Safari

*RESCHEDULED from Feb. 5* Please note: We have altered the route to avoid areas that may still have ice and/or will be too prevarious. We also changed the meeting place to start at Pierce Mill. If you previously copied the route and/or coordinates or address for the meeting place, please update your information. IMPORTANT: Some trail sections are wet and muddy. For your safety, hiking boots are needed. No shoes or boots with smooth soles. This will be a moderate \~5-mile hike in Rock Creek Park. We will start on the Western Ridge Trail and proceed north just past Military Road, connect to Beach Drive (paved; closed to cars) to return south, and finish with a visit to Pierce Mill and back to our starting point. Parts of this route are paved. **Meeting Point**: I recommend using the GPS coordinates below with Google Maps or another mapping application to get to the meeting point. I've added an alternative place to park in case the first parking lot is full. The two lots are about 1/4 mile apart. **Meet at:** Pierce Mill **Address:** 2401 Tilden St NW, Washington, DC 20008 * **GPS Coordinates:** 38.94043297401039, -77.05190300965273 **Meeting Time:** Plan to arrive at 9:45 so you will be able to meet everyone and sign the PATC waiver. Once the waiver is signed, we will begin the hike; we will begin walking at 10:00 AM.\*\* Please be punctual as my hikes begin on time. **Route:** Here is an AllTrails route in case you want to import this into a navigation device. https://www.alltrails.com/explore/custom-routes/custom-route-fbba55e?u=i&sh=pzrvpp **Contact Information**: Please use the comments feature for routine comments and questions. The hike Leader is Peter; 703-999-9435. Call or text as needed.

Come connect with founders across the DC startup community at our monthly Startup Grind DC Founders Dinner. This month, we’re spotlighting HealthTech & Wellness founders—but all founders are welcome to join us for complimentary appetizers and great conversation. Quick heads-up: Your ticket includes event access and appetizers. Entrées and drinks will be on individual tabs. We’re also looking for sponsors who want to support the DC founder community. Whether that’s hosting the event, covering food, or contributing financially, sponsors get the opportunity to connect directly with founders, receive shoutouts in our promotions, speak at events, and reach our 10,000+ pre-seed to Series A founders across the DMV. Agenda --- Hosted By Mia Orantes, Chapter Director I'm a dynamic speaker, angel investor, serial entrepreneur, the host of the celebrated Founders Only podcast, and the CEO & founder of the award-winning agency that automates online growth and profitability engines, Creative Analytics. As a lifelong entrepreneur, I am devoted to serving founders by showing them the road map for rapid online growth and helping them navigate that journey. A native Washingtonian, I hold several designations, including a PMI-certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification, an MBA & MS in Information Technology with a concentration in Project Management, and an in-progress certificate in Digital Transformation & AI from Cornell University. --- Global Partner Carta (http://www.carta.com/launch?utm_campaign=20240423-nam-general-smb-startup_grind_partnership&utm_medium=social&utm_source=startup_grind) Carta helps people manage equity, build businesses, and invest in the companies of tomorrow. Carta Launch is the only free cap table product, helping new founders get started. The company is trusted by more than 40,000 companies, over 7,000 funds and SPVs, and over two million equity holders to manage cap tables, compensation, valuations, liquidity, and more. For more information, visit carta.com. Startup Grind is a global startup community designed to educate, inspire, and connect entrepreneurs. We host monthly events in more than 600 cities and 125+ countries featuring successful local founders, innovators, educators and investors who share personal stories and lessons learned on the road to building great companies. Our monthly fireside chat interviews, startup mixers and annual conferences provide ample opportunities to connect with amazing startups and the people behind them, tap into a strong support network, form meaningful connections and gain inspiration for the startup journey ahead. For more information visit StartupGrind.com or follow us on twitter @StartupGrind. --- Complete your event RSVP here: https://www.startupgrind.com/events/details/startup-grind-washington-dc-presents-february-2026-founders-dinner/.

​**Due to the popularity of the event, registration is required at [https://luma.com/dcmahjongg](https://luma.com/dcmahjongg).** We do not use the RSVP system on Meetup. Open play comes to Cleveland Park Library (downstairs meeting room) the first and third Thursday of the month! Both American and Chinese/Hong Kong style players are welcome to meet new friends, practise your hands, and improve your strategy. Although no formal instruction or lessons will be offered, lots of friendly players to proffer advice.

