AZALEA Outing: Stroll Brighton Dam Azalea Garden | Lunch
Details
**Tuesday, April 21 UPDATE**
Members, we currently have 35 attendees that would overwhelm the parking lot so I highly recommend CARPOOLING where possible.
If interested, note your origin and route in Comments.
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Social Sips & Bites Family,
I've organized the outing below for another Meetup for several years.
Please indicate via COMMENT if you will be attending the LUNCH.
BTW: Pets are not permitted at the Garden.
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This is a road trip (>30 miles / ~50 minutes from West Falls Church Metro) for our mostly VA-based Meetup.
It is organized in 2 segments so members can participate in one, or both activities.
I chose a Sunday to make it easier to car pool from, say, a Metro Station.
The date is always a guess so the date may change based on azaleas blooming close to me.
1. Stroll/Explore the Brighton Dam Azalea Garden at Brighton Dam. FREE.
The azalea garden is situated on the banks of the Patuxent River, by Brighton Dam (built in 1942).
The 5 acre garden has over 20,000 azaleas and is provided by the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission. 20k!!!
The trails are crushed asphalt (soft vs. gravel) and grass so wear appropriate footwear.
Note: The garden is along a river bank so the upper part does rise meaning a hill.
Parking: A good amount of it across the road at the main Brighton Dam Recreation Area Parking Lot, but this will likely be popular so carpooling is recommended.
FREE.
Carpooling - For those that wish to carpool, please indicate in comments that you would and from where.
2. Lunch/Picnic.
In a prior year, we had lunch at Brookeville Beer Farm.
It was an overcast, chilly day so the patio heaters were a godsend.
This year, I'm initially picking:
Z Burger & Maman Joon Kabob - good variety, plenty of seating, individual counter ordering to minimize the hassle of separate checks.
However, small parking lot though they told me overflow can go to the 7-Eleven next door.
I have several signed up already in the other Meetup so can take about 8 more as the venue has minimal parking though a good amount of seating.
Please indicate via COMMENT if you will be attending the LUNCH
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Additional nearby or en route attractions:
-Woodmoor Pastry Shop (longtime/old school w/reasonable prices)
-Upper Rock Creek Park (incl. Lake Needwood Public Archery Range)
-Historic Brookeville, MD
-Sandy Spring Slave Museum
-National Capital Trolley Museum
-multiply dairies-creameries with Ice Cream!