National Arboretum (dogs welcome)
Details
It is Azalea season at the National Arboretum! (see link for info about the park). U.S. National Arboretum
Join me for a visit to one of my favorite, dog-friendly, beautiful, and FREE(!!!) parks in the area. Despite the forecast for a chillier Monday (About 50 degrees), we will walk through the gorgeous hilly trails and marvel at the beautiful display.
The park ecompasses about 450 acres and has about 9 miles of roadways, plus lots of walking paths through the various areas and displays. There is SO much to see that it is easy to spend a whole day there, but usually a few hours is plenty. Please make sure you have sturdy and comfortable walking/hiking shoes and water, even though it will be cool out.
There is plenty of parking. You can grab a map at the Adminstration Building, use the restrooms, and meet me out front by the benches (no dogs allowed in the building, but there are other restrooms elsewhere, or I can hold your dog for you) :-). We will head right over to the Azaleas. After that, feel free to explore the park on your own, by foot or by car (or even bike!), or stick with me (and my pups) and check out more of the park as we put on some mileage walking to various parts of the park. The park is a good mix of flat grade and some pretty decent hills (especially in the Japanese & Chinese Gardens - they go all the way down to the Anacostia River). I am not listing any particular "mileage" or "speed" for this visit, as you can do as much or as little with me as you would like. I have been there many times and have my favorite places, but always love to explore.
LEASHED dogs are welcome in the park, except in the Bonsai Museum (which is absolutely INCREDIBLE if you have never seen it) and Penjing Museum. Again, happy to hold your dog for you if you want to check those out. It will likely not warm enough for a picnic, but please bring food/snacks/water/as there is no food sold in the Arboretum except vending machines.
Any questions - feel free to call or text me at 410-487-5095.