Field Trips

Spring is finally here! To celebrate, let's visit the tulips at Brookside Gardens before walking through the Seminary Historic District and making our way over to Bethesda. We'll finish off by visiting Max's Best Ice Cream for a sweet treat to end the day https://maps.app.goo.gl/ Part I - Walk to Brookside Gardens (1.6 miles) [https://maps.app.goo.gl/f2ARZeSKNXob9z8A9](https://maps.app.goo.gl/f2ARZeSKNXob9z8A9) Part II - Walk around Wheaton Regional Park (2.5 miles) [https://maps.app.goo.gl/czHfnKj81UZdYPf49](https://maps.app.goo.gl/czHfnKj81UZdYPf49) Part III - Walk through Seminary Historic District to Bethesda (9.4 miles) [https://maps.app.goo.gl/W1qcehvqPrdL6JiU7](https://maps.app.goo.gl/W1qcehvqPrdL6JiU7) **Mileage:** \~13.0 miles **Start Location:** Glenmont Metro Station **End Location:** Bethesda Metro Station **Time:** 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM **Terrain:** This will be have a solid amount of uphill (\~900 feet) elevation gain) with a mix of paved, gravel, and trail surfaces

Hey Poetry Lovers! This group is on a roll. Here’s the gist: We meet at the **Capital One Café in Chinatown** from **12pm - 2pm** every other week. For enrichment, we start by reading and reflecting on a **“published poem”**, suggested by someone in the group. No advance preparation is necessary. But feel free to check out some of the poems we’ve read [here](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vSyE_wCLQCPHRrKmN5F9tOIeeRQUZESxjRXGVBoCF2uU8Gm0_d0uECiCBCQXEy6ksxfsBOhtRIOpW3T/pubhtml?gid=0&single=true&widget=true&headers=false%22%3E%3C/iframe%3E). Or submit suggestions for future meetings [here](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSexGc2Z2Kp6bZW0D3_hfJ7NUUkfNHf7TXX-43FglCeBd9EF2Q/viewform?usp=send_form). Next, we **share our work and offer feedback**. Depending on attendance, everyone gets \~10 minutes to use as they like. (No need to share, though; you’re welcome to come even if you prefer just to listen.) We maintain a **Discord server** to help share our work and communicate outside our bi-weekly meet-ups. If you haven’t used Discord before, take a moment to download it and create an account before arriving. When we meet you on Saturday, we will add you to our server, the “DC Poetry Workshop”, and can help you navigate the app if you have questions. Finally, if you plan on sharing a poem, consider how you will do so. Some options include: * Print 5-10 copies to distribute in person * Take and share screenshots in the Discord chat. * Copy the poem into a google doc, change sharing settings to “anyone with link”, and copy the google doc link into the Discord chat. Most importantly, we’re excited to meet you! Catch you on Saturday, Diego / Ian / Cayden / Nate / Otasha / Lia / An

(This sturdy perennial on the Adventuring calendar is one major part of the legacy left us by Damon Miller, who passed away in 2018 after decades of active participation and leadership. Accordingly, this trip is officially known as the Damon Miller Memorial Hike. Here is the trip description, based on Damon's own words.) Cherry blossoms? Schmerry blossoms! The cherry trees get all the hype (and the crowds), but the azaleas at the National Arboretum provide the best underrated springtime display in D.C. as they blanket the hillside of Mount Hamilton at the National Arboretum. Threatened with destruction a few years ago by alleged budget constraints, public outrage and private philanthropy saved the azaleas, and they continue their springtime display. We will take an easy hike around the hilly terrain of the Arboretum, a 446-acre hidden gem in the middle of Northeast D.C. We will visit not only the azaleas but also other seasonal displays (including dogwood, daffodils, magnolias, forsythias, Japanese quince and andromeda, early crabapples, flowering cherries, camellias, redbuds, and arisaemas). For good measure we'll also take in the Asian Gardens, meadows, forested areas, and the famous original National Capitol Columns. We'll lunch on the banks of the Anacostia River. After we officially wind up in the early afternoon, you'll have the opportunity to visit the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum near the Visitor Center. Total length of this easy stroll is about 5 miles, most of it on paved roads and pathways. Bring beverages, lunch, bug spray, comfortable walking shoes, and the $5 Adventuring trip fee (cash or Venmo). Restrooms are available along the way. Since the Arboretum is not Metro-accessible, we'll carpool at 9 a.m. next Saturday morning from the Rhode Island Avenue/Brentwood Metro Station. Unlike earlier years, both the R Street Gate and the New York Avenue Gate are open this spring. If you come in by the NY Avenue entrance, follow signs to the R Street parking lot. We will all rendezvous at 9:30 a.m. in front of the Visitor Center near the R Street gate. PLEASE ANSWER THE QUESTIONS MEETUP WILL ASK YOU WHEN YOU SIGN UP SO WE CAN ORGANIZE CARPOOLS FROM THE RHODE ISLAND METRO. NEW! Please [click here](https://adventuringlgbtq.com/Adventuring_Release_Form.pdf) to review our release form. When you RSVP to an event, you affirm that you have read and agree to the terms of the release. Everyone must RSVP on their own behalf.