In a parallel world, human hearts can take almost any form. Each person has a uniquely shaped heart: one might look like a toaster, another like a mushroom, a rock, a lamp, or a frog. What’s more, they’re easily removed (not a gory process), which frees the owner from emotional turmoil but leads to long-term detrimental effects. The central characters live in a society where treatment for negative emotional states is freely available, although the treatments are bizarre. Relying heavily on metaphors, this is a love story with a lot to say about emotional connections between people and the difficulty in forming them. ■ Title — *With Love and a Major Organ* ■ Director — Kim Albright ■ Cast — Anna Maguire, Hamza Haq, Veena Sood ■ Unrated, suitable for general audiences ■ ©2023 \| 1h 31m \| Drama ■ Distributed by Cineverse

Regularly scheduled walk to see birds and sights.

• 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

**🎉 Book Swap: Bring Your Books to the West End Neighborhood Library! 📚** 📅 **Date:** Saturday, February 21st, 2026 🕒 **Time:** 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM 📍 **Location:** West End Neighborhood Library - 2301 L St NW, Washington, DC 20037 **Agenda:** * **3:00 PM - 3:30 PM** \- Check\-in and chat * **3:30 PM - 4:00 PM** \- Introductions * **4:00 PM - 5:00 PM** \- Book swap **Please note**: * Gently used books are ideal for swapping. * If a book you bring isn’t swapped, you are responsible for taking it home. * This is a “stay-and-swap” event, so please join with the intention of engaging and connecting with the group.

To Attend: 1) RSVP; 2) Register via: https://thingstododc.com/event/ethiopia2026/ – The Majesty of Addis Ababa – The Royalty of Gandor (“The African Camelot”) – The Mysteries of Lalibela Tonight, you can travel to Africa for an amazing celebration of Ethiopian culture – without ever leaving the DMV! Ethiopia is a country of rich culture, strong heritage, and amazing landscapes. Celebrate their culture like you never experienced before! Journey into the heart of Africa as we step onto the soil of Ethiopia, the oldest independent nation in Africa. This ancient land is a land of stunning natural beauty covering an area twice the size of Kenya, France, or Texas. This country offers a rich diversity of culture and geography that captivates any visitor. It contains a mosaic of people with over 80 different languages, reflecting over 100 cultures. Join us as we present a special evening in this majestic embassy as we celebrate Ethiopian culture through food, drink, entertainment, art, film, and our friendly diplomatic hosts Featuring: (1) ETHIOPIAN BUFFET: We will sample cuisine prepared by some of the finest Ethiopian restaurants, specially prepared for the embassy. Includes:**Doro wot, Tibs wot, Alicha wot, Cabbage, Collard green, Red lentils, Split pea, Potato and carrot, Salad, Injera** ….PLUS AN AUTHENTIC ETHIOPIAN COFFEE CEREMONY! (2) ETHIOPIAN OPEN BAR: Experience and compare the exciting taste of Ethiopian (and regional) wines and beers. (3) LIVE ETHIOPIAN DANCE PRESENTATION: Tonight, we will be privy to enjoy the music and dancing through a world-renowned Ethiopian dance presentation. Dressed in full authentic Ethiopian costumes we will be treated to a very unique performance of Ethiopian dance, along with a cultural explanation as to the each element’s origin, style and meaning. (4) DIPLOMATIC GREETING Meet several Ethiopian Diplomats, including the ambassador, and feel free to schmooze and network with the embassy’s diplomatic staff and their spouses, all of who will be invited to this special evening. (5) ETHIOPIAN ART: Throughout this embassy, we will be privy to a showing of special African artifacts and paintings unseen to most Americans’ eyes. Embassy staff will be on hand to personally discuss the art’s origins and meaning with you. ## Suggested Attire Dress to Impress! Business Casual at a Minimum. No jeans, sneakers, shorts, flip flops or plain tee shirts. To Attend: 1) RSVP; 2) Register via: https://thingstododc.com/event/ethiopia2026/

Be there or get chubby. You decide. https://secure.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/2/b/7/2/600_364811122.jpeg RSVPs are required. The reason is that it should increase your own enjoyment. You see, the ideal number of players for a pickup soccer game is perhaps 6x6 - 8x8; some players won't attend if they think the turnout will be low, and others will just assume the game will be cancelled even though we always play. (As a practical matter, smaller games are less fun since the comics won't have the audience they need, but, they do have two hidden benefits: shorter, more intense games/workouts and fewer face kicks/yellow cards. So we play no matter how small or large.) So non-RSVPers are a little short sighted, since they don't seem to want to maximize their own enjoyment in the long run. Rational and sane players who have a good chance of attending RSVP a week early both here and at https://meetup.com/dcsoccer , the parent soccer group.

