Nature
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Walk the forested path along this placid 184.5-mile channel along the Potomac River; visit during the warmer months to take a guided tour of the canal on a barge pulled by mules; fishing, camping, and picnics are lovely when the cherry blossoms are in bloom. Georgetown Visitors Center: 1057 Thomas Jefferson St., NW, Washington, D.C.; +1 202 653 5190. Fee.
Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens Escape the crowds in the nation's Capitol for a respite amid water lilies and monarch butterflies; visit during spring to find the whole park alive with cherry blossoms, magnolias, and other colorful flora. Anacostia Ave. & Douglas St., NE, Washington, D.C.; +1 202 426 6905.
Rock Creek Park Watch as bees make honey at the Nature Center, follow a ranger on a guided hike through this urban wilderness, scan the night sky as it flies past you in the planetarium, set up for a picnic along side the banks of burbling Rock Creek, catch a summer concert at the Carter Barron Amphitheatre. Planetarium: 5200 Glover Rd., NW, Washington, D.C.; +1 202 895 6000.
Theodore Roosevelt Island National Park Cross the pedestrian bridge over the Potomac River from Rosslyn, VA, to explore this island memorial dedicated to our 26th president and his legacy of conservation; roam the island's trails; visit the Roosevelt Statute. Accessible only from northbound lanes on the George Washington Memorial Parkway. +1 703 289 2500.
U.S. Botanic Gardens Explore the Butterfly, Rose, and First Ladies Water gardens; experience a tropical rain forest inside the conservatory; marvel at the colorful orchid garden; learn from exhibits explaining which plants are key ingredients in everyday consumer items. 100 Maryland Ave. SW, Washington, D.C.; +1 202 225 8333.
The U.S. National Arboretum Creep through a bamboo forest in the Japanese woodlands, admire the carefully sculpted trees in the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum, venture into the National Herb garden for a pleasant assault on your senses. 3501 New York Ave., NE, Washington, D.C.; +1 202 245 2726.
