A few weeks ago, on a not-too-hot morning I took the kids to the American Horticulture Society's River Farm in Alexandria. The property (often used for weddings and events) felt somewhat intimidating at first, as the lack of signs combined with the presence of a mansion-type house create the impression of trespassing on private property. Once we all became accustomed to our surroundings, however, we had a great time.
The kids loved exploring the children's garden, which contains - a boat, a playhouse, a hole with kid-sized shovels (T loved this part), and several tunnels and bridges for pretend play. The girls made friends with other children and played "magic princess" for about an hour (which seemed to involve a lot of running from place to place). T dug holes. Lots of little holes. On the downside, the majority of the children's garden sits in full sun, so I suggest visiting on a cool(ish) day.
After the garden, we wondered through the gorgeous meadow that takes up a large part of the property. Unfortunately, I tried to push the stroller through the meadow which was difficult to say the least (even with nobody in it). Huge trees and butterflies were everywhere. P even decided to hug some of them.
River Farm is free and open to the public from 9-5 Monday through Friday AND from 9-1 on Saturdays in the summer. Click here for more info.
RANDOM LINKS:
*WOW, these are good (and disturbing).
*I'm sort of in love with these prints, especially the Winnie the Poo quotes.
*A wonderful collection of 4th of July moments from throughout the country.