Iceland Ring Road 8 Day Adventure with Blue Lagoon Overview Start and end in Reykjavik! With this Explorer tour, you have a 8 days package taking you through Reykjavik and 26 other destinations in Iceland that includes accommodation in a hotel as well as an expert guide, transport. Iceland, a Nordic island nation, is defined by its dramatic landscape with volcanoes, geysers, hot springs and lava fields. Massive glaciers are protected in Vatnajökull and Snæfellsjökull national parks. Itinerary Day01 Reykjavik Day02 Golden Circle & South Coast Day03 Katla Ice Cave & Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon Day04 East Iceland Day05 Stuðlagil Canyon & Lake Mývatn Day06 North Iceland & Whale Watching Day07 West Iceland Day08 The Blue Lagoon *** For detailed itinerary follow the link below: [https://www.bucketlistgrouptravel.com/tour/iceland-ring-road-8-day-adventure-with-blue-lagoon/](https://www.bucketlistgrouptravel.com/tour/iceland-ring-road-8-day-adventure-with-blue-lagoon/) Price: $3590 (Double occupancy) $3990 (Single occupancy) Inclusions Price Includes * Hotel accommodation for 7 nights, including breakfast. * Professional English speaking guide for the day tours. * Minibus or small coach for day tours * Free WiFi on the bus * Airport transfers Price Excludes * Flights * Meals * Personal Expenses * Optional activities * Travel insurance / Visa * Tips *** Questions? Text/Call: 2023787696 - Himanshu Organizer

