The seminary (or "castle" as I called it in high school, for apparently no reason, because castle…read moreis maybe the one type of building that the campus doesn't have) lived rent free in my mind when I was younger. It's just a crazy place, especially tucked right by Silver Spring, right by 16th and Georgia, and yet few people know it exists. Starting out as an inn and then a finishing school for girls, there's a Japanese pagoda, a Dutch windmill, a Parthenon looking building, and so many beautiful statues. After WWII it got taken over by the army. And then it slowly decayed. Save the Seminary, the organization whose mission is to restore the seminary, did a pretty damn good job at restoring the buildings, the ballroom, and the statutes. They do free walk tours, and most insane, the structures are now homes, where actual human beings live. I can't quite wrap my head around it, but if you have an extra mil lying around one of these places could be yours (if any of them happen to be up for sale).

Forest Glen, Maryland: Do you know where Forest Glen Maryland is?…read more Take a look at this map (This is the point of the presentation where I wish I could embed a map into my review) Well, imagine an isosceles triangle. Those are the ones that have a corner with 70 degrees- another corner with 70 degrees- and the third corner with 40 degrees. But make it stand straight up... like a pyramid. Ok, just think of a pyramid... but just one side, not like an actual 3D Pyramid. Ok... ya know what, think of a Yield Sign. There we go, just think of a Yield sign. The bottom left corner is Bethesda, the bottom right corner is Silver Spring and the top of the Yield sign is Forest Glen. See, that was so much easier than just showing you a map. In that time, I hope that you've just googled Forest Glen and seen exactly where it is. So in Forest Glen there is an enormous building on Linden Lane and you'll see a Japanese Pagoda right in front of it. Yes, a true to form, authentic color paint, bamboo what not Japanese Freakin' Pagoda. That'll make you say something like "This Is the FR*&*in' Catalina Wine Mixer!".. of buildings. And then you'll say, "Why have I never seen this before." Here's some real short history. I did the research for you. The building was built as a Hotel/ Vacation Resort in 1887 for DC vacationers: Ye Old Forest Inn. But that didn't work out. Apparently the people who ran it were less than savvy. Then in 1894 it became an all girls school. And it remained that way until 1942. But, as you remember, we were dragged into WW2 in 1942 after Pearl Harbor happened December 7th 1941 "A Day Which Will Live In Infamy". Quick side note. In addition to Pearl Harbor the Japanese on that day also attacked the following: American ships the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu, Malaya, Hong Kong, Guam, the Philippine Islands,Wake Island. And the next morning, the Japanese attacked Midway Island. Something I didn't know because everything is really ethnocentric here in America. And now back to National Park Seminary So the building in 1942 became sort of an Annex for Walter Reed and was controlled by the army. But in 1977 most of the buildings were left abandoned. Which essentially became a playground ( a very expensive and beautiful playground) for vandals. After years of neglect and vandalism a company called The Alexander Company helped in it's rehabilitation for the purpose of preserving this listing on the "National Register of Historic Places." For a very long time an organization called SOS (Save Our Seminary) has been working to raise money to preserve and repair so many of the historic buildings, structures, and intricate details that make this place so G-D Da*n Magical! The building used to face railroad tracks where people would travel off the railroad and right onto the campus. Now, that railroad is 495 so the front faces a non accessible point. Coming up from Linden, you're actually coming from the back and don't get to see the entire majesty of what the Seminary is. Quick info: National Park Seminary- the name After Ye Old Forest Inn the school took notice of Rock Creek Park which was constructed and opened during that time ( an attraction that many people were coming to see), the spot was named "National Park" in reference to being so close to that site. The Seminary comes from the older meaning of seminary which is: "a school of secondary or higher level for young women." So the campus is big 23 acres. And on that campus lives several sorority houses done in an international theme ( I KNOW! Awesome!) Which explains the Japanese Pagoda- some of the others include a : "Dutch windmill, a Swiss chalet, an Italian villa, An American Bungalow and an English castle" Quick note- In 1936 the National Park Seminary was renamed National Park College and served as a very prestigious woman's college for a while. The name was changed back to National Park Seminary after it was reacquired from the army. The campus is brilliant and beautiful. Large sculptures decorate the beautiful buildings at almost every turn. A mix of styles inside the buildings. Especially the wonderful ballroom. The site is just something to behold. They do tours on Every 4th Saturday at 1PM Here are the rest for 2014 - They start at 1PM and are 5 bucks per person Saturday, June 28 Saturday, July 26 Sunday, August 3 Saturday, August 23 Saturday, September 27 Saturday, October 25 Saturday, November 22

I'm definitely revisiting this trail! There's a lovely body of water and tons of rocks in the area…read moreto make it a moderate trail if you wish (blazing your own trail). It's a trail in the middle of the city, except you don't have that city environment when you're on this trail! We had parked in Parking Lot 6, and there was plenty of parking remaining on a Saturday afternoon. When we went on the trail, a part of the road was blocked off to cars, so it's a great place to cycle, walk, or skate. As we walked, we saw a few people on unicycles and roller blading. That part of the trail was an easy walk since it's normally meant for cars. Eventually, we crossed a bridge to head to the not-so-hidden ruins. Apparently, a few months ago, these ruins were open to the public to explore. I visited this today and they were gated/blocked off with a "no trespassing" sign. These ruins are apparently pieces of the US Capitol Building after it was renovated in 1958. From my understanding, they weren't sure what to do with the stones, so they dumped it in this park. Need these ruins is also a horse trail/horse barn area.

