triangle CID in collaboration with HEMPHILL Artworks, The Wilkes Company, and Quadrangle Development Corporation. The piece is based on landscape, the processes that have formed it, and humanity's relationship to it. It was installed in an area of DC known as Mount Vernon Triangle in 2024. It measures 5 feet tall and 8 feet wide and is made of powder-coated chain-link fencing. The choice to use green represents spring and new beginnings. It is also meant to interact with the gardens' foliage during the growing season and serve as a memory during the winter months. You will find an informational plaque with information about the sculpture on a pedestal in front of it. The piece is very simple and is in great shape. But it should be noted that it was only returned to its original location because it was crushed this past winter. This is a decent piece. I will admit, though, it is really hard for me to decipher its meaning or the artist's vision. Anyway, as with most sculptures that I have visited and reviewed in the past, this is probably not a very long stop. It is not a destination attraction. I was there less than 5 minutes. So, you may want to consider adding stops at other attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

It is a cute little garden with Barbie's. They change it depending on the theme or holiday or…read moreseason.

This was marked a tourist attraction on Google Maps. After clicking, seeing photos, and Instagram,…read moreI knew this was going to be a must-see. I visited DC before and did all the museums and monuments. I wanted to see other landmarks and attractions, and what better that the Barbie Pond. In a cute neighborhood, you will find an adorable front of home garden with a pond. The barbies were living their best lives! Hands up in the air with boobies out! The other girlies were floating around in the pond, relaxing and enjoying the summer rays. The "pond floats" were so cute being little rings and pineapples. The Ken's were enjoying the sunny weather at well. You can even spot 2 speed boats. What an awesome summer day. I even liked the large sign reading The Magic of Liquid Sunshine. The Barbies change for the different holidays and seasons. I can't wait to keep up with them on Instagram!

One of my favorite wacky attractions to bring people to, I visited it one last time yesterday after…read moreI heard it was supposed to be taken down before the end of the month. I brought two people with me, and two other cars stopped with people coming to view it that day, as well. While it has definitely seen some better days (the stones are pretty worn and Merlin is missing a hand), I am still sad to see it go rather than have an effort organized to have it restored or rebuilt out of materials that will better stand the test of time. I definitely recommend checking it out sometime soon if it really is to be removed by August.

You absolutely CAN NOT see Foamhenge from the road. We saw from some guides that it was possible…read morebut when you look at the satellite image, the installation is clear on the other side of the site from both Braddock Road and Pleasant Valley Road. Maybe if the festival is not going on, you can ask nicely if they will let you in. But we were here when they were setting up for the festival to start in a couple of weeks and no, they are not letting people wander around. [Review 1107 of 2026 - 1556 in Virginia - 26286 overall]

This is a piece by Larry Kirkland who made it in 2020. It was inspired by the artist's collection…read moreof historic celestial maps by Royal Astronomer John Flamsteed. It is located in a very nice plaza area located in a neutral ground space between The Clark Apartments (S Clark Street) and The Sur Apartments (S Ball Street). There is metered street parking available of the streets that the piece is sandwiched by. The site is popular among people from the surrounding apartments walking their dogs. The piece consists of 5 Blue in the Night granite slabs engraved with images from Kirkland's maps. The slabs vary in size from about 7 to 3 feet tall. Many people find it comparable to another of Kirkland's pieces titled Wonder Wander. In addition to the blocks, you will find a semi-circle bench around the slabs that are engraved with elements from land and sea to connect us to the natural world on earth. It is a nice installation that is well organized and very clean. I do find the engravings to be very busy though. It may be because I am just not a star gazer. I really wonder what a person that is into astronomy thinks about it? The engravings are very detailed and probably took a bit of time to complete. Kirkland was very meticulous ion making this piece. Anyway, as with most sculptures that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. So, you may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

I'm not thrilled with this park. At best it's a quick way to get out of suburbia. Located next to…read more66, the road noise is prominent. That decreases the getting away part. Tis a shame but Merrifield/Mosaic is huge. Alright that's mitigated by the cool restaurants and stores. This park is part of the Fairfax County system. They have one of the best in the country, but this is one that can be skipped. Sure there's a small playground for little ones, but so many area parks have more for children of all ages. My guess is that eventually this will be changed to something else. I don't have any inside information, but rather just a hunch. Gallows Road is extremely busy and development is lightning fast.

small park with a playground, some tennis courts, a basketball court and some tables…read more There is like 20 spots for parking maybe? Good place to start if you want to bike on Washington & Old Dominion Trail nearby. There is a porta potty

It doesn't seem so foggy. What it does seem is an overpriced DC neighborhood. Foggy Bottom is an…read morearea in the western part along the Potomac, a low lying area. This is where the first Metro stop is when you're coming from Dulles. You can get off and explore the area, or follow 23rd Street to other places. Around here are quite a few attractions. One of the best is the Kennedy Center. The only thing I know about it is the Kennedy Center Awards, but there's other stuff going on. If school is in session, this place is ridiculously busy. The George Washington University campus is the heart of the neighborhood. It might be a fun game counting the Starbucks in the area. There's a ton of them. It overall is a nice neighborhood to look around. Just look because it's out of the price range of most people. There are some cool restaurants and stores.

Stop in for a quick bite on my lunch break and truly enjoyed the experience. The food was good and…read morethe service was quick!!!

