Category Archives: Adventures

Adventures, Essential DC, Food and Drink, Fun & Games, Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed
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Glover Park-Burleith Farmers Market Debuts Tomorrow

Photo courtesy of
‘_MG_0683’
courtesy of ‘logan.brown’

Even though I won’t be around to witness its opening weekend, I’m super pumped that the Glover Park-Burleith Farmers’ Market debuts this Saturday from 9am-1pm.

This producer-only farmers market features local fruit, vegetables, meat, cheese, bread, eggs, plants, cut flowers, handmade soap, pasta, gelato and more. A different bluegrass band will be there every week to provide live music to the dog-friendly market. In 2010, the market hopes to offer additional features, such as bike clinics, live-chef demonstrations and garden/composting workshops.

The market is located in the parking lot of the Hardy Middle School, just across the street from the newly opened Social Safeway.  The market will run every Saturday, rain or shine, until October 30th.

Adventures, Fun & Games, People, The Daily Feed, The Great Outdoors, The Mall
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Volunteer at DC Triathlon

Photo courtesy of
‘Triathlon Bike Transition Area’
courtesy of ‘Dru Bloomfield – At Home in Scottsdale’

The 2010 Washington DC Triathlon is looking for a few good men and women to sign up for a variety of volunteer positions, Thursday, June 17 through Race Day, Sunday, June 20th.

This is a great way to get first hand experience with Sprint and Olympic distance triathlons and feel the pulse and spirit that these events bring with them. Did I mention that volunteers get a free t-shirt? Woot!

Adventures, Business and Money, Crime & Punishment, News, People, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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Massage Parlor Leads To Huge Bust

Photo courtesy of
‘I could use one of these right now…’
courtesy of ‘abstract duck’

After a six-month investigation, local sheriffs have made nine arrests and charged the owner of Green Therapy, a Loudon county massage parlour, with operating a “bawdy place” and allowing massages to be performed without a permit.

Two Green Therapy employees were charged with giving massages without a permit and, more seriously, a third employee was charged with willfully touching or fondling a sexual part of a person. Law enforcement additionally charged 5 male customers for frequenting a bawdy place.

Adventures, Business and Money, Food and Drink, Life in the Capital, News, People, The Daily Feed
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DC To Get A Waffle House, Courtesy of Fred Smoot?

Photo courtesy of
‘The Old Waffle Shop’

courtesy of ‘Penelope700’

Former Redskins cornerback, Fred Smoot, loves DC. Despite his current free agent status, the footballer hearts our city and has developed a deep connection to the fans and DCers, he’s met during his tenure on the Deadskins’ roster.

Although his player status for the 2010 season is still very much up in the air, Smoot told Kevin and Rock on 106.7’s The Fan that no matter what he plans to keep his connections to the area by opening up D.C.’s first ever Waffle House. During the weekly radio show, Smoot stated, “I’m actually in the process of starting a couple businesses up here. I’m bringing Waffle House to D.C. — I think they’ve been yearning for it for a long time. My first location is right off 14th and U.”

Of course, Smoot’s plan will not only bring the deliciousness of tasty waffles to the area and meet the heavy demand for the breakfast item, but will also revive the long lived syrup vs. gravy debate that this September saw syrup take the prize. Perhaps it’s time for a rematch?

Adventures, Entertainment, Food and Drink, Life in the Capital, News, People, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Cochon 555: Get Your Pig On

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’

This little piggy went to market. This little piggy stayed home. This little piggy had roast beef. This little piggy had none. And this little went “wee. wee. wee” all the way home. And by home, I mean The Ritz-Carlton for Cochon 555 on Sunday, May 2.

This yearly competition travels the US in search of  the “Prince / Princess of Porc” and has 5 local Chefs go head-to-head in a pig preparation throw down. Last year’s Prince, R.J. Cooper of Vidalia returns to defend his title and chefs from Bourbon Steak, Bibiana, Eola and Westend Bistro will try to usurp him. Lots of Pre-cooking, braising, grilling, pressing, pickling, rubbing, smoking, searing, saucing, spicing, injecting, marinating, etc. is involved and top-chefs have been known to use the entire animal.

Tickets for the event go for $125, and guests not only get to enjoy some tasty pork, but will witness a whole pig butcher demonstration, taste great wines, brews and enjoy a plethora of pig perfect desserts. There will also be an after party at a location to be determined.

