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

I really like this theater great service and everything you could want to watch a movie. Its a…read morelittle small. There are a great amount of options for beer and wine too. Its a great place to see a reasonably priced movie.

This is the closest movie theater to where I live. While the staff was friendly, and the theater…read moremostly empty, I felt like this is a solid 3 star experience and has a bit of improvement. The movie theater used to have a full bar. However, as of writing, lost its liquor license. They do hope to re-gain it, but have no immediate plans in the future. The food menu is very basic -- hot dogs, pizza, pretzels. We tried to order 2 different types of pizza. A cheese pizza and a buffalo chicken pizza version. However, they ran out and could only do cheese. That's fine. We ordered 2 pizzas as they were small but only got one. I did appreciate that they comped the second pizza. Service was very slow, but friendly. The theater space is small and intimate. Would I rush back here? Definitely not. I prefer AMC Georgetown, Alamo Drafthouse in Crystal City and E Street Cinemas.

Dear reader, It is…read moreonly fair that I report the National Arboretum remains one of the coolest places in DC. It is massive, gorgeous, and the kind of place that makes you feel like you have briefly escaped the city without actually going very far. There is so much space to walk, relax, and just be outside for a while, and it never really feels crowded. Every time you turn a corner there is something new to look at, which makes the whole place feel like a very peaceful little adventure. The bonsai museum is easily one of the crown jewels. It kind of blows my mind every time that there are so many bonsai there, and some of them are up to or over 400 years old, including the famous Yamaki Pine. It is one of those places that really makes you slow down and pay attention because the amount of care, history, and detail in everything is just incredible. A very quiet flex, if you will. I also love that the Arboretum is not just about plants, although those alone would be enough. We saw bald eagles, there are beavers on the grounds, and it always feels like some kind of wildlife cameo could happen at any moment. Between the trees and plants from all over the country and the world, the Capitol Columns, the bonsai, the gardens, and all the open space, there is so much to take in without it ever feeling overwhelming. Dogs are welcome too, which feels very civilized, though they cannot go into the bonsai museum. Overall, this place is just such a gem. Beautiful, relaxing, and full of little surprises. I will absolutely keep going back, and frankly, I think society should too.

According to their website, this is a collections-based research facility and public garden of the…read moreUS Dept of Agriculture. The Arboretum is home to the world's first museum dedicated to the art of bonsai, and that's where we started. These bonsai trees are between 30 to 100-200 years old. There is one that is 400! This section alone is impressive. We also walked over to the columns that were once a part of the State Capitol building. With 451 acres the collections are based on categories which is nice. You want to look at conifers all day? Go right ahead. Azaleas and magnolias? Knock yourself out. Pick your spot. Don't feel like you can see everything AND enjoy it in one day...because you can't. Pick 1-3 things and enjoy the day. Stop by the the visitor center for a map and events for the day. Today there were Ikebana classes. Do a restroom call with the gang there before you venture out. There are portables throughout if you need to go. Read the website for areas that are wheelchair accessible or you could drive through to assess your beginning and endpoints.

The illusions here are fantastic, but what made the experience even better was the staff. If you…read moredon't quite know how to pull off one of the illusions, they're genuinely excited to demonstrate it, help you figure it out, and even help families get the perfect photos. They didn't just point us toward the exhibits and leave us to figure things out. It felt like a full, immersive experience rather than simply walking through a museum and looking at exhibits. We were able to really participate, play around, take photos, and enjoy every part of it.

I've been to the Museum of Illusions DC before, but this was my first time bringing my niece and…read morenephew. I realized afterward that there aren't many reviews mentioning how great it is for kids. I honestly thought we'd be there for about an hour. Instead, they spent nearly two and a half hours exploring and going back to their favorite exhibits over and over again. They loved the exhibit where it looks like your head is being served on a platter and kept taking turns with it because they thought it was hilarious. They also enjoyed the rooms that make people appear different sizes and the mirror exhibits. Their absolute favorite was the spinning tunnel. It makes me dizzy every time, but they thought it was the funniest thing ever and must have gone through it dozens of times. The only reason we left was because it was a school night. If you're looking for a fun indoor activity for kids, especially on a hot day, I would definitely recommend checking it out.

Review #239 - 2019 I…read morehonestly do not understand what the whole protesting situation was all about, but then again I don't understand a lot of things that liberals do! But here is a short reading on the upsetting situation: "Five miles from the United States Supreme Court, a 40-foot-tall World War I memorial in the shape of a cross has stood for nearly a century. Now, it is at the center of a battle over the separation of church and state that may end up on the court's docket. The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit declared this month that the Peace Cross, which sits on state-owned land in Maryland and has been maintained with public funds, was unconstitutional, a ruling that supporters of the monument warned could result in a "cleansing" of memorials on public grounds across the country." Supreme Court's Ruling as of June 20, 2019: "The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that a 40-foot cross honoring soldiers who died in World War I could remain on state property in suburban Maryland. The cross, the court said, did not violate the First Amendment's ban on government establishment of religion." When my girlfriends & I were driving around looking for it, we were expecting it to be a monumentally gigantic cross that can be seen from miles & miles away; but when we finally arrived, we were like, "Wait! This cross caused that much commotion! Wow! Liberals really are that easy to trigger!" Thank goodness for people who aren't PC or easily triggered by everything or else we won't have anything nice left on this planet.

