"I love these murals, but when do we enter the museum?" Me. "These are the museum," my friend. And…read morethis is how I've come to enjoy the DC Alley Museum as the best outdoor-only free museum experience that I've ever had! For the past 10 years, Shaw's Blagden Alley has partnered with the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities to transform its building walls into canvases for local artists to showcase their work. The result is an alleyway filled with a cavalcade of murals big and small, that blend in well with the local businesses within said alleyway. While walking through this vast alleyway I saw so many incredible works of art that I lost track, and the photos that I took barely do justice It's an absolute street art lover's dream! The best part is that you can either walk through it in a quick dose, or you can do so while grabbing coffee at La Colombe, a cocktail at Calico or Death & Co, or even a workout at DC Strength and Nutrition. Checking out the website is a must to learn more about the core mural artists and to find out about events like their Alley-Oop Music and Arts Festival.

Murals galore! They are all different and unique and range in size. How fun to just explore various…read morestreets and find unique art at every turn. Sometimes you can't even tell if it's part of the outdoor museum or part of the storefront of a creative restaurant. Definitely worth checking out. There is a coffee shop, bar, restaurants, and other business nestled within this space. We need more art, less arguing!

Georgetown Glow is free public art with elements to captivate all ages & demographics. It can be…read morepaired with some history or can be enjoyed to captivate your Instagram followers. It is currently in it's fifth year, running from early December to early January. It looks like the installations change every year so there is something new to explore and enjoy. I won't go through every installation that I saw for this reason. There are some really instagramable moments, my favorite in 2018 was definitely Prismatic, but I have a big soft spot for Run Beyond as well. You should definitely plan to get out and explore a lot of the installations, just walking or driving by won't give you the full effect of some of them. Some of them also can't be seen from your vehicle, bundle up and explore! There are also a few that incorporate motion & sound. Here is the biggest "well duh" moment- see these installations after dark. Not during sunset, not at dusk- make sure it is really dark for the full effect. I mean- they are light installations, so maybe that shouldn't even be mentioned. I opted to see Georgetown Glow as part of a tour group (Free Tours by Foot DC) and our tour started almost an hour before sunset so I made a point to revisit the installations we saw early on during the tour- it was definitely worth the trip back to see the earlier installations. I thought taking the walking tour was a great way to see some of the installations and learn more about the history of Georgetown. Our tour guide was excellent, but was definitely a better Georgetown guide vs a Glow guide. She had great historical stories to connect to the themes of the art installations as we walked through Georgetown. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see all of the artwork during this foot tour, but we had plenty of time to explore the ones we did encounter on our tour. I would recommend doing Georgetown Glow both ways, take a tour if that's your thing, but really for the art itself I think you can easily enjoy every installation without the tour aspect and just read the information provided on the website to learn more. It is an outdoor, free, public display so expect that a few of the installations may have technical difficulties. I visited on the second night of the displays and noticed some light vandalism, most likely caused by careless spectators. It didn't take away from the overall effect though. One thing I appreciated is even though this is a December outdoor light exhibit, it wasn't Christmas themed. There is definitely plenty of holiday cheer to enjoy as you explore the city between installations. The art itself focuses on different themes giving you a brief mental break from the holidays.

I've been going to GLOW since the first edition and I just love it! I like some installations…read morebetter than others but it's a great idea and it's nice seeing people walking around at night in the Winter! It would be nice to have shuttle tours for people who can't walk as much. Maybe the Circulator used to do free rides? I can't remember. DC has so many free events and exhibits and GLOW is one of the best.

TL:DR - A oasis in Washington, DC…read more While the phrase "hidden gem," is too often overused, the Tregaron Conservancy is place where that label is completely apropos. Located off Macomb Street in the toney Cleveland Park neighborhood, this is definitely a spot frequented by locals. Walking up to the small gate entrance, it's almost as if this a secret garden of sorts. Make you way up the winding path, and visitors encounter some of the most beautiful green spaces in all of DC. The Tregaron Conservancy and the associated grounds are joint tenants with the adjacent Washington International School (https://tregaron.org/news/washington-international-school-tregaron-conservancys-perfect-partner). Just be aware that while the main sections of the Tregaron are open to the public, the school portion is not. While the Tregaron is not expansive, there are many nice sections. There are benches down by the Lily Pond which I have often enjoyed a coffee and conversations with friends. The remaining grounds are kept pristine with slight hills which are perfect for an afternoon picnic or just sitting to enjoy sunny days. There is also the scenic Klingle Valley trail which winds through the woods and eventually connects up with Rock Creek Park after crossing through busy Connecticut Ave. Good information before you make the trip: https://tregaron.org/planning-your-visit My advice is to take the Metro to the Cleveland Park stop, and make the short 10 minute walk. There are many restaurants and bakeries where you can pop in, get a beverage and pastry to enjoy at the Tregaron. Bonus Tip: If you need to use a restroom, the Cleveland Park Library is at corner of Connecticut Ave and Macomb Street (https://www.yelp.com/biz/cleveland-park-library-washington?osq=cleveland+park+library&sort_by=date_desc) There aren't many "attractions" at the Tregaron...but that's really the point. It's a place to escape the concrete jungle that is DC and commue and appreciate nature, at least for a short while. If you are looking for an "in the know" place and want to impress long time DC residents and visitors alike, I highly recommend visiting the Tregaron Conservancy.