8/11/20 Today I saw…read morea Summer Cicada on the ground. Its colors were black body with shades of green with to white dots on its hips. I had only heard them up to this point.  One managed to get inside the General Dynamics building  and is chirping up a storm.   "The loudest cicadas can emit a sound at over 100 decibels, which can be heard over a mile and a half away. If you suspect that cicadas make sound the same way that the cricket, that other noisy summer insect, does then you'd get points for effort, but no points for being correct."Aug 25, 2017https://www.naturemuseum.org ' blogIt explains the possible females trying to get inside the building and being denied.  While looking at this new batch of cicadas  it reminded me of the cicadas infestation of 1987. I remember seeing them everywhere.  The roads, sidewalks  and everywhere else were covered with them. These red eyes, black body with purple wings and sides scared the hell out of me.  For a while I had no idea how I was going to get to my yellow school bus from my house.  Then one day my mom told me to go outside and collect some for her friend.  I don't know if this was true or not, but I reluctantly did as she asked. Fear was all over my body as I stepped outside to collect these bugs. Well just like Christian Bale did with his fear of bats years later, I overcame my fear.   Just like a tarantula,  the cicadas have a very soft touch. I liked the feeling of them walking on my skin.  I collected a number of the cicadas and later on found out my mom had a fear of them, bit got over it with the help of me getting over my fear.  I helped some my friends get over  fear of them too.  I think about what  Falcone said to Bruce Wayne "Carmine Falcone : People from your world have so *much* to lose. Now, you think because your mommy and your daddy got shot, you know about the ugly side of life, but you don't. You've never tasted desperate. You're, uh, you're Bruce Wayne, the Prince of Gotham; you'd have to go a thousand miles to meet someone who didn't know your name. So, don't-don't come down here with your anger, trying to prove something to yourself. This is a world you'll never understand. And you always fear what you don't understand. Alright." I think about the cicadas I killed when I was afraid of them. I see myself going back in time and having a talk with myself. In 2004 I was a Century Pool Manager at property in Maryland. I remember when the 17 year cicadas came again.  I remember these cicadas had black bodies with shades of orange. Their eyes were red.  I did my best to help the cicadas  when they ended up on their backs and stuck. I knew if birds saw them, they were dead. The first thing birds did was rip off their wings. After that the cicadas were defenseless. Apparently there is a wasp that has a taste for these cicadas too. They are known as "Sphecius speciosus, often simply referred to as the cicada killer or the cicada hawk, is a large digger wasp species. Cicada killers are large, solitary wasps in the family Crabronidae." The year is now 2020 and next year the 17  cicadas are making another come back.  Somehow I don't see an infestation like the 1987 time. Speaking of time, in my subconscious my mind plays back a trip to the park when I was a student at The Lab School Of Washington.   I remember cicadas were everywhere too. I believe this might have been the same day I got over my fear of them.  Maybe this is why my mind plays back this memory whenever I visit the dentist.  Guess there are worse things that can get played back, but I am happy to have this memory.  I look forward to seeing what colors the next batch of cicadas will look like... https://api.nationalgeographic.com/distribution/public/amp/news/2013/3/130329-cicadas-coming-sky-locust-swarm-animal-science

They're here! But,…read morenot in DC proper and not in the close-in suburbs either (not yet anyway). For now, they can be found in and around Manassas about 30 miles from the city. There's a plentiful smattering of cicadas in the woods along the Fairfax County/Prince William County line (although not in dense clusters as is characteristic of them). Few are clinging to trees, and none are overwhelming the nearby ground. Instead, they are appearing in small patches...with individual cicadas and groups of two or three scattered sporadically about the waist-high foliage on the hilly shoreline above the rain swollen waters of Bull Run. Along a meandering course, following a well-worn dirt path that locals have trampled out, it was easy pickings as the cicadas rested on leaves that provided a perfect platform for them to be plucked up by their wings. Offering no resistance and seemingly oblivious to impending danger, they, sometimes, would even grab onto my hand with their legs as if moving onto another leaf. In fact, others in my troupe of cicada enthusiasts who suffered some initial hesitation and fear quickly got the hang of catching these docile critters (realizing that the cicadas' dark appearance and haunting red eyes aren't really a portent of attack). They don't bite, are nearly blind, and are, at best, clumsy and reluctant flyers. In the space of a half hour, the five of us (with our bare hands reaching and snatching at regular intervals) had captured roughly fifty cicadas in total (which we placed in three hand-held insect boxes that we had brought with us). As each transparent box filled with captured specimens (crawling and buzzing inside), we had gotten enough of them to satisfy our curiosity and made our way out of the woods onto the cicada-free lawn of an adjoining playground, next to Bull Run, to debrief and marvel at our find. Maybe, in a week or two, this East Coast brood of periodical cicadas will begin to emerge in the immediate suburbs and in the city itself (likely in Rock Creek Park but, perhaps, in more unlikely spots like the grounds of the U.S. Capitol or the North or South Lawn of The White House). What a great photo opportunity that would provide to both locals and tourists alike. In the meantime, the cicadas are biding their time and waiting for an opportune moment to burst out of the ground in greater numbers. I suppose, they will blanket DC soon enough. When they do, don't miss out on seeing this brood. Seventeen years, even from the accelerated perspective of one who is aging, is a long time to wait for its next appearance.