**Summary** For this event, we will do the [Rhino Barn Tour](https://www.thewilds.org/rhino-barn-tour) at [The Wilds](https://www.thewilds.org/), a ten-thousand acre conservation center in Muskingum County. It is the largest such center in North America and one of the largest in the entire world. During this tour, we'll visit The Wilds' rhino herd in their state-of-the-art heated barns and learn how The Wilds' animal management team takes care of one of the largest herds of rhinos outside of Africa and Asia. **The date and time of this tour** We will be doing the 1:00 p.m. [Rhino Barn Tour](https://www.thewilds.org/rhino-barn-tour) on Saturday, February 28. The tour is scheduled to last 90 minutes. **What you need to do to attend** Signing up here on Meetup will not get you into The Wilds for the tour. You must go out to The Wilds' [website](https://www.thewilds.org/) and [buy a ticket](https://www.thewilds.org/rhino-barn-tour). Please [purchase your ticket](https://www.thewilds.org/rhino-barn-tour), then sign up here on Meetup so I know how many to expect. **Attendance cap** There are only eight total slots/tickets available for this tour. As I obviously have already bought one of the tickets, that leaves seven spaces for everyone else. If you are interested in this event, I urge you to [buy a ticket](https://www.thewilds.org/rhino-barn-tour) at The Wilds' website as soon as possible. Since their website is obviously public, nothing prevents other people having nothing to do with *GOhio!* from buying their own tickets, thereby potentially taking an available slot away from you. **Additional notes on attendance** I have now run several events at The Wilds. While the location of The Wilds and the pricing of the tickets generally leads to small turnouts, the people who have gone have all enjoyed it and were glad they went. If you've never been to The Wilds and you like zoos or animals at all, you are likely to find any tour at The Wilds to be a rewarding experience. **Tickets and pricing** [Tickets](https://www.thewilds.org/rhino-barn-tour) for this tour are $95, or $76 if you're a Wilds' member. I've posted screen shots, below, to help you be sure you're buying tickets for the correct event. Wilds' memberships pay for themselves if you go to The Wilds at least twice a year, and [Columbus Zoo members](https://www.columbuszoo.org/membership) get a discount on memberships to The Wilds. I will always run at least two events a year at The Wilds. Tickets for all Wilds' tours must be purchased at least 24 hours in advance of the actual tour. **Cancellations and refunds** Per The Wilds' [Cancellation Policy](https://www.thewilds.org/policies): *In order to be eligible for refund and accrue no rescheduling fees, cancellations must be made at least 14 days in advance of reservation. Cancellations made within 14 days of reservation will not receive a refund.* You may [contact The Wilds](https://www.thewilds.org/contact) at (740) 638-5030 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., or you can email them at information@thewilds.org. **Waiver of liability** After you purchase your ticket, you will likely be asked to fill out a waiver of liability. This is a very short document and should take you no more than two minutes to complete. **Where we'll meet** We will meet at The Wilds, whose actual address is [14000 International Rd, Cumberland, OH 43732](https://www.google.com/maps/place/14000+International+Rd,+Cumberland,+OH+43732/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x8837dae07a595557:0xa1ceca93325a8bd1?sa=X&ved=1t:242&ictx=111). Please try to be there by 12:30 p.m. For most Wilds' tours, a shuttle bus will take you to the actual spot of the tour. So think of this as though you're going to the airport to catch a flight. It helps to be on time. The Wilds generally asks that people arrive at least thirty minutes because the scheduled start time of their tour. **GPS / Getting to The Wilds** The Wilds is in a very rural area, but I've never had a problem getting there with my GPS (I have Verizon). I've also uploaded a JPG map, below, of Muskingum County. Sometimes, though, it's hard to get a signal when you're at The Wilds and getting ready to leave. So you might want to consider downloading an offline map in Google Maps. Your cell phone should pick up a signal, however, within a few minutes after you leave. The Wilds' Visitor Center does have free Wi-Fi. **Carpooling?** If you want to carpool, I recommend discussing this in the comments, below, to this event. While I don't myself carpool, I will do what I can to help you arrange something if I can. **The weather** Dress for the weather. Just because the barn is heated doesn't mean it will be warm. And wear closed-toed shoes. Wilds' tours typically run no matter what the weather is. **After the tour** Once we're done with the rhinos, we'll head over to the very highly rated [Y-Bridge Brewing Company](https://ybridgebrewing.com/). The brewery is about thirty minutes from The Wilds, and it will be on the way back to Columbus for most, if not all, of us. The brewery's actual address is [1417 Linden Ave Ste D, Zanesville, OH 43701](https://www.google.com/maps/place/1417+Linden+Ave+d,+Zanesville,+OH+43701/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x8837edd6cc50824f:0xe3a0af1ccb2aefbf?sa=X&ved=1t:242&ictx=111). Y-Bridge Brewing does not serve food; however, they have several [food options](https://ybridgebrewing.com/food-options). I encourage you to check these out ahead of time on their website for yourself. However, here are a few of them: *Within walking distance -- 120 feet away* * [Angry Bull Saloon](https://www.facebook.com/AngryBullSaloonZanesville/) (pizza & subs) * The Corner Pub Sports Bar and Grill (classic bar food) *Delivery options -- [Door Dash](https://www.doordash.com/)* * [4 Star Pizza](https://fourstarpizza.com/), (740) 452-9300 * [Donatos](https://www.donatos.com/), (740) 452-7900 * [Pizza Cottage](https://www.pizza-cottage.com/), (740) 455-6000 * [Dominos](https://www.dominos.com/), (740) 455-3126 * [Papa John's](https://www.papajohns.com/), (740) 450-4100 If you live in the area or can't make The Wilds but still want to meet us at the brewery, that's fine too.

Our next much-awaited **COLUMBUS** meetup is **Tuesday February 24 from 7-10 pm at ACE OF CUPS**. Meet patients, cultivators, processors, dispensary managers/staff, physicians, home growers, educators, activists, nonprofits, artists, attorneys, business owners, writers, students, and supporters to network, share our knowledge, collaborate, support each other and make new friends! WE HOPE TO BE COLLECTING SIGNATURES TO OVERTURN SB56. BRING YOUR FRIENDS, COLLEAGUES AND FAMILY MEMBERS TO JOIN US AND SIGN! Hope you will be there too! Save the date and pass the word. **Please RSVP** so we know who is coming and how many to expect. Find us to say hi and we will introduce you to others. We should be easy to spot. (The happy-looking group wearing cool nametags! See photos from our past events.) Sign in, grab a name tag, start your own bar/food tab, meet old friends and make new ones! Everyone is welcome. SEE YOU THERE!

Early-bird coffee and conversation at [Good Cafe](https://goodcafeeaston.com/)!

Hey all! Let's meet at the new sports bar, [Thirsty's Pub](https://www.thirstyscolumbus.com/italianvillage) , located in Italian Village on 4th Street! You'll be able to find us at a table with CAC flyers. **Adress**: 944 N 4th St, Columbus, OH 43201

Let's gather for lunch at Carfagna's followed by an optional stop in Carfagna's Market to check out the tastes and smells of Italy. Carfagna's address is 1440 Gemini Pl, Columbus, OH 43240

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."