Ghost Towns

Are you missing the feel of a cold breeze; the chill down your spine? The sound of steps down a darkened hallway, wings of bats in the moonlight, and the whispers on the wind? **It’s time to share Ghost Stories!** This event is geared towards those with tales of experiences from the great beyond. Come with an open mind and a story of your own, and we will together explore and hold space for sharing experiences and embracing the spooky side of life…. And death! We will provide popcorn – but please feel free to bring a spooky treat of your own to share with the group! Additionally, you can also bring a blanket or something cozy to sit on while we share. Event cost: $5

Adventurers! Get ready for a waterfall filled hike in the Big Meadows section of Shenandoah National Park. We will visit Dark Hollow Falls, Rose River Falls and Lewis Falls, giving us a total of 218 ft (!!) of waterfalls, and a great excuse to Dynamically Lollygag™. As usual, expect rocky and possibly muddy trails as we traverse 8 miles and gain 2100 ft total elevation. This easy side of strenuous hike is the fourth in a series to visit all the named waterfalls in Shenandoah NP. You will need to bring at least 3 liters of your favorite hydration beverage, plus sturdy boots and bug spray. Also bring a bag lunch and enough for snacking during the day. (You will have an opportunity to buy these at our usual Sheetz stop on the way to the trailhead.) Plan for a meal stop on the drive back. (I will poll the attendees after the hike to see if we also crave the Blackberry Ice Cream at Big Meadows Lodge, or even its famous Mile-High Blackberry Ice Cream Pie.) We may return as late as 9 p.m. Costs of this outing include your $5 Adventuring fee, plus $20 for your driver and your cost for a light dinner. Meet by 8:30 a.m. to form carpools in the East Falls Church Metro Kiss & Ride lot; please answer the RSVP questions, so the trip leader can organize the carpool. Failure to answer may result in your reservation being removed. We will depart promptly. Also, contact the trip leader if you prefer to meet at the trailhead. This is a challenging hike, so please be aerobically fit. Also, if your plans change, make sure to reverse your RSVP status ASAP. Otherwise, you may be marked as a no-show. IMPORTANT NOTE: When you RSVP to an event, you affirm that you have read and agree to the terms of the release. Please [click here ](https://adventuringlgbtq.com/Adventuring_Release_Form.pdf) to review our release form.

Join PATC for a hike to celebrate National Trails Day in Shenandoah National Park. Members of the PATC Trail Patrol will lead a curated hike through the historic trails surrounding the Dickey Ridge Visitor's Center in the North District of Shenandoah National Park. Enter the park at the North Entrance in Front Royal and proceed to Dickey Ridge Visitors Center (17065 Skyline Drive, Front Royal, VA 22630) Meet at the PATC information table behind the Visitor's Center at 10:00 AM. **Fee: SNP requires a $15.00 per person or $30 per vehicle entrance fee unless you have an SNP park pass, or national park pass.** Hike Leader: Scott Schroth Hike Name: Dickey Hill Loop Start/End Time: 1000-1300 Distance: 5 miles Duration: 2.5-3 hours Difficulty: Moderate Elevation Gain/Loss: 1050ft Route: Start from Dickey Ridge Visitor Center, follow the Sneed Farm Loop trail clockwise, then the Fox Hollow trail counter-clockwise, and return to Dickey Ridge Visitor Center. Route: Trail Map Links: NPS - [https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/upload/DickeyRidgeArea_RoadTrail.pdf](https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/upload/DickeyRidgeArea_RoadTrail.pdf) Gaia - [https://www.gaiagps.com/map/?loc=14.3/-78.2005/38.8716&knownRouteId=12254](https://www.gaiagps.com/map/?loc=14.3/-78.2005/38.8716&knownRouteId=12254) **Notes:** RSVP here by 6 pm the evening before. If you need to cancel, please change your RSVP by 6 pm to allow others to move off the waiting list. (Canceling after 6 pm may result in being designated a "no show" which may affect your ability to sign up for future PATC hikes.) Use Meetup Comments for routine questions and comments, and to arrange carpools. Call hike leader Scott at 703-582-1195 if urgent. Note there may be spotty cell service in the park, so the leader may not receive last-minute calls or messages. Consider becoming a member of PATC to both enjoy the trails and support their maintenance: [https://www.patc.net](https://www.patc.net/)

