Field Trips

Best darn night ever! Lots of games. Even more laughs. Come and find out for yourself. New members or members who just haven't been out to a meetup are strongly encouraged to come. All are welcomed! OH, and Spider Kelly's has an awesome beer garden in the back. On nice nights, that's where will be. Can't make this board game night? Good thing we do this EVERY Wednesday. Other groups this event is posted to: Fun Times in the DMV, Arlington 20's & 30's Shenanigans, Alexandria-Arlington Active & Awesome, What's Up Arlington, Ballston and Clarendon Singles Mingle Group, Arlington 30s/40s, and !Best Happy Hours in the DMV

**Scott’s Run Nature Preserve: A Moderate 5.1 Mile Hike** Let's find out what's new, what's growing, and what's flowing at the Preserve on Christmas eve. Expect to explore the Potomac shoreline; rocky cliffs and a beautiful view of Scott’s Run Waterfall which feeds into the Potomac River. We hopefully will see hawks and eagles, and other birds. The trails are mostly packed dirt. Some hills. May encounter muddy trails and preening ducks. Note: There are several stream crossings, most with concrete stepping stones. Scotts Run Nature Preserve is a little piece of wilderness saved from urban sprawl. Edward D. Burling, a founding partner of Covington & Burling law firm, once owned well over a 100-acre portion of the land that makes up present-day Scott's Run nature preserve. It avoided development in the 1970's and was renamed the Dranesville District Park. Today it is known as the Scott's Run Nature Preserve. **Time to Meet**: Please meet at 9:45 for introductions and sign in. We will start hiking promptly at 10:00 **Directions to Trailhead**: We will meet in the larger of the two parking lots. The GPS Coordinates are 38.959512, -77.205148 **Please read this carefully**…..The larger parking lot is on Georgetown Pike about 1 mile outside of the beltway. The best street address to use is 808 Swinks Mill Road, McLean VA. THIS ADDRESS IS ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE SCOTT’S RUN PARKING LOT. **Contact Information**: Please use the comments feature for routine comments and questions. The hike leader is Tim; 202-744-0289. **Details** Rating: Moderate Distance: 5.1 miles Elevation Gain: Approximately 584 Feet Pace: 2.0 to 2.5 miles per hour Facilities: There are no toilet facilities on this hike Fees: No entrance fees **Cancellation**: In the unlikely event that the hike needs to be cancelled, it may be cancelled up to the evening before the hike. Hikers will be notified through comments on this posting. **Weather**: The weather for this location can be found [here](https://weather.com/weather/today/l/e8a77845fba5b8e31e9be76a5e50e296bd1e63de01a0afca33b83ac334604659). **Notes**: -Please note, you must sign up at by 9:00 PM the day before the hike. -Please do not show up unregistered. -Please keep this a fragrance free event. -To find out more about PATC, [click here](https://www.patc.net/). -Consider becoming a member of PATC. To join, [click here](https://www.patc.net/membership).

Let's join Sarah and Willow for this fun Christmas Eve meetup. Meet at the Asian Collection Parking at 9 a.m. and plan to go on about a 1.5hr walk. Time: 9 a.m. - 11:00ish a.m. Please plan on extra time to get to the parking lot once you enter the arboretum. It is on the opposite side of the arboretum from the main parking and about a 5 min drive. (The gate to the river open at 8:30 if anyone wants to meet early for some off leash play). Location: Asian Collection Parking area (this is a small lot by the Asian Collection and Dogwoods, not the main parking area). If the lot is full you can park just a little ways away at the Dogwood Collection The walk starting at 9am with be on-leash . If anyone wants to go to river for some off leash play first, the gate opens at 8:30. If no one else is around, those who are comfortable can let their dogs run around off-leash in a big field for 10 -15min. At 9am we will meet near the Asian collection parking and do an on-leash big loop around the arboretum. Since it's the holidays, during the walk we will visit then evergreen and holly collections. Our half way point will be at the old Capitol Columns. There we will take a water break and take some pictures. After the break we can walk back to the parking area, or for those who'd like to stay longer there are many other areas to explore! This will be a mix of walking on pavement and on dirt/grass. More info and directions here: https://usna.usda.gov/visit/hours-and-directions/

Wednesday night skate and chill is our weekly group ride. DCESK8 has been hosting this weekly ride for several years now. We are very active in our group chat and that is where you will find the most up to date information on the rides. Follow the link below to join. Join our Telegram chat here https://t.me/dcesk8 to stay current on what's going on in DCESK8. Our ride meets up at the Lincoln Memorial, near the southwest side of the Reflecting Pool and the Korean War Memorial. That is on the left side if you are looking at the Lincoln Memorial. We meetup at 6:30pm, with the ride leaving at 7:00pm.