Enjoy numberless ephemeral flowers, new leaves, and local fauna while hiking along the Potomac River and C & O Canal, and through upland woods to a dramatic view that is fast disappearing below the expanding tree canopy. We’ll look out for many inhabitants, whether flowers already going by, in bud, at peak, or yet to flower - including bluebells, blood root, spring beauties, cutlet toothwort, cranefly orchid, violets, Dutchman’s britches, smooth rockcress, trillium, trout lily, perhaps elusive hepatica, also turtles, heron, and maybe an eagle. We’ll hike about 8.7 miles. Expect about 617 ft of elevation gain, some rock scrambles and a stream crossing, moving around 2 mph, and pausing to admire discoveries, especially during the first section along the Billy Goat B Trail. From there we take the towpath to the canal crossing at Angler’s on up to a woodland loop including out and back to overlook for lunch, then return via towpath. **Note: Sign up only if you know you can make it, and please remove yourself from the Going or Waitlist as soon as possible if you find you can’t.** **The Sierra Club welcomes a $2. Donation to cover expenses** **Meet**: [Carderock North parking lot](https://maps.app.goo.gl/uPXMBmBAx7mTQ7366) At 8:45 am for registration, we will start hiking at 9 am. There are privies at the parking lot, and a bio-break op after lunch. **What to Bring / Wear:** Plenty of water, snacks / lunch, bug spray, sunscreen, hat, grippy hiking shoes, camera. You might want to record finds on the i-Naturalist App, and contribute to citizen science, including to phenology, the study of periodic biological phenomena, such as flowering and migration. For carpooling, the closest metro stations are the ones on the Red line: Friendship Heights, Bethesda, Medical Center, Grosvenor-Strathmore. Arrange for carpool in Meetup Comments, on your own. Questions: Use comments below or Text / Call Hike Leader Barbara 703.772.5401 To participate in this event, you must: Read the liability waiver (officially, the Sierra Club Participation Agreement) http://bit.ly/3Qd4F1B 2: Tap ATTEND at the bottom of this event 3: When prompted, type ’I accept’ to the liability waiver, your first and last name, your contact cell number, and an emergency contact number – Example: I accept, Jane Doe, (703) 555-5555, (301) 666-6666”

## Details This is a private lesson event in Annandale and Springfield. **Private lesson rates:** \- 30 mints: $45 \- 1 hr: $80 \- 4 hr pack to use within Six weeks: $280 **Cancellation Policy:** There is no refund for same-day cancellation; however, you get a credit or refund if the hosts have to cancel the session. PAYMENTS METHODS: 1-VENMO APP: joseph_awadalla 2.Zelle:202-746-1094,joseph.awadalla@gmail.com 3.Paypal: joseph.awadalla@gmail.com Thank you for your support.

Come experience the magic of 500,000 tulips blooming in one breathtaking spring setting! 🌸 We can’t wait to welcome you to the farm for a relaxing and vibrant day outdoors. Stroll through endless fields of colorful tulips, hand-pick your favorite blooms, and soak in the beauty of spring at its peak. Purchase tickets here: (tickets at discounted prices ends today so grab yours before theyre gone): https://tickets.montpelierfarms.com/tulip-festival-2026 🌼 What to Expect: • Walk through stunning tulip fields • Pick your own fresh flowers • Seasonal drinks from the café ☕ • Fresh-squeezed lemonade 🍋 • Delicious donuts & snacks 🍩 • Friendly farm animals 🐐 • Fun attractions and activities along the way Whether you're coming for the views, the vibes, or just a peaceful day with great company, this is the perfect spring escape 🌷💛 Join us and let’s make it a day full of color, laughter, and unforgettable moments! comment below if you need to carpool (indicate if you can meet up at a metro or your location) and hopefully someone can offer a ride!