**NEW MEMBERS or 1st TIME EVENT GO-ERS** Before attending your first event, please take a moment to understand how our dinners work and what we ask of members. → **[Learn how DC Metro Dining works](https://tinyurl.com/Landing-Page-DC-Metro-Dining)** → **[Ensure Group Notifications are Setup (Announcements + In on Waitlist/Attending List)](https://app.tango.us/app/workflow/Enable-Meetup-Email-Notifications-3a85109614fc4907940503d096331392)** **RSVP CUTOFF (i.e. Final Change Your Mind if Registered YES)** → **RSVP Cancellation Cutoff for this Event is Sunday 10a, 6/6**. (*Late Cancel applies after this, repeat occurrences can impact membership*) Let’s head to upper Northwest DC for an Indian dinner at Masala Art in Tenleytown, a long-running neighborhood favorite known for refined North Indian cuisine and regional specialties. The restaurant was founded by chef Surinder Singh, formerly of Heritage India, and continues to maintain a strong reputation for consistent execution and depth of flavor. **FOOD**: Masala Art focuses on North Indian cuisine with a mix of classic curries, tandoori dishes, and harder-to-find regional specialties, vegetarian & GF friendly. Recent diners frequently highlight the Railway Lamb Curry, lamb korma dishes, garlic naan, and vegetarian items such as baingan bharta and okra preparations. Tandoori items and biryanis are also consistently well reviewed, with many diners noting balanced spice levels and strong flavor without excessive heaviness. The menu supports a wide range of preferences, including vegetarian-friendly selections and several richer meat-based dishes. Expect traditional Indian desserts and a full bar with wine, cocktails, and beer available. Most members should expect total spend to land roughly in the 40 to 70 dollar range, depending on ordering style & beverage participation. → **Explore Masala Art's menu (please note the 3% service charge, their way of defraying increasing costs):** **[https://masalaartdc.com/washington-dc-tenleytown-american-university-park-masala-art-food-menu](https://masalaartdc.com/washington-dc-tenleytown-american-university-park-masala-art-food-menu)** **SPACE**: Comfortable and intimate dining room with warm décor and a quieter neighborhood feel compared to downtown DC dining corridors. Expect moderate noise levels and a more relaxed pace on a Saturday evening. → **Visit the restaurant site**: **[https://masalaartdc.com](https://masalaartdc.com)** * Tax/Tip combo is our required 30% tax/tip policy (see the FAQs for more details). * Limited to 8 slots. See you there! JoeN **CLOSEST METRO**: * **Tenleytown–AU station (Red)** is the closest stop. Quick walk (exit on Tenleytown EAST (same side as Whole Foods) walk south along Wisconsin Ave & cross over Albermarle St NW). The walk is a quick 3–5 minutes based on routed walking directions and traffic signals. * For directions using the Metro, try using the Plan a Trip feature at the WMATA website ([click on your preferred Metro station](https://www.wmata.com/rider-guide/stations/index.cfm) then at the Station page level click "Plan a Trip". **PARKING**: Street parking and several public parking garages are available throughout Tenleytown. Weekend evening parking is generally easier here than in central DC neighborhoods, though nearby retail activity can still affect availability. Members may also want to check parking apps such as SpotHero and Parking Panda for discounted garage reservations and advance booking options nearby. Plan accordingly. ***Attendance Notes:*** * **If you RSVP “YES,” please commit to showing up***. With 5,400+ members and limited seating, we can’t afford no-shows. It’s not fair to other members or to our relationship with the restaurant.* * **New Members / 1st Timers: Trying to get a slot?** Join the Waitlist and check back frequently: spots (*often open up before Noon on the day of the event. You may also receive midweek confirmation emails to reconfirm your RSVP, so please check your Meetup DMs inbox).*\*\* * **Billing Reminder - Add 30% for tax and tip to your food and drink total.** This is part of our group’s expectations and helps smooth out service with the restaurant. Looking forward to dining with you! JoeN

