I went to a reggae concert on Sunday evening. It was so relaxing at Allen Pond. The music was…read moregreat, the people were very nice. Family oriented event. Every Sunday they have a new artist or band. Something you can do with family or friends and have a blast.

I went to the park over thr weekend for the Spina Bifida Walk/Roll. The walk around the parks was…read morenice. They have an ice arena, a playground, and several sports fields.

I love hidden or little known gems like this place that dot my hometown. The park is a splendid…read morelocation to take wedding, prom, or other scenic photos with the Capitol Dome as a backdrop. The magnificent fountain is a photographer's dream when in season and spouting water and spray. The park in which the fountain is housed is a prime location (away from the mega crowds around the Tidal Basin) to see and experience the famous D.C. Cherry Blossom trees. Come spring when the trees and flowers are in full bloom you would be hard pressed to find a more beautiful place in the city to enjoy mother nature's glory or to take fantastic shots. The calming waters of the fountain will relax you even though it is located on Capitol Hill which is one of the most stress inducing places on this planet. Even during the off-season, I love strolling through this park. The Capitol to the South and my "real D.C." scenes playing out over to the Northeast side. On most spring weekends you will see an endless procession of wedding and prom limousines along with the cheap rental tuxes and gaudy dresses and gowns of mishmash bridesmaids, bellowing brides, and giddy teenyboppers. Those bridezillas and promzillas (I think I coined a new term...Wikipedia give me my props) know where in this fair city to find settings that accent their camera angles. If the city's streets, buildings, and landscapes were a person, this fountain and park would be the flowery corsage pinned next to its beating heart.

Still a mess in my opinion. They have added more than a dozen kiosk shops that sell fast food,…read morecoffee, drinks or trinkets. However the water fountain and park part of the "water park" are still closed.

They have totally re-modeled the Crystal City Water Park! Prior to 2023, all this was not there…read more I used to work here for years and ran on the Mt Vernon trail since forever! So when I saw the updates I was surprised, totally blown away, in a good way. Sidenote: I recall Amazon announced they were coming many years prior. There were city council meetings, upset residents, business proposals, lots of conversation and locals were not happy about it. People were concerned the value of property would get forced up and the cost to living there would increase significantly thus making it not affordable for locals. I am not sure how all that settled since the re-development. When the construction began, I was just upset they were destroying the Water Park. Watching building get torn down is weird. Tearing things down and soooo much construction. Sooooo, although I don't live there nor work there any longer, I am pleased with what they did with the Water Park. It seems like they kept the integrity, yet enhanced it to bring it up to speed with a more modern feel and a great place to gather. They have made such a good use of space. There are mini-restautants lining the entire park. It's also equipped with full restaurants, bar, a real DJ and public restrooms. Still a great point to meet for a bite, hang out, relax and be with nature. The new set-up is a whole vibe. They even incorporated the theme of the VRE trains into the landscape. Each food stall is like a mini-train. They did really well with the new look and set-up. Parking still free after 4pm and on weekends. Thank goodness for that. They better keep it that way and not get greedy! It's been that way so keep it that way. So many people use the Mt Vernon Trail and this is a major artery to access it.

I've stopped several times for flowers, staff is always helpful. Big selection, well organized!read more

Really nice place for plant shopping, gardening and outdoor landscaping. They have everything and…read morethe prices are reasonable. The staff is very helpful if you ask them questions and advice. They also have a food truck outside who has a good selection of Hispanic food and drinks

Bartholdi Park is kind of forgotten about. It's right next to the Botanical Garden. These are both…read morenext to the National Mall, so it has a convenient location. It has a very beautiful fountain. The park is usually pretty quiet. It gets hidden among the National Mall. Since there's so many popular sites, it often gets overlooked. This is next to the Botanic Gardens, which can often get overlooked too. Look for this if you're close to the Capitol Building. The most obvious thing about it is the fountain. It has an interesting history that predates the park and where the fountain is currently. The fountain was created as part of the 1876 Worlds Fair. It was sculpted by Auguste Bartholdi. The fountain was given to the U.S. and placed near the Capitol Building, then moved to its current location. With so many parks around you could forget about it. If you're here to see the memorials and monuments, take a moment to see it. The fountain is as beautiful as anything on the Mall, and the park is often peaceful.

I visited the United States Botanic Garden with a friend last weekend, and Bartholdi Fountain and…read moreGardens is one section of the Botanic Garden, and it ended up being my favorite. The Botanic Garden is free to visit (and the rest of it, including the conservatory) is across Independence Avenue from Bartholdi Fountain. You can just stop by Bartholdi Fountain and Garden, however, without visiting any of the rest of the Botanic Garden. It's a central fountain in a triangular shaped garden. On a July day, the gardens around the fountain were filled with colorful flowers and beautiful trees (including some beautiful pomegranate and fig trees). In photos, the Capitol building just peaks out from behind the statue, adding even more beauty to this park. There are rocking chairs and tables in different areas around the garden, making it a great place to eat your lunch or a snack or sit and read a book. It's a beautiful, peaceful space. I'd love to come back and enjoy it more.

