Urban Exploration
Meet other local people interested in Urban Exploration: share experiences, inspire and encourage each other! Join a Urban Exploration group.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Check out urban exploration events happening today here. These are in-person gatherings where you can meet fellow enthusiasts and participate in activities right now.
Discover all the urban exploration events taking place this week here. Plan ahead and join exciting meetups throughout the week.
Absolutely! Find urban exploration events near your location here. Connect with your local community and discover events within your area.
Urban Exploration Events Today
Join in-person Urban Exploration events happening right now
Cheffy Vietnamese Street Food at Chao Ban!
Join us for some cheffy Vietnamese Street food from Moon Rabbit's chef, Kevin Tien, at his new conept - ***Chao Ban*** in Tysons Galleria!
***Washingtonian:***
At his upscale restaurant Moon Rabbit, chef Kevin Tien and his team reimagine Vietnamese food with modern dishes like mochi beignets with fresh eel or green-curry sponge cake. But at his new fast-casual spot, Chao Ban, in Tysons Galleria, Tien is focusing on more familiar staples like pho and banh mi—albeit with some of his usual cheffy twists.
“If you want super traditional Vietnamese food, definitely go check out the original mom and pop places,” says Tien, citing Eden Center and standbys like Pho 75. “We’re just trying to do what our version is.”
At Chao Ban—meaning “hello, friend”—Tien has teamed up with Alan Vo, his partner in Hot Lola’s fried chicken joint and a longtime friend from his early restaurant days in Louisiana. One of the banh mi at Chao Bun features Hot Lola’s Sichuan-chili-oil-spiked Nashville hot chicken. Other sandwiches come stuffed with salt and pepper shrimp—a nod to the chef’s late nights at New Big Wong in Chinatown—or crispy pork belly rubbed in pho spices.
All of them come on bread that arrives par-baked from Leidenheimer Baking Company in New Orleans. “When you take a bite, there’s like a million crumbs everywhere, with a super soft interior,” Tien says. The toasted bread also accompanies a couple bowls, such as a lemongrass beef short rib stew or a lemongrass chicken coconut curry.
Other snackier dishes include fried spring rolls, nuoc cham chicken wings, and honey pecan shrimp (a riff on honey walnut shrimp) with yuzu kosho mixed into the condensed milk drizzle. Tien expects a sleeper hit to be the shrimp chips and dip with a Vietnamese “salsa” made from charred tomatoes, chipotles, shallots, lime, and fish sauce.
On the more traditional end of the menu is pho, including a beef version with 12-hour brisket and another with halal lemongrass chicken. (All the chicken on the menu is halal, and Tien is hoping to expand the offerings soon.) “We’re toasting all our spices by hand for the pho, so it’s like the freshest all our spices could be,” Tien says.
Check out Chao Ban menu [here](https://www.eatchaoban.com/menu)
**WAITLIST:**
Meetup does not allow a waitlist for paid events. If this event fills and you are interested in adding your name to the waitlist, please send host a message through the app.
To enhance the opportunity for great conversation, we would like to keep the group small. Please feel free to sign-up to meet us along with up to 2 friends.
In the future, we will vary the days of the week, geography and the cost of restaurants so that we can attract many different types of diners.
PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU ARE COMMITTED TO GO WHEN YOU RSVP FOR THIS EVENT. In the event our group incurs a fee for no-shows / late cancellations, your ability to RSVP for future events will be restricted. Thank you in advance for your understanding.Feel free to make suggestions for future meet locations. All diners will have their own tab to avoid any confusion.
\*\* The small non-refundable registration fee helps us share the cost associated with Meetup platform ($360/year) and reduces the likelihood of no-shows, allowing us to better plan our events and accommodate attendees. Thank you in advance for your understanding!\*\*
If you are unable to join us in May, we hope you'll stay interested and join us for a meal in the future. Looking forward to seeing you at Chao Ban in Tysons Galleria!
Scanning Tunneling Microscope - Lab Day - Scanning and Post Processing Images #8
Today we are Steve's Lab. RSVP and you'll be sent the location. It's in Silver Spring.