Adventures, Entertainment, Fun & Games, Music, People, The Daily Feed
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Bethesda DJ School Opens Wicka Wicka

Photo courtesy of
‘Hirshhorn After Hours #60’
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’

Just when you thought Bethesda couldn’t get any cooler, Beat Refinery, a DJ school modeled after NYC’s famed Scratch DJ Academy, opens its doors to teach students how to drop the beats and trip the light fantastic DJ style.

Classes take place in an all-new, tricked out room in Bethesda’s Bach to Rock music school, and classes have been designed by famous DJs who jetset around the globe dropping killa beats. Class size is small, 8-10 students, and are a manageable 90-minutes and the course runs for 6 weeks. Beginner class start with the basics: an overview of DJ theory, usage of DJ software, equipment set-up, basic beat counting/matching, etc. You can learn more details about the classes at Thrillist.com

So now it’s time to think up you’re stellar DJ pseudonym. I call DJ We<3DC. If you’re having trouble thinking of a moniker, Rum & Monkey offers a sweet DJ Name Generator. I also call “DJ ThunderCat”

Adventures, All Politics is Local, Life in the Capital, News, The Daily Feed
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DDOT To Implement New Safety Rules For Pedicabs

Photo courtesy of
‘DSC_2432’
courtesy of ‘bhrome’

Under new rules proposed today by the DDOT, D.C. pedicabs will have to meet additional safety standards.  The new rules include requiring seatbelt usage for every passenger, establishing pedicab equipment requirements, mandating that pedicabs only operated  on public streets and in accordance with the “safe operation of bicycle regulations,” and prohibiting pedicab operators from parking or riding on a sidewalk, from riding while intoxicated, from parking in a restricted zone identified for other vehicles and from riding on any D.C. street with a posted speed limit of more than 30 mph.

Across the U.S. pedicabs are growing in popularity as are the number of accidents involving pedicabs.  It’s quite possible that these new rules may open the door for further regulations, such as pedicab licensing and mandatory insurance for all operators. The new rules are currently under public commentary and will likely be adopted in 30 days.

Adventures, Entertainment, Fun & Games, Life in the Capital, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Georgetown’s French Market Kicks Off Today

image courtesy of www.georgetowndc.com

image courtesy of www.georgetowndc.com

Today and tomorrow, the Book Hill neighborhood of Georgetown (Wisconsin Avenue: P Street to Reservoir Road) is hosting the 7th Annual French Market from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

This quaint section of Wisconsin Avenue offers fantastic window shopping and perusing opportunities for the art galleries, boutiques, antique shops and cafes. Additionally, there will be discounts of up to 70% at over 30 Georgetown merchants, and features live entertainment, French food, and children’s activities.

Should you work/live in the area, the French Market is the perfect lunch/coffee break activity and should you live further away the market is the perfect reason to check out these cute, locally owned shops.

Adventures, Food and Drink, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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How Many GU Students Does It Take To…?

Photo courtesy of
‘DSCF0842’
courtesy of ‘joelogon’

Yesterday, some Hoya had a serious brain fart and decided to heat up their pizza in the common room oven without removing it from the PAPER box. Of course, as physics and common sense would have it, a fire broke out and the Harbin Hall dormitory was evacuated. DCFD were promptly on the scene and students returned to their dorms just in time for Jeopardy.

Usually, I’d chalk this mistake up to drinking, but considering the fire occurred at 7pm (prime college dinner time) I’m gonna just call a bonehead a bonehead.

Adventures, Entertainment, Fun & Games, People, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Robot Fest This Saturday

Photo courtesy of
‘Gort Robot Model’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

Do you have a strong, nerdy passion for technology? Did you cry when the little runt in Batteries Not Included came out non-functional?  Does the thought of gears, cogs, WD 40 and miniscule wrenches really light up your motherboard?

Well then Robot Fest and Mid-Atlantic Mini-Maker Faire in Linthicum, MD and you have a date with destiny this Saturday, April 24. This one day event will satisfy your urge to create new, previously unseen forms from lifeless electronics and mechanical parts of metal and plastic.

For the 10th anniversary of this festival, the tech-geek offerings have expanded  into realms where technology is used in any creative fashion. There will be a Wearable Tech Fashion Show featuring electronic embedded smart fabrics, regional student teams will present their robots built to compete in state and national competitions, the LEGO store will give Flight Simulator demonstrations, visitors can experiment with RoboDog and Gregor the Gorilla, full-size R2D2s will wander the halls, the University of Baltimore Game Design will showcase its experimental games and
controllers, and the Art Institute of Washington is bringing their Dead Animatronics and Beatbots to demonstrate Keepon, a socially interactive robotic character for entertainment, research, and therapy.

