Fall family fun at Corn Maze in The Plains

If you’re looking for a day out to enjoy some fall family fun, Corn Maze in The Plains is a great option. I’ve been to this farm a number of times, but it had been a few years. Made it out that way over the weekend and, as in previous years, was a lot of fun. 

Entering the market/play area

The farm was set up much like it had been the last time I visited. You pay your admission in the shop and then head out to the play area where it’s a kid’s paradise with slides, swings, climbing fun and obstacle course, to name a few activities. 

Can she make it across and up the rope bridge?

There is even a mini hay maze for the tots who may be overwhelmed by the main attraction. And, of course, a hayride up the hill where you get a beautiful view of the landscape looking down.

Visitors can learn about farming, wildlife, and organics through the many exhibits spaced throughout the play area. The kids can visit with some of the animals too.

Bee trivia

The big event, of course, is the corn maze. Every year a new corn maze theme is introduced, and it is fun to see what theme the farm has come up with each year. This year’s theme is “Maze Attack”. I don’t want to spoil what it means, but it wasn’t what I thought it would be.  

We had a good time. We found 5 of the 6 stations and clues (missed #4, but the family was ready to move on from #5) and it took us about 45 minutes to weave our way through the maze.

Into the corn maze we go!

Under the victory bridge - not out yet!

Corn Maze in The Plains is conveniently located off I-66. After you’re done playing for the day, you can buy your seasonal pumpkins and other decorations. If you need a lunch break, there is a tent and picnic area, along with a vendor selling food. There is also a great farmer's market next door on Sundays.

This fall festival opens late September and runs through early November - see the official site for hours and directions (the older kids might enjoy visiting the corn maze at night - this is something we haven't tried yet, but are considering it for a future visit).

12 interesting facts about the Lincoln Memorial you might not know

The Lincoln Memorial has stood as one of the most recognizable landmarks in Washington, D.C. It's also one of the more popular monuments on the National Mall with millions of people visiting every year and wanting to know more about the Lincoln Memorial. You can go visit this landmark at any given time of day - or night - and there's likely to be a crowd.  

This monument is a memorial to President Abraham Lincoln, the 16^th president and the man who served his terms during a very difficult time in U.S. history - the American Civil War. President Lincoln was assassinated in nearby Ford’s Theatre on April 14, 1865, by John Wilkes Booth. 

12 interesting facts about the Lincoln Memorial you might not know

1. When was the idea for a memorial for President Lincoln conceived?

Congress approved funding for a memorial dedicated to Abraham Lincoln in 1910, although it was first proposed decades earlier - back in 1867.

2. How much did the Lincoln Memorial cost to build? 

Initially, $2 million was appropriated for the Lincoln Memorial project, but the end cost was $3 million.

3. When was the Lincoln Memorial built? 

While it took a few decades and a turn of the century to get started, work on the Lincoln Memorial commenced in 1915, and it was completed in 1922.

4. Who sculpted the memorial's statue?

The Abraham Lincoln statue was sculpted by Daniel Chester French. It is 19-feet tall.

5. Who was the designer?

Architect Henry Bacon designed the building that houses the Lincoln statue. It has 36 columns, each representing a state that was a part of the union at the time of Lincoln's death.   

6. How many steps to reach the top of the memorial?

There are 87 steps to get to the top of the memorial before you reach the Abraham Lincoln statue, commemorating our 16th President's famous "four score and seven years ago" from the Gettysburg Address.

7. What about the artwork?

Jules Guerin painted the two large murals that rest above the engraved speeches. 

8. What are the dimensions?

The Lincoln Memorial measures 204 feet long, 134 feet wide, and reaches 99 feet in height.  

9. When was the memorial to Lincoln completed?

The memorial was dedicated on May 30, 1922. Present at the event were Lincoln's only surviving son, Robert Todd Lincoln, hundreds of Civil War veterans, and about 50,000 people in all. 

10. Why are carvings for some states missing?

Being several more states had joined the union since Lincoln's time, all 48 states are carved on the upper part of the main chamber. Plaques of Alaska and Hawaii were later additions. 

11. Even memorials sometimes have mistakes!

The original inscription of Lincoln's second inaugural speech was carved in the interior of the memorial once contained a typo. An "E" was carved where it should have been an "F". This was corrected by filling in part of the "E".

12. The monument almost was another shape

The current design of the Lincoln Memorial might be very different if another architect had been chosen. John Russell Pope, who was well-known, had proposed a huge circular structure or, alternatively, a pyramid of all things!

An attractive memorial, you can walk the stairs to the top or take the elevator located off to the left-hand side of the memorial. Once inside the Greek-style structure, a massive statue of Lincoln, along with two of his key speeches inscribed on the walls can be viewed. There is also a bookstore/gift shop on the upper level of the monument. 

The Lincoln Memorial is open 24 hours a day. NPS staff is present on-site from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Parking near Lincoln Memorial can be tricky, so it's best to try and park on Constitution Avenue or along one of the side roads to get to the closest point.

Dedication to Lincoln is inscribed behind the statue

Photos on Friday: Reflecting pool on the National Mall

I haven't been as regular with my Photos on Friday posts, but today wanted to share two pictures I took in September during a beautiful day down on the National Mall. 

It is nice to see the majority of the restoration being done on this end of the National Mall is about complete and the reflecting pool is filled with water again. A lot of the work appears to be focused on the other end of the Mall these days.

Standing at the Lincoln Memorial looking towards the Washington Monument

Facing the other direction - standing at the Washington Monument looking back past the WWII Memorial to the Lincoln Memorial

"Boo at the Zoo": Halloween fun at the National Zoo

The Smithsonian National Zoo is getting ready for its annual "Boo at the Zoo" event; the event is a popular one in the D.C. area. Just like last year, the Zoo says this year it is offering 40 "not-so-spooky" treat stations, animal demos, chats with the zookeepers and decorations galore.

