By Elizabeth Scully
You think of Washington, D.C., and conjure images of the Lincoln Memorial and the White House. Think of Maryland and perhaps your thoughts turn to crab cakes and the
Baltimore Orioles. The are between Maryland and the nation's capital is filled with impressive sites and sights, but there are other things to take in. You can explore art and music and then challenge yourself with some vigorous exercise.
Art and Music Scene of Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda, Maryland, which lies less than 25 minutes from Washington, D.C., is home to a plethora of artistic and musical venues and festivals. It supports the Bethesda Art Walk the second Friday of every month starting April, showcasing local, national and international art at more than a dozen galleries. Also in April, the city hosts the Bethesda Literary Festival, featuring novelists, journalists and other writers at various venues. In May, it is home to the Bethesda Fine Arts Festival, showcasing 150 artists from around the country at Woodmont Triangle. Bethesda is also home to the 2,000-seat Strathmore, a state-of-the-art facility that promotes the arts through educational programs and performances by some of the world's leading jazz, pop, blues and classical musicians. The hall is home to the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Washington Performing Arts Society, the Maryland Classic Youth Orchestra and other organizations.
Music Center at Strathmore
5301 Tuckerman Lane
North Bethesda, MD 20852-3385
(301) 581-5200
Mansion at Strathmore
10701 Rockville Pike
North Bethesda, MD 20852-3324
(301) 581-5109
Silver Spring's Recreational Opportunities
One of the largest unincorporated areas in Maryland, Silver Spring boasts plenty of outdoor recreation, from wilder excursions to in-town family fun. Sligo Creek Park offers tennis courts, hiking trails, playgrounds and bike paths, while Acorn Park, Jesup Blair Park and Brookside Gardens offer sports facilities and opportunities to explore the natural world. Rock Creek Park, which covers 1,800 acres, is home to the 75-acre Lake Needwood and the 55-acre Lake Frank, both of which offer fishing, canoeing, pedal boating and wildlife viewing. The park also has 18 picnic shelters with grills, 13 miles of nature trails, an archery range, a golf course and the Meadowside Nature Center, which offers interpretive programs, hikes and camps.
National Gallery of Art
Visitors to the area should not miss the free museums in Washington, D.C., most notably the National Gallery of Art, which holds thousands of works of art. The gallery divides its offerings into two buildings and also supports the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden. The West Building is home to late Renaissance and Baroque sculptures, 17th-century Italian and French sculptures, and an impressive collection of Impressionist paintings, from Claude Monet to Vincent Van Gogh. The work of photographers Alfred Stieglitz and William Henry Fox Talbot also reside in the West Building. The East Building boasts a completely different collection of art, including numerous large Alexander Calder mobiles and more modern work by the likes of Roy Lichtenstein and Joan Miró. The building has more of a modern feel as well, with sweeping staircases, high ceilings and pink marble floors. At the gallery's Sculpture Garden, visitors will find 17 permanent pieces as well as loans from other collections. Plus, the garden is landscaped with native American shrubs, perennials and trees.
National Gallery of Art
333 Constitution Ave.
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 737-4215
About the Author:
Lizzy Scully is a senior contributing editor for Mountain Flyer magazine and the Executive Director of the nonprofit, Girls Education International.
