Category Archives: Adventures

Adventures, Downtown, The Daily Feed, WMATA, WTF?!
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Was the City Ready?

Photo courtesy of
‘Train approaching’
courtesy of ‘brianmka’

As you are all aware, the Fed has finally reopened today after nearly a week of closure.  With roads fairly clear and sidewalks mostly shoveled, it seemed like the right call.  But I’m beginning to suspect that maybe it wasn’t.  Metro appears to be woefully unprepared for the return of the Federal workforce.  Trains and buses are running sporadically and we’ve been getting reports of measured chaos at many metro stations.  Personally, I want to know what the deal is.  According to the WMATA website, all lines are on schedule and Metro has “expanded service for Friday.” Problem is, expanded service apparently means one train every fifteen minutes.  In my book, that’s not quite enough for rush hour.  So, what do you all think?  Was it a good call to open the Fed, or did your commute tell you otherwise?

Adventures, Entertainment, Fun & Games
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Bored Out Of Your Gourd Solutions

Photo courtesy of
‘so bored’
courtesy of ‘sunnyfunnyyellow’

Yeah, I feel you. There’s only so many days you can surf the interwebz, watch movies, catch up on your DVR recordings, read, twiddle your thumbs, pace around your apartment, etc.

So let’s get crazy and kick ourselves into snowaction. The Washington Post’s Jenna Johnson has already compiled a fantastic list of snomageddon activities geared towards the college aged set, and I’ve brainstormed the following activities to stave off the boredom and enjoy the winter wonderland that is DC for the next few days. Continue reading →

Adventures, The Daily Feed
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PG County Boy Rescued From Ravine

Photo courtesy of
‘ACC Mountaineering Course: Gummi Bear Crevasse Rescue’
courtesy of ‘iwona_kellie’

According to WBAL and WTOP, last night a PG County teenager slipped down a snow covered hill, near Marlton Center Drive, and landed 100ft down the ravine. Fortunately, the boy managed to keep himself out of the nearby creek and was unharmed after the fall.  The boy then struggled to get a little more than half way back up the steep incline. Exhausted, he secured himself to a stable tree branch and began calling for help.  After about two hours, local residents heard his cries and directed rescue crews to his location.  Emergency services rescued him from the ravine and transported him to the nearby hospital, where last night he was being evaluated and treated for hypothermia.

Adventures, Downtown, Entertainment, Fun & Games, Special Events, The Features, We Love Arts
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National Geographic Live: February 2010

Photo courtesy National Geographic Society

Chimps of Goualougo; Photo courtesy National Geographic Society

The spring season of National Geographic Live – a series of dynamic lectures, concerts, films and more – kicks off next week.

This year, the National Geographic Society has graciously offered some event tickets to our readers. If you’re interested in winning a pair of tickets to any of the events below, simply remark in comments which two events – in preferred order – you’d like to attend. We’ll do a random drawing on Tuesday afternoon (Feb. 2nd) after 1pm and we’ll get the winners set up with their first (or second, if your first choice is full) selection. Keep in mind that tickets are for single events only, not multi-part series or showings, unless otherwise indicated. (The kung-fu film festival is an exception; you can win tickets for all three movies!)

Okay, enough about rules. Check out the February offerings after the jump. Continue reading →

Adventures, The Features, Tourism
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Tourism: Catoctin Mountain Park

Photo courtesy of
‘Catoctin Mountain Park-5’
courtesy of ‘TrailVoice’

Nestled an approximate 90 minute, northwesterly drive from DC,  Catoctin Mountain Park located just outside of Thurmont, MD, is a great spot for a day trip or the perfect location for a weekend getaway from the district’s hubbub.

I’ve long had Catoctin on my radar since moving the DC, in fact visiting the national park is one of my New Year’s resolutions. And while I wouldn’t consider now the perfect time to visit the park, I’m of the spring/summertime hiking ilk, the park is definitely still opened to hikers, drivers and visitors, although you should check the park’s website prior heading out for closure updates, and is well worth the effort. Continue reading →

Adventures, Entertainment, Life in the Capital, Night Life, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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United For Haiti Fundraiser

Photo courtesy of
‘Dining Room Interior, Policy’
courtesy of ‘Jenn Larsen’

If you’re looking for a place to have your Thursday night out, and honestly who on a Wednesday afternoon isn’t thinking about non-work related activities, then definitely check out United For Haiti Fundraiser to benefit Partners in Health (PIH) taking place at Policy.