Starting this year the suggested admission donation is $6 for
adults, and $3 for middle and high-school students. Children elementary
school and younger are free!

Adventures, Entertainment, Music, We Love Music
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We Love Music: Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2010

Coachella Music Festival Banner courtesy of Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival.

Everyone knows that sometimes the best way to appreciate where you live is to get away for a little while. It is also true that sometimes the best way for a music critic to reboot his love of music is to attend an awesome music festival without an impending review deadline hanging over his head. This past weekend I did both when I attended the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in Indio, California.

This was my third Coachella (2004, 2007*, 2010) and I think it is without a doubt the best music festival in the United States. After a three-legged, 12-hour journey by plane, I made my way into the California desert to enjoy some of the best music on the planet for three days. The weather was beautiful, the music was excellent, and I got the re-charge I was looking for. I decided to write mini-reviews of the bands I caught and to post them here for those who follow my music writing. Keep in mind, I was focused on enjoying the music this weekend without my reviewer’s hat on. So these little reviews are more personal and less detailed write-ups of the bands I saw over this great weekend.

Continue reading →

Adventures, Business and Money, News, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Tie Me Up, Tie Me Churchill Downs

Photo courtesy of
‘Ties’
courtesy of ‘bdesham’

Georgetown-based menswear designers, Charles and Patrick, have scored it big with the 2010 Kentucky Derby Icon logo tie. Made from 100% Italian printed silk, the neckties are handmade in the US, come in four colors: yellow, pink, blue, and orange, and feature the emblematic Kentucky Derby rose.

The 136th Kentucky Derby takes place on Saturday, May 1 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The annual event features the cream of the crop of three year-old Thoroughbred horses in a head-to-head race for a $2 million dollar purse.

Adventures, Entertainment, Fun & Games, History, Technology, The Daily Feed, The Great Outdoors, The Hill, The Mall
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DC Podcast Tours Led By Middle Schoolers

Photo courtesy of
‘Ksenya 06’
courtesy of ‘yospyn’

WOW!  Alexandria’s Sandburg Middle School has developed ten awesome DC podcast tours that offer fabulous insights into our city’s neighborhoods, monuments, museums and local shops/restaurants.  Each podcast is accompanied by a informational guide that includes the closest metro stop, address, entrance fees and relevant website. How useful! The tours and voice overs are all performed by Sandburg students, and can be easily downloaded to your ipod or mp3 player. What a stellar find and what a stellar way for students and DCers to learn about our nation’s capital.

Adventures, Essential DC, History, Life in the Capital, The District, The Great Outdoors, Tourism
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Tourism: Dumbarton Oaks

Photo courtesy of
‘Stairs’
courtesy of ‘Amberture’

If you’re looking to escape from the Cherry Blossom hoards and find your own little piece of Washington DC for a few hours, the Dumbarton Oaks house, gardens and museum have your name on it.

In 1920, U.S. Foreign Service diplomat Robert Woods Bliss and his wife Mildred Barnes Bliss purchased a large portion of land and a 1801 Federal style house in the northern most section of Georgetown. The Blisses made significant architectural renovations and additions, such as the Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection (DORCL) structure, which includes the 1963 Phillip Johnson designed Pre-Columbian Pavillion.  And more recently DORCL has welcomed a new library in 2005 and an extensive renovation of the house and museum was completed in 2008.

The museum houses, amongst other things, the significant art collection amassed by the the Blisses during their State Department life overseas.  This includes two fascinating collections of Byzantine and Pre-Columbian art and artifacts, as well as displays of tapestries, sculptures, paintings, and furniture dating from the fifteenth to the eighteenth centuries, which can be seen in the Music Room.  Continue reading →

Adventures, Business and Money, Food and Drink, Life in the Capital, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Happy Hour

Photo courtesy of
‘mmm…free goo…’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

If you missed last week’s Free Cone Day don’t fret, because the Ben & Jerry’s in Georgetown is throwing ice cream happy hours from 4-7pm. The happy hour special is 3 scoops for a mere $3.  That’s an uber steal considering scoops normally go for $2-3 a pop.  With the fantastic sunny and warm weather predicted for the next few days, let’s trade up our HH beers for some HH Cherry Garcia.