Not too much to say this time. This trail is a great relaxing getaway during your lunch break if…read moreyou work nearby or are working from home and need some fresh air. Put those shoes on and hit the trail. You won't regret it

Tons of free street parking. About a block away from University Blvd. Located inside residential…read moreneighborhood. Dog friendly park and kid friendly park. If you are looking for a quiet low key neighborhood park, then this is the place to check out. Similar to other MoCo neighborhood parks, this playground has a fairly short walking path, a set of swings, fire truck, a few slides and a monkey bar. This park is surrounded by trees so you can find some shade during a sunny day. There are a few picnic tables throughout the park, but don't expect to hold large gatherings here. This park tends to get a little busy during the afternoons, but is fairly quiet during the early morning hours. Fun for kids of all ages. If you need to get work done while you child is playing, there are a few tables that you can set at and set a space to get your work done. Overall, its a nice neighborhood park with tons of activities for your kids to play. Not super big playground, but its large enough for your kids to roam around and explore.

This nice little park was the perfect place for my little one to get some wiggles out after…read moreshopping at the nearby target and Costco. While there isn't any parking lot, there is parking on the street. This park has walking trails as well as a playground. The playground has big swings, bucket swings and the car seat style type swing. The playground has a couple small "vehicles" to drive, two different kinds of slides, monkey bars, a swinging Bridge and lots to run around and explore and climb.

Love a accessible national park via public transit! The views are absolutely stunning with the high…read moreterrain spots, the creek, and endless amount of foliage along the winding path. We had great animal encounters with squirrels, ducks, snakes, and deer! Its the perfect place to retreat from the city and go on a walk with nature, even on a hot day. The grounds are well labeled and urban enough where you're not worried about getting trapped in the woods. There is also a designated picnic area we saw families enjoy.

If you're visiting D.C., know that you won't be able to cover all of what Rock Creek Park has to…read moreoffer in one trip because this national park is sprawling. It's much larger than you may think it is if you're basing your assessment on a drive-by on Glover Road. On a Saturday, my partner and I started our visit at the Nature Center and Planetarium. There are free parking spaces there if you are driving over; though you could alternatively take the E-4 bus or metro to Friendship Heights and Fort Totten. There are so many hiking trails if you're into that. Check out online for available and up-to-date trail guides. Download the NPS App also! Enjoy nature at Rock Creek Park - and for FREE!

I have wonderful memories of this place. What not to love?!…read more Countless of BBQ with my family and friends. My littles would love coming here and love going on the trains or carousel or the picnics we would have when I was a sahm. So many nice comminuty events held here etc. The parks been through a lot of renovations. One section has really clean bathrooms and there's an exercise stations which is geared for most ages. There's a part here that will connect you to Brookside Gardens. The park is very well maintained.

Super nice trails, especially if you have a doggie companion! Ample parking, plenty of paved and…read moreunpaved trails, lots to sniff and bonus dog park at the end. Lots of trash cans as well to keep things tidy. If I were a kid, I'd love the playground here. They have lots of rentable picnic shelters too that seem great for summer parties and barbecues! They even have a place to rope up your piñata, which I thought was so nice for all the birthdays and celebrations at the park.

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.

A great park with lots of options for fun: 2 tennis courts, hoops for adults and kids, playground,…read morebaseball field, dog run, and more. Having lived overseas where such amenities are simply not available or only to those who can pay, I say 'thank you' for providing taxpayers with something we can use every day.

This is a fantastic recreation center that has it all. From an inside classroom to a posh grass…read moresoftball field complete with folding chairs instead of bleachers, one of the best toddler spray parks in the city, multiple climbing gyms, sandboxes, tennis courts, swings for kids and toddlers, and a basketball court. It has restrooms and a The splash park is full of not-bad plastic toys (cars, things people drop off at the park) which are not even broken, unlike most parks around here. This is a really nice thing for kids, but what makes it better is that the splashing isn't huge. It's just the right amount of water for a toddler. The play structures are also the perfect toddler size as well. And the entire place is fenced in with multiple rounds of fencing. There is so much fencing that many of the nannies are not interested in even closing the toddler park fence. For me this is a place I can relax as a parent. There's almost nothing that can harm my kids here, except for the yucky goldfish and cheerios from the other kids, ha ha. The patrons are what you would expect: extreme helicopter parents and nannies. They are more high strung than most, but hey that's what you get with the neighborhood. All in all, this place was amazing and I look forward to coming back.

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

To my surprise, this trail was found by accident as I had finished an errand in Herndon and needed…read morea place to kill time and explore. This trail/park allows you to see the beautiful nature Northern VA offers with the trees, streams, trails, and surroundings of buildings and landscapes. It's a long trail and it intersects with the WO&D trail. Plenty of space and mileage to explore and perfect for biking/walking/jogging. Get those steps in!

I love walking this easy trail with my dog and am so fortunate to have it located so close from…read morehome. There is plenty of shade and is great for bikers, runners, dog walkers and if you are looking for a simple trail to take your family to! There is also a really neat wall of painted rocks that the community has been contributing to which is awesome because we all get to add to one big piece of art! On a few of my walks here, I've seen deer, raccoons, and foxes so there is a pretty good chance you may spot some wildlife too.