Starting at 7:30pm, your $25 donation will help aide PIH’s efforts in Haiti, get you entry into one of coolest restaurants/lounges in DC, provide complimentary liquor drinks until 9:30pm and have DJ spinning good beats until the wee hours.

A good cause, good food, good drinks, good friends, what a great way to start the weekend.

Adventures, Essential DC, The Daily Feed
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Case of the Key Bridge Hanging Ropes Solved

Photo courtesy of
‘Ripples’
courtesy of ‘S. Parker’

Ever been driving on the George Washington Parkway and seen those mysterious ropes dangling underneath the Key Bridge? Have you ever wondered, what crazy person is rope swinging into the Potomac? Or, perhaps someone has a secret July 4th firework viewing spot?

Well, the WaPo’s Answer Man, John Kelly, has put the mystery to rest. They’re not for bungee jumping, rather the ropes are used to help inspectors “access the inclined portions of the Key Bridge’s mighty arches.” Phew! What a relief!

Adventures, Fun & Games, Media, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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Real World Live Blog Tonight!

Photo courtesy of
‘The Biggest Looser’
courtesy of ‘: rebecca :’

More live blogging is coming your way, this evening, for episode two of the Real World: DC.  Last week, we had 200 people tune in and it was the bomb .  So, please join us right here on the WLDC main page at 10pm for more “real life.” Oh, and be sure to have drinks in hand.  It makes the Real World so much better.

Adventures, Entertainment, Music
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The Five Best Concerts In And Around DC For 2009


courtesy of ‘bormang2’

One of the things that I am most excited about my return to blogging is that I have the opportunity to continue my year-end tradition of recapping the best concerts that I saw in and around the DC area.

For the uninitiated, this is a list of the best performances by musical acts that I saw in 2009 in the DC area. The list is based on individual sets rather than total concert line-ups. I consider any concert that I can drive to and back from in one night to fall within my radius of coverage. I’m keeping the list to 5 shows from now on because I catch great concerts all over the country and think I should only list the local cream of the crop. In other words, these are five DC area shows that can hang with the best shows in the country.
Continue reading →

Adventures, Essential DC, Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed
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Last Minute DC Gifts

Photo courtesy of
‘Zipcar ad’
courtesy of ‘Karon’

So like me you’ve waited until the last second and now you’ve got to hazard the crowded shops and DC streets to finish up your Christmas shopping. You’re fairly limited with online shopping opportunities, you have no time for brainstorming, and you’ve got a gazillion other things to do, so you’ve got to put your nose to the grind stone and pound these last little (or big) tidbits out. Lucky for you, and me, there are plenty of cool DC-related gifties out there waiting to be scooped up.

Many of us will be heading through Union Station today and the shops there offer some fantastic last minute gift pick up opportunities.  You can find historic memorabilia and inauguration items at America!’s Spirit, or small paintings, pottery and jewelry at Echo Gallery Mezzanine Kiosk, or perhaps Lids, where you can pick up a Redskins or Capitals branded baseball cap. There’s also a solid wine and spirits shop that can provide that much needed Jameson for eggnog or bottle of bubbly for Christmas morning drinkypoos.  These shops are a hurried travelers delight and are definitely worth checking out, if you’re still gift hunting or needing to fill up those stockings. Continue reading →

Adventures, History, The Daily Feed
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Snowpocalypsi of Yore

Photo courtesy of
‘Ice mask, C.T. Madigan, between 1911-1914 / photograph by Frank Hurley’
courtesy of ‘State Library of New South Wales collection’

During this past weekend’s Snowpocalypse, when I was hunkering down in my blazing warm apartment, watching Mean Girls, eating curried pumpkin soup from Whole Foods and sipping on Macallan, I couldn’t help but wonder what a Snowpocalypse would have been like 100 years ago sans Goretex, Under Armour, Smartwools, central heating, snowplows/snowblowers, TV, etc. and without a widespread use of electricity. In a word, I surmised people were cold.