Happy Memorial Day, 2026!…read more Many people typically enjoy Memorial Day by spending extra quality time with family and friends, and enjoying the unofficial start of summer. For others, this day is appreciated because it means they get to have a three-day weekend, enabling one to relax and enjoy life a little more. I always enjoy Memorial Day for these reasons, but I also take part of the day to remember those who have served this country and to mourn the loss of those who died in the process. In addition, I always take time every Memorial Day to remember my own loved ones who served this wonderful country. I would struggle to think of any person more honorable than someone willing to serve their country. I have had six family members who have served in the U.S. military, four of whom served during World War II. My grandfather was one of those individuals, and he served this country through active duty in Nazi Germany during World War II. I thank the good Lord that he came back, and that I actually got to spend quality time with him almost daily for the first 25 years of my life. He was not only an honorable American, but he was an amazing grandfather to me, as well as a wonderful mentor and a good friend. I am also thankful that the World War II Memorial was created to honor those who fought in this terrible war. World War II lasted from September of 1939 to September of 1945, so the creation of this memorial in 2004 was long overdue. The World War II Memorial is located in Washington, D.C., between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. It was dedicated to Americans who served during World War II, both in the armed forces and as civilians. The memorial consists of 56 granite pillars, decorated with bronze laurel wreaths, with each representing a U.S. state or territory. The memorial also has a pair of triumphal arches for the Atlantic and Pacific theaters, all surrounding an oval plaza and fountain. On its short axis is a memorial wall of 4,048 gold stars, with each star representing 100 of the Americans who died in this war. Unfortunately, I also have to highlight something that was negative about my visit to this location as well. During the second Trump administration, numerous government organizations have had drastic cuts in funding from a "chainsaw cutting mentality," which eliminated about a quarter million federal employees with the assistance of Trump's cronies at DOGE. The National Park Service (NPS) was one of these government agencies that had drastic cuts, and the World War II Memorial is maintained by NPS. Sadly, I could see the negative effects of these actions in three key areas while here: (1) many nearby restrooms were not adequately maintained, (2) the primary fountain and other water-filled parts of the World War II Memorial were not operational, and (3) the adjacent Infinity Pool was quite dirty. Although this was a negative during my specific visit, and poorly represents the respect that this location deserves, I'm sure that the World War II Memorial will be returned to its pristine state of honor and respect once we have a new/better President. If you are in the Washington, D.C. area, I highly encourage you to make this one of the places you visit. While you are here, it will be an excellent opportunity to pay your respects to the 16 million Americans who served during World War II, with over 400 thousand being our men who paid the ultimate price for our freedom.

The National World War II Memorial is one of the most powerful and beautifully designed memorials…read morein Washington, DC. Standing in the center of history surrounded by the fountains, pillars, wreaths, and tribute walls gives an overwhelming sense of honor, sacrifice, and patriotism. Seeing the Tennessee and Oklahoma pillars personally hit differently -- especially coming from roots connected to both Southern culture and Oklahoma history. Every section of the memorial tells a story, and the "Here We Mark the Price of Freedom" wall is deeply moving in person. The memorial itself is massive, clean, peaceful, and incredibly well maintained. The fountains and open-air layout make it feel both reflective and grand at the same time. It is one of those places where photos simply do not capture the full emotion or scale of the experience. Perfect stop while visiting the National Mall, especially for history lovers, veterans, military families, and anyone wanting to truly appreciate the sacrifices made during World War II. The views, architecture, and atmosphere are unforgettable. And the weather? Absolutely perfect DC skies for memorial photos. Your bright colors against the granite and blue skies made these pictures stand out beautifully

I recently visited this park and it was honestly a pretty disappointing experience. The grass was…read moreovergrown and looked like it hadn't been maintained in a while. Several trash cans were overflowing, and there was litter scattered around the walking paths. The playground equipment also seemed worn down and not very clean. On top of that, the bathrooms were in poor condition and didn't seem to be cleaned regularly. It made the whole park feel neglected. Parks are supposed to be relaxing places to spend time outside, but this one just felt poorly taken care of. I hope the city puts more effort into maintaining it because it could be a really nice spot if it were cleaner and better managed.

I really do like the town of Occoquan. There have been some changes. It's been yuppiefied…read moresignificantly, and fishing isn't allowed on either side of the river in town. That's not a huge loss, but for those who love angling, it's disappointing. Such is life as River Mill Park has some nice river views. My guess is when it warms up, maybe they'll have some outdoor concerts or family events here. Park in the public lots. This isn't a long walk. There's the cheesy "Love" sign you can get a picture with your significant other if you have one. I do like that there was a menorah and Christmas tree. Today this plus the holidays wreaths on the bridge were done with class. The new rocking bench is solid. Do I wish it was wooden? Yep but it's probably for safety reasons. The walkways had some ice on them. Definitely watch your step. I think this is a good place to chill from the busy land of northern Virginia. If you're in the area it's worth stopping by here.

On the U.S. Capitol grounds is a historic summer house that's often open to the public to escape…read morethe sun, use the drinking fountain or east on one of the seats inside.

Amazing service Melanie was just a sweet heart food ways absolutely incredible kind host happy…read moreworkers wonderful employees and a great experience