Category Archives: Activities
Friday Five: Weekend Walks
It looks like it will be a lovely weekend in the neighborhood, and with more Red Line single tracking scheduled, it will be a great time to explore the neighborhood on foot. So grab a cup of coffee, take a morning stroll, and check out one of these neighborhood parks or walking paths:
1. Woodley Playground – This smallpark, found at Devonshire Pl. and Cortland Pl. (and seen above), contains nice, wooded trails.
2. Tregaron – Located on the Washington International School campus, visit the “trails, meadow and woodlands” at this estate.
3. Rosedale Conservancy – The oldest house in the neighborhood (that we discussed here) features Cleveland Park’s “village green.”
4. Rock Creek Park – We would be remiss if we didn’t mention the lovely Rock Creek Park walking trails right in our back yard. Here’s a trail map, if you’re looking to check out a new part of the park.
5. Melvin Hazen Park Trail – You may have walked by this trail, located on the east side of Connecticut Ave. between Segwick and Rodman, dozens of times without noticing it. Quickly escape the busyness of Connecticut Ave. by walking this trail down to Rock Creek Park.
Happy hiking!
Woodley Date Night: Art & Cocktails
With blue skies and temperatures in the 70s predicted, this weekend looks like it will provide a couple gorgeous afternoons for a good date night. We suggest a stroll down to Woodley Park to take in some afternoon art, followed by an evening cocktail, sipped in on of the neighborhood’s outdoor cafes.
The Stamford Art Gallery in Woodley has historically featured great small exhibits, so we were excited to see a new opening at the gallery this month. The exhibit, Artists of Woodley Park, will run until July 15 and features works from a collection of both professional and amateur local artists and contains jewelry, pottery, photography, glasswork, charcoal drawings, prints, and paintings. The gallery is open until 7 pm on weeknights and 6 pm on weekends.
After perusing the gallery, you only need to walk down Connecticut to find several outdoor cafes, many with afternoon specials. We’ve noticed that the summertime crowd has already hit the patio of the perennial favorite, Medaterra, known for their cheap frozen drinks. The bar’s happy hour specials run from 4 pm to close on weekends. We would also recommend District Kitchen, which we hear has some great creative cocktails, or (our favorite) the gin and tonic tasting at The Gin Joint.
Free Ice Cream Tonight in Cleveland Park
Great news! Tonight at Dino (well the patio outside Dino), you can get free samples from the Sinplicity Ice Cream Truck. From 6-8 PM tonight, the truck will set-up alongside Dino so you try its myriad varieties of ice cream and sorbet. Even better, Dino will extend its Happy Hour so you can grab an cheap drink or bite after the event. Take a look at Sinplicity’s full menu, I’m sure that you’ll find something that sounds delicious. It’s not every day a food truck stops in Cleveland Park, let alone one giving away freebies, be sure to stop by!
Friday Five: Yoga Deals in Cleveland Park this Week
With DC Yoga Week beginning on Sunday, yoga deals are abundant this week! Here’s 5 we’re exited about in (or near) the neighborhood:
1. Unity Woods Yoga – The Woodley Park studio is offering two free classes on Friday, May 18, and daily classes for $5.
2. City Fitness Gym – This Cleveland Park gym features free yoga in May.
3. Bikram Yoga Dupont - It’s worth the short walk down Connecticut to check out this hot yoga studio who’s offering $5 classes all week.
4. Circle Yoga DC – Walk up Connecticut to visit this studio, offering yoga for adults and kids as well as mindfulness bases sessions for $5.
5. Cleveland Park Library – Always a Cleveland Parker favorite, the library continues its free yoga on Tuesday nights!
Namaste!
New Farmers Market Coming to Cleveland Park
We were excited when the Post announced in April that a farmers market would be coming to Cleveland Park, but upon further investigation, we learned that permit issues might complicate its opening. We’ve now confirmed, however, that a new farmers market is expected to come to the neighborhood this summer.
Market manager Gloria Garrett tells us that there’s still some details to be worked out, but it’s expected to open the first weekend in June. In addition, rather than the Macomb St. location, as previously reported by the Post, the market will now likely take place on the west side of Connecticut Ave. (A similar market, which runs along 14th and U St., is very popular.) We’re excited that the new location will be convenient for neighborhood residents and should bring more visitors to the local businesses. Garrett also manages the Sunday Palisades Farmers Market, and we’re hoping that the Cleveland Park market will feature many of the same local vendors. We will update as soon as we hear more details on vendors and the market’s schedule.
Cleveland Park Library Book Sale This Weekend
Great news bibliophiles! This weekend will be the spring book sale at the Cleveland Park Library. The sale will take place on May 5 from noon to 4 PM. This sale will feature 1000s of books from myriad genres. I can guarantee that you will find something to enjoy this summer – a great way to stock up for the joys of summer reading. Proceeds benefit the local branch and system wide programming.
Free Wine Tastings in Cleveland Park This Weekend
It’s no secret that we at Cleveland Parker love finding great wine in the neighborhood. Especially when it’s free. So before you head out this Friday or Saturday night, we wanted to pass along a couple free tastings scheduled for this weekend at Cleveland Park Wine and Spirits:
1. May 4th from 5-8 pm, Tasting from JAQK Cellars
Come to taste seven wines from this new California winery, JAQK Cellars, including their “High Roller” Cabernet Sauvignon and “Charmed” Sauvignon Blanc. Sweets from Firehook will also be on hand at this event. The store promises “deep discounts” on the wines, though we’re not sure what those are yet. An RSVP is requested for this event at anthony.quinn@clevelandparkwines.com.
2. May 5th from 2-6 pm, Tasting of Wines from Argentina and Spain
Saturday afternoon, Cleveland Park Wine and Spirits will also be offering a free tasting, though this one appears to be more low-key than Friday evening’s event. The store promises a little education on wines from Argentina and Spain as you sip.