Adventures, The Daily Feed
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Fairfax Tries To Control Growing Geese Population

Photo courtesy of
‘Geese at Twilight’
courtesy of

In response to complaints about incessant honking, germ-ridden feathers and excrement-fouled waterways, lawns and sidewalks, Fairfax County is calling on volunteers to help control the growing Canadian geese population in the VA-MD-DC metropolitan region.

This call for volunteers centers around training for the population control process called addling, which according to a quote by Fairfax County Biologist Victoria Monroe in an NBCWashington article, “involves applying oil to [fertilized] goose eggs to prevent embryo development,” then returning the egg to the nest. Upon return, it’s particularly important to convince the mother goose that her egg(s) have not been tampered with, because otherwise she would quickly lay more eggs. Continue reading →

Adventures, History, Tourism
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Tourism: The Old Stone House

Photo courtesy of
‘Old Stone House NHS’
courtesy of ‘Ken Lund’

Nestled in along M Street, in the heart of Georgetown, you’ll stumble upon The Old Stone House, one of the oldest homes remaining in Washington, DC. Built in 1765, the house is maintained and operated by the National Park Service, and is part of the National Park System’s Rock Creek Park unit. Since it’s original construction, the house has traded hands many times and has been used as a shop for hats, tailors, locksmiths, clockmakers, house roofing remodeled by Bell Roofing Company, house painting, and even a used car dealership. Fortunately, the house was purchased by the Federal Government in 1953 for $90,000. At today’s market prices, the house and its garden are thought to be worth close to $6-7 million.

Constructed from local quarry stones and ballast stones from the English sailing vessels that journeyed up the Potomac, the house is a prime example of a typical 18th century dwelling that would have been inhabited by common Americans. Tours and lectures offered by Colonial period-dressed park rangers, highlight the lives of these early Americans and DCers. Continue reading →

Adventures, The Daily Feed
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Gtown Hoyas: The Drinking Game

Photo courtesy of
‘Basketball beer’
courtesy of ‘gcardinal’

So your team didn’t make the tourney? Or perhaps your college didn’t have a Division I Men’s Basketball program? Or maybe you’re just not that into March madness overall?

Well luckily, Georgetown University’s Vox Populi has come up with a robust, Hoya focused drinking game, just in time for tonight’s game against Ohio.

Even if you’re not a Georgetown fan, at least the game will jump start your Thursday night and could, potentially, get you back into the March Madness.

Adventures, The Daily Feed
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Key Bridge Snow Removal

Photo courtesy of
‘M Street from Roof’
courtesy of ‘Julie Fraker’

If you’re wondering why there’s a ridiculous amount of traffic along M Street, it’s because the DCPD and DDOT are bulldozing the snow build up on Key Bridge.  When I passed about 10 minutes ago, the removal was only affecting the traffic heading towards Virginia, but I’m assuming they’ll tackle the east bound side later. No westbound traffic was being allowed to cross the bridge and all traffic was being directed towards Canal Road.

If you have an alternative route, I suggest you take it because the traffic looked horrendous.

<a href=’http://www.flickr.com/photos/83269676@N00/3914904786′ title=’M Street from Roof’><img src=’http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2621/3914904786_51bb736102_m.jpg’ alt=’Photo courtesy of ‘Julie Fraker’/></a><br/><small><a href=’http://www.flickr.com/photos/83269676@N00/3914904786′>’M Street from Roof'</a></small><br/><small>courtesy of <a href=’http://www.flickr.com/people/83269676@N00/’>’Julie Fraker'</a></small>
Adventures, All Politics is Local, Business and Money, The Daily Feed, WMATA, WTF?!
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No Metro Means Taxis Screw You Over

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’

For some reason (I still can’t fathom why) the Metro closed at midnight on Friday and Saturday.  This meant that for the average person out on the town, taxis were the only option for getting home, and apparently cabbies got wind of this.  Instead of turning on their meters and offering their fares the normal rate,  drivers would jack prices up two and three times the normal, knowing that cab scarcity and the freezing cold would leave their patrons with little recourse but to accept the gouged prices.  This is illegal.  But, when the driver says “30 dollars to take you there” and pulls away when you inform him of the law, what can you do?  So, as one of those screwed-over patrons from last night, I offer a hearty “burn in hell” to the cabbies of DC.  Seriously, die in fire.