The Bishop’s Garden is just steps away from the National Cathedral in Washington, DC. It reminds me a bit of the classic children’s tale, “The Secret Garden”. Not so much because it’s a secret, which it isn’t, but because it’s a serene little garden tucked away behind a rock wall.

Georgetown, a trendy neighborhood in Washington, DC, holds a special place in our hearts. For four years it was a focal point in our family, as our son attended Georgetown University. His four years at the university gave us the perfect opportunity to get to know Washington, DC. Little did we know that eight years later we would relocate to the east coast where Washington, DC and Georgetown would become our nearby playgrounds.

With that being said, let’s spend a day exploring Georgetown, shall we?

Les Colombes. White Doves. How can something so simple be so profound and carry such a serene message of peace?

There are 129 national monuments and it may come as a surprise that many of them are not in Washington, DC. Some are places or landscapes, in other parts of the country, rather than constructed monuments. Wouldn’t that be the ultimate treasure hunt to find all 129 national monuments?

Virginia -vs- Maryland. I don’t really know how often one can stand on either side of a river and be in a different state, but that’s the story of Great Falls National Park and the Potomac River.

January 6, 2021. Everyone had placed such hope on the promise of a new year. Saying good-bye to hellacious 2020 and hello to the potential for change in 2021. Surely, life had to get better, right? Little did we know.

It was a day to go outside. The C&O Canal in the Carderock Recreation Area was the destination. Turns out, we also discovered the Billy Goat Trail along the Potomac River. As much as I love winter and long for a beautiful peaceful snowfall, we embraced the warm December day and headed out on the backroads of Maryland.

You know how it is when you tell yourself you really shouldn’t have that third piece of chocolate, and then all you want more than anything else in life is that piece of chocolate? That’s what it feels like, in my mind, to have a passport collecting dust and being told we can’t leave the country. Nope, not even to pop up to Toronto, Canada to visit family. When someone tells me I can’t do something, it becomes the one thing I want more than anything. Is it just me?

I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Well, it’s not so much a secret, maybe more of a confession given the current state of affairs. I’m having a tough time finding the motivation to put fingers to keyboard these days. Given that there is still an international ban on US travelers, it would seem likely that not too many people are dreaming of faraway places. Although, there are definitely people out there finding a way to change the scenario of their lives as RV sales rise.

Sometimes, the best thing we can do for ourselves is to take a detour. Stop and embrace the moment wherever it may be. Our most recent detour found us walking in a field of sunflowers. But first…