Happy Funtime Friend Service » Outdoors

Cherry Blossoms!

Lisa — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 18:02:32 +0000

Even though the peak blooms were this past weekend, there’s still plenty of fun to be had down by the Tidal Basin. I just learned about ranger guided lantern walks – National Park Rangers give free guided tours of the cherry blossoms by lantern light on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday evenings from 8 – 10 pm. Meet at the Tidal Basin Welcome Area and the Washington Monument Lodge. They recommend bringing your own flashlight. (The walk is about a mile and a half, so be prepared and wear comfortable shoes.)

Behind Closed Doors

Lisa — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 17:15:22 +0000

You’ll notice a theme – we like other people’s houses. Especially people who live in nicer places than ours. And the DC area is rife with house tours. I always liked the Georgetown House Tour with one exception – they used to spread it over two days and there were always one or two houses that you really wished you could go to that were open the other day. But now, they’ve solved that – it’s all on one day, this Saturday, and 11 (!) houses. Well, really 10 houses and one church. But that Church is historic and pretty plus they are including the Rectory on the house tour. And they host a Parish tea in Blake Hall to revive you once you’ve walked all over visiting all those houses.

Tickets are $45 and can be bought the day of the tour at the Church (corner of O and Potomac). The tour carries on rain or shine. They give you map and a booklet and you can set your own path and pace. Grab a friend and see what it’s like to live behind the brick walls in Georgetown.

We never promised you a Rose Garden

Lisa — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 13:50:05 +0000

This weekend the Rose Garden, the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden the Children’s Garden and the South Lawn of the White House will be open for the annual Spring Garden Tour. Also on view (from a distance) will be the very popular new “Victory Garden” or the White House Kitchen Garden as it is officially known. Read all the details about what you can and can’t bring so there are no surprises, but basically you can’t bring much. Strollers, wheelchairs, and cameras are permitted.

Tours are 10 – 4 on Saturday, April 18 and 11 – 3 on Sunday, April 19. Everyone needs a ticket and tickets will be distributed at the Ellipse Visitor Pavilion located at 15th and E Streets on each tour day beginning at 8:00 a.m (one per person, so everyone who wants to go needs to be in line). Tickets are only distributed for the same day so you can’t get tickets for Sunday on Saturday. And you should probably be in line already.

If you go, please post your pictures and let us know. Extra points if you get a picture of Bo. (The rules say no food or beverages but I wonder if that includes dog treats.)

Books on the Mall

Lisa — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 16:08:53 +0000

More festivals – this time with authors. And a great place to get started on your Christmas shopping (I know – it’s early, but trust me, personalized autographs from favorite authors make books seems like great presents). And this Saturday you can get them all in one place – on the National Mall. It’s the Library of Congress Book Festival with pavilions for Home, Fiction, Poetry, History & Biography, Children, Teens, and more. Authors include Terry Pratchett, DC’s own Stephen Hunter and Ann Amernick, Ken Burns, and Dr. Sanjay Gupta. There will be readings and book signings. They do have books for sale but they do run out if it’s particularly popular, so if you absolutely have your heart set on getting something signed, it’s not a bad idea to bring it with you instead of relying on buying it there. Be sure to check the signing schedule – sometimes it’s a tough choice about seeing someone speak or getting a good spot in line. And if the lines get long the authors will limit the number of items they’ll sign to get through everyone, so be understanding if that happens – they’re trying to get to everyone.

Festival Weekend

Lisa — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 22:54:07 +0000

It does seem to be a weekend of Festivals, and if you don’t want to drive to Baltimore (but alas, no sour cream), you can join me at the Rosslyn Jazz Festival at Gateway Park (the corner of North Lynn and Lee Highway – a mere two blocks from the Rosslyn Metro). It starts at 1 p.m. and runs til about 7. The headliner is Regina Carter and there’s a mystery piano guest (I have my theories) and the whole shebang is hosted by WAMU host Kojo Nnamdi. It’s free and fun, and it’s a great lead off for a week of great jazz all around the city for the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival. We’ll be at the Lincoln Theatre on Saturday night for the big concert but if you can’t make that, there are plenty of other opporunities to see both local and national artists.

Folklife – Ireland, China, & Virginia

Lisa — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 18:14:48 +0000

Whether you want to plan to go or stay as far away from the Mall as possible, the Folklife Festival run from 27 June through 1 July and 4 July through 8 July on the National Mall. This year the highlighted cultures include Northern Ireland, the Mekong River, and Virginia. There are a variety of crafts, demonstrations, concerts, exhibitions, etc. planned for the week. Check the schedule for any events you’re particularly interested in. Related events will be taking place at the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center (inside in the air conditioning). Take Metro to the Folklife Festival, pack a lunch or be prepared to deal with the vendors (or try to go to the National Museum of the American Indian – that’s where the best food court is), and dress for the weather. It always seems like the Folklife Festival is the hottest and unrelentingly sunniest time of year.

If you are so inclined, they are still looking for volunteers. It’s a great way to get a different perspective on the event.

Jazz al fresco

Lisa — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 14:26:11 +0000

I can’t believe I totally missed the start of Jazz in the Garden. But after the lingering cold and lack of spring like weather (other than the raging pollen count), it just escaped me that it could be that time already. But here we are, so it’s time to skip Friday happy hour, grab a blanket, and head over to the National Gallery of Art’s Sculpture Garden to listen to some great local jazz artists. If you’re not a bring a picnic and sit on a blanket kind of person, the cafe stays open until 8:30 on jazz nights. Tonight is Frank LoCrasto Group and coming up soon is one of my favorites – Thad Wilson.

Ultimate House Tour

Lisa — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 02:18:27 +0000

In DC, the best house tour to score is the White House. And while the rules on getting to tour the White House are more complicated, they still do the occasional open tour. This weekend is the first of three summer garden tours at the White House. The other scheduled dates are July 21 and August 11. There will be two tours each day at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Everyone (even small children) must have a ticket. Tickets will be distributed (one per person) beginning at 8 a.m. at the Ellipse Visitors’ Pavilion until they are gone. In case of inclement weather, the tour will be canceled.

Dude, It’s, Like, Shakespeare!

Alycia — Tue, 22 May 2007 13:00:40 +0000

And it’s like – totally free. Well, free insomuch as you need to show up at the Carter Barron, the Shakespeare Theatre or The Washington Post offices the day of the performance to line up for the free tickets. This year they will be performing Love’s Labor’s Lost beginning May 24th to June 3rd. Can I tell you how happy I am that it’s not another production of Hamlet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, or God forfend! – Romeo and Juliet yet again? Stupid Mercutio…

Love’s Labor’s Lost

by William Shakespeare (duh)
directed by Stephen Fried
original direction by
Michael Kahn

May 24 – June 3, 2007
No performance Monday, May 28
Carter Barron Amphitheatre
16th St. and Colorado Ave. NW

http://www.shakespearetheatre.org

Because It’s Crrrrap!

Alycia — Sat, 19 May 2007 13:35:06 +0000

I know it’s short notice, but if you wake up and are surprised to find that it’s nice outside (contrary to yesterday’s weather report) then mosey over to Adams Morgan and Kalorama for 86+ Yard Sales because you can never have enough crap.