Fortunately, DC blog Shorpy features an particularly awesome photo post a 1918 Snowpocalypse that reminds me just how great this city and residents are. These DCers don’t look cold at all.  They’re trudging through the snow, hats on, wool coats buttoned, on their way snow be damned. Of course, the photo doesn’t convey the intensity of the  storm or the level of hardship endured, but it does show the resilience of our ancestors. DCites do their best when faced with heavy snow fall.  We will not be cold. We will not let the snow win. Both the 1918 and 2009 Snowpocalypsi were storms well weathered by our nation’s capital.

Adventures, Fun & Games, News, The Features
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Snow Details, Snow Fun

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

Update 11:52: THUNDERSNOW HAS BEEN REPORTED AT QUANTICO! You hear me?? THUNDERSNOW I SAY!

Update 11:38AM: (From NWS Senior Meteorologist Logan Johnson): This will now easily be the biggest December snowstorm on record in DC. It is very important that people stay OFF the roads and also that people report their snow totals to the National Weather Service at lwx-report@noaa.gov. Heaviest bands of snow arriving right now in Arlington/DC area so snowfall totals will pick up quickly.

On a side note, DCA is closed until at least 1pm.

UPDATE 9:25AM: We are now in a blizzard warning until 6pm this evening! This means winds over 35mph in addition to our substantial snowfall (up to 22″), as well as very reduced visibility.

Quick snow recap of the latest:

  • We could see 9″ by morning and UP TO 2 feet of snow by Sunday morning. That is kah-ray-zee.
  • Blizzard warnings have been issued for areas east of the city, including La Plata and Annapolis, MD.
  • We are all in a winter storm warning through Sunday morning. 30 HOURS LEFT!
  • There is no milk left in the DC metro area. At all. Like for real.
  • DC has issued a snow emergency starting at 7am, so MOVE YOUR CARS.
  • Nancy Pelosi had to leave Copenhagen early to make sure she could get back to the Hill before DC is swallowed up by fluffy white stuff.
  • It’s very possible that Metro may be an underground ONLY system starting tomorrow. Map and details here.
  • Virginia is already in a state of emergency.
  • DC area news stations will have up to the minute coverage starting at 2am and will give you updated reports every minute on the minute. Team coverage expected at every area grocery store and intersection.

    • By now, you know all there is to know about this #snowpocalypse #snOMG storm. You’ve read our post from earlier today with a description of what thundersnow is and how it could happen tomorrow, making this megastorm even more entertaining. And above you have all of the latest details you could EVAR want! So let’s have some fun with this snow thing. Everyone in our area is going crazy right now and it will only get worse tomorrow. Play along.

    Continue reading →

    Adventures, Entertainment, Essential DC, Food and Drink, Foodie Roundup, The Features
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    We Love Leftovers

    Photo courtesy of
    ‘Turkey cupcake tutorial’
    courtesy of ‘kristdin_a’

    The turkey is still brining, the potatoes aren’t even peeled and the pies are still cooling, and I’m already thinking about what to do with the leftovers.  Of course, there’s the traditional turkey fixings sandwich, which requires putting every item from the meal between two slices of bread and then prying your mouth open like a boa constrictor and jamming it in there. And however much I love me a leftover sammie, there’s only so much our palates can tolerate, so it’s high time we look into other creative options for the food exploding out of the fridge.

    Let’s start with potatoes. These tubers are perhaps the most versatile leftover you have at your disposal. If you’re left with boiled or roasted potatoes, they make the perfect based for Alton Brown’s breakfast hash, or some potatoes au-gratin or the crispy topping of a pot pie.  If you have some whole potatoes left over of the yam variety, then I suggest using them in this simple sweet potato casserole. And should you have an ample portion of mashed potatoes, add some bacon, onions, chives, or if you like seafood some cooked white fish, and mold them into 3″ potato cakes. Pan fry the cakes until they have a golden, crispy exterior on both sides, and garnish with sour cream, applesauce or whatever accompaniment your palate desires. Continue reading →

    Adventures, Entertainment, Essential DC, Food and Drink, Life in the Capital, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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    Share Your Thanksgiving Mishaps

    Photo courtesy of
    ‘OH GOD TURKEY.’
    courtesy of ‘ibroadfo’

    I’m sure we all have them, or have at least been a party to them. My story involves our next door neighbors nearly setting our apartment building on fire by leaving their bird in the oven a tad too long. There we were, just sitting down to our meal, when the sirens sounded and the firemen were knocking on our door. Luckily, the building didn’t go up in flames, and I believe our neighbors celebrated by hitting up the Chinese restaurant around the corner.