The Pickleball courts at Wakefield Recreation Park are situated on the far side of the park past the Recreation Center building. These courts (are] strictly on a first-come, first-served basis, and do not offer reservation for public use. The courts are frequently unoccupied, but sometimes few people utilize the courts.

I will gladly admit stealing this idea from [Capital Hiking Club](https://www.meetup.com/capital-hiking-club/) and [DC Urban Walkers](https://www.meetup.com/dc-urban-walkers/). This trek will have us starting at the US Botanical Gardens and go see the five best Christmas Trees around downtown DC. We'll gather at a restaurant afterwards to warm up, though it should be unseasonable warm on Saturday anyway. We will get started at 5pm in front of the [US Botanical Garden](https://maps.app.goo.gl/TZiAYQk6FbXeupvA6), at the fountain with the giant silver Christmas balls. I STRONGLY encourage you to get there at least a half hour early to see the dinosaur-themed model train display outside, and the architectural models of all the monuments made out of plants in the atrium, just inside the gardens building. Both close at 5:00. From there we will head to the following: 1\. A quarter\-mile northeast to the Capitol Tree 2\. Half a mile northwest on Pennsylvania Ave\. to the Canadian Embassy's tree \(my personal favorite\) 3\. Up Pennsylvania\, then right on 8th NW to the Christmas Market\. We will stop here for 20 minutes in case anybody wants to shop or get some grub\. The Poblano Chicken Chili at the taco truck was a hit and had no line to wait in\. 4\. From there we will head north on 9th St\. and make a left down Palmer Alley to see the various bougie displays at City Center\. 5\. We'll head back south on 11th to Pershing Park\, then the final tree in the Ellipse\. 6\. I was thinking of heading to [Astro Beer Hall](https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZmqceDeQk1ibCKss5) afterwards, but I'm open to suggestions if someone has a better plan. Metro Center station is just another block east and can get you back to where you started from. Distance from Botanical Gardens to this point is 3.1 miles. **Getting there:** I know most of you are suburbanites, but the Metro IS your friend. The closest Orange/Blue/Silver/Green/Yellow station is L'Enfant Plaza, which connects to Metro Center (our end point) without transfer. Exit at Maryland Ave. - that is a ten minute walk. Closest Red Line station is Union or Judiciary, a 17-minute walk, though it also connects to our end point. Union Station also has an impressive tree, but a panhandler will likely demand payment if you stare at it for too long. If you are coming by car, C and D St SW are likely your best bets for parking. We will be starting just as all the museums close.

• What we'll do Learn how to take great pictures BEFORE you go on that expensive trip! And we will teach you how to use your camera IN THE FIELD, not in a classroom! Join our standard Monuments and Memorials workshop, offered Wednesdays and Saturdays, in which the instructor takes you to some of DC’s most popular attractions: White House, Lafayette Park, the Einstein, Lincoln, Korea, and Vietnam Three Servicemen Memorials, and finally to Union Station, where you learn to make all the moving people DISAPPEAR! Remember, it was Confucius who said: "I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do, and I understand." At Washington Photo Safari, we help you "do " and understand! That is why our motto is "See. Click. Learn." This $71 Safari (a 20% discount from the regular $89 price) begins with a 45-minute travel photography orientation, giving you basic tips in composition, F-stops and shutter speeds, portraiture, and interior photography. While you are taking pictures, you receive hands-on guidance on how to make those images even better! Advanced and smartphone photographers will appreciate the instructor’s extensive knowledge of the best camera angles in DC. This is suggested as a preliminary course before taking special safaris. Open to any photographers at any skill level with any camera, phone, or tablet. Transportation from site to site is provided by the instructor. • What to bring camera and all lenses • Important to know travel, architectural, portrait and street photography techniques

Did you know Alexandria and Arlington were once part of the District of Columbia? Join us on a hike along a portion of the former boundary line between the nation’s capital and Virginia. Discover why this area was included in the Federal City and why it was retroceded to Virginia in 1846. See stones placed every mile along the boundary survey line in 1791; all except one on this hike are original stones. These are the first federal monuments in the nation’s capital. As an added bonus, we’ll see Old Town Alexandria decorated for the holidays. This is an urban-style hike, mostly on sidewalks; total distance approx. 7 miles, with 371 ft. of elevation gain. We’ll meet at 9:30 AM near the restrooms at Jones Point Park and hike along the southwest boundary line to Baileys Crossroads. Towards the end of the hike, we will stop in a park for quick bag lunch. Dress for the weather and bring water, lunch and snacks. After the hike, we’ll take a public bus to City Hall in Old Town, so don’t forget to bring a Metro farecard. From Old Town, it is about a mile walk to Jones Point Park. Parking is available in Jones Point Park and there are restroom opportunities along the hike route. All participants must sign a liability waiver at the start. SCPRO requests a voluntary donation of $2 per person to help support our all-volunteer program.

