US Botanic Garden The
gleaming glass-walled conservatory building is a beautiful home for
this “living plant museum.” Microclimates, such as desert, oasis, and
jungle, reveal the variety and beauty of plant adaptations. Don’t miss
the primitive ferns and other plants dating back 150 million years.
Outside is the variegated National Garden with an environmental learning
center .
US Botanic Garden
US Botanic Garden
Enid A. Haupt Garden This
“rooftop” garden is inspired by the culture on display beneath it in
the Smithsonian Museums. The Island Garden beside the Sackler Gallery
reflects the Asian world, with its moon gate, pools, and cherry and
beech trees. The Fountain Garden, next to the Museum of African Art,
sets a Moorish tone, with cascading waters and shaded seats. 10th St & Independence Ave, NW Open Memorial Day–Sep 30: 6:30am– 8pm daily; Oct–Memorial Day: 7am– 5:45pm daily Free Dis. access
Dumbarton Oaks Magnificent
trees, including ancient oaks, soar above the park and gardens
surrounding this historic Federal-style house. Designed by Beatrix Jones
Farrand, the gardens range from formal to more casual settings. From
March to October they are ablaze with wisteria, roses, lilies, perennial
borders, and chrysanthemums. Pools and fountains tie the verdant
ensemble together . National Arboretum A
world-acclaimed bonsai display – some of the bantam trees are almost
400 years old – is one of the many collections that flourish season to
season on these 446 acres dedicated to research, preservation, and
education. Azaleas, dogwoods, holly, magnolias, herbs, roses, and
boxwoods abound. A stand of columns, formerly on the US Capitol, adds a
classical air.
Chinese Pavilion, National Arboretum
Rock Creek Park This
vast national park meanders with its namesake creek, offering something
for everyone: woodland trails, 30 picnic areas, 25 tennis courts, a
golf course, playing fields, and nature programs for kids and adults .
Pierce Mill, Rock Creek Park
C&O Canal Canalboats
on this 184-mile (295-km) waterway, dating back to the early 19th
century, carried cargo between Maryland and Georgetown for 100 years
before the railroad put it out of business. The canal is now a National
Historical Park, a haven for walkers and cyclists along its towpath and
for canoeists and boaters in its waters. Catch a mule-drawn boat ride at
Georgetown or Great Falls. Theodore Roosevelt Island This
wooded island on the Potomac River is the perfect memorial to the
president remembered as a conservationist. A 17-ft (5-m) statue of Teddy
Roosevelt is the centerpiece of what otherwise is a monument to nature –
a space for birdwatching, hiking, and fishing.
Theodore Roosevelt Island
Bartholdi Park and Fountain The French sculptor of the Statue of Liberty, Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi (1834–1904), also created this reflection of belle époque
majesty. The 30-ft (9-m) sculpture’s three caryatids support a circular
basin surmounted by three tritons. A small garden surrounds the
fountain like the setting for a gemstone . Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens The
14-acre Aquatic Gardens began as a hobby for W.B. Shaw in 1882, then
became a commercial water garden, where many varieties of water lilies
were developed. Now a national park, the gardens are home to water
lilies and lotuses, plus many varieties of birds, frogs, turtles, and
butterflies. Adjacent Kenilworth Park features acres of recreational
areas and meadows. Gardens1550 Anacostia Ave, SE Open 8am–4pm daily Free Dis. access
ParkKenilworth & Burroughs Aves Open 8am–4pm daily; closed Thanks-giving, Christmas, Jan 1 Free Dis. access
Glover Archbold Trail From
Van Ness Street to the Potomac River, this 3-mile (5-km) trail in the
northwest of the city passes beneath 200-year-old trees that host an
abundance of birds, in keeping with its designation as a bird sanctuary
in 1924. The trail hooks up with the C&O Canal towpath, and other
routes.
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