The Single Adult Ministry of Our Lady of the Fields invites you to join us for a tour of the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in Washington DC. on June 7, 2026. We will meet at OLF parking lot in the back to carpool at 9:15. We will leave at 9:30 to drive to the Monastery. All are welcome to attend the 11am Mass. Bring your own lunch so we can eat in Agnel Park and Tour the Gardens. We have a Guided tour at 1:30pm of the Monastery Church, lower church and catacombs (Catacombs are not hadicap accessible) Carpooling is available, please meet at OLF at 9:15. Please contact Jeanne if available to drive. If you need to reach me my cell is 410-206-1156. RSVP to: [ministry4singleagain@gmail.com](mailto:ministry4singleagain@gmail.com) before June 2, 2026

Not all Oddball Adventures take the viewer to exotic places. On the contrary, this story is set in London’s Indian community, where a woman pursues matchmaking with ruthless determination. Bluntly, the script must have appeared so inane that no studio should have greenlighted it. Nonetheless, it was produced with a splendid cast that brings all the weird humor to life… so to speak. It’s difficult to describe just how much fun this movie is, but once you embrace the bizarre concept, it will treat you to mystical delights and reward you with a hilarious good time. ■ Title — *It's a Wonderful Afterlife* ■ Director — Gurinder Chadha ■ Cast — Sanjeev Bhaskar, Steve Morphew, Steve Jones ■ Rating — PG-13 ■ ©2010 \| 1h 40m \| Comedy\, Drama\, Fantasy\, Romance

Address: 9500 Riggs Rd, Adelphi, MD 20783 Website: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/funeral-homes/maryland/adelphi/george-washington-cemetery/0346 # Meeting location: The small parking lot just inside the East (from rt 212) entrance, by the pet cemetery section. Around 2:10 or 2:15, I venture from the lot. # Bring: 1) yourself 2) if you are so inclined, the Find a Grave app (Ancestry.com) on your phone 3) any desired protection from sun and other natural elements. # Agenda: 1) Casually attempt to fulfill at least one open photo request on the Find a Grave app, and discuss associated strategies. 2) Enjoy the ambience, weather, nature and any assembled company. 3) Suggest and discuss potential future locations. Note: If weather is heavily inclement or unsafe (torrential downpour, storms, etc.), the event will be rescheduled. I have received a message request via the Find a Grave app to find and photograph a specific memorial located in a corner section of the cemetery. There are also \~ten new photo requests in this cemetery since our last visit. Let's go searching!

This is the sign you've been waiting for. Come write with us Sunday at 7:30 am at Kaldi's Social House in Arlington. Kaldi's opens at 7. Grab a coffee and join the group! We generally have 10 to 14 writers attend each week, and new folks are welcome to drop in anytime. Intros start at 7:30 am. We will write for one hour. After writing, feel free to debrief, share thoughts or get advice. Our meetups are a safe space for writers to work on their craft. No one will read or critique your writing. Kaldi's Social House website: https://www.kaldissocialhouse.net/ \* Resource \* Many thanks to Justin for putting together a shared file of resource discussed at the meetings. Feel free to add to it! [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13LONNjZvsO5hEXM7NsBnWCgy3GgPgjAbQxE0lPxp7hc/edit?usp=sharing](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13LONNjZvsO5hEXM7NsBnWCgy3GgPgjAbQxE0lPxp7hc/edit?usp=sharing)

