Fort Slocum Park is a large park in Manor Park on the site of one of the temporary Civil War…read moredefenses protecting Washington, D.C. from the Confederacy. When nearby Fort Stevens was under attack (the only battle to happen within the city), Fort Slocum Park helped support. Today, it's a large open park on a hill with views of the city, including the National Cathedral. There's street parking along the park and a grassy area with a few covered picnic tables. Little dirt trails lead through the wood to the rest of the park. Fort Slocum Park is popular with dog owners and their dogs. Often dogs are running around the park.

The park next door: This is SUCH a cool park! So few parks…read morehave swings and this one has baby swings and normal swings and the back support swings! In addition to the swings, there's a baby park, and a big kid park, AND a splash park. What more could you ask for?!

Wonderful community center. I go for the tennis courts but there is basketball, baseball, and…read moreplaygrounds. A wonderful green space in the middle of the city. The tennis courts are good fun. Lots of community spirit, music, and local flavor. Usually can be a waiting line but the courts are decent and also well lit

Some do gooders put up this tree swing on the big oak tree here. The swing is beautifully…read moreconstructed with a nice piece of sanded and finished oak, connected to the tree with hemp rope. Your classic tree swing. The oak branch it's situated on is a nice horizontal thick branch. This combination creates an ideal swinging setup. Neighborhood kids and adults are often seen swinging. This is a great short stop after visiting the Takoma Farmers market on Sundays. To let your kids swing for a few min. Or go for a swing yourself and let out your inner child!

What a neighborhood gem! Master craftsmanship by locals make this a truly special spot.read more

It was a nice little garden while it lasted. Was not super noticeable though. Inventa turned it…read moreinto a small park.

An extremely well kept green space at the corner of Georgia and Wayne that also borders the Green…read moreTrail, I've walked past it a couple of times between my hotel and my customer's office. The garden is surrounded by an imposing steel fence but the sign clearly notes that this is open to the public during daylight hours. Stone borders keep the dirt tidy for the trees and provide a shady spot to sit and enjoy the greenery. There's also a small playground area in the shade. Neat spot. Maybe I'll bring my lunch here this week...

Before leaving the city through the 16th Street artery, be sure to notice how the names of the…read morestreets blossom into semi-alphabetically listed fauna. This is a sure sign that you have entered Shepherd Park. The area is filled with children who go to the local Shepherd Elementary School, adults who frequent the neighborhood's listserve, and teenagers who take advantage of the basketball courts and other open spaces to pass the time. Also, neighbors are friendly and active in the community and enjoy keeping the area clean and safe (just look at the way they cut their grass every weekend). Unfortunately I cannot yelp about everything there is to know about the area because this neighborhood deserves variegated representation. In other words, I'll leave it for someone else to yelp about (the garden tour, the school, the yard sales, etc.). What I will talk about however is Shepherd Park's hilly setting and how it makes for a great jog for anyone willing to sweat. For me, jogging around Shepherd Park is a task that starts at Eastern and Georgia Avenue and takes me around the triangle that many define as the boundaries of Shepherd Park. The boundaries are actually larger than the three sides of this massive triangle (Alaska Ave., Eastern Ave., and 16th St.) but for my purposes it's nice to see a clearly defined shape that gives me a good sense of how far I have to jog. I go down Eastern first because it's downhill and gives me a good warm up. After this it's pretty much all uphill. Climbing up 16th Street and swimming against the current of oncoming traffic can be mentally and physically tiring (but that's the point). After finally getting to Alaska Ave. & 16th St. (all the way from Eastern Ave. & 16th St.) I make a sharp left turn and breath heavily up the part the neighborhood that boarders Walter Reed Army Medical Center until I finally get back to my original starting point on Eastern Avenue. I've run this route backwards and forwards and both ways are pretty tough (although I think the one I just mentioned is tougher). This route provides joggers with the beautiful scenery that is Shepherd Park. From the large houses and synagogues on 16th Street to the trees and plants that make the area worthy of the fauna-inspired street names that make this neighborhood special, Shepherd Park is a great neighborhood for a refreshing jog at any time of the day (it's safe too). Take my word for it, Shepherd Park's hilly geography and well paved sidewalks are a hardcore jogger's best friend. I've finally been able to run this route without stopping for rest. Perhaps I'll take on Rock Creek Park now. P.S. For an easier jog, I recommend the track at Shepherd Elementary School's lower field. P.P.S. While jogging this route try to spot the dinosaur skeleton in the yard of a local resident

This is a nice park in Dowtown Silver Spring. I have walked around here a few times and had a…read morepicnic. It is clean with plenty of history and easily accessible via Georgia Ave. and Montgomery College's Silver Spring-Takoma Park campus.

