• Big Bear Café, 1700 1st Street - This hip indie coffee house is a popular gathering spot for DC’s offbeat crowd. Seating can be tight, but the artsy industrial charm and soy lattes are worth waiting for space. On Sundays from Spring through Fall, you can hit the Farmer’s market outside before settling in for your work session.
• Tryst, 2459 18th Street - This spacious Adams Morgan mainstay features an enticing display case of desserts and is creatively furnished with quirky and mismatched tables and sofas. The front façade opens in the summer, making this the perfect meeting place for a refreshment to break up a scalding afternoon.
• The National Mall - The same sprawling stretch of national heritage sites now boasts a free wi-fi signal as well. You can set up camp inside the Smithsonian Castle, or lay down a blanket and work on the grass. Afterward, you can decompress with a stroll through any of the seven world-renowned museums right on the Mall. Most locals swear they never get to them as much as they’d like!

Just because the Christmas holiday has come and gone, doesn’t mean you can’t continue to enjoy festive winter events! Going on now through January 2nd, 2012, is Season’s Greenings at the United States Botanic Garden in SW Washington, DC.

This annual holiday exhibition is completely free and includes poinsettias and model trains choo-choo-ing their ways around plant-based replicas of well-known DC landmarks. Adults and children alike will be awed by the amazing buildings made entirely of real plant materials. The garden railway was created by Paul Busse of Applied Imagination in Alexandria, Kentucky.

You will learn about the different critters that inhabit different plants as well as a “living history” of the poinsettia plant. Pick up a Plant Hunt to complete during your visit, which will challenge you to find plants that live in different environments throughout the display. Musical guests will stop by to  perform on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.

U.S. Botanic Garden
100 Maryland Ave. SW
Washington, DC

November 24th – January 2nd: 10 am – 5 pm daily

Live music from 6-8 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays

Your doggie will get free treats and fresh spring water, while you enjoy $5 cocktails and glasses of wine, $3 beers, and delicious burgers prepared on the outdoor grill. These specials are in addition to the lounge’s usual daily happy hour: half-price burgers, $2 PBR cans, $3 Yuenglings and $5 mixed drinks from 5 to 7.

Helix Lounge
1430 Rhode Island Ave. NW
Washington, DC
202-462-9001
Type: Happy hour – dog-friendly

This festival is being called the “largest-ever Beatles tribute show” and features performances by CB Radio, Kashmir, Tusk, and many, many more.

Abbey Road on the River
Event Hours:
(After 10pm, concerts are indoors only.)
Thursday 3pm to 2am
Friday 3pm to 2am
Saturday Noon to 2am
Sunday Noon to 2am
Monday Noon to 6pm

Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center
201 Waterfront St.
Oxon Hill, MD

Information: 301-965-2800
Price: $15-$199.95

Bring your beach chair or a blanket to enjoy a family-friendly movie shown on a giant screen on Dewey Beach. The movies will start at dusk around 8:30pm at Dagsworthy Street and the Beach. Take note that metered parking is in effect, but all other parking is FREE Monday-Wednesday after 5pm.

2011 Movie Schedule
June 20 – Mega Mind
June 27 – How to Train Your Dragon
July 11 – Despicable Me
July 18 – Nanny McPhee Returns
July 25 – Shrek Forever After
August 1 – Tangled
August 8 – The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
August 15 – Yogi Bear
August 22 – Secretariat
August 29 – Toy Story 3

WSFS Bank has partnered with the city of Lewes to host the summer concert series, which is expected to draw almost 8,000 people to the 17 scheduled concerts this summer. The series will feature several different types of music from concert bands to rock bands and will feature small groups as well as large ensembles.

“We are thrilled to have this relationship with the City of Lewes and are so excited to be able to partner to present the Summer Music Series,” said Janis Julian, Senior Vice President of Community Relations for WSFS Bank. “This is precisely the type of event that reinforces our strong commitment to building and strengthening our communities.”

This week’s performance will feature the Navy Sea Chanters, a military chorale, and will begin at 7pm. Stango Park is located in Lewes, Delaware, next to the Lewes Public Library.

For more information or concert details please visit a Sussex County WSFS banking office, call the Lewes Public Library at (302) 645-2733 or attend a concert to recieve a schedule.

