It’s Cherry Blossom Time in Washington, DC. Not having seen the blossoms for two plus years due to the pandemic, we decided this was the year we’d venture in to the city to take in the glorious blossoms that surround the tidal basin. It did not disappoint.

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?

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.

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?

Located in north eastern Washington, DC, Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens gives the Washington, DC annual cherry blossoms a run for their money. So-to-speak. While the gardens are not as well-known, they are certainly beautiful in their own right.

We unintentionally picked one of the hottest days in early July to further explore Maryland’s back roads. Our destination for the day, Historic White’s Ferry in Dickerson, Maryland. The temperature was right around 92 degrees. I don’t know what the actual humidity level was but I’d stand by guesstimating off-the-charts. Summer, in the Washington, DC region feels swampy and mosquitoes reign supreme. The surrounding countryside in Maryland and Virginia is beautiful, but it’s hot and sticky too.

I’m not one to have a “bucket list” nor do I proclaim New Year’s resolutions. I’m finding the older more experienced I get the less I worry about long-term planning, or pretty much making any plans at all.  Perhaps it has something to do with retirement and the level of flexibility and freedom it offers.  Or, maybe, it’s just because I’ve stopped worrying about what might happen, opting instead to live in the here and now.

If you’re looking to enjoy a little bit of city and a little bit of nature on your next journey, city parks are the best of both worlds. An oasis within a booming metropolis, there are many incredible parks all over the United States perfectly nestled in between skyscrapers. Make sure to hit up one of our top five favorites on your next vacation.