Jesup Blair Park is a large park on the D.C.-Silver Spring border and has something for everyone:…read more 1) Trails: A paved trail weaves through the park perfect for walkers and joggers. 2) Playground: There's a medium-sized one that younger kids will love. 3) History: It has Civil War connections and a historic house remains on the grounds.

Acorn Urban Park is a tiny park in downtown Silver Spring with a big history. On this site is where…read morePreston Blair, a newspaper editor, discovered a mica-flecked spring that inspired the name Silver Spring. The land was part of Blair's plantation. On it, he built an acorn gazebo in the middle of the 19t century in honor of where he proposed to his wife. The gazebo still stands in the park today. There are murals along the park that depict the history of Silver Spring. There are a few benches to sit and enjoy the small park.

I didn't know this was an actual park. I just always thought it was peculiar having a giant acorn…read morein DTSS, but most things in Downtown Silver Spring are peculiar. I think you should check out the artwork on the walls around this small park. There's also a great little seating area. Check it out if you are in the area.

It's not the best, but not the worst! It feels slightly small and can get crowded, but it provides…read morewhat you need which is a space for your dog to run around. I appreciate how they have plastic bags for clean up available! There are water bowls, but no water so would recommend you bring a bottle incase you are there for a longtime. I don't have much experience with dog parks as we just got a dog, so this may change over time.

It's not *the worst,* but it's very dry and dusty. No water. It might be OK for a winter day if…read moreyou're desperate for your dog to socialize. My dog is whining and begging to leave right now. Just hot and dry.

Great opportunity to walk in the footprints of history. Overall, expect your visit to last about an…read morehour and a half. The Visitors Center provides a mini museum with background on Lincoln's life. Across from the Visitor's Center is Lincoln's Cottage where he spent roughly 13 months living in. While the fields and views were picturesque, the cottage was pretty barebones - devoid of furniture, background information, or anything that put you in more of an understanding of Lincoln's life there. The guide did provide some stories and even invoked some voices that came over speakers in a few of the rooms. They do have a number of festivals such as the Bluegrass and Bourbon Festival in May and I'd gladly return for those.

Right away: the people who complain about no furniture in the cottage . . . you have no…read moreimagination and lack vision. I've done almost all the history/nerdy stuff in DC. This is one of my favorites so far. First, I like the fact that there is little furniture in the cottage. For one, The Lincolns didn't furnish the cottage separately; they brought the furniture from the Whitehouse every trip. So the foundation has no idea of knowing how the cottage was set up, even if they wanted to buy reproductions (and really, why are we impressed with reproductions?) Secondly . . . the fact that they cottage is mostly empty, you really get to envision Lincoln, the man . . . you can form a picture in your head of what happened here, who he was . . . ESPECIALLY with the help of the knowledgable, passionate guides. This is not a 20 or 30 minute tour. You're going to be here at least an hour. Our tour was a little over an hour. Our guide, Haley, was enthusiastic and painted Lincoln clearly for us. She relayed multiple anecdotes and examples of how Lincoln was a man of the earth, a man of the people. A man who liked to tell stories and jokes. I was the only American from the US on our tour, and Haley related to everyone. Involved everyone. Challenged everyone to think about the various stories and scenarios she presented. And the house is GORGEOUS. I wish I could live there! I loved my visit. When I headed to the gift shop, the staff there were awesome too! (I wish I had gotten her name, but she had the coolest outfit on--a chunky sweater, a kerchief on her head, a Harriet Tubman tee-shirt, and colorful pants). Aside from her rad style, she was so enthusiastic and engaged with me and another group about area history. This isn't flashy. If you need bells and whistles, this isn't for you. If you really love history and those who have enthusiasm for it . . . this IS for you Again, one of my favorite things so far . . . if not the favorite thing.