The Tregaron Conservancy is a beautiful hidden gem for a short walk in a natural setting right…read moreinside the city. I'm amazing by how much of an escape it feels like as it's tucked on a very small land area. It may not be a tourist destination to make a trip out for, but I am so grateful to have this local spot. The area could be walked through very quickly, but I have also spent hours sitting by the pond and birdwatching or just enjoying nature. The park can be tricky to find, I access it from Klingle Valley Trail. Note - this is the Conservancy which is an outdoor park. I believe the "Estate" is now the Washington International School building and is not open to the public.

You've got to admire a Spite House. It's known as the Hollensbury Spite House and is 7-feet wide…read moreand 325 sq feet. It was built in 1830 and is considered to be the narrowest historic house in the U.S. So inquiring minds want to know -- why was it built? It was built to block an alleyway with too much traffic.

Cutest house and easy to find in such a charming neighborhood…read more Does someone actually live here?

What an amazing image in the middle of Georgetown! Always a surprise and a wonder that it has…read morelasted so long, since 1974! Stunning.

A great vacation in the DC area. Seeing all the monuments, mysuems and sights was such an…read moreenjoyable experience. Even with the protests/riots putting a damper on things it still was an enjoyable experience. Another bucket list item checked off.

DC is a really nice spot to visit because pretty much everything is absolutely FREE!! I hadn't…read morerealized everything was free otherwise I would have visited WAY sooner! I'm thinking I'm going to pay $40 a pop for the museums but it's all free. Woohoo! I definitely should have visited in the fall when it was cooler because I walked over 8 miles and it was like death with the heat but some public spots had places to refill my water bottle for free. I love free and there is a lot of free shit out in DC.

This mural is located on a wall donated by 455 Eye Apartments, overlooking a commercial parking…read morelot. There is metered street parking and commercial lot available for those wishing to park and take a closer look. However, most viewers of this mural will be going to or from some other destination. The mural was commissioned by sponsored by The German Embassy in Washington and Street Art for Mankind. It is the work of German artist Hera aka Jasmin Siddiqui, who painted the piece in 2023. The Mural towers 135 feet high and is in decent shape. I would have expected it to be in much better shape though, given its young age. Instead of a crown Mother Nature is wearing a bee hive on her head The mural is intended to raise awareness about climate change, the role women play in curbing it and that they should not be left out when it comes to finding solutions to addressing the climate crisis. . It depicts an African American Mother Nature surrounded by a female farmer planting a tree, and a child watching a bumblebee approaching a flower. The artwork of the piece is nice and I really like that it has a message. The colors really pop and complement each other. The mural reads "NATURE SHOWS US: ANYTHING BIG STARTS OUT SMALL" This is definitely not a destination piece and most of its viewers would probably be coming from or going to another destination and just so happen to stumble across this mural. Anyway, as with most public art works that I visit, I was not here long. I would say five minutes tops and I was off to somewhere else. I highly recommend making a visit to see this sculpture part of a larger itinerary.

An interesting area. Tyson's Corner, at least it's a urban legend, was named after a small corner…read morestore that existed fifty or sixty years ago. Nothing was really here, now it's a mixed used loaded area. Money and high density of people, quite a few of them who think they are "all that." Old money tends to be cool people, but the new money crowd, can be very annoying to deal with. Route 7 traffic is a nightmare. Yet this area has a good amount to do. The new "Boro area," will be like Mosaic District. Capital One Bank Corporate has a concert hall. There's metro you can hop on, and Tysons One and Two are large malls. Plenty of restaurants to visit. If you need a car, a lot of dealerships, but don't waste your time with Koons. It's been interesting watching the changes. Almost overnight are high rise luxury condos and hotels. It's not far from DC, and always has something going on.

I don't like to restrain daughters, but I often "tie sons" up." I like to tie sons and put them in…read morethe corner. Since you're demanding I elaborate. But for future reference, I don't like to be cornered. Tysons Corner wants to be a lot more than it ever was in the past. After the mall here made the area extremely popular and very difficult to navigate for traffic, it has been building up and out ever since then, but mainly up, because there's nowhere to go in the outward direction, sort of like being gay in Qatar. For such a modest little area it has really turned into a glitzy fancy Los Angeles-esque suburban mall shopping Paradise. It's not the kind of place that does it for me, but if you like high-end shopping then this is definitely the area of DC for you. You and all the rich people. DC food in general - Falafel Inc in Georgetown. El Rulas for Tortas in Manassas, Burger Shack in Centreville. In MD burbs, Sardi's (Peruvian Chicken), Max's (best Shawarma/Falafel pita anywhere, get it spicy), Silk Road Choyhona (chicken kebab), hot pretzel and banana shake at Sadieanne's inside Dutch Village Farmer's Market in Upper Marlboro. Gyros at Yia Yia and Plaka. Late night, these 3: Kabob Palace, Amsterdam Falafel, Hard Times (Alexandria - Terlingua Red). La Casita for Salvadoran. Mazadar for Afghan. Java Loco for Okinawa Milk Bubble Tea. Dessert at SnoCream in Annandale. Sharetea (the only location on the East Coast) - Okinawa Milk Tea, also try Whole Lemon Black Tea with tapioca. Also District Doughnuts in Georgetown, York Castle - crazy tropical flavors. My ex worked at Sephora inside Tyson's. Swoooooon.