The Library of Congress was definitely worth the stop! Admission is free, but you do need a…read moretimed-entry ticket, like most places in DC. We arrived about 20 minutes before opening, which I would highly recommend, because the security line got long fast. We were able to go inside before many got in and had beautiful views without crowding. The inside is absolutely beautiful. Several displays explain the paintings and architecture which was really interesting to read about. We were also able to see the original rough draft of the Declaration of Independence. It will only be on display for three months so this was really neat we were here for that. Definitely take your time and look around instead of just walking through. There is so much detail everywhere you look.

The Library of Congress is a very cool place. This was my second time visiting here and my…read moreyoungest's first. I reserved free timed entry tickets on their website and there was a decent line waiting to get in. Security is heavy here. Very thorough like an airport. The architecture is breathtaking. The staff is also very helpful. My daughter and I looked around a bit and checked out some of the exhibits. We got a timed entry sticker for the main reading room, however we were informed we couldn't go in the room with our backpacks. We could have opted for the unsecured bag check or go back down to security to rent a locker. So we skipped it. My daughter was excited to check out The Source which is their new young readers room. There were advertisements and directional stickers for it everywhere. When we got there, it was closed and the security guard said it didn't open until 1pm. Then they opened it at 11am and said we could come in. My daughter was a little disappointed because while marketed for 8-15 year olds, it appeared to be for much younger visitors. I went through the process of getting myself a LOC reader identification card so I could book a reading room and work there for a couple hours. I filled out the online form, went to get my picture taken, got my card, had the information desk tell me where to go, only for security to tell me I couldn't get a reading room while I had a backpack either. I guess I'm just supposed to carry my laptop out in the open? Anyway, my daughter and I decided to bail and head to Starbucks so I could get some work done. It wasn't worth the hoops to jump through. Upon trying to exit, the same security guard asked to search my backpack prior to leaving. I'm not sure if they do that to everyone, but it all seemed a little extreme to me for a library. Overall, don't skip this place for the exhibits and experience, but don't plan on bringing any bags with you or working here.

Friendship Arch in Chinatown [Washington, D.C.]…read more C ultural attraction H istoric neighborhood I ntersection of H Street and Seventh Street N ational Register of Historic Places A bustling neighborhood for nightlife, shopping, and entertainment T he Capital One Arena helped revitalize the neighborhood O ne of the most popular destinations for tourists visiting DC W alking distance from the National Mall N ational unity G ateway structure A rchitectural arch T he Friendship Arch was built in 1986 E xpect plenty of foot traffic Review #3654

Chinatown is always in the US major cities. DC one is one of them. It was relatively small. Even it…read moreis smaller than Houston's one. DC is the capital city of the USA. Judging from the importance of politics, China and Taiwan governments spend more money on DC Chinatown. I used the Metro subway and enjoyed good access to the town. I ate ramen noodles at Daikaya, a Japanese restaurant. Just like this, I couldn't see a lot of Chinese restaurants and businesses. There is a concert and sports arena near Chinatown. Hope to visit an NBA game in the near future.

Came here for a free advanced screening of the movie Christy. I love all the nostalgia feelings in…read morethe theater. Different equipment associated with film making from decades ago and the information about them displayed through out. They have a rewards program that I signed up for while there awaiting the movie to start and the manager was not then happy to tell me about. They seek adult beverages as well which is nice and I was able to get my unsalted popcorn which was awesome but it did come in a smaller portion size than what I'm used to. The movie was a lot better than I had expected and I loved they had Christy and the screen writers there. What an awesome opportunity this was.

One of the best theaters in America. Period. I don't mean that because they have lay-flat seats or…read morethe best concessions or do screenings in Imax. No, they don't have any of those things. AFI is a delight because they provide access to an incredible catalog of films and, as a cinephile, you'll find yourself consuming them with fellow addicts. How often have I come here for something like a 1940s Italian neorealist black and white on a weeknight and felt to myself like here with these people I belonged? You can't beat it. This is a theater that takes film seriously, that loves film. It doesn't really matter if I drive or metro, it's a hike either way...and yet I just keep coming back more and more often because there aren't many treasures of DMV arts and culture that beat AFI.

Haven't been here in years. Plenty of parking garages nearby. Free for the first 2 hours, when…read morevalidated Concession stand: prepare for long waits. If you're a Regal member, popcorn is 1/2 off! Theatre seats are auditorium style. Hard, not a lot of room. Hard to hold your food. There is a cupholder. Our screen was kind of dark There is no validation machine to use. We had to ask someone at the concession stand. Movies are naturally longer than 2 hours, but the validation sticker still allowed us for $2 off.

As a Regal Unlimited member, I'm always here at this location to watch new movies. I enjoy this…read morelocation because it's closer to where I live and they good restaurants nearby. I prefer coming here during matinees versus at night. I've always received great customer service.

Absolutely beautiful and powerful!…read more The visual of MLK's figure carved out of a mountain is incredibly powerful and thought provoking! Photos do not do the scale of this memorial justice. I loved the engraved quotes on the walls. Then this memorial is right off the water and surrounded by trees. I highly recommend stopping by, if memorials are your thing.

He looks Chinese…read more That is all I'd like to say but since this review needs at least 85 characters, I'll keep writing to take up space.