4th of July Parade - Takoma Park

  

Yesterday was 4th of July which is Independence Day for the USA. I decided to go to a town just outside of Washington DC called Takoma Park to see their parade. The weather held out just enough to see the whole parade before it started raining.  

The pictures are some of the interesting sights of the parade.  There were music groups, vintage cars, a dance team, and lots of dogs.  The dog float was to bring awareness to dog park that was supposed to have been built a year ago has yet been built. 

My day ended with seeing a fireworks display. How did you spend the day? Meet Me Outdoors.

A trip to the zoo

I went to the Smithsonian National Zoological Park today with some of my friends. It turned out to be a great day for the zoo, not too cold out which means we were able to see the animals. 

We saw the lions, reptiles, invertebrates, small mammals, elephants, even otters. As I walked through the zoo I used scvngr to keep track if where I went and what I saw.  For example, the picture on the right is of a chameleon I saw in the Reptile Discovery Center. I am sure he wanted to hide, but from my angle I could still see him, can you?

Since it's winter time, there were a few animals that were not out today because they prefer warmer climates.  There still were plenty of critters to see in the different indoor areas as well as along the outside trails. 

Elephant

 

If we came after dark this time of year, winter holiday season, we would have seen the zoo lights. I have only seen pictures of it from a friend of mine who went.

The pictures I added are from today. Looking forward to another adventure, Meet Me Outdoors.

Otters... They kept moving around, hard to get a close-up.

Lion!

Two lions!

Rock Creek Park of Washington, D.C.

Today I met with some friends at Rock Creek Park for a picnic and some hiking.  It was a cloudy day today and minor drizzles but that didn't keep us from having an adventure.  Unfortunately I forgot to bring my camera (and my phone that has a camera ran out of battery) so I don't have any photos to share.

Rock Creek Park as lots of picnic areas and some open space too great for families or a gathering of friends.  At one part along the road, toward where my friends and I were going to eat, I saw a sign with a trivia question and farther down there was a table set up with a couple park rangers with the answer.  As some bicyclers rode by the table they shouted out what they thought the answer was, and the rangers would give a yes or no.  It certainly was entertaining.

There are a lot of trails and different kinds of paths to take, some paved and some not. We took a couple different trails that were shared by bikers and runners, it was also a equestrian (horse) trail at times (we had to look out for horse droppings along the way).  The hike was peaceful, we chatted a bit along the way but we also just wanted to "be one with nature" as they say. 

As we were walking, in my head, I kept track of items I saw that are on the Nature Bingo cards.  I saw horse tracks, fungus, some flowers, insects, a deer, even poison ivy (which I know to avoid) and much more.  There was lots to see on the walk, and I had a fun time exploring in the park. 

I learned there also is a Nature Center at Rock Creek Park that is worth checking out sometime.  We skipped over the Nature Center today, but next time I am in the area I will be sure to see what is there.  I hear they have ranger led programs for all ages and other information and educational resources there. From scavenger hunts to "meet the animals" type presentations, and short guided hikes there are lots of ways to connect with nature. If you are in the Washington, D.C. I'd recommend this as a place to explore.

Whether you want a small encounter with nature or and all out hike in the woods, find a park nearby where you live and go explore.  Come along for an adventure, Meet Me Outdoors.

My Trip to DC - Cherry Blossom Festival

A few weeks ago I mentioned wanting to go to the Cherry Blossom Festival, and I did.  I got to walk around the Tidal Basin and see all of the beautiful cherry trees.  That day it happened to start of rain the whole drive from Baltimore to Washington DC but it cleared up the moment I arrived at the National Mall where I met a friend to join me on the walk. 

I was surprised at how crowded the Tidal Basin was since it had just rained but people were out and about in large numbers.  Lots of people stopping to take pictures with the trees, or close ups of the flowers, and many more just enjoying the day.  I was unable to stop and take a good picture since it was so busy and I was having a good time walking about.  I did end up taking a picture of the Tidal Basin with the Washington Monument in the background.  If you look at the picture there is a row of white between the blue of the water and brown of the other trees yet to grow leaves.  That row of white is not snow, it is the cherry trees and the white flowers that have blossomed.
 

 I took this from across the basin, behind me is the Jefferson Memorial. I spun around after taking the first picture to take this one:

 As you can see there are lots of people there too. My friend and I continued our walk around the Basin and enjoyed seeing how spring season was starting to show through.  I hope some of you who are reading this will take the time to go outside and really look around and take it in.  All along the walk we saw families young and old also enjoy the Cherry Blossom Festival, with fun activities all around.  If you missed it this year be sure to check it out next year.  I know that if I am in the area next year I may make the trip again because I am sure there is more to see and do than I was able to to on my afternoon trip. 

When I got back to Baltimore I realized that there were cherry trees much like those I saw down in DC so I took a close up shot of the branches.  You can see in this picture that the white flowers are there and some leaves have already come out.

Grab a hat and some sunblock and go have fun outside.  I hope you join me on another adventure, Meet Me Outdoors!