For these and all other events in the neighborhood, be sure to check out our Events Calendar.
Two Days Left for Cleveland Park Haiku Contest
Ripple to Nanny’s
Our neighborhood is awesome
We love Cleveland Park
For anyone who’s more skilled at writing haikus than we are, listen up! The Cleveland Park Library’s Third Annual Haiku contest is about to end. If you’re an aspiring poet and you haven’t yet entered, don’t worry: you have until April 27th to submit your creation. Three winners will receive an undisclosed prize and will see their work published (on the library’s website). Winners will be announced on April 30th, and the entry form can be picked up at the library circulation desk. If reading poetry is more your style, you can check out all of the entries, which are on display at the library.
Already submitted your haiku? We’d love to see it in the comments!
Wolfson History Prize Winner to Discuss Book at Hillwood
Tonight from 7:00-8:30, Cambridge Professor Dominic Lieven will discuss his book Russia Against Napoleon at the Hillwood Estate. According to the Hillwood website, the schedule is as follows
5:30-6:45pm Mansion and The Style that Ruled the Empires open
6-6:45pm Members-only reception, with author Dominic Lieven
7-8:30pm Lecture, followed by book signing
Seating begins at 6:45pm
Professor Lieven’s book earned 4.5 stars on Amazon with 31 reviews. Again from Hillwood
Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in 1812 is one of the most famous stories in European history. Nevertheless much of the story as usually told is untrue. Outside Russia 1812 is usually told just from Napoleon’s point of view and without regard for Russian sources…Join visiting scholar Dominic Lieven, who used never-before-seen material from the Russian archives, to delve deeper into this riveting history. Lieven will sign copies of Russia Against Napoleon: The True Story of the Campaigns of War and Peace following the lecture.
Celebrity Chef Tasting at the Zoo
Living Social is offering 600 lucky guests the opportunity to spend a unique evening at the zoo. For only $175 you get VIP access to its Zoofari Gala on May 17. According to the site
Pay $175 for one VIP admission package to the three-hour ZooFari gala on May 17, which includes admission to the LivingSocial Lion Lounge, specialty cocktails, appearances by three celebrity chefs, a premium take-home treat, an exclusive after-hours viewing of the Zoo’s lions and tigers, and parking. From 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. you’ll pounce on gourmet cuisine from Graffiato, Citronelle, Proof, and more than 100 other top area restaurants; sip wine from DC-area vineyards; and dance under the stars to live music.
Sounds like an amazing night! Check out the details over at Living Social.
Day Trip to Culpeper and Orange Counties
Recently, we took a day trip to Culpeper and Orange county for a little bit of wine and history. It was a great day trip from Cleveland Park, allowing us to get out of the city for the day and experience rural Virginia while still being home in time for a nice dinner in the neighborhood. Here’s our suggested itinerary:
1) Arrive Old House Vineyards, 11:00 AM - Our first wine tasting, about an hour and a half drive from Cleveland Park, was set in a charming old farmhouse, overlooking the rolling hills of Culpeper county. Here, we tried 9 wines for $5 and experienced our first Virginia champagne. The tasting was quick–we would have enjoyed more time to experience the wines–but we were impressed with the variety produced by this small winery. We also liked the outdoor life-sized chess board in the yard.
2) Arrive at James Madison’s home, Montpelier, 1:00 PM - Stop off at Montpelier to tour the lifelong home of James Madison and his family. The property has undergone an extensive restoration in recent years, and while the largest part of the work was completed in the 2008, fans of history and architectural restoration will enjoy seeing the ongoing projects to restore the home to its Madison-era design and decoration. The tour of the property was lengthy but comprehensive, and we enjoyed a nice stroll through the gardens after visiting the home.
3) Stop for a late lunch at Stonefire Kitchen, 3:00 PM - By mid-afternoon, the crackers that accompanied our earlier wine tasting weren’t enough and we pulled over at the first cafe we saw. Fortuitously, we discovered Stonefire Kitchen, a sandwich shop serving delicious sandwiches, many of which were made with locally sourced meats, cheeses, and veggies. We were impressed with our sandwich selections: we tried one Virginia ham and one spinach artichoke sandwich. The shop also had a great wine, beer, and snack selection, and even sold picnic baskets if you were looking to pick up treats to take to the next winery.
4) Go wine tasting at Burnley Vineyards, 4:00 PM – If you’re looking for a friendly, family-owned farm winery, Burnley is a fantastic stop. Burnley was one of the early wineries in the Charlottesville area, and we enjoyed chatting with the owner about the history of Virginia wines and recent innovations in the industry. We got to taste about 8 wines (including one hot spiced wine) for just $2. We enjoyed their reds the most and went home with a couple bottles ($12-$20).
Alternative plan: Go to over to Barboursville Vineyards, 4:00 PM - Skip Burnley and head to Barboursville Vineyards if you’re looking for a larger winery and a more polished wine tasting experience. At Barboursville Vineyards, you can expect more people and a less personal experience, but you get a more Napa-like tasting on a beautiful property overlooking the Barboursville ruins. Tastings are $5 and include as many as 20 wines; we were particularly impressed with the 2006 Octagon.
5) Return to DC, 7:00 PM
Looking to make a weekend trip out of your trip to the Charlottesville area? We would also recommend dinner at Maya or Zinc, and a trip to experience history at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello.
Anyone else taken any great day trips from Cleveland Park? Other favorite Virginia wineries?
Sun and Bikes on a Cloudy Day
We’ve been spoiled by the weather recently. Nevertheless, on this cloudy day we wanted to bring some sunshine and bikes into your day – Cleveland Park style.
