On the side of the road near where Greenbelt Road crosses the Beltway is this historical marker…read moresign denoting the Taoping Castle (circa 1750). It is on Walker Road. It reads: On this site, Isaac Charles and Nathan Walker erected a large white oak log house named for their ancestral stronghold in Scotland which the three brothers had fled after the failure of attempts to unseat George I, King of England, as ruler of Scotland. Isaac permanently settled here and obtained land grants for 188 acres. He and his three sons served in the Revolutionary War. The graves of Isaac and his son Nathan are north of here. Taoping Castle was the birthplace of Samuel Hamilton Walker (February 24, 1817 - October 9, 1847). Lt. Colonel of the Texas Rangers and Captain of the US Cavalry, he left home at age 19 to fight Indians and later became a leader and hero of the Rangers. His suggested changes to Samuel Colt's revolver resulted in Colt's success as an arms manufacturer. 1000 Colt-Walker pistols - the first, heaviest and longest revolvers ever issued to American forces - were purchased for the Texas Rangers during the Mexican war. Walker was killed in that war at the Battle of Hua Mantla, Mexico. The family cemetery is all that remains of the Taoping Castle estate.

This is my favorite area in Patapsco state park, I've brought many friends and family here over the…read moreyears. It's beautiful, you can find the ruins of an old mining camp and religious boarding school here. There's even a decent spot to jump off the train tracks into the water below, although take care because the water can be shallow in spots.

Probably one of the more interesting hikes that I have done in awhile. The hike will be quite…read moreshort, but you got hills and steps to get your work out on. I think the feel of the place is supposed to be spooky, unfortunately, I picked a spring break day to do it and there were enough teenagers running around here like savages (just kidding, they were all really sweet) it doesn't really have a scary feel to it at all. To explain the ruins, it was Roman Catholic school in Ilchester, Maryland. The ruins are near Ilchester and Bonnie Branch roads (so the Yelp location is pretty straight on). It was called hell house in the 70s after it was abandoned and vandalized and rumors have it a strange cult started living there. It also had an over zealous caretaker who had a gun and some dogs and would assault vandals. He was displaced after the school was set ablaze by arsonists. Hell House altar structure that most people take pictures of is at the top of a very steep hill, about a mile in. It used to have a large metal cross, and it is a very unique place for a photoshoot. For easy access, park in the lot for patapsco state park (right past the train tracks) where the trailhead is and start coming up to the left of the train tracks.

I'm an executive branch alum, so I give the EEOB five out of five bald eagles. Sure, the United…read moreStates Capitol houses TWO chambers, and the Supreme Court Building allegedly has a basketball court at the top. But can you bowl a perfect game at the legislature or the judiciary? NOPE. President Truman was a visionary for having this bowling alley installed. Truly ahead of his time, making sure pins could fall while democracy stands strong. Absolutely worth getting a job in the executive branch to sign up for a chance to bowl here. Oh, and there's other stuff in the building too, but bowling in the basement is what really drives good government.

I love visiting this building more than the White House. It has such a history and great people…read morewatching. Try to contact your Congress person to get a tour.

This was the perfect place to hold a wedding shower. My guest list consisted of the fiancés, 50…read morerelatives and friends with two excellent caterers of my choosing. The venue provided the round tables, chairs and long tables for the food. Our party space consisted of two good sized rooms: the Parlor - which was the space where we had all the guests comfortably seated at the round tables for dinner; and the Sun Room - which held an array of generous appetizers, food and beverages buffet displayed on the long tables alongside the windows. This was easily staged to make a perfect buffet line which flowed smoothly. The Sun Room was bright and airy and I loved the tiled terracotta floor. I let my guests know that if they arrived earlier, they would have an opportunity to take part in the tour of the well preserved historical plantation estate.

It's hard to believe that PG County is actually known for its historic mansion estates, but here's…read moreproof, smack dab in the middle of Tulip Grove Drive's Levitt town still standing since 1745. That's right, this pile of well-mortared bricks has been around longer than your country's independence. So why isn't it open more? In all the years I lived in Bowie, I got to visit once. ONCE. It wasn't even on a field trip, as they certainly DON'T invite local school children to visit. Visits are by appointment only. City of Bowie, I know you mean well, but if you want more people to like you, maybe you should show them something worth being proud of, like a freaking gorgeous 250+ year old historical landmark! It's so easy to forget it's even there with the way you keep it locked away from public viewing. You've got so much more going for you than an I-got-shot-in-broad-daylight shopping mall. And I know you pretend it doesn't happen, but I have totally climbed your Tulip Poplar trees lining Tulip Grove Drive a million times. As a Bowieite, I felt it was my right, if not duty, to see to it that at least some part of Bowie's actually interesting history got use.

We had such a fantastic historical tour of the property when we visited for one of Fall Church's…read moreice cream socials at Cherry Hill Park. The tour guide was extremely knowledgeable of the history of this landmark, and thoroughly answered questions we had.