[https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34803272 ](https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34803272) This trail is 22 miles long. Toilets are at the beginning, end, and near the middle of the route. There are plenty of opportunities to find a restroom elsewhere along the route. **PDF with points of interest and more details** https://ebikelovers.com/2021/01/23/trail-2-virginia-and-maryland-e-biking-from-washington-sailing-marina-to-national-harbor-fort-foote-and-old-town-alexandria-waterfront/ This trail is 22 miles in flat terrain with a fantastic view from the Woodrow Wilson Bridge and a lovely picnic area at the Potomac River. We arrive at 10:00 AM and leave at 10:15 AM. The meeting place is at the parking lot on the left near the public restrooms of the marina. The group stops a few times for slower riders to catch up. The distance will be 22 miles or shorter any time you are fully satisfied with biking for the day. Our bikes will always be in our sight. No additional locks are required to keep your bike safe on this trip. As usual, non-assisted bikers are most welcome. **About Jones Point Lighthouse** The lighthouse is one of the last riverine lighthouses in the country and the only one still standing in the Chesapeake Bay area. It was first lit on May 3, 1856 by keeper George L. Deeton. Today it is the focal point of Jones Point Park and a clue to area's history as a busy commercial center and naval base. Whale oil lamps were originally used to power the beacon at Jones Point, but in 1858 the Lighthouse Board allowed an Alexandria gas company to extend lines to the station. The land included one of the original District of Columbia boundary stones, which was installed by George Washington and marked the southern point of the ten-mile-square district. The stone is still visible today in the seawall just south of the lighthouse, and to the north of the lighthouse a marker designating the boundary between Maryland-Virginia can be seen. **About Fort Foote** Fort Foote was constructed in 1863 atop Rozier's Bluff to strengthen the ring of fortifications that encircled Washington, D.C. Two of the Guns that protected Washington are still there along with the remains of the fort's earthworks. **About the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge** Also known as the Woodrow Wilson Bridge or the Wilson Bridge, the bridge is a bascule bridge that spans the Potomac River between the city of Alexandria, Virginia, and Oxon Hill in Prince George's County, Maryland. The original bridge was one of only a handful of drawbridges in the U.S. Interstate Highway System. **About National Harbor** National Harbor is situated on the banks of the historic Potomac River, just minutes from the nation’s capital. Featuring 350 acres of waterfront resort space, National Harbor is a destination unlike any other. The harbor is home to 160 stores, 40 restaurants, the Capital Wheel, and the best sunsets in the area. **Free Ride With GPS for E-Bike Lovers** Membership of the Ride With GPS E-bike Lovers club is now free as www.ebikelovers.com is generating sufficient income from ads to cover the costs. Here is the link to activate your free membership: https://ridewithgps.com/auto_approve/Club/6746/Zwa5jhttF5mJrFbN **More information about using GPS files:** https://ebikelovers.com/2021/03/15/download-our-trails-and-never-get-lost/ **More information about e-bike ranges:** https://ebikelovers.com/2020/12/31/e-bike-longer-and-happier-15-smart-strategies-to-reduce-your-e-bike-range-anxiety/ **DISCLAIMER** LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMISSIBLE PURSUANT TO APPLICABLE LAW, NEITHER GREGORY MAASSEN, NATHAN MERRIS, TRIP COORDINATORS, THEIR AFFILIATES, FAMILY AND FORMER AND CURRENT EMPLOYERS NOR ANY OTHER PARTY INVOLVED IN CREATING, PRODUCING, OR DELIVERING E-BIKE LOVERS GUIDES, OUR MEETUP EVENTS, AND THE GPS E-TRAILS IS LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, INDIRECT, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF A USER’S ACCESS TO, OR USE OF THE E-BIKE LOVERS GUIDES, OUR MEETUP EVENTS, AND THE GPS E-TRAILS. See for full disclaimer: https://ebikelovers.com/disclaim

