Offroading

he Virginia/Maryland/DC wildflowers are essentially at their peak NOW! We will hike the Windy Run Trail in north Arlington down to the Potomac Heritage Trail along the Potomac River. Upstream for a bit and downstream for a bit will show us many of the currently blooming wildflowers. This is timed for later in day so that you can take care of your other responsibilities and still get outside. There will be plenty of light for good pictures. Also, the birds get more active and noisier towards dusk. Bluebells, spring beauty, wild phlox, snowbells (even though it is done snowing) , May apples (even though it is April). These are a few of the flowers blooming now that you will see. The Spring ephmeral wildflowers take advantage of the light and bloom quickly before the trees leaf out and put them in shade. When the trees leaf out, the spring wildflowers begin to go to bed until the next year. Wear shoes with tread that will grip. There are a handful of stream crossings and a set of steep stairs (with a handrail part of the way down). If you have treking poles, consider bringing them. No dogs. I will also show you I-Naturalist. Load the App before you come if you wish. The Appalachian Mountain Club uses this as a citizen science project that can track blooming dates and locations. Meet at 2433 N Kenmore St, Arlington, VA

FreeWrites are casual gatherings of writers of ALL skill levels. Whether you are working on a manuscript, journaling, blogging , or are someone who only takes pen to paper when writing grocery lists...this is for everyone! How Does It Work? With Natalie Goldberg's guidelines and a set of guided writing prompts, we write. Sharing is optional. There is no critiquing, commenting, or suggestions made. Hope to see you there! Atwater's in Catonsville. Every Monday at 10 am "I can shake off everything as I write, my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn." Anne Frank

Join us for a 5k run alternating between Harris Teeter/NIH loop and Chopt/Capital Crescent Trail.

Let's return to one of our favorite spots to play - William Jeffrey's Tavern! WJT is a real good venue for playing the popular Pour House Trivia game. This place is less noisy than many trivia venues, and they have real good food! It is a 7:00 pm game, but you should try to arrive at least 15 minutes earlier to find us and get settled. There might be some street parking available, but there is also a parking garage for the building around back with free validated parking. The place is also on a frequent bus line from Pentagon City metro. This event is limited to seven people, so sign up now to save your spot for this fun trivia option!

Every week it's a different theme! We have done authors and their works, Changing Seasons, Animated Characters, and lots more. Form a team, but your team score is the amount of correct answers divided by number of team members. And, yes, there are prizes! If attendance is low, everyone gets something, but if it's big, the prizes are bigger, including gift cards! All questions are either created by us, or taken from one of our very many trivia games on hand. There will always be easy and hard questions, plus a fair range for every kind of player to be involved. Cost of attendance is being a patron of the store - buy food and drink or even a new game, and you're welcome to sit and play this (or any other game from our massive library!).

Loop around Lake Accotink. **Meet at Lake Accotink Park carousel parking area.** Trail is fairly flat, paved and gravel, easy, brisk walking. A few steep sections Views of Lake Accotink About 4 miles. We will leave promptly at **600 pm**, please arrive early so you are ready. We walk briskly, not this is not an evening stroll. The rest rooms at the meeting spot are closed for renovation. Make sure to bring water. We will meet at the traffic circle near the carousel. Goggle maps calls it Lake Accotink Park. You can park at the Hemming Ave lot, or under the railway bridge. the lot at the carousel is small and usually full.

Join us as The Washington Area Roadskaters lead you on a different adventure every week, skating through and around our Nation's Capital! Skate description will be placed here as the route is published. For up to the minute details, check Facebook and Instagram. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/WashingtonAreaRoadskaters/events Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weareskatedc/ We hope to see you Sunday!