We had so much fun here at Cherry Hill Park! We stopped in on a Saturday morning just before 9am,…read moredrawn in by the farmer's market going on in the parking lots next door. And then we just kept walking into this incredible park. As we walked through the gardens, there was an explosion of baby rabbits hopping about everywhere. My kids loved it, and I admired the beautiful gardens. I don't know if this is a wedding or events venue, but it should be because it's beautiful. The house and barns look like they belong here, as though someone might be living in them, except there's no driveway, there are public benches, and a few commemorative signs nearby. But at first I questioned whether we were in a public space or someone's yard. On the negative side, there were homeless looking guys sleeping on several of the benches. They woke up and disappeared not long after we arrived. The park is great. There are logs the kids can play on, in what appears to be a colonial reenactment area. My kiddos liked walking along the logs and jumping from one to another. There's two distinct play areas but both are great for toddlers and little tikes so I wasn't able to distinguish them very easily. The swings were a hot item when we were there, but there just aren't very many of them for a Saturday morning toddler rush hour. There is also a tiny house structure but it is slightly too large to be fun and too small to be interesting, no kids played in it except to inspect it. The sand volleyball court was also popular, as our kids joined others in excavating the volleyball service area. Luckily they didn't get very far by the time volleyball players arrived, though it wasn't for lack of effort. The park also has tennis courts and a basketball court, and there's a really nice nature trail along the edge of the park nearest the houses that back up to it. We walked through these flowers and gardens to find butterflies, bees and more rabbits. Also a nice feature, although there weren't very many picnic tables, there was one barbecue pit for people to build a coal fire. There was a very small pavilion area as well. I liked this park for the "nature in the city" feel. We were only a block away from fancy pants coffee shops, but it felt secluded and beautiful as light filtered through the enormous trees adorning the property. Other park visitors kept telling us about live music and imploring we check the schedule, but we aren't interested in that. This park is great with or without those concerts for me, and would be a really awesome spot to stop by anytime. I do not know if they have restrooms around, but with the restaurants and coffeeshops nearby, you should be okay. I think we spent about 5 hours here on our first visit and we didn't even really play in most of the park, so it's good for a long or short visit.

This is an art center in PG county where they have periodic art exhibitions and area for artists to…read morecreate art. We were here for the Twelfth Annual Artists on the Rise: Juried Teen Exhibition. There's a garden and the exhibition was on the first floor and could be accessed using a boardwalk. The gardens look nice for a walk. The facility is very neat and well maintained.

I have driven past the sign for Montpelier Mansion numerous times and finally decided to explore…read morethis historical landmark. The grounds are beautiful, with a lovely garden filled with wildflowers. I visited the ironworks exhibit, the carriage house, and the main office/gift shop. The staff are friendly, and there is plenty of parking.

Mount Airy is a historic mansion that George Washington frequented in the 18th century. As the…read moremansion was passed down through generations, the original structure has been maintained fairly well. Today, it's an events space in the middle of Rosaryville State Park. Even if you don't go for an event, there's a small trail that leads to it if you want a history lesson.

This was a disappointing trip . I had waited for a while to get in to see the mansion because the…read moregate was closed all the time. When I finally saw it was open and advertised a event that same day, it was Sunday afternoon so there was time to visit . Well to my " surprise " the place was sadly not kept up it looked deserted the streams were overtaken with algae and trash ! The people were not there for the event the mansion was sad to see with foggy windows,dust and debris everywhere . I hop that since a couple of years ago the mansion has been completely renovated and the grounds are beautiful and the water is clean enough to put my feet in . Maybe I could check - in again as it is a great venue for the community and visitors.

What's prettier than the White House, the Monument, the Lincoln Memorial and the Smithsonian put…read moretogether? Yes, Ariana Grande is a good answer, but I was looking for the Executive Office on 17th St! A long time ago, the love of my life used to say that this building was the highlight of her trips to DC, and I can see why. I remember walking with her in the pouring rain next to it, and taking pictures of her exposing herself in front of it. Times change... But this building never did. It's glorious and resplendent. It reminds me of something in France, but better kept, perhaps. It looks palatial. If the White House is a little underwhelming then this executive office is completely awe-inspiring. It's level with the Capitol as my favourite building in the DC area, and is the easiest 5-star rating I've given since my Cousin Daniel got drunk and showed me the ropes.

Didn't really have a lot of time to roam around Pennsylvania Ave. And my friend and I, being…read moreslightly less than ignorant didn't know that the BACK of the WHITE HOUSE would be on Pennsylvania Ave. ** Not impressed** So our pictures we're not exactly anythng to brag about. So we decided to take pictures in front of the Executive Office of the President where the FRONT of this architecture was much more impressive than the BACK of the White House on Pennsylvania Ave. Still a great experience to roam DC and take in the history and political side of the US. (You don't get much of that or appreciate it as much coming from the west coast. Hence, the ignorance of the FRONT vs the BACK of the WHITE HOUSE. =X)

Super cool landmark…read more As per the plaque: Constructed in 1860, the Gatehouse was designed by the Baltimore firm of Thomas and James M. Dixon. Built in Tudor Revival Style, it provided for two living units, one on each side of the archway. The Gatehouse resembled a Swiss chalet and became a trademark of the Sheppard. The neighborhood children viewed it as the home of Hansel and Gretel. A tenant alwavs lived in the Gatehouse until 2005. The beautiful Rhododendron Drive was historically entered by driving through the Gatehouse. In 2002 the entire Charles Street entrance was reconstructed and cars no longer entered through the Archway.

