10 fun facts about Nationals Park

Ever since I started my "fun facts" series, I've had the idea of doing a piece about Nationals Park. Now with spring training on the horizon, I'm seriously starting to have baseball on the brain.

Baseball in Washington D.C. finally made its way back, now celebrating more than a decade of a District-based professional MLB team. For 30+ years the city was without a pro-baseball team, but that was rectified in spring 2005 when the Montreal Expos became the Washington Nationals. The team was first slotted to play at RFK Stadium with a future stadium planned. In 2008 the Nationals finally got its own digs and it’s a beauty. Having baseball in Washington DC is a special thing.

We're big baseball fans in my family and usually try to get to at least a few games a year. Located in Southeast D.C. in the Capitol Riverfront neighborhood, the state-of-the-art stadium is large and very clean. It's also conveniently located near the Navy Yard Metro station.

Want to know more about Nationals Park? Read on.

10 fun facts about Nationals Park

1. The stadium cost more than $611 million to build. It is owned by the Lerner Family, who are natives of the District. 

2. The park opened for the spring 2008 season and can hold more than 41,000 spectators. Depending on which source you read, the figure varies. I’m not clear if the higher numbers include standing room areas, but generally, it’s in this range. 

Jordan Zimmermann, no longer with the team, takes the mound a couple of years ago. Ryan Zimmerman, then 3rd baseman, now plays 1st base.

3. The field dimensions are as follows – the left field is 336 feet, center field is 402 feet and right field is 335 feet. The left and right center fields are respectably 337 and 370 feet each. 

4. Kentucky Bluegrass makes up the field. According to MLB.com, the three types that make up the field are Princeton 105, Brilliant, and Midnight Star. 

5. A lot of dirt needed to be excavated to bring the park to realization. More than 34,000 truckloads carrying a total of 340,948 cubic yards were removed. The main concourse of Nationals Park is at street level and the playing field is 24 feet below.

Team mascot "Screech" spotted before a game

6. There are lots of cool things to see if you have time to kill before the game, such as taking a walk around the stadium’s concourse. Lots of eateries, shops, and photography opportunities are to be found. Additionally, there is an exhibit called, "Baseball Americana" with history shared by the Library of Congress. The exhibit opened in April 2015 and will run indefinitely. 

[ Related Reading: 10 fun facts about the Library of Congress ] 

7. The stadium is simply called “Nationals Park”. At this time there is no corporate sponsor reflected in the park’s name.  

8. The park is family and kid-friendly. The Nationals organization likes to keep things “clean” and appropriate for all ages. There is also a play area for the kids to enjoy. Not to mention the President mascots are often found wandering around doing meet and greets with fans. 

The 4th inning Geico-sponsored Presidents' Race is a popular highlight during any Nationals home game.

9.  In the spring 2008 opener, the Nationals played the Atlanta Braves (Nats won 3-2). Then a rookie, now team veteran, Ryan Zimmerman hit a walk-off homer in this game. The seat is now marked in blue.  

In 2015, the Washington Post reported that going forward the Nationals will be marking historic or long-distance home runs with different colored seats and small plaques. In places where the homer doesn’t land on a seat, a plaque will be placed. 

2015 MVP Bryce Harper hit two historic homers in 2014 that are now marked. The first was a third level bomb and the second happened in Game 1 of the NLDS that year.

Fielder Jayson Werth also hit one of those historic homers. His 2012 bomb landed in the bullpen during Game 4 of the NLDS and is marked with a plaque.

10. In summer 2018 Nationals Park will host the All-Star Game. 

To date, the Nationals have yet to go to the World Series or make it past a division win. However, they’ve won a remarkable three NL East Division titles in five years (they seem to be on an every other year pattern), the first being in 2012. If things go as they have the past several years, this would be an off year. But then again, who knows! This might be the season they buck their previous trends and take it all the way to the end. I hope so. Either way, I know I’ll be watching!  

Took this photo a few years back after a team win

Photos on Friday: Winter scenes at National Harbor (Maryland)

Over Christmas we went to see ICE! at the Gaylord Resort, located in the National Harbor. It was a great day! Since this was our first time down at the Harbor, we spent a little time walking around after our ICE! tour. 

It was chilly out, but not too cold, especially considering we were down by the water. This is definitely a place I'd love to revisit when spring arrives. Looks like there is plenty to explore at the National Harbor. Here are some photos I took that day:

Photos on Friday: ICE! at Gaylord National Resort 2016

For years I've been wanting to go see ICE! down at the Gaylord National Resort, but every year for one reason or another have been unable to go. 2016 was finally the year! We went the day after Christmas and got there around 11:30 a.m. Fortunately, we were able to get an entry time within the hour.