**10 miles, 500" elevation on a paved road closed to cars with a few manageable hills. For Beginner Riders who want to ride with a group and begin to increase their riding distance. Leisurely pace (8 - 10 miles per hour).** **Register here:** **[Beginner Rock Creek Bicycle Ride](https://washingtonwomenoutdoors.wildapricot.org/event-6644529)** $15.00 for non-members, free for members. Have you wanted to ride with a group but you weren't sure you were ready or that you could ride far enough? This is the ride for you! On this social-paced ride, you'll enjoy the beauty of Rock Creek Park as we ride an easy five miles out and five miles back on Beach Drive (approximately 1.25 hours of riding), which is now closed to traffic. Before we start, we'll go over guidance for riding in a group, basic bicycle maintenance and safety tips. (Note: this is not a "how-to-ride class.") This is a no- drop ride, with a leader and a sweep and no one will be left behind. Suitable for all bicycle types. 1. **You must register and pay for this event on our website at this link:** **[Beginner Bicycle Ride in Rock Creek Park](https://washingtonwomenoutdoors.wildapricot.org/event-6644529)** Register early on our website to reserve your spot! 2. ***No further trip details will be provided on Meetup.* Upon completion of registration, trip information will be forwarded by email**. If you do not see confirmation email from Washington Women Outdoors in your in-box, immediately check your spam folder. If you're not ready to register for this event and would like more information, please email: **[bike@washingtonwomenoutdoors.org](bike@washintonwomenoutdoors.org)** **Find out about WWO Member benefits [here.](https://washingtonwomenoutdoors.wildapricot.org/Membership)**

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/54518186 15.8 miles. Picnic at Gravelly Point (approx. 9 miles). Bathroom/port-a-potty at beginning middle and end. This shorty but goody follows the traditional and well-known Arlington Loop, starting at Bluemont Park and riding clockwise. We will ride first on the W&OD trail and then make our way to the the Custis/Mount Vernon Trails along the Potomac River and past Reagan National Airport. We get on the Four Mile Run Trail (not previously included in E-Bike Lovers rides) and then back to the W&OD trail and start. We will pass Theodore Roosevelt Island (feel free to park your bike and walk the causeway; no bikes allowed.) There will also be ample DC skyline views. A highlight will be lunch at Gravelly Point, which affords a close-up view of planes landing at National Airport. We'll also pass by the Weenie Beanie half smoke/hot dog stand -- an Arlington Institution. The meeting place is Bluemont Park. There are multiple parking areas, so do not be fooled. We will meet at the parking area at 325 N Manchester St Arlington, VA 22203. (This is actually the address of the house directly next to the entrance to this parking lot.) Use the pin in the Location Map. GPS coordinates are: 38°52'08.7"N 77°07'55.3"W Bring plenty of water and snacks or lunch. Don’t forget your bike lock if you plan to stop along the way! The group stops a few times (certainly before tricky turns) for slower riders to catch up. **Please charge your battery, pump your tires, and check your breaks. The ride is on paved trail and asphalt roads, but there are a few hilly segments. As usual, analog bike riders are most welcome.** We highly recommend that you dowbload the Ride With GPS route map. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/54518186 For the E-Bike Lovers group to be successful, we need to grow our membership carefully. Please feel free to invite other E-Bike lovers spread the word, and let’s have fun! **Free Ride With GPS for E-Bike Lovers** The Ride With GPS E-bike Lovers club membership is now free as www.ebikelovers.com generates 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](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/](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/](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, RICHARD CAMER, 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/disclaimer

Hello, Thank you to everyone who makes these meetups a success! A special thanks to those who are able and willing to make a financial contribution to help keep this group going! Feel free to bring you coffee, tea, or preferred beverage from anywhere you'd like before heading to Quincy Park. **Logistics:** There are 3 parking lots at the park as well as plenty of street parking. The park is also located right near the Virginia Square - GMU metro station. **Note:** This event is on **Saturday**. We will either push to Sunday or another week if weather is an issue. Well behaved dogs on leashes are allowed(and encouraged!)