The seminary (or "castle" as I called it in high school, for apparently no reason, because castle…read moreis maybe the one type of building that the campus doesn't have) lived rent free in my mind when I was younger. It's just a crazy place, especially tucked right by Silver Spring, right by 16th and Georgia, and yet few people know it exists. Starting out as an inn and then a finishing school for girls, there's a Japanese pagoda, a Dutch windmill, a Parthenon looking building, and so many beautiful statues. After WWII it got taken over by the army. And then it slowly decayed. Save the Seminary, the organization whose mission is to restore the seminary, did a pretty damn good job at restoring the buildings, the ballroom, and the statutes. They do free walk tours, and most insane, the structures are now homes, where actual human beings live. I can't quite wrap my head around it, but if you have an extra mil lying around one of these places could be yours (if any of them happen to be up for sale).

Forest Glen, Maryland: Do you know where Forest Glen Maryland is?…read more Take a look at this map (This is the point of the presentation where I wish I could embed a map into my review) Well, imagine an isosceles triangle. Those are the ones that have a corner with 70 degrees- another corner with 70 degrees- and the third corner with 40 degrees. But make it stand straight up... like a pyramid. Ok, just think of a pyramid... but just one side, not like an actual 3D Pyramid. Ok... ya know what, think of a Yield Sign. There we go, just think of a Yield sign. The bottom left corner is Bethesda, the bottom right corner is Silver Spring and the top of the Yield sign is Forest Glen. See, that was so much easier than just showing you a map. In that time, I hope that you've just googled Forest Glen and seen exactly where it is. So in Forest Glen there is an enormous building on Linden Lane and you'll see a Japanese Pagoda right in front of it. Yes, a true to form, authentic color paint, bamboo what not Japanese Freakin' Pagoda. That'll make you say something like "This Is the FR*&*in' Catalina Wine Mixer!".. of buildings. And then you'll say, "Why have I never seen this before." Here's some real short history. I did the research for you. The building was built as a Hotel/ Vacation Resort in 1887 for DC vacationers: Ye Old Forest Inn. But that didn't work out. Apparently the people who ran it were less than savvy. Then in 1894 it became an all girls school. And it remained that way until 1942. But, as you remember, we were dragged into WW2 in 1942 after Pearl Harbor happened December 7th 1941 "A Day Which Will Live In Infamy". Quick side note. In addition to Pearl Harbor the Japanese on that day also attacked the following: American ships the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu, Malaya, Hong Kong, Guam, the Philippine Islands,Wake Island. And the next morning, the Japanese attacked Midway Island. Something I didn't know because everything is really ethnocentric here in America. And now back to National Park Seminary So the building in 1942 became sort of an Annex for Walter Reed and was controlled by the army. But in 1977 most of the buildings were left abandoned. Which essentially became a playground ( a very expensive and beautiful playground) for vandals. After years of neglect and vandalism a company called The Alexander Company helped in it's rehabilitation for the purpose of preserving this listing on the "National Register of Historic Places." For a very long time an organization called SOS (Save Our Seminary) has been working to raise money to preserve and repair so many of the historic buildings, structures, and intricate details that make this place so G-D Da*n Magical! The building used to face railroad tracks where people would travel off the railroad and right onto the campus. Now, that railroad is 495 so the front faces a non accessible point. Coming up from Linden, you're actually coming from the back and don't get to see the entire majesty of what the Seminary is. Quick info: National Park Seminary- the name After Ye Old Forest Inn the school took notice of Rock Creek Park which was constructed and opened during that time ( an attraction that many people were coming to see), the spot was named "National Park" in reference to being so close to that site. The Seminary comes from the older meaning of seminary which is: "a school of secondary or higher level for young women." So the campus is big 23 acres. And on that campus lives several sorority houses done in an international theme ( I KNOW! Awesome!) Which explains the Japanese Pagoda- some of the others include a : "Dutch windmill, a Swiss chalet, an Italian villa, An American Bungalow and an English castle" Quick note- In 1936 the National Park Seminary was renamed National Park College and served as a very prestigious woman's college for a while. The name was changed back to National Park Seminary after it was reacquired from the army. The campus is brilliant and beautiful. Large sculptures decorate the beautiful buildings at almost every turn. A mix of styles inside the buildings. Especially the wonderful ballroom. The site is just something to behold. They do tours on Every 4th Saturday at 1PM Here are the rest for 2014 - They start at 1PM and are 5 bucks per person Saturday, June 28 Saturday, July 26 Sunday, August 3 Saturday, August 23 Saturday, September 27 Saturday, October 25 Saturday, November 22