New for 2015 is an entertainment stage. Kids and adults can enjoy watching jugglers, musicians and a DJ playing Halloween tunes. There will also be a themed hay maze and scarecrow field. Also new for this year will be "education stations" and a pumpkin decorating contest.

Sounds like fun! Recommended ages by the zoo is 4 - 12.

Many of the animals will be awake, although some will be sleeping (note: The panda exhibit will not be open again this year according to the zoo's website).

Visitors are invited to wear their costumes and numerous treats and goodies will be offered. The event will be held from Oct. 23 through Oct. 25, 2014 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. 

Tickets are available online through Ticketmaster. Members of FONZ can get discounted tickets (limit of 6 tickets at $20), and non-members ($30) - it looks like there is also a processing fee. For more information, please see the National Zoo's website. 

Touring inside the Supreme Court

Over the summer I posted some fun facts about the Supreme Court building, and in my post, I mentioned I would like to go inside the building to see inside the highest court in the nation. About two weeks ago I got my chance being we were downtown on a weekday (the court is closed to visitors on weekends and federal holidays).

Entering the building was pretty straightforward, we went through a security scan, which is standard in federal buildings. Once inside, tours are self-guided. There are a number of exhibits about the building, the court's history and the justices. You can explore the ground floor and a part of the first floor.

Ground floor hallway in the Supreme Court

Statue of John Marshall can be viewed on the Supreme Court's ground floor

Gavel belonging to Judge O'Connor when she was on the Arizona court

I didn't realize there was so much to see on the ground floor of the court! The interior itself is gorgeous to look at, very ornate. I love architecture and this building is a beauty. After viewing the exhibits, we did take the stairs to the second floor and took a quick peek into a courtroom and the hallways. 

Docent was giving a lecture in the courtroom

 

Spiral staircase (taken while looking up). This beauty is closed to the public but you can peek up

In addition to the exhibits, there are also ongoing courtroom lectures led by a docent (9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. when the court is not sitting) and a film - we didn't get to do either these. Nor did we look into how to attend a court session (these are first-come, first-serve basis and being we had a Capitol tour scheduled, we didn't have time anyway).

We spent maybe about 40 minutes just wandering around before heading over to our Capitol tour. I'd like to go back again someday and listen to a lecture and see the film. 

[ Related reading: Fun facts about the Supreme Court building]

Photos on Friday: Flowers at the US Botanic Garden

Last week it was great to be able to get downtown again and visit some of my favorite places. After touring the Capitol and popping into the Library of Congress and Supreme Court building, we stopped in at the U.S. Botanic Garden.

It's been a while since I've posted a "Photos on Friday" entry and thought the USBG would be a nice topic. These plants and flowers are so warm as we're starting to see the autumn chill peek in here in the Northern Virginia/DC area.

Visiting Potomac Mills Mall Outlet Center, Woodbridge Va.

If you are living in or visiting northern Virginia or Washington D.C. and you are a shopping enthusiast, Potomac Mills is the place to go. Many vacation spots offer great outlet centers or malls, but this one is a shopping experience. Especially now as we head towards the holiday shopping season.

With hundreds of retail brand name stores, a movie theatre with numerous screens, a large food court and multiple specialty shops, Potomac Mills is a shopper's dream. You can easily spend hours in this outlet center and still not see everything it has to offer. I'm not a huge shopper, but I do like heading out over there every once in a while.

Image credit: Ben Schumin, CC accessed via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Potomac_mills_mall.jpg

Describing the outlet center as large is a gross understatement. The shopping mall is so extensive the building is broken up into "neighborhoods". There are approximately five of these smaller shopping communities located within Potomac Mills. The neighborhoods are all interconnected with visible signs directing you towards the stores you are looking to shop.

With stores such as Old Navy, JC Penney, Lego Store, Correlle, Disney Store, to name a few select, there is truly a diverse selection to choose for your shopping; the outlet center even contains a nurse's uniform store. Anything you're looking for from generic shopping items to brand names and niche stores, you'll probably find it here.

Through many shopping experiences, it has illuminated to me how a shopper can truly find great bargains at Potomac Mills. One word of advice, before indulging in a shopping spree here, it is good to know your prices, because, despite appearances, not all stores charge outlet prices as you might think based on the advertising. Many do, but if you don't want to overspend, do some price checking online on specific items you are looking for before you head out.

In my experience, stores such as JC Penny, Correlle and Disney do charge lower than their counterparts would in other traditional malls, but there are a few stores and shops that appear to charge high-end prices under the guise of a "deal".

Additionally, dozens upon dozens of specialty niche-oriented kiosks are spread throughout the center in addition to the traditional brick and mortar shops. During the holidays or even for other special occasions, there are often some nifty gifts you can find at one of the kiosks, the kind of stuff you usually don't find any place else.

Navigating the mall is easy because there are plenty of signs and directories throughout the corridors. Additionally, there are plenty of benches if you need to stop and take a break for a few minutes.

As an added bonus, in addition to the outlet center itself, there are many anchor stores and other smaller merchants located in the immediate vicinity. This area of Prince William County is highly commercial. Navigating the many side roads and parking lots can be a little confusing in my opinion, but you'll certainly not lack for any place to shop or stop and have a bite to eat.

Potomac Mills is located conveniently near I-95 just south of Washington DC, maybe 30 minutes or so depending on traffic, the Potomac Mills outlet center is open daily. The mall address is 2700 Potomac Mills Circle, Prince William, Va. 22192.

If you love to shop until you drop, Potomac Mills is worth exploring. It's been a while since I've visited, and I'm thinking I'm due to make a visit later this year.