Yes, it's already approaching that special time of year... time for the Massanutten Death March! After consulting Jen and a few others, I'm putting up this placeholder with dates, and more details can be added or amended later. To quote Michael: "DCUL's annual spring lap around Massanutten... is always a good test of your backpacking chops and your fitness coming out of the winter." To quote me, "You might cry. You might develop the largest blisters you ever had! Aaaaand... you might come back next year for more torture..." I'm sticking with the classic version. So, we'll do the trip clockwise, Elizabeth Furnace to Veach Gap on Thursday (roughly 10m), Veach Gap to Waterfall Mountain on Friday (24m). Waterfall to Edinburgh Gap on Saturday (21m), and then back to the Signal Knob Parking lot (15m). NOTE: These splits are copied from last year's event and they do not match the Caltopo below, partly because the Sat/Sun splits show camping at Mudhole Gap but I'm going with Edinburgh Gap. We can make an updated Caltopo later. And, I know not everyone likes the Edinburgh campsite, but I don't want to add an extra 5 miles to Mudhole Gap on Saturday. We'll tag a few volunteers to reserve spaces. If anyone would like to post a complementary Half-a-nutten (is that canonical language?) or LM trip for the same weekend, feel free! I'll start group size at 10 plus myself, as Michael did last year. But we may add more spots later. You should be a veteran member to undertake this! It's always a memorable weekend! Caltopo: https://caltopo.com/m/HNED

AfropolitanDC Presents: The Borderless Black Diaspora Experience \| Thursday April 16th \| World Bank Spring Meetings Editions RSVP Now At: [AfropolitanDC](https://AFPDC2604.eventbrite.com/?aff=MU) Get ready for another amazing night of connections and culture over cocktails Join us for AfropolitanDC: Industry Night—a premier cultural mixer and one of the most anticipated social experiences on the sidelines of the Worldbank Spring Meetings DMV’s largest cultural mixer returns with The Borderless Black Diaspora Experience—a celebration of global Black unity, identity, and culture. From New York to Accra, Kingston to Lagos, and Washington D.C., the Black experience knows no borders—only shared rhythms, roots, and brilliance. This is the spring meetings social social where global leaders, entrepreneurs, creatives, and policymakers converge to network, celebrate, and reimagine the future of a borderless Black diaspora. Designed to harness the convergence of global and local influence during spring meetings week, this evening fosters collaboration and partnership across the diaspora while showcasing its vibrant culture. What to Expect Power Networking with global leaders, professionals, and innovators Afro-Caribbean Social & Party with top DJs and vibrant diaspora sounds Red Carpet Experience to capture your spring meeting's night in style Cocktails & Culture featuring Afro-Caribbean bites and curated drinks Borderless Connections Mixer with interactive networking and idea-sharing

Columbus Code & Coffee is an inclusive, informal co-working session. People of all skill levels attend, and we love it that way. Many people (optionally) bring projects to work on, and many other people (optionally) socialize the entire time. It's entirely up to you! **What to Expect at the Intro Circle** \~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~ Near the beginning of the event (1:30 pm), we do a standup: * Organizer announcements, updates, and logistics Round 1 - (7 secs max): * Your name * What you're working on * What you can help others with Round 2: * Community events you wanna plug. If none, that's cool too. Round 3: * Job opportunities you're hiring for OR announce that you are looking for one. If none, that's cool. After the introduction circle, everything is self-organized! Feel free to work alone, pair up, attend one of our workshops/presentations, or mingle!

