Tomorrow is Mother’s Day. Although my mom died in 1977, her love of roses compels me to visit gardens whenever and wherever I travel. (Favorites include Biltmore Estate, Selby Botanical Gardens, and Winterthur Gardens. Leaning in to sniff a red…
Adventure
Are you a dog owner looking for a destination that combines history, charm, and beautiful scenery plus special places to visit with your pooch? Look no further than Annapolis, Maryland! This picturesque city is located on the Chesapeake Bay…
If you missed Del Ray’s Art on the Avenue festival, don’t worry. Year-round, visitors as well as locals can enjoy the vibrant murals documenting this Virginia neighborhood’s history. I mapped out a self-guided Del Ray’s street art tour that…
Picture a dirt pathway lined by giant azaleas and rhododendron bushes at the U.S. National Arboretum’s Azalea Collection. The 446-acre Arboretum is located in Washington DC. Walk past a Monet canvas of red, pink, salmon, lavender, and white puff…
What pooch wouldn’t want to sniff the tulips and investigate the vegetable garden at dog-friendly Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia? Certainly, my Golden Retriever Parker gave a “paw’s up” to accompany me on a beautiful spring weekend to tour the…
DC cherry blossoms fever hits me each year during the last cold weeks of March in Washington DC. Paint my city pink! Frail white Yoshino petals rain down in flower showers on the bumpy path along the Tidal Basin…
Each spring before the cherry blossoms peak, Washingtonians race to see the giant cup-shaped pink blooming saucer magnolia trees at the Smithsonian. There are two rows of pink blooming saucer magnolia trees (also known as tulip magnolia trees) that…
We all have a “Forest wild”—or should. This is a place in nature where you can go to retreat, reflect . . . and (hopefully) recharge your spirit. Unfortunately far too many people lose their wild places because they…