    Have any really good Thanksgiving mishap stories? Share them and we can all hopefully learn from our mistakes.

    Adventures, Entertainment, Essential DC, Life in the Capital, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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    National Parks Not National Parties

    Photo courtesy of
    ‘B’day party at the park’
    courtesy of ’emrank’

    Today’s Georgetown Metropolitan covered the growing incidence of kids’ parties staged at Montrose Park, part of Rock Creek National Park,  in Northwest DC.

    Apparently, some of these parties have gotten “a little crazy” with parents trucking in pony rides, miniature petting zoos and moon bounces.

    From the GM article, it appears the parties aren’t causing the neighborhood any trouble, but word seems to spreading, so my suggestion to neighborhood parents is to stick with the classic pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey and pinata. You can’t go wrong with those classics.

    Adventures, Entertainment, Fun & Games, The Daily Feed
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    It’s Here! It’s Here! It’s Almost Here!

    Photo courtesy of
    ‘Twilight candy’
    courtesy of ‘Joe in DC’

    I didn’t see the 2008 blockbuster Twilight in the theater. In fact, like many non-tweens, I pretty much missed all the hype/hubbub surrounding its release. I figured it was one of those Miley Cyrus/Hanana Montana movies, and lord knows I’d never go anywhere near that crap. But then one wintry Saturday night, when I had had a little too much to drink the night before, and my roommates were headed out for the evening, and I’d have the place all to myself I ordered it On Demand and, to my embarrassment, got hooked. To redeem myself a bit, I’ll note that all I did was watch the film (albeit 2-3 times), but I have not purchased any of the books or paraphernalia.

    However, I will be seeing the sequel New Moon in theaters this Friday. Yes, I’m actually willing to pay the $12, so I’m expecting an angst-filled, action-packed, highly entertaining movie that will leave me dying to see the next film Eclipse.

    Like most blockbusters, local theaters are showing the new movie from The Twilight Saga starting at 12:01am Friday morning (Thursday night), of note is AMC’s Georgetown Theater which will show the movie in all of it 6 theaters.  At least, I’m not SO desperate to see it that I’ll lose hours of my precious sleep.

    Adventures, Downtown, Essential DC, History, Special Events, The Daily Feed, The District
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    36th Annual Conference on Washington DC Historical Studies

    Photo courtesy of
    ‘Lincoln’s Cottage – Magnified Capitol – 4-25-09’
    courtesy of ‘mosley.brian’

    This Saturday, November 14, rub shoulders with and pick the brains of prominent DC scholars, students, history buffs and collectors at Charles Sumner School Museum and Archives.

    The 36th annual conference unites all those dedicated to collecting and sharing the history of our nation’s capital and its local history.  This year’s highlights include newly uncovered findings on DC’s Underground Railroad, a photo history of the area, learnings from the restored Ford’ Theatre, and more.

    Admission is $15 for adults and $10 for students and seniors.  Reservations are required. Call 202-383-1840 for more information.

    Adventures, Fun & Games, Sports Fix, The Features
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    Newcomer’s Guide to Capitals Hockey

    Photo courtesy of
    ‘DSC_4085’
    courtesy of ‘Ghost_Bear’

    After attending the Predators – Capitals game on Saturday with a friend new to hockey, I came to a sudden realization. The Capitals are pretty much the only local pro team that is resisting the giant sewer of suckitude. With their winning ways, it’s an easy bandwagon to jump on, something I pointed out first last spring.

    To that end, we’ve got some new fans showing up at the Verizon Center (I still refuse to stoop to calling it “the Phone Booth”) to cheer on the Capitals. So why not lay out some ground rules and info for you newcomers to the great game of hockey? Besides, it’s a good refresher course for out out-of-town visitors and rabid fans in general.

    I give you the “Unofficial Guide to the Washington Capitals Fan Code of Conduct.”

    Continue reading →