3-HourWeekend SHOULD YOU GO?
Our guide to Post critics’ takes on new music, movies and exhibits in the area.
Movie STOP!
Cliche — and yet totally alien — “Life as We Know It” is no life we know.
— Michael O’Sullivan Review, Page 28
Music GO! MARSH CANOE TOUR
At Pohick Bay, see fauna and fossils
Imagine Northern Virginia before subur- ban sprawl: Carolina Parakeets and Pas- senger Pigeons clouded the skies, mountain lions and wolves prowled the woods, and even elk and bison called the area home. A little slice of this Eden still exists in the marshes of Pohick Bay Regional Park. Yes, it’s changed a bit since the days of the bison, but you are still likely to see an ecosystem teem- ing with life if you take a four-hour guided canoe tour. (And, yes, we know that’s an hour longer than the normal 3-Hour Weekend, but this was too cool to resist writing about.) On a recent Saturday a group of about a dozen people arrived just before 8 to enjoy a morning paddle. The morning was clear and crisp, and before the tour even began, a bald eagle glided through the sky. Rich Bailey, a naturalist for the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, made sure everyone got a quick tutorial on paddling and steering before starting out. Everyone is given a life jacket, and the water is so shallow that if you fall in “all you’ve got to do is stand up,” Bailey said. “Nothing to worry about there.” The marsh boasts a fascinating history —
You can be forgiven for thinking the ’80s band Hoodoo Gurus is defunct. In fact, they are alive, well and far from rusty. — Mark Jenkins Review, Page 9
Exhibit GO!
both culturally and environmentally. Paleo- Indian artifacts have been found in the area, and, because the water level has risen since the last Ice Age, even older artifacts are be- lieved to be submerged. At several stops, Bailey points out the changing landscape. Thick patches of spat- terdock (a kind of aquatic plant with a sun- shine yellow bloom) give way to tall stalks of wild rice and cat tails. Majestic bald cypress trees, a rare sight so far north, line the shores. The vegetation, which also includes submerged hydrilla, helps filter the water, making it crystal clear.
The Renwick’s latest craft show- case — “A Revolution in Wood” — really can be called revolution- ary.
— Michael O’Sullivan Review, Page 39
Night Life GO!
But of course, the real joy is catching a glimpse of the marsh’s residents, including graceful blue herons and white egrets, skit- tish crayfish and small fish that scatter at the sight of the boats. The water and the sky are so teeming with life that it is difficult to de- cide whether to look up or down. Four hours of canoeing might sound tir-
ing, but educational pit stops are so frequent that the nearly three-mile trip passes quickly. Toward the end, Bailey allows everyone to pull their canoes ashore and take a snack break at Fisherman’s Point.
Clockwise from top: Peter Molberg and Nazeema Karim look at birds during a canoe tour of Pohick Bay in Lorton; a turkey vulture perches on a tree limb while another takes flight; naturalist Rich Bailey leads a group on a four-hour tour of the marsh.
The spot overlooks the marsh and has an unusual feature, a quartzite rock with fossil imprints that are hundreds of millions of years old. Bailey uses the break to talk about how the landscape has changed into what we see today — and to discuss what the future might hold.
While gliding through the tranquil marsh it is hard to believe that you are about 30 minutes from downtown. This was not lost on those who live within the Beltway, such as Bill Wisniewski, 63, of Alexandria. “There’s a lot of wildlife out here that you just don’t think about when you live in an ur- ban setting,” Wisniewski said in awe, paus- ing to take in the view.
—Amy Orndorff
WHEN IS IT? The next trips are Oct. 16 and 31 at 8 a.m. There will also be more trips in the spring.
WHERE IS IT? Pohick Bay Regional Park, 6501 Pohick Bay Dr., Lorton.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? $25. Reservations required.
WHERE CAN I FIND MORE INFORMATION? Call 703-528-5406 or visit
www.nvrpa.org/park/ pohick_bay. Look for “canoe the marsh” tours.
WHAT ELSE SHOULD I KNOW? The trips are for adults and youths age 16 and older. Be sure to bring a snack, water and binoculars.
PHOTOS BY JAMES A. PARCELL FOR THE WASHINGTON POST
5
WEEKEND STAFF Editors Debra Leithauser, Amy Joyce, Anne Kenderdine, Amy Hitt
Writers Alex Baldinger, Kristen Boghosian, Fritz Hahn, David Malitz, Stephanie Merry, Amy Orndorff, Michael O’Sullivan, Lavanya Ramanathan, Justin Rude Art Director Lisa Schreiber • Layout Editor Twila Waddy • Advertising Shawn McKenna-Deane
Three new wine bars, one each in DMV, will have you toasting the night away.
— Fritz Hahn Story, Page 10
Get Listed Weekend lists events as space permits. Send notices, with date, time, addresses, cost and phone number to
weekendlistings@washpost.com. Please include appropriate heading, Concerts, Stage, etc., in the subject field. Notices can also be mailed to Weekend, The Washington Post, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071-5650. Deadline is 10 days before publication.
Editorial Content/Free Listings 202-334-5292 or 202-334-5477 • Paid Advertising/Display Ads: 202-334-5750
K
THE WASHINGTON POST • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2010
PHOTOS, FROM TOP: PETER IOVINO/ASSOCIATED PRESS; CARY BAKER’S CONQUEROO; SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN ART MUSEUM; EVY MAGES FOR THE WASHINGTON POST
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128