Beautiful US Botanic Gardens

It is one of my favorite places. The US Botanic Garden always has something to enjoy at any time of the year. When we lived on Capitol Hill we routinely visited - oftentimes stopping in to get out of the heat - or the cold - on morning walks. We still visit at least monthly when we visit from northern Virginia. It’s still a great place for a morning walk and a great opportunity to take photos for my weekly 52Frames challenge. But this time of year it is especially lovely. The Christmas trains have been located outside on the west side of the conservatory because of the pandemic. The display showcases farms from around the world. And this year the monuments and memorials that are made out of plant material are finally back on display throughout the building that has since reopened so everyone can visit again. The grounds around the main building are quite festive. The large glass balls sitting out in front are our favorites. We never miss the opportunity to take a selfie when we walk past. The view of the Capitol building is always a great one from just about any angle - especially behind the red berries. We haven’t been by at night yet this month but it’s probably lovely with all the lights and such. Inside are the various poinsettia, kids fun stuff, and the all year round gardens. We always look forward to our visits there at any time of the year. 

US Botanic Gardens and Back Home

Last week we took a ride to our old neighborhood on Capitol Hill. We parked the car in front of our son’s old residence -  just a few steps from our old condo, and followed our old footsteps for a morning walk. We lived in this neighborhood for thirteen years. I worked at the library of Congress for ten, and we moved to northern Virginia over a year ago. We have driven in to town several times since March, but never got out of the car. The city was still very quiet - we felt like the only two people walking about except for work people fixing street things, renovating the house office buildings, and the air and space museum. So we walked to the Capitol, the reflecting pond, down the mall to the Smithsonian castle and back. One of our favorite places is the US Botanic Gardens. Because it was the end of the summer season, everything was so overgrown. We know every square inch of that place having passed through it so many times. It’s so pleasant! When we returned to our car we always get nostalgic about our old neighborhood. If it wasn’t for all the 1890’s ongoing and forever building problems we might have stayed. But it was becoming too inconvenient with street parking and everything else. We used to drive in to town for library programs as entertainment. That doesn’t happen anymore. So every once in a while we drive in - just for the heck of it. On the way home we stopped at McDonald’s for take out breakfast - something we haven’t done in six months. It was a delightful ending for the perfect adventure. It doesn’t take much these days. 

US Botanical Garden Christmas Decorations

Aside from the trains - which is the main event this time of year - the US Botanic Garden has wonderful Christmas decorations on display throughout the venue. In the main gallery area around the fountains are all of the Washington DC landmark buildings that are made out of plant material. A variety of Christmas trees are also showcased in prominent places. My favorite was the owl and squirrel tree located in the rain forest area. Near the dessert section is a huge grouping of poinsettias in all colors. We have visited here every year at this time of year since we moved, and even before that. The displays change throughout the year, and we usually stop in mid morning during the week to avoid the congestion - particularly now. Milwaukee had three domes that housed a botanic garden like atmosphere. We probably went there a handful of times. This one is just a couple of blocks away and really is a treasure. We'll probably keep visiting for as long as we live here. And it doesn't have to be Christmas time to enjoy it.