Go swimming, of course!
There are pools all over the DC area, but here is a list of our absolute favorite spots to make a splash: Volcano Island Waterpark at Algonkian Regional Park had a Polynesian-themed makeover last year giving the park a new sand play area, more shade, and a smoking volcano, Water Park at Bohrer Park in Montgomery county features 250-foot slides, the Old Town Pool in Alexandria, Great Waves Water Park at Cameron Run Regional Park also has batting cages and golf, and the Bethesda Pool.

Eat something sweet and icy!
Did you know that July is National Ice Cream Month? It’s not like we need an excuse to eat ice cream in this weather, but we’re not arguing! Instead of traditional ice cream, we recommend gelato or sorbeto. At Dolcezza, (in Bethesda, Dupont Circle and Georgetown), their seasonal sorbets include a sour cherry and just-released plum that are not to be missed! But my personal favorite gelatto flavor is the Valrhona Chocolate Amargo. Another gelateria that we love is Boccato in Clarendon, where we highly recommend the cake batter flavor. And if your craving for sweets tends to emerge after normal business hours, check out
And if your sundae cravings tend to emerge around midnight? Check one of the city’s newer offerings, Serendipity 3, which is located in New York, but stays open really, really late.

Sit in an air-conditioned theater.
There are several summer blockbuster movies out already and few more opening up this weekend. Enjoy some popcorn and an icy cold soda in a theater that is sure to be much cooler than the outside temperatures. New releases this weekend include: Captain America: The First Avenger and Friends With Benefits. If you have kids to entertain, check out Cars 2, Green Lantern or Winnie the Pooh. And don’t be the last person on the planet who hasn’t seen the epic final chapter to the incredible Harry Potter saga, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2!

Walk around in an air-conditioned gallery.
There is no shortage of incredible galleries to peruse in the DC area and guess what? They usually blast the A/C! This weekend offers two new openings: FotoDC is opening its own (semi) permanent gallery space in Adams Morgan called FotoSpace and “Wall Mountables” will be on display at the D.C. Arts Center as well.

Your children will be given the opportunity to learn how to use camping equipment, set up tents, and how to enjoy nature in a fun and responsible way. They can also enjoy a hands-on exploration or deer and black bear tracks presented by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

The Backyard Campout series will be held at the NCM Launch Zone at National Harbor. The Launch Zone was opened in the spring of 2009, and is a 2,700 square-foot space on Waterfront Street. It is open to the public seven days a week, and offers children a place where they can prototype exhibit components and programs, share their ideas about what should be included in the new Museum, and participate in fun and educational programs related to the Museum’s core content areas. The Campout series will come to a close this Saturday with an animal presentation by the Watkins Nature Center from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Details
11am – 4pm Wednesday and Friday-Saturday, July 20th and 22nd-23rd
National Children’s Museum Launch Zone
112 Waterfront St.
Oxon Hill, MD
Information: 301-686-0225
Price: Free

Jimmy Smits will host this year’s celebration with performances from Steve Martin & the Steep Canyon Rangers, Josh Groban, Matthew Morrison, Jordin Sparks, Little Richard with the cask of Million Dollar Quartet, Kelli O’Hara and the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of top pops conductor Jack Everly.

This year marks the celebration of America’s 235th birthday, so the show will be capped off with Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture” and live cannon fire provided by the United States Army Presidential Salute Battery, which is now an A Capitol Fourth tradition. Don’t feel left out if you can’t be in DC for the celebration; there will be twenty television cameras stationed around DC to capture all the sights and sounds of the show.

Don’t miss the most outstanding display of fireworks in the entire nation after the musical performances!

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!

The festival will run from 11am-3pm inside the ball field and along the basketball courts at the recreation center in Annapolis. This is your child’s opportunity to try out a new sport, game, adventure, activity, or hobby and learn to protect the environment at the same time.
While you’re at the park, take a tour of their new facilities or go swimming for free in their pool. If your child participates in all of the day’s activities, they will be entered to win tickets to Hershey Park, (only one entry per person).

Information: 410-263-1641
Price: Free
Time: 11am-3pm
Place: 273 Hilltop Drive, Annapolis

See you there!