We'll meet at The Capital One Café, 167 Easton Town Center, Space A-103. This is in the main mall where the Microsoft store used to be, on your left if you're standing at the bottom of the AMC Theater escalator. Join us on Saturday for an hour of uninterrupted wordmaking! • What we'll do Join us for an hour of writing! We’ve discovered that it’s strikingly helpful to write with other writers. See if it’s true for you at 10AM on Saturday mornings. Be it a book, blog, script, essay, dissertation, resume, melody, poem or just plain work stuff, you are invited to write it with us. No one will see what you've written or give you unsolicited advice. Instead of just thinking about writing, come and get some real writing done. SCHEDULE: 10:00 - SESSION 1: quick intros. 10:10 - timer starts: write for 1 hour. 11:10 - chat / take off / keep writing. OPTIONAL SOCIALIZING happens at 11A-11:30ish. Writing is very solitary. Connecting (and sometimes even commiserating) with other writers is a cool thing. BEING LATE IS OKAY: just show up and get settled, then check-in with me after the session. (I’ll be the person with the Shut Up & Write! sign.) If you were on time, please be willing to make room for the friendly latecomer. Happy writing and I look forward to seeing you! • What to bring Whatever you need to be able to write! Bring earbuds/earplugs if you want to block noise or the occasional conversation by other patrons. Electrical outlets are limited, so charge your devices before whenever possible. See you at The Café on Saturday!

Join us for Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn! Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, reporter Camille Preaker faces a troubling assignment: she must return to her tiny hometown to cover the unsolved murder of a preteen girl and the disappearance of another. For years, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed in her old bedroom in her family's Victorian mansion, Camille finds herself identifying with the young victims—a bit too strongly. Dogged by her own demons, she must unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past if she wants to get the story-and survive this homecoming.

🎳 **Summer Fun Starts on the Lanes! 20% off for NEW bowlers!** The 6-week summer social bowling league is here - cold drinks, fun times, and new friends await on the lanes! Whether you're looking to meet new people, unwind after work, or just have a fun weekly outing, this league is for everyone. Social vibes, happy hour energy, and plenty of chances to connect with others. No matter your skill level, this league is all about having fun and meeting awesome people. ;) **🗓 Thursday nights \|📍 AMF Sawmill Lanes \| 💵 $74 *(while Early Bird is active)*** **🚨New to the league?** Use discount code (**MUSU26**) for 20% off - $59.20 *during **Early Bird*** **💻 League Info & Registration**: https://bit.ly/ColumbusBowling **Why Join?** 🎉 It’s only 6 weeks - perfect for a low-commitment social plan 🍻 Great mix of people in their 20s, 30s, & 40s, plus post-game hangs at the bar 🎳 Zero pressure - gutter balls totally welcome! 👕 Free league shirt if you sign up early 🧠 Weekly trivia w/ prizes 💬 Super social - join solo or w/ friends! **Want in?** Join our Meetup team Pinbusters 👉 **Click here to join** https://tinyurl.com/238dfztt Or start a team of your own with a few friends - we’ll all be hanging out either way! 📅 League Dates (Thursday nights): June 25, July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23, July 30 ***(The MeetUp event date is deadline to register for the league.)*** **Cost & What’s Included:** ✔ $74 **Early Bird** registration - **New bowler? Get 20% off w/ code: MUSU26** ✔ 6 weeks of bowling (1–3 games/week) ✔ Shoe rentals & full league setup ✔ Trivia, prizes, and great people 👉 **Sign up now:** 💻League Info & Registration: https://bit.ly/ColumbusBowling 🤑New bowlers use code MUSU26 to save 20% 📸 Follow the fun on Instagram: https://bit.ly/BowlingLeague-IG 📩 Questions? Contact the league: http://bit.ly/2nKHno7 Spots are filling fast – don’t miss out on the fun times!

Let’s meet and share discussion of the James Baldwin short story collection, Going to Meet The Man.