This year's theme at the National Harbor resort was "Christmas Around the World". Luckily we had dressed warmly, so between that and the parkas the resort hands out before going into the exhibit, which is just 9 degrees, for the most part we were OK (our faces were a little cold though!). Since the event is over, I'll do a fuller review next fall, but I did want to share some photos from 2016 now since it seems there is a different theme each year. This is only a small sampling of the sculptures to be seen at an ICE! show, but it does highlight the beautiful work and craftsmanship that goes into each carving. Photos are shown in order we saw each sculpture.

Quiet atmosphere during the holidays in Washington D.C.

The words “serenity” and “peace” are probably two words rarely used to describe Washington. As the center of the U.S. government and a heavily populated metro area, there is always a lot of activity going on, perhaps especially during an election/inaugural year.

Yet, living here almost a decade now, I’ve noticed all this slows down a bit during the winter holidays. We have taken a ride downtown on just about every holiday throughout the year and, while sometimes chilly, found November and December to be really nice. 

Thanksgiving Day, 2016

This year on Thanksgiving Day we spent several hours downtown. We started off at the U.S. Botanic Garden for the opening of the annual Season’s Greetings event to see the train and other exhibits in the conservatory. We then popped in a couple of the other museums and also did some walking around. Short lines, little waiting. I took the above photo just before we got online at the Botanic Garden. As the day went on, the District got a little busier, but no where near the crowds you'd see in the spring during Easter week.


Rewind back about a decade ago to when we were new in the area, coming from the New York metro area where the decorations are, for a lack of a better word, "big". We were curious about how Washington D.C. and the White House dressed up for the holidays.  That first year we learned the District is somewhat quiet around Christmastime and the decorations are more subtle – very different from the brightness and hustle and bustle of New York City. 

If you look closely, there is a bit of greenery draped over the entryways, maybe some white lights or other understated décor. Most of the government buildings stick to traditional greens with red ribbons. It is simple, yet elegant and pretty.

U.S. Treasury Building

Don't get me wrong, there is a lot to see and do in the District during the holidays with plenty of activity. And there are a lot of decorations too, however, just walking around town on certain days or nights, there is a definite air of serenity as well. It's rather nice.

I feel I should do an update. We went downtown two days after Christmas and it was a balmly 60 degrees. While traffic was still relatively quiet, there were quite a few people on the National Mall, presumably enjoying the lovely weather. 

Happy holidays, Merry Christmas and all the best in the New Year! Thank you for visiting my blog. 

This was taken on Christmas Eve, 2006 in the late afternoon.

Photos on Friday: Season’s Greetings at U.S. Botanic Garden (2016)

Every year the U.S. Botanic Garden hosts its Season's Greetings event. There is a special train exhibit and some of the gardens are decked out in holiday spirit (the regular exhibits are still open for viewing).  

Season’s Greetings opens on Thanksgiving morning and typically ends shortly after the New Year. We took a ride down on opening day this year. We got there about 15 minutes before it opened and already there was a line that wrapped to the side of the building. It moved quickly though and we were in shortly after 10 a.m.  

This year’s Season’s Greetings theme celebrated the National Park Service’s 100^th anniversary. Since there are two entrances (one for the trains, the other brings you straight to the conservatory), we decided to see the trains. It was very nicely done.

There were NPS parks, historic sites and landmarks featured throughout with a mix of traditional and “Thomas the Tank” friends chugging their way through the regions of the United States. The exhibit is built from plants and natural materials, which is always cool to see.  

After we saw the trains, we headed on through the rest of the conservatory, which is always an enjoyable time. As you circle back to the front, this year there is a huge Christmas tree along with some other special holiday-themed surprises. 

The conservatory is located at 100 Maryland Ave. SW, Washington DC 20001. 

10 interesting facts about the U.S. Pentagon

The Pentagon is a large complex that serves as the central hub of the United States military. Built in 1941, today the building plays a very important role in U.S. operations. There are 25,000+ people (military, civilian and contractors) who occupy the building on any given day.  

 

By David B. Gleason from Chicago, IL - The Pentagon, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4891272

As you approach the Pentagon you can't help but be impressed by its magnificent presence. While a highly recognizable building, there are probably some things many people don’t know about the Pentagon.

10 interesting facts about the US Pentagon

1. The building itself is huge. There are five floors above ground and two floors underneath. If you walk around the outside perimeter of the building, you’ll have walked close to a mile. Each side of the Pentagon is 921 feet long. The building itself sits on 29 acres – 34 acres if the courtyard is included. This doesn't include the vast areas allotted for parking. 