This is a free, in person meeting. Burdened by a stressful relationship? Unhealthy relationships can trigger feelings of anger, despair or self-doubt. They can create dwindling spirals of fights and seeking to make-up, or trying to “pin the blame” on someone or something. If you don’t find the RIGHT reasons, or select the correct sources of the problem, the problem can just get worse and worse. Whether in love or personal ties, with friends or at work, our life really IS affected by the quality of our relationships. Good ones can promote pleasure and survival while less optimum ones can lead to annoyance, anger, self-doubt, stress, or even affect our health and ability to survive well. Whether you are suffering from a divorce, or a painful break-up, don’t know who to trust (or who to CHOOSE) as a partner, friend, boss or employee - the anxiety of relationship troubles can really make a mess of things. Maybe you’ve suffered a betrayal, or are dealing with hostility or criticalness or invalidation. Dwindling relationships can involve destructive behavior, where we hurt those we love, or start succumbing to self-destructive thoughts, attitudes or behaviors that spiral out of control and affect much more than our immediate relationship. Past losses in love or life can affect how we act or react to new people and situations and hold us back from even starting to create new, possibly great relationships! How can one get back onto a saner course of action? Come to our Meetup, where we can introduce you to some of the knowledge, tools and techniques of the breakthroughs in the field of the mind that we can apply to this ever important area of life: human relationships! Break free from self imposed limitations Here we will discuss: • How to “erase” the trauma of past hurts and betrayals so that one isn’t always repeating past mistakes. • Why and how do the negative emotions of others affect you? • Why is my partner withdrawing and what can I do about it? • Why do we sometimes feel compelled to hurt the ones we love? • Fights & arguments - what's really behind them? • What underlies “corrosive criticism” or the need to invalidate self or others? • How one can stably change one’s outlook on life so they can affect positive change? • Where do compulsive destructive behaviors come from and what can be done about them? • How to form closer bonds & keep growing the relationships with the people you care about? • How to enhance one’s own ability to survive and create positive healthy relationships whether in love, family & friendships or in work, business or one’s career? Relationships can be hard and life itself IS challenging. Why not arm yourself with the knowledge and breakthroughs that have been made about the mind, mental reactions & interpersonal relationships, so that one has better awareness and control over themselves and life in general. Learn where painful experiences are “stored” and how they can unknowingly affect us. You will also find out how one can “erase” those past painful experiences so that one is free to move forward without being tripped up by the past. Learn too, about what can lead some people to become “toxic” personalities and how to identify those traits in others so you won’t be tripped up trusting the wrong person. Our free Meet-ups occur in a safe environment where one can learn, without fear of judgment or criticism, and without the recommendation of harmful mental techniques or therapies, just how YOU can get yourself onto a happier & more successful path: in love & in life. We look forward to having you join us! This class is sponsored by the Dianetics & Scientology Life Improvement Center of Central Ohio.

Colombus Code & Coffee is thrilled to partner with Central Ohio Azure to put on the global Azure community day! RSVP here: https://www.meetup.com/central-ohio-azure/events/313484939/ View the session lineup and speakers at [Global Azure Columbus 2026](https://coazure.github.io/cbus-global-azure-2026/) On **Saturday, April 18, 2026**, the Azure Columbus Meetup, DevOps Meetup, and Code and Coffee Meetup are hosting our local edition of Global Azure 2026. This is a free, community-driven event packed with learning, networking, and all things Microsoft Azure. Whether you’re building modern cloud-native apps, experimenting with AI agents, deploying containers, automating infrastructure, or just beginning your Azure journey, this event is for you! **What to Expect** * Engaging technical sessions * Real-world Azure architecture & cloud-native patterns * AI, agents, automation, and modern DevOps * Food and drinks (because learning burns calories) * Time to connect with fellow engineers, architects, and cloud enthusiasts **Who Should Attend?** * Software engineers (any language, any stack) * Cloud architects * DevOps engineers * Data professionals * AI explorers * Platform builders * Anyone who loves solving hard problems with great tools If you build, deploy, automate, scale, monitor, or optimize in Azure, you’ll feel right at home. **Why Global Azure?** Global Azure is a worldwide community event where Azure user groups host learning sessions on the same day across the globe. It’s grassroots. It’s technical. It’s practical. And it’s powered by people who genuinely love sharing what they’ve learned. And yes, it’s free to attend!