First Sundays are free admission at Franklin Park Conservatory. Sunday, January 4th, is also the last day The Palm House will be open before renovations begin. Let’s meet, enjoy a respite from January weather, and wander the gardens. Free neanthe bella palms are available to guests, beginning at 10am, while supplies last. Afterwards, we can visit the nearby East Market (212 Kelton Avenue).

Let's grab some coffee/food and share a morning chat! The East Market has an ample parking lot and outdoor and indoor seating. Grab a cup of coffee from Winston's Coffee & Waffles or on your way to East Market and meet us on the second floor - table behind or east of the elevator. If the weather cooperates we will be meeting in the patio. Per what this group is about: "Everyone is welcome! International transplants to Columbus who want to improve language skills, Columbus residents who want to discuss international travel and culture, and anyone who enjoys getting together for good conversations."

Early-bird coffee and conversation at [5 Bean Coffee](https://5beancoffee.com/)!

Start the New Year off right! Join us as we get together to help those in need at this CMG Gives Back event to distribute food at the Champion Food Pantry! We’ve created a great little community of Movie Group friends! Rather than see a movie this time, we’ll help “Create a better world” by helping serve people in need. Here are complete details and our plan for this event: CHAMPION FOOD PANTRY: The Champion Food Pantry provides needed food to neighbors experiencing food insecurity. For this event, we’ll be volunteering to help with Food Distribution during client pick up times. Our group will receive on-the-spot training from some of their seasoned regular volunteers. PLAN FOR CHAMPION FOOD PANTRY: Please arrive by 2:45pm. Our volunteer time will be from 3:00 to 6:00pm. LOCATION & PARKING: The Champion Food Pantry is located at 1460 S. Champion Ave in Columbus. Parking is located in the lot on Frebis across from the pantry. Please enter through the door marked "Volunteers enter here” on Frebis Ave. A map has been uploaded to the photos. IMPORTANT REMINDER: Our group will be providing the majority of the volunteers on this day so a firm RSVP count is essential. Please only sign up if you are certain you’ll be able to attend. If something unavoidable comes up, please update your RSVP no later than one week prior to the event. No shows or cancelations within 1 week of the event will mak you ineligible for future CMG Gives Back events. I appreciate your understanding as we try to ensure the agencies have the volunteers needed to provide the essential services they provide to the vulnerable population they serve. LINKS & INFO: Below are some links / attachments with additional info/details: • Champion Food Pantry Civil Rights Training: Attached file. • Champion Food Pantry Parking and Entrance: Attached file. • Champion Food Pantry Orientation Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0wI-AwOYLY • Link with Additional Details / Info: https://lss.vomo.org/opportunity/foodpantrieschampion THANK YOU: This CMG Gives Back event provides an opportunity for YOU to get involved in helping others in our community! But the benefits go well beyond the help we give to others. Volunteering can provide a wide range of personal benefits, including positive effects on mental and physical health, reduced stress/depression/anxiety, increased happiness and improved purpose, life-satisfaction and personal well-being! Plus, the opportunity to get involved, connect with others and help those in need. PARTNER AGENCY: This event is hosted by Lutheran Social Services (LSS), which serves thousands of people in need each day in 27 Ohio counties by addressing the four core societal issues of food, shelter, safety and healing. LSS offers food through the LSS Food Pantries, housing and supportive services through LSS Faith Mission and LSS Faith Mission of Fairfield County homeless shelters, domestic violence services through LSS CHOICES for Victims of Domestic Violence, senior living and health care, affordable housing communities, and other services that uplift families and strengthen communities. Thanks for your help and look forward to seeing you there, Dan

CHANGED to WEDNESDAYS COLUMBUS RECREATION CENTERS require membership fee to play. Register & Pay at the desk when you arrive. $5 day pass is available. I have some extra pickle ball paddles and balls if you don’t have one. Definitely bring your own paddle if you have one and bring some balls if you have them. Legal Stuff: The event hosts/Organizers are just fellow member volunteers. By participating in any event, you assume all risks of liability and injury inherent in these activities. You are responsible for your own safety and for determining if you are in condition fit to participate. You are also responsible for knowing and abiding by all laws and rules during your participation in any event.
 Photos & or Video: by attending these events you acknowledge photos and or video may be taken and used on this and other platforms.