***Join us for an evening in an electronics lab where we will attempt to run clean scans of graphene and gold samples, and then clean up that data with post processing.*** This is a high sensitivity experiment, and we do not plan on being successful so early. But we've had promising results lately - so we will be putting in the time. We are NOT meeting at our usual location, but rather at Steve's house/lab.
If you RSVP, you will get a DM with the address but it's located in Silver Spring.
We will attempt full, clean lab - clean tip repeated scanning tests to see what we can learn and improve. We will experiment with online attendees, but if all possible showing up in person is strongly encouraged. Online join link is: - [https://meet.jit.si/mocomakers](https://meet.jit.si/mocomakers)
Our community is building (and documenting for other teams) how to build a scanning tunneling microscope using a mix of common and 3D printed parts. This will allow us to scan and visualize a single atom - an ambitious we are doing over the course of a few months.
The MoCo Makers community is one of the most innovative and competent groups in Maryland, and we've done everything from [publishing cancer research](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38136356/), to [launching products](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gotim/cozy-curvy-multi-contour-pillow), [winning grants](https://covidinfocommons.datascience.columbia.edu/awards/2014255), and inspiring thousands.
Now our biggest challenge yet has appeared. We are building a Scanning Tunneling Microscope, that will allow us to scan and visualize single atoms.
To get a better idea of what we are doing, see our reference project here: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N3OqTEq08g](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N3OqTEq08g)
All starting CAD, code, and reference files should exist. However, let's be the first Maker community to document the build process and share it with learners around the world.
We will be publishing our work here -[ https://hackaday.io/project/202816-qt-panda](https://hackaday.io/project/202816-qt-panda)
If you need a ride, let us know.
Salsa Brava Wednesdays with SalsaNow
SalsaNow presents you with a Salsa Bachata Night in the heart of Laurel on Wednesdays. Salsa Brava is the current Latin hotspot located in Laurel, MD, and features great food and entertainment in this lively venue. Whether you live nearby or not, it is always worth a ride to dine and party there.
Dance lesson starts at 8 pm with SalsaNow. DJ music and dancing starts at 9 pm and goes to 12 am. All complimentary! Yes, all FREE!
Large on premises parking lot.
All ages welcome. 21+ to drink.
Kitchen is open all evening. No outside drinks or food allowed.
SALSA BRAVA URBAN KITCHEN & CANTINA
14933 Baltimore Ave, Laurel, MD 20707
Salsa Brava Urban Kitchen & Cantina in Laurel, Maryland, is a Mexican restaurant known for its vibrant atmosphere, creative cocktails (like margarita flights), and flavorful dishes, including seafood, steak, and traditional options like tacos and burritos. It's praised for its fresh ingredients, bold spices, and excellent service, making it a popular spot for both casual meals and lively gatherings.
Meet and Greet at Torchy's Tacos
We'll use this time to meet new GRASP members and catch up with those we already know! Look for GRASP table flyers and Eli's GRASP shirt to easily find the group. This restaurant is a fast-casual format meaning it's easy to order and pay individually! Adult beverages are available and you can expect entrees in the $15 range.
The [Torchy's Tacos menu is here](https://torchystacos.com/menu/) and they offer a wide variety of tacos, burritos, salads, and excellent sides. In living by their Damn Good mantra, they’re constantly innovating to ensure they’re delivering the tastiest tacos, queso, and margaritas in the game. Their Taco of the Month promotions allow them to provide unique tacos to Taco Junkies year 'round.
The ingredients make the meal. That’s why they responsibly and ethically source every single ingredient, down to the jalapeño. From there, they work hard to whip up the best damn tacos, cooked to order, just the way you like 'em.
Zorba's Cafe near the Dupont Circle
Zorba's Cafe on Thursdays! We will be on the 2nd floor, or if the weather allows, we will be sitting outside at a table in the street. If you don't see anyone on the 2nd floor and the weather is favorable, it means we're sitting at the table in the street.
Уважаемые участники группы! Информация для тех, кто еще не посещал наши встречи - обычно подписывается меньше людей, чем приходит на встречу, "старожилы" привыкли к тому, что записываться необязательно, и просто приходят в любое удобное для них время с 5:30 до 8 часов. Так что не стесняйтесь, записывайтесь на встречу!
