Bon Air Memorial Rose Garden
The Bon Air Memorial Rose Garden is located at the corner of North Lexington and Wilson Boulevard, at 850 North Lexington Street in Arlington, Virginia. This scenic and serene rose and botanical garden occupies approximately one acre of land and features over 135 different rose varieties and houses 2,500 plant species as well. Featured roses include Hybrid Tea, Grandiflora, Floribunda, and miniature roses. The garden also hosts the latest All-American roses annually, showcasing the newest variety of roses at least one year before they become commercially available.
Bon Air Memorial Park also features an azalea garden, a shade garden, a sun garden, and an ornamental garden. Other amenities include picnic tables, charcoal grills, a babbling spring stream, a paved walking trail, tennis and basketball courts, an additional children's playground. Cultural advice and guidance for the rose garden is provided by the Arlington Rose Foundation. Call (703) 358-4747 for more information.
This beautiful and fascinating garden is a brilliant and colorful local resource that truly proves Virginia is for lovers! Whether you are a botanical aficionado or an individual who simply wants to stop and smell the roses, the Bon Air Memorial Rose Garden is a must see this spring in Northern Virginia. Park hours are from Sunrise until half an hour after Sunset throughout the year.
Established in 1937, the Washington Redskins are a professional American football team based in Washington D.C. that plays for the National Football League (NFL). The Washington Redskins play at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland. The team's headquarters and training facility are at the Redskin Park in Ashburn, a community in Loudoun County, Virginia, near the Dulles International Airport. The Redskins have won five professional American football championships including two NFL Championships and three Super Bowls.
The Washington Wizards
Established in 1961, the Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. and were previously known as Washington Bullets until 1995. The Washington Wizards play for the National Basketball Association (NBA), and the team plays at the Verizon Center located on 7th Street in downtown Washington D.C.
The Washington Capitals
Established in 1974, the Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. and are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Washington Capitals play at the Verizon Center in Washington D.C.'s Chinatown neighborhood on 7th Street. Since their founding in 1974, the Caps have won their division title five times and the conference championship once.
D.C. United
Established in 1995, D.C. United is an American professional soccer club located in Washington, D.C. that plays for Major League Soccer (MLS). The team's home field is at the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium (RFK), owned by the District of Columbia and located near the Anacostia River.
The Washington Nationals
Based in Washington D.C. since 2005 as a replacement for earlier teams which had moved to Minnesota and Texas, the Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. and are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball (MLB). The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium, also occupied by D.C. United. The new park is located in Southeast D.C. near the Anacostia River.
No matter where you buy a home in 
I was born in 
Just across the Potomac River from 
The tunnel had white branches that were covered in ice. Inside the exhibit the air was a chilly 9 degrees Fahrenheit. All visitors wore special blue parkas over their coats that kept us nice and warm.
My son Stuart and I goofed around at the penguins near the glass-like ice igloo. National Harbor can be seen from Alexandria, but a few nights ago we took a short drive around the Beltway to the Washington, DC Church of Jesus Christ of Latter–day Saints, also known as the Mormon Temple.
The grounds of the Mormon Temple are open to all visitors during the Christmas season. This impressive church and its surrounding grounds shine brightly with nearly a half-million sparkling Christmas lights. Each night, a different local musical group performs a live concert in a state-of-the-art theater. Best of all: all events are free!
It's hard for my little picture to really catch the brilliance of the winter night, but in both of these pictures you can see a representative of the Star of David shining in the distance over a Nativity Scene near the visitors' center.
We grabbed some photos outside and walked the grounds. There were plenty of people there, but the crowds were very polite and nice. The Mormon ushers and parking attendants were very welcoming to all who approached.
It was a chilly night, so we came in the visitor's center to warm up. There were Christmas Trees from around the area, and I took Julie's picture near the Mount Vernon tree. I really liked the trees with contributions from nations around the world. Those trees were themed by continents so there was a tree themed with decorations from Africa, from South American, from Europe and from Asia.
Another great spot to check out is the National Christmas Tree near the lawn of the Whitehouse near the Ellipse in Washington DC.
We parked in front of the Washington Monument and then headed across the lawn toward the National Christmas Tree and National Menorah. On the way we passed an enormous Yule Log burning brightly to warm visitors. There is a parade of free entertainment and there are trees representing all the states and territories of the USA.
The National Christmas Tree is between the Washington Monument and the White House, but very close to the White House.
The marina has plenty of sailboats, canoes and kayaks for rent. They also offer lessons. Check out the spelling on the sign.
We had a great time on the Potomac. The winds were steady and fairly strong.
We were on the river until nearly sundown.
The oldest school building in 
The museum is open to the public only on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 - 4 p.m. If you enjoy local history this is a worthwhile stop. The society's phone number is 703-892-4204.
I didn't take any pictures inside the building ... for a reason. I wanted to tempt you to come in and take a look around. As I was about to leave one of the members of the historical society invited me to ring the school bell before I left! I can proudly say that I have rang the bell at the Hume School.
Huntley Meadows is a 4500 acre park in Fairfax County, but today the park service only maintains about 30 acres of meadows. The remainder of the park is following the natural life cycle of the land.
In the days before Columbus, Northern Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley were mostly a sprawling meadow, and even here on the East Coast we had bison herds. The meadows are not the natural state here though, and they were maintained by natives who burned and cut the forest from time to time to leave room for the big herding animals. Left on its own, the land here will slowly revert to a hardwood forest. In Huntley Meadows, visitors can explore this forest by way of many trails and paths.
The change to forest happens over time. When the meadows first fall fallow, weeds rush in. In a few years brambles and honeysuckle mix in with fast growing trees like locusts or cedars. Eventually the tree canopy grows so thick that the vines and undergrowth begin to die off. In dry months, this undergrowth becomes brittle and fires are easy to start. Left unchecked, nature will start its own fire to clear the undergrowth and to replenish the hardwoods as they grow.
The forests of Huntley Meadows are young. This is evidenced not only by the diameter of the trunks and by the types of trees that are tallest. It's also evidenced by the duff, or undergrowth, that is heavy in parts of the forest. The park's management recently ignited a number of controlled burns to clear up the duff and to help keep the forest healthy.
You'll see signs of the fire along many paths in the park.
Huntley Meadows is also popular with birdwatchers. I found these feathers scattered along the trail. Perhaps a fox found a meal here? I am curious what type of bird this might have been.
