Zoo—the latter route offers some of the most breath-
taking views of D.c. runners and bikers alike are
welcome on the trail, and if you don’t have a bike, there
are a lot of places to rent them.
as you journey north, oak and maple trees tower
overhead, webbed together by a canopy of vines that
make you feel as if you’re meandering through an
ancient forest. the trail snakes under old masonry
bridges and follows the creek for 1. 5 miles until you
reach woodley Park. here you can catch an unmarked
trail that backtracks a bit before climbing a wooded hill
to Dumbarton oaks park, museum and gardens.
the park at Dumbarton oaks is a sweeping, 27-acre
meadow with streams and century-old trees. Beyond the
park, at the top of the hill (the highest point in George-
town), sits the Dumbarton oaks museum, housed in
the residence of former u.S. Senator and Vice President
John c. calhoun.
by the maine avenue Fish market afterward for a fish
sandwich or maryland blue crabs.
the fish market is a short jaunt from the national
mall, but many tourists walking with their noses in a map
overlook it entirely. tucked in a secluded part of town
in Southwest, the market certainly feels like a well-kept
secret, although when you’re close enough your nose, or
the seagulls soaring overhead, will lead you there. Ven-
dors sell seafood from barges stationed on the Potomac,
their catches showcased on large slabs of ice.
a friend and I ordered a half-dozen oysters from
a vendor who shucked them for us and served them on
paper plates alongside bottles of vinegar. the oysters
were larger and meatier than other varieties. they
tasted like the ocean, even though they’d been farmed
in Virginia’s rappahannock river.
another stand, Jessie taylor Seafood, dominates
the north side of the market, offering oysters, clams,
today the museum is owned by harvard university,
which uses it as a research center and museum, showcasing works of Byzantine art. But Dumbarton’s private
outdoor gardens are the real jewel of the property. each
garden room, as they are called, has its own character,
defined by its trees, plants and garden ornaments. the
gardens are open daily except mondays; general admission is $8.
Above: Nora Pouillon clips herbs
in the organic garden outside her
restaurant.
Opposite page: Maine Peekytoe
crab and avocado salad with
herbs, ancho emulsion and crispy
tortillas at Restaurant Nora.
‘It’s AlwAys Fresh’
If D.c.’s great outdoors has you navigating the Potomac
river by canoe, kayak or paddle board (and there are lots
of places to rent them in Georgetown), you can drop
Scott Suchman; nora/matthew rakola