Welcome to the old venue! Old - since we used to get together at Zorba's Cafe for many years. Come to the 2nd floor.
1612 20th St NW, Washington, DC 20009
This is very close to Metro Dupont Circle station.
This is the same place where we got together every Thursday evening for many years before 2015.
Everyone is welcome, but please keep conversation in Russian only. For many of us, this is our only chance to practice our Russian. There are happy hour prices available.
Timing: Someone is usually there by 5:30, but it sometimes takes the organizers till 5:45 or so. If you get there first, please wait - we will be there! And people are usually there till at least 8. So if you can't make it right at the beginning, that is perfectly fine to arrive late!
RSVP's: I encourage you to RSVP. But please know that many people don't RSVP. So it may seem like only 3 people are planning to attend, but have no fear, we usually have a good-sized fun group! (And we almost always have newcomers. So if you are planning on coming for the first time, you most likely won't be the only one.)
Also, when the weather is nice we are frequently sitting outdoors. So if nobody is on the second floor, just look for the group speaking Russian at tables out on the street.
And to say again - we have often had only 3 or 4 people RSVP but have 15 or so show up. So don't worry about that.
See you there!
Questions? Check our FAQ (http://www.meetup.com/russki-razgovor-dc/pages/Frequently_Asked_Questions/) page.
After work drinks and games
There’s a beautiful outdoor beer garden in the heart of Del Ray. Let’s take advantage of the nice mild weather this week and try something new. I’ll bring a few social games that aren’t packed yet if anyone wants to play, or just come make some new friends and unwind. Friendly pups are welcome too!
Urban Exploration Events This Week
Discover what is happening in the next few days
Embassy Day: Visit the European Embassies in DC!🌎🇫🇷🇬🇧🇪🇸🇮🇹🇩🇪
**Please read entire post!**
Let's go to Europe Together! 🇫🇷🇩🇪🇮🇹🇪🇸
Join us for one of DC’s most exciting cultural events—Embassy Day. On May 9th, the European embassies open their doors to the public! Experience food, culture, music, and architecture from across Europe—all in one day.
⚠️ Important: You MUST Choose a Team
Please use this sign up sheet to sign up for your TEAM: [https://grasshoppersignup.com/s/uukcb3](https://grasshoppersignup.com/s/uukcb3)
To make the most of the day (and avoid long wait times), we’re organizing into four breakout teams, each starting at one of the most popular—and more distant—embassies:
🅰️ TEAM A **(arrive at 9:30am)** – France 🇫🇷 (Start your day here)
Then continue to:
Croatia 🇭🇷
Greece 🇬🇷
Estonia 🇪🇪
Latvia 🇱🇻
Portugal 🇵🇹
Bulgaria 🇧🇬
Luxembourg 🇱🇺
Cyprus 🇨🇾
🅱️ TEAM B **(arrive at 9:30am)**– Italy 🇮🇹 (Start your day here)
Then continue to:
Croatia 🇭🇷
Greece 🇬🇷
Estonia 🇪🇪
Latvia 🇱🇻
Portugal 🇵🇹
Bulgaria 🇧🇬
Luxembourg 🇱🇺
Cyprus 🇨🇾
🅲 TEAM C **(arrive at 9:30am)**– Germany 🇩🇪 (Germany will be hosted inside the embassy of France).
Then continue to:
Croatia 🇭🇷
Greece 🇬🇷
Estonia 🇪🇪
Latvia 🇱🇻
Portugal 🇵🇹
Bulgaria 🇧🇬
Luxembourg 🇱🇺
Cyprus 🇨🇾
🅳 TEAM D **(arrive at 9:30am)** – Spain 🇪🇸 (Start your day here)
Then continue to:
Croatia 🇭🇷
Greece 🇬🇷
Estonia 🇪🇪
Latvia 🇱🇻
Portugal 🇵🇹
Bulgaria 🇧🇬
Luxembourg 🇱🇺
Cyprus 🇨🇾
🕘 Game Plan
Each team will start in the morning at their starting embassy to beat the crowds. Its important that you arrive around 9:30 AM, because lines will start to form. After your starting location, you’ll follow your team route and explore the other embassies listed above.