Come practice all the languages of the world - all are welcome! This will be an outdoor event, and the Carillon is a great place to see tulips in full bloom. STAY HOME IF YOU ARE SICK. We ask attendees to exercise their best judgment and do not attend if they feel unwell. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to speak to an organizer. Fostering an open-minded, safe community is our utmost priority

• 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

In Spring 1755, British Major General Edward Braddock, Commander-in-Chief of His Majesty's Forces in North America, convened a meeting of five colonial governors at the Carlyle House to secure funding for his upcoming campaign against the French. Alexandria co-founder John Carlyle, his host, called this gathering "the Grandest Congress … ever known on the Continent." NOVA Parks will be hosting a recreation of this event at the Carlyle House, featuring costumed interpreters and hands on activities. Let's go check it out, and retrace the route Braddock's Army took when they departed Alexandria at the campaign's start! ❶ **What we'll do:** * From the [Capital Bikeshare on Diagonal Road](https://maps.app.goo.gl/FimrXcE77TRGLtuy7) we'll walk north, following Hooff's Run and Russell Road to the Braddock Cannon at the intersection of Braddock and Russell roads. From there we will walk southeast along Braddock Road, roughly backtracking the route Braddock's army took in 1755 departing Alexandria en route to Fort Cumberland, Maryland. After crossing under the railroad tracks, we will proceed east along Oronoco Street to the Potomac, where we will walk south along the Potomac through Founder's Park for a break at the Torpedo Factory. After the break we will walk west a couple of blocks along Cameron Street to the Carlyle House, arriving at about noon. This ends the guided portion of the walk; about 3.5 miles. * Visitors to the Carlyle House from 12:00 to 4:00 pm will experience Braddock's visit and the French and Indian War firsthand through costumed interpreters. Admission is free, but a $5 donation is suggested. See [https://tinyurl.com/mr3eczb9](https://tinyurl.com/mr3eczb9) for more details. * After checking out the Carlyle event for as long as desired, attendees can individually return to the meetup point by walking south to King Street, and then west along King and Diagonal Streets; about a mile. See [https://maps.app.goo.gl/bCjSKHvMUeXFu2sSA](https://maps.app.goo.gl/bCjSKHvMUeXFu2sSA) * The total walk, including the guided and individual portions, is about 4.5 miles and should take around 2 hours, plus however long attendees wish to spend at the Carlyle House. The surface is mostly paved throughout and fairly level. The is an easy hike. * Google map: [https://tinyurl.com/bdzxb5ec](https://tinyurl.com/bdzxb5ec) ❷ **How to get there:** * Metro: King Street Station is on the Blue and Yellow Lines. Current Metro status and alerts: [https://tinyurl.com/y7lklnl7](https://tinyurl.com/y7lklnl7) * Driving: From I-395, take VA-7 / King Street east about 2.8 miles. Take the first right after passing under the railroad (Daingerfield Street), and an immediate right onto Diagonal Road. From US-1 / Richmond Highway, follow King Street west 0.5 miles, take a sharp left onto Daingerfield, and the first right onto Diagonal Road. There is free and metered parallel parking in the area. ❸ **Weather:** The forecast is partly cloudy and a high of 72F, with 10 mph NNW winds. No rain in the forecast. Updates: [https://tinyurl.com/yck2442z](https://tinyurl.com/yck2442z) ❹ **What to bring:** Water, comfy shoes, and your furry friend if desired (leashes, please). Sunscreen, cool shades, and the layered look are recommended. ❺ **Advisory:** As a reminder, this is an adult group, and you are ultimately responsible for your own safety and well-being during events. No one under 18 years of age is allowed at this event, either as members or as guests, to include babies in carriers and/or strollers. ❻ **Administrative stuff:** There are restrooms at the Ramsay House, the Torpedo Factory, and at several commercial establishments along our route. We will make a dedicated pit stop at the Torpedo Factory just before arriving at the Carlyle House. ❼ **Notes:** * The "Grandest Congress": The French and Indian War in Alexandria, [https://www.va250.org/event-detail/?id=24416](https://www.va250.org/event-detail/?id=24416) * "The Grandest Congress": Gen. Braddock Meets the Governors, [https://tinyurl.com/3mst3vzp](https://tinyurl.com/3mst3vzp) * Eugene Scheel: "General Braddock's March Through Loudoun in 1755," [https://tinyurl.com/32j7put5](https://tinyurl.com/32j7put5) * Fort Duquesne: [https://tinyurl.com/479sanwk](https://tinyurl.com/479sanwk) * The Battle of the Monongahela: [https://tinyurl.com/yc43dzat](https://tinyurl.com/yc43dzat) *Illustration: "The Wounding of General Braddock: Battle of the Monongahela 9 July 1755" [cropped], by Robert Griffing, The Westmoreland Museum, [https://tinyurl.com/yvrkrx8e](https://tinyurl.com/yvrkrx8e)*

