The trails were a bit warped from winter weather, but areas of the trail that needed attention were in the process of being repaired and had safety tape to warn visitors of the hazardous planks on the boardwalk of the swamp trail. Hopefully these issues will be addressed soon. The handicap unit had a broken lock and the other unit was unclean and out of toilet paper. The portable toilets were is disrepair at the parking lot. My main complaint is that the bathrooms on the island were locked, but this might be done in winter to keep the pipes from freezing. I will definitely be back to see the island in summer to see how the wildlife and vegetation change throughout the year. No bikes allowed, which makes this spot a great for hikers, walkers, and runners I even saw a group with fishing poles. Several monuments in the center of the island are dedicated to Theodore Roosevelt and his life. There are lots of informational plaques provided by the National Park Service along the trails. I also got a good look at the Kennedy Center through the vegetation. The cattails are taller than I am even with the boardwalk underfoot! Lots of fungi, flowers, and creatures welcomed me, including Mallards, Hooded Mergansers, Eastern grey squirrels, and Eastern Painted Turtles, as I explored the island. lots of marshland and forest, but no cherry blossoms on the island. I still overall enjoyed the beautiful Dumbarton Oaks and hope that the operations and indoor exhibits can improve over time.Īwesome nature hike with free two-hour parking. I noticed that other visitors like myself were disappointed by the inconvenient hours. Since the gardens open later, more people tend to visit at the same time. If you want to have a quieter and more intimate stroll through the gardens without the traffic of other tourists, good luck. I partly suspect that they're accustomed to maintaining a smaller visitor crowd in general since this is the quieter Georgetown area and certainly not the National Gallery. I'm not entirely sure why they keep these specific hours. The inconvenient opening times and mediocre staff left me with the impression that the institution is not all that focused on promotion, which is sad since the mission statement, as well as the academia, nature, and aesthetics, are in need of preservation for future generations. The inflexible hours (even in place during the summer tourist season) only benefit the workers. You can only expect to browse the museum for about an hour and you'll likely have to explore the nearby sites to kill time before the gardens open. The museum opens at 11:30 am and the adjacent gardens open at 2:00 pm, which is very inconvenient if you want to see both on the same day. I usually expect workers at smaller museums to go out of their way to promote the sites and exhibits, but the workers really didn't seem all that caring. The few people working there didn't seem enthusiastic. The workers including the front desk guard weren't all that warm or welcoming. The exhibits were underwhelming in my opinion. In contrast, I didn't enjoy the museum as much. I loved seeing the willow trees as well as a few bunnies and baby deer roaming around the gardens. I was impressed by the variety of flowers and trees. It's really like walking into a classical painting. The overall garden design is amazing and reminiscent of European gardens. Hot tip - download the ParkMobile app to make your parking experience a piece of cake! You can then get around within the city by walking, using the Metro, or renting a budget-friendly Capital Bikeshare or scooter.The gardens were my favorite part of visiting. You may consider parking your car in a garage or side street in Washington D.C. If it's outside of rush hour, driving is the fastest way to get between Virginia and Washington D.C. In 2022 additional stations were added in Fairfax County including a station at Dulles International Airport. Metro is not just a convenient way to access many of the region’s most memorable attractions, it’s part of the vacation experience itself! There are 13 stations in Fairfax County, many offering daily parking facilities and bicycle racks. Explore and learn about everything from the origins of man and the future of flight to the history of art across multiple continents with more than 150 million objects, works of art and specimens to discover. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), which offers regional transit service in Northern Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia, operates Metrorail (our area’s “Subway/Metro” that also travels above ground). Collectively called the Smithsonian Institution, this world-renowned museum and research complex consists of 17 museums, galleries and a zoo. Getting Around the DC Area From Fairfax Countyįairfax is one of the closest neighbors to DC, making it easy to get from here to the attractions with ease, especially if you use the Metro.
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