🚗 Transportation Note
Please Note: The embassies of France, Germany, Italy, and Spain embassies are farther away from the main cluster of embassies. We made them our starting embassies, because they usually have the longest lines, so if we start our day there, we can possibly avoid the lines, if we get there early enough.
🚕 We strongly recommend taking an Uber/Lyft to get from your starting embassy to the other embassies.
🚗 You can all share an Uber ride from the starting embassies and split the cost among each other.
📢For Example if you're starting off at the French embassy and you finish, then you will need to uber to downtown DC to visit all the other embassies on the list.
✅️These four embassies (France, Germany, Spain and Italy) are some of the most popular stops of the day. Starting early helps us avoid long lines and cover more ground.
Let’s explore Europe right here in DC 💗
Mother's Day Tour of DC's Heroines!!
Come join us on this special Mother's Day walking tour of America’s most historic park, Lafayette Square, D.C.!
e’ll focus on fun and uplifting stories about the Square’s many heroines and inspiring events. (As well as a few femme fatales.) And tell the general history of the locale.
When: Sunday, May 10, 4 pm!
Where: MEET in the grand lobby of the Willard Hotel, 1401 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20004
PrePay and Pre-Register at:
Eventbrite:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mothers-day-tour-of-dcs-heroines-tickets-1988121821888?aff=oddtdtcreator
Or, PayPal, sending $22 to savvyveteran@gmail.com via:
https://www.paypal.com/us/home
Or, pay $22 in cash at the start of the tour.
The tour will draw on stories from the guide’s book, The White House’s Unruly Neighborhood:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Secret_History_of_the_Capitol/NaC-zQEACAAJ?hl=en
Our fun itinerary will select from:
• The capital's newest and most inspiring memorial
• The “miracle mansion” that saved the Mayor’s sister
• How an enslaved grocer founded a family dynasty that ended segregation
• How an intrepid First Lady saved the Constitution and the Declaration
• The hilarious political fundraiser that gave us the terms “Big Cheese” and “Mammoth”
• How a future First lady saved the family of Lafayette!
• The benign, mysterious ghosts of St. John’s Church
• Where a most famous anthem was written
• Female spiritualists and ladies' seances
• Where a most famous speech was authored
• The woman who wrecked an entire presidential Cabinet
• Camels, bears, and sheep about the Executive Mansion
• The First Lady who saved Lafayette Square
• The most eligible women in the nation's history
• How an opera diva brokered civil rights
• The wildest, most fun Inauguration of them all
• The most effective lady spy of America's largest war
• A famed author’s moving tribute to his deceased wife
• How Southern bankers and Northern belles conspired to save Mt. Vernon
• The most effective female spy of the world's greatest war
• Presidential humor
• How Mrs. Grant escaped death
• How a humble washerwoman helped rebuild the District
And more!
Your host is a former Presidential speechwriter and “Tonight Show” writer, and author of such books on history as:
Femme Fatalite:
https://www.amazon.com/Femme-Fatalité-Lizzy-Thorne-Novel-ebook/dp/B0F4945MR5/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0
We'll wrap up in time for you to take your mom to dinner.
This tour makes for a great gift, and is a sure-fire way to further spice up a festive day!
Central Bank Digital Currencies, CBDC Meetup Group
Monthly meeting: Second Saturday of the month
International House of Pancakes (IHOP)
775 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852
7:00 PM – 10 PM. Late arrivals always welcome.
Look for the table with someone wearing a red hat.
Questions, please call 1-240-644-5230
Agenda:
What are more things we can do to wake people up?
What can we do to get more people involved?
Other things people would like to talk about.
This will be a joint meeting with:
DC 9/11 Truth
[https://dc911truth.org/](https://dc911truth.org/)
dc911truth Facebook page
[https://www.facebook.com/groups/dc911truth/](https://www.facebook.com/groups/dc911truth/)
911 Meetup Group
[https://www.meetup.com/meetup-group-kyegaoqu/](https://www.meetup.com/meetup-group-kyegaoqu/)
Central Bank Digital Currencies CBDC Meetup Group
[https://www.meetup.com/central-bank-digital-currencies-cbdc/](https://www.meetup.com/central-bank-digital-currencies-cbdc/)
Freedom of Speech Meetup Group
[https://www.meetup.com/silver-spring-freedom-of-speech-meetup-group/](https://www.meetup.com/silver-spring-freedom-of-speech-meetup-group/)
One way to make it more difficult for them them to impose a digital currency on us is to use cash.
Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)
With Digital Currency they can:
Have a complete government dossier on every detail of your life.
Use your purchase history to maintain a detailed social credit score for every person.
Provide tax breaks to corporations who hire people with admirable social credit scores.
Only grant government contracts to corporations with employees with admirable social credit scores.
Adjust health insurance premiums to incentivize people to develop admirable social credit scores.
Connect your social credit score with a digital ID to encourage you to look at only approved web sites when surfing the internet. Viewing conspiracy web sites could lower your Social Credit Score and make it difficult to get a job.
With their electronic chain around your neck, they can control where, when, how you travel, what food you are allowed to buy etc. They will love the power to only allow you to use your digital money only where they want you to shop and allow you to buy only what they prefer you to buy.
Require you to have to have a license to use your money. They will call it a Digital Currency License.
Require you to take any vaccine they want you to take to maintain your digital currency license.
Tax you in ways we have not even imagined.
Adjust your income tax rate based on your social credit score.
Use AI to increase your income tax rate if you eat too many hamburgers because they will tell you eating too many hamburgers will increase global warming. This is just one example of many behaviors they might not approve of.
Adjust individual prices for different individuals. They will be able to make you pay more per pound for hamburger if you purchased too much red meat during the past 30 days.
Require you to buy so many pounds of soy burger for every pound of hamburger to save the planet and increase the profits for the soy burger manufacturers.
Turn off the digital money of people they consider to be spreading misinformation.
Turn off the digital money of people they consider to be dangerous conspiracy theorists.
Turn off your money at 8 PM if they want a curfew at 8 PM
Turn off your money in another state if they do not want you to drive to another state without permission.
Turn off your money when buying guns or ammo if they do not want you to buy guns or ammo.
Turn off your digital money more than three miles away from your home if they want you to stay within three miles of your home during the next epidemic.
Etc. etc. etc.
From the standpoint of the government, one beauty of digital money is that your money is one “state emergency” away from being the government’s money. All they have to do is to take your digital money out of your Central Bank Digital Account for the “good of all”. It is not as easy for them to do this with physical cash, gold, stocks, or silver etc.
Anything they **can** do, they will do.
The essence of slavery is control. Digital Currency will enable them to make you, their slave.
(in a global digital concentration camp).
.
SOCIAL SIPS & BITES 🌊🍸 WATER TAXI DAY EXPERIENCE
Social Sips & Bites family - this is the kind of day we do best.
Easy, fun, and full of connection. We’re taking things to the water with a full afternoon of cruising, exploring, eating, and just enjoying the moment together. No stress, no rush… just good vibes and great people from start to finish.
⸻
**MEET UP — 12:00 PM**
L’Enfant Plaza (D & 7th St Exit)
Metro: Orange, Blue, Silver
Drive: 400 7th St SW (free parking on Sunday nearby)
⸻
**THE RIDE 🚤**
We’re cruising the Potomac together
Wharf → Alexandria: 12:45 – 1:15
Alexandria → Wharf: 5:00 – 5:30
**Round Trip: $44**
Grab your ticket:
https://share.google/MR4rRnrVghl6t56e8
⸻
**ALEXANDRIA VIBES** 🍕🍦
We step off the boat and the day just flows
1. Walk the waterfront. Take in the views
2. Andy’s Pizza — one of the best slices around
https://share.google/TOnyMxiqTkhTYGXBF
3. Before heading back…
Pop’s Old Fashion Ice Cream
https://share.google/hWiZ8i8M06mayPbxM
⸻
This is one of those effortless, perfect SSB days
Sunshine, water, food, laughs, and that signature SSB energy
Urban Exploration Events Near You
Connect with your local Urban Exploration community
Franklinton Arts District Second Fridays Meet @ One Line Coffee, 471 W. Rich St.