2. Build for the Pentagon began on Sept. 11, 1941 and was completed less than two years later, on January 15, 1943. With the supply shortages associated with World War II, steel was in high demand, so it is primarily made from concrete – 435,000 tons of it. Due to this, architects designed the building as short instead of tall. Enough steel was saved to build a battleship. 

3. There are 17.5 miles of corridors housed within the Pentagon’s walls. 

4. The original U.S. military complex was planned to be in Washington DC’s Foggy Bottom neighborhood. However, once built, the new building was quickly deemed to be too small to house the department and DoD (then called the War Department) was split across 17 buildings. The original building later was given as a home to the U.S. State Department.

5. The land where the Pentagon sits used to be an airfield called Hoover Field. This first metro area airport was deemed to be unnecessary once the National Airport was built in the early 1940s. The War Department would go on to acquire the land.  

6. For a time, the Pentagon was the only non-segregated building in Virginia. Originally, it was designed to be segregated which is why it was constructed with twice as many bathrooms than needed for the number of employees. There are 284 rest rooms in the building.

7. There are 131 stairways, 13 elevators and 19 escalators in the complex.

8. Physically, the Pentagon is located on the Virginia side of the Potomac River in Arlington County, however, each department has a Washington D.C. mailing address – there are six zip codes in the Pentagon – 20301 (Secretary of Defense), 20318 (Joint Chiefs of Staff), 20310 (United States Army), 20330 (United States Air Force), 20350 (United States Navy) and 20380 (United States Marine Corps). A whopping 1,200,000 pieces of mail are sent and received monthly.

9. Did you know you can move between any two points in the Pentagon in about 10 minutes? This was designed intentionally to make things more efficient, but it seems the building’s vast size wasn’t in that thought process. Story has it at least a couple of high-ranking officials have gotten lost from time to time trying to find their way to or from their offices. The building is truly that big. 

10. Visitors can tour the facility (there are steps people have to take in arranging one). Did you know the Pentagon also boasts several historic exhibits equivalent to many museums? During a guided tour, visitors will see these and many more features showcased in the Pentagon. 

I’ve been in the building a few times and was truly amazed at its size. It’s a wonder to imagine all the activity going on behind those closed doors in each section and floor.

Christmas and holiday parades in Northern Virginia

Every year there is plenty to see and do in the Washington D.C. area for the holidays and, in Northern Virginia, there are a number of annual traditions to look forward to, including parades. 

Scottish Christmas Walk Weekend

A very popular event each year, this one is usually scheduled for the first weekend in December. The tradition has been a staple for more than 45 years. In recent years the parade has featured more than 100 marching units and typically draws a big crowd. We’ve gone a couple of times and really enjoyed it! Sponsored by the Campagna Center (in partnership with The Scottish Government, The Saint Andrew’s Society of Washington, D.C. and the City of Alexandria), proceeds go to benefit the center’s six educational programs. There are a number of events throughout the weekend. Check out the Campagna website for more information. Events take place rain or shine. 

Warrenton Christmas Parade

This annual Christmas parade takes place in Old Town Warrenton as it marches down Main Street. See Santa and the town’s Christmas tree lighting too! In previous years Christkindlmarkt (Christmas Market) was also running. For more information and updates associated with the parade, you can visit the official website. In 2016 it advertises the town’s annual tree lighting at the conclusion of the parade, followed by fireworks. This is a town I would love to explore more. I’ve been there a couple of times and really enjoyed my tour of the 19^th century jail and museum at the Fauquier History Museum.

Greater Manassas Christmas Parade

Each December this parade takes place in Old Town Manassas. A tradition for more than 70 years, the parade usually takes place in early December. Check out the official website for details. Historically, this parade has been advertised as being held rain, snow or shine.

Annual Christmas and Holiday Parade (Leesburg)

Every year Leesburg holds its annual parade, it used to be held during the day, but in recent years I’ve noticed it takes place in the evening. The parade is scheduled for the second weekend in December in the historic district. It starts at Ida Lee Drive, travels down King Street and finishes on Fairfax Street. We really enjoyed the parade we saw in 2012 (that was when it was still the day parade).

Winterfest (McLean)

Another annual tradition, this parade takes place on the first Sunday of December.  The parade route is listed as being from Old Chain Bridge Road from Fleetwood Road to Elm Street. This year is the first year I’ve heard of this parade and don’t know much about it, but wanted to include it. It also advertises pre-parade entertainment. For more information on this year and previous year’s, see the official website and its Facebook page. 

Other towns that have parades in Northern Virginia include Dumfries and Purcellville, according to Northern Virginia Magazine. 

Parades are definitely not just for the warmer months in Northern Virginia. Keep in mind, the evening parades are likely to be a little chilly, so bundle up and have fun!

If you’re looking to spend time in D.C. proper during this year’s holiday season, there are many family-fun activities to check out.