Come along to explore approx. 5 miles of trails that zig, zag, and zoom through Patuxent River Park as we head to southern Prince George's County. The Patuxent river borders one side of the park so we will have river and wetland views that occasionally put us on boardwalks. Most of our trails will be inland. We'll still enjoy the not-crowded, beautiful forest landscape and a few scenic overlooks. We will be on parts of the purple, blue, and brown trails. [Trail Map](https://www.pgparks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/PRP-Trail-Map-2023.jpg). We will meet at the Visitor's Center. From there, we'll take the purple loop to the blue loop which will be most of our hike. The last 1/2 mile will be on the brown loop which will give us river views. Since we're stopped at the Visitor's Center, we'll also have time to check out the Osprey displays inside, the tower overlooking the river, and the Patuxent Rural Life Museums. We'll decide as a group if we want to stop for lunch at lookout 12 or at the end of the hike by the Living History Museum. Bring water, lunch, snacks, sturdy footwear, and $5 for the Adventuring trip fee plus about $3 if carpooling. Meet at 9:30 a.m. at the Largo Metro station to form carpools. If you are driving yourself, plan to meet at the Visitor's Center by 10:15am. After our hike, we may make an optional stop for foid or a drink at Top of the Hill/Babes Boys Tavern in Upper Marlboro. \*\*Please click [here](https://adventuringlgbtq.com/Adventuring_Release_Form.pdf) to review our release form. When you RSVP to an event, you affirm that you have read and agree to the terms of the release.

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. 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."

We’re bringing back Adult Field Day. Last year was a good mix of competition and just hanging out, so we’re doing it again with some new games mixed in. Think team-based challenges, simple races, and a few things inspired by game shows. You don’t need to be athletic. Most of the fun is just being part of a team and getting to know people you wouldn’t normally talk to. The goal isn’t really winning. It’s meeting people, laughing a bit, and leaving knowing a few more names than when you showed up. If you stick around after, we’ll have a potluck, a bonfire, and a couple comedians in the evening. Bring: * Something to share for the potluck * Clothes you can move around in A small contribution helps keep events sustainable and ensures those who RSVP actually show up. Include your Meetup name + event name in the note. Please send $2 per person to guarantee your spot. Venmo (preferred) or PayPal @WiseUnlimitedLLC Actual links in comments below! Include your Meetup name + event name in the note.

AI is changing how art is made. But when does it stop being your work and start being the machine’s? This month we're going to be doing a panel with with digital image, music, and written word artists, talking about at what point, while using AI in the creation process, does the work become not the artist creation? We encourage audience participation during this event that will be moderated by Chris Slee. Whether you’re deep in the field or just getting curious, come connect with others building and exploring AI in Columbus. Sponsored by [Transform Labs](https://www.transformlabs.com/services) Sign up also accessible via [Transform Labs Luma](https://luma.com/55umjqta)

Let’s get together for a relaxed Saturday brunch! This will be the very first event for our group. Whether you’re looking to meet new friends, get out more, or just enjoy good conversation over brunch, this is the perfect place to start. We’ll be meeting at The Goat Gahanna for great food, drinks, and a welcoming, no-pressure atmosphere.