Let’s meet, wander the exhibits and open galleries, and enjoy an evening out in the Franklinton Arts District.
(Nearby pay parking is available in the garage on McDowell, right around the corner from One Line Coffee, and, past it along the curb as McDowell dead ends.)
Saturday cookout & Bonfire party Experience With 2 other groups
if you’re tired of doing the same boring thing every weekend, this is your excuse to **do something different.**
This is a full **Saturday night experience** at Shadybowl Speedway — a BYOB potluck cookout, live racing, a ***late-night bonfire under the stars,*** and free camping if you want to stay the night.
We’re basically **throwing a party in the middle of nowhere** — about an hour west of Columbus and an hour north of Dayton
**Start early with the cookout**
Come out around 4:30 PM for a **potluck-style cookout.** Bring something to share, hang out, have a few drinks, and meet people before the night gets rolling.
Please bring something to share use sign up link [https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E49ABA92EA2FAC70-63781787-saturday](https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E49ABA92EA2FAC70-63781787-saturday)
Then head into the races
Racing starts around 7:00–8:00 PM at Shadybowl.
**Bring a chair** and sit with us in Turn 4 — **best seats** in the house. in front of concrete spots **58,59** ask for Chance
**Think racing isn’t your thing?**
That’s fine. Bring something to drink and come for the atmosphere, the noise, and the wrecks.
I promise you won’t regret it!
Then the **real vibe kicks in**
Once the races wind down, we head back to the fire for the Bonfire party starting around 11:30 PM.
good people, and nowhere else to be.
**Stay the night if you want**
No rush. No long drive home if you don’t want it.
Free camping on-site — bring a tent, sleep in your car, or *just hang out late by the fire.*
What to know Saturday, May 9, 2026
Cookout starts around 4:00 PM
Racing starts around 7:00–8:00 PM
Bonfire party starts around 11:30 PM
BYOB, **No glass inside the race.**
Free camping, Bring a chair
Shadybowl admission is **$15 cash only.**
Free parking
This is a **group experience.**
RSVP on Meetup is free. A **small contribution** helps keep events sustainable and ensures those who RSVP actually show up. **Great events** take time and money to organize. If you **find value** in these events consider contributing
Contribution link listed below in the comments
Be sure to Drop a comment on this post after you RSVP this helps the algorithm.
Come for the cookout. Stay for the races.
Party around the fire.
Camp if you want.
Civic Park Hike
Join us for 2 loops of the 1.1 mile trail surrounding Civic Park In Reynoldsburg this Thursday (5/7) at 6:30 pm. This is a fully paved trail so no worries about mud after a rainy week. Just come and get some exercise while connecting with others.
Trails & Ales! Blendon Woods Metro Park / Forbidden Root Restaurant & Brewery
**History**
The history of [Blendon Woods Metro Park](https://www.metroparks.net/parks-and-trails/blendon-woods/) began long before its 1951 opening, rooted in a landscape of rugged ridges and deep ravines that made the land unsuitable for traditional farming. In 1945, a report proposing a metropolitan park system for Franklin County specifically highlighted these cliffs of Bedford Shale as some of the "wildest land in the vicinity". Following this recommendation, the recently formed park district purchased the first 229 acres in early 1949. Because the terrain was so uneven, developers had to cut a mile-and-a-half-long roadway through dense woods just to bring in heavy equipment. This initial preservation effort ensured that the mature second-growth hardwood forests remained largely untouched by the urban expansion spreading toward Westerville.
Opening day arrived on Labor Day, September 3, 1951, marking Blendon Woods as the second park in the Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks system. The final push to open was a frantic race; the State Highway Department only finished the primary gravel access road four days before the gates opened. Early staff members, consisting of just four full-time employees, had to hand-dig pit toilets and learn construction skills on the fly to build the first picnic shelters. Despite the dusty conditions and limited facilities, the park was an immediate success, drawing massive crowds from across Central Ohio. By the end of the 1950s, annual visitation had already climbed to over 190,000 people.
As the surrounding suburbs grew in the 1960s, the park faced severe overcrowding that threatened its natural habitats. In response, Franklin County voters passed the first Metro Parks levy in 1960, providing the funds necessary for a decade of steady expansion. During this era, the park nearly doubled in size, growing from 264 acres to over 570 acres by 1968. Planners also addressed a critical water shortage by collaborating with the U.S. Soil and Conservation Service to build a lake in 1964. This body of water originally served as a temporary reservoir before its role shifted toward conservation and wildlife support.
The 1970s marked a transition toward the specialized wildlife and educational focus for which the park is known today. In 1971, the Walden Waterfowl Refuge was established around the 11-acre Thoreau Lake, creating a sanctuary that remains restricted to provide a quiet habitat for migratory birds. A formal nature center was also developed during this period, expanding on the guided Sunday walks that had been a park staple since the early 1950s. The park’s famous "Monarch Mansion" also became a prominent fixture, starting a long tradition of raising and releasing thousands of monarch butterflies each September. These initiatives cemented the park’s reputation as a premier destination for birders and nature enthusiasts.
In more recent decades, Blendon Woods has continued to modernize while maintaining its wilderness character. The 10-acre Natural Play Area was added in 2017, encouraging kids to explore the ravines and woods off-trail. This was followed by the opening of a $1.5 million inclusive playground in April 2025, designed to accommodate children of all physical abilities. The nature center also underwent major renovations to include immersive, three-dimensional exhibits and a new butterfly house. Today, the park encompasses 653 acres, preserving a unique geologic and biological corridor amidst the bustling Westerville and Northeast Columbus area.
**Map of the Park**
Here is a map of [Blendon Woods](https://www.metroparks.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/BLN_map_Inclusive-Playground-and-Butterfly-Trail_May-2025_1980px.png).
**Summary**
For this event, we will hike the Lake View, Hickory Ridge, Ripple Rock, Overlook, Brookside, and Sugarbush Trails. This sounds like a lot, but it will really be only a little over five miles. Blendon Woods has a few hills here and there, but it's not one of the more strenuous metro parks.
**Where We'll Meet**
We'll meet just in front of the Nature Center. This is about a mile into the park from the main entrance. You have to go past the Ranger Station and the Shadblow Reservable Area to get to it, so don't stop too early at the Ranger Station and get it confused with the Nature Center.
**After the Hike**
Afterward, we will head over to [Forbidden Root Restaurant & Brewery](https://forbiddenroot.com/restaurants/columbus-ohio/) at Easton for [drinks](https://forbiddenroot.com/restaurants/columbus-ohio/#dinner-menu) and [food](https://forbiddenroot.com/wp-content/uploads/Cbus-Food.pdf). We should be there by 5 if you can't make the hike and just want to join us for drinks.
The brewery's actual address is [4080 Worth Ave, Columbus, OH 43219](https://www.google.com/maps/place/4080+Worth+Ave,+Columbus,+OH+43219/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x88388a86d10b6619:0x4d42b470a5cf11d3?sa=X&ved=1t:242&ictx=111); however, I recommend pointing your GPS to the [Worth Garage](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Worth+Garage/@40.0542293,-82.9137962,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x88388b4df6082825:0x17582f0eccd9dda1!8m2!3d40.0542293!4d-82.9137962!16s%2Fg%2F11rzfvvv8b?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDQxNS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D) across the street. Parking in this garage is free as long as you're not on the first floor, and it is literally right next to the brewery.
Cincinnati Virtual Speed Dating Authentic Locals
💌 **Online Speed Dating for Cincinnati Singles — Real Connections, Long-Term Thinking**
This is for singles who are done with apps that go nowhere. Done with casual. Ready for a genuine conversation with someone who might actually matter.
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**Choose your age group to register:**
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🌿 RSVP here alone does not hold your place. Complete your registration through the link above and finish the short personality quiz.
---
**How it works:**
1. Register via your age group link and complete the personality quiz.
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🤍 Spots are kept small to keep things personal. If you are serious about finding the right person, this is where it starts.
Saturday Mornings @ East Market
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 enjoy talking to people from other countries, and those who would like to discuss international travel and culture, and who enjoy getting together for good conversations."























