Perfect Liars Club
  • Home
  • About
  • Shows
    • Washington DC Shows
    • Tokyo Shows
    • London shows
    • Past Shows
  • Hall of Fame/Shame
  • Reviews
  • Tell a story
  • Mailing List
    • DC Mailing List
    • Tokyo Mailing List
    • London Mailing List
  • FAQs

Some outdoor adventures around DC - and what's coming up

5/31/2015

0 Comments

 
The sun is shining and that means it's time for outdoor adventures. It goes without saying that we've been paddle boarding on the Potomac at Key Bridge Boathouse but in the last couple of weeks, between our trips to Senegal, Atlanta and Savannah, my lovely wife and I have embarked on two brand new adventures that car-less DC adventurers can enjoy for a $12 Uber ride: an adventurous hike along the Potomac, and an expedition to see the 'lost' capitol hill stones lurking within Rock Creek Park like a forgotten temple of Angkor Watt. 


I thought we'd done all the best hikes in DC. Of course we have done the Valley Trail and Western Ridge Trail in Rock Creek Park. We love the Glover Archbold Trail just west of Georgetown. And Roosevelt Island is always a delight. But when we are walking to Roosevelt Island, just as we leave the overpass bridge, there's a subtle sign and an alluring grassy footpath to... where? 


Well, part of the Potomac Heritage Trail runs from Roosevelt Island all the way to Scott's Run Nature Preserve. At 10.8 miles that seemed a bit vigorous so we took an Uber to the Virginia side of Chain Bridge, where we caught the trail and walked it back to Georgetown, about 4.2 miles, all along the Potomac. What a brilliant, wonderfully accessible adventure. When we got onto the path, we were both worried: "is this really the path??" Certainly the first part of this adventure is a little challenging and a tad confusing, involving some basic rock scrambling (aka sliding down steep slopes on my bottom), with some forest-y, rocky, and almost beach-y terrain. The Potomac here is narrow and still, with a few fishermen which felt reassuring as we walked onwards into what felt like the middle of nowhere. It got a bit less technical, with more obvious trail markings, but there was plenty of hopping on stones over streams and little waterfalls, lots of shade, beautiful, surprising scenery, and a lot of fun. At some point the river widens and kayakers appear from Fletcher's Boathouse. Then the paddle boarders. And eventually Key Bridge comes into sight. It took a decent while to walk this trail due to the challenging rocky bits, but by the time we popped out at Roosevelt Island, we'd really earned our pies from the delicious Pie Sisters, just across the water in Georgetown. Be aware: if you start this route at Chain Bridge, there's not anywhere you can really leave the trail till you get to Roosevelt Island. Take water etc.


Adventure number 2 happened thanks to a serendipitous realization that it was 'Obscura Day' on Saturday, a global day where people become adventurers in their own city, finding things that are not easy to find. This is run by Atlas Obscura whose mission is pretty much that. They run all sorts of cool events in DC and I am literally traumatized that I only just found out about them, not just for DC but for reference every time I travel. I was sad that the #ObscuraDay Dupont Underground tours were full, but I was rather thrilled to find there was a walk to two 'lost' DC landmarks: the Capitol Stones, and Fort DeRussy. What fun! It's amazing that there are so many stones from the 19th Century US Capitol building, all neatly piled up in Rock Creek Park. Some have great carvings and the like. And what's extra amazing is that the forest has grown around them so that it felt for all the world like I was strolling through a lost temple at Angkor Watt. Fascinating! Here's a tip for finding them: start at the parking lot at the nature centre. Head south-east-ish on a path past the stables for about 10-15  mins and the stone yard will appear before you. As for Fort DeRussy, fascinating to hear the history of the forts hastily erected to protect Washington, and to walk around the perimeter. This is in the opposite direction from the nature centre, just on the other side of Military Road and a tiny bit north. 


What else have we been up to? Well I started another fab sculpture class at CHAW, had drinks at a GLINT happy hour (gay diplomats) in the really quite lovely Town beer garden, and went to a fab DASER event on digitalizing museums - they  have lots of great events about the intersection between science and the arts. Loved watching The Devil Wears Prada in Farragut Square last night after some superlative cheese in Sona. Oh, and went to New York (lovely wife did the Brooklyn Half Marathon, and we saw Fun Home and both parts of Wolf Hall at the theatre), Atlanta and Savannah (where lovely wife worked), and Senegal (where I went to a conference and did a cool day tour of Dakar). And went to an American Institute of Architects meeting on design and health in honor of my starting up a new organization, the Centre for Urban Design and Mental Health. As you do. It's been a busy couple of weeks since I last wrote... 


What's coming up that sounds cool


Monday 1st June - DASER, in association with the Shakespeare Theatre, are doing a free rehearsed reading of Arcadia and Iteratia. Register in advance and bring photo ID. 


Tue 2nd - Head to Adams Morgan for free outdoor film, The Bicycle Thief or play board games to benefit SpeakeasyDC. 


Wed 3rd - It's Perfect Liars Club at the Bier Baron! There's still a few tickets - grab them here. And see you there!


Thu 4th - This is the first time I've been really attracted by an event at Tudor place, but tonight they're doing an event focused on portraits called Silhouettes to Selfies. 21+ and featuring cocktails, photo booths and art - sounds like fun! Or else there is Phillips After 5, with a jazz focus. 


Fri 5th - LGBT storytelling courtesy of SpeakeasyDC, and at the 9:30 Club no less! And Our City Festival kicks off. 


Sat 6th - It's the 32nd annual Dupont-Kalorama museum walk today, with several museums free of charge and with special events. Then go participate in the Silent Disco in Dupont Circle. 


Sun 7th - It's the last day of the Our City Festival. 


Have a great week!



0 Comments

What's cool in DC and what's coming up

5/12/2015

0 Comments

 
As spring turns speedily into humidity, we have been dining outside with friends, and retreating inside to shield our mosquito bites this week. Perfect Liars Club last week was of course fantastic (pics here) and tickets are on sale for our June 3rd show. We went to see The Woman in Gold, a mediocre but enjoyable tearjerker at the AMC Georgetown, mainly to suck up the aircon. Last night we went to the Science Club to hear NASA speak about the US probe about to reach Pluto (on 14th July), which was very cool, if a tad wonky. Luckily I'd just indulged in patatas bravas and tinto de verano from Boqueria across the road... 


Coming up this week - Brit About Town's picks of the week


Tue 12th May - SpeakeasyDC's storytelling show tonight is about colossal failures. Should be entertaining... 


Wed 13th May - See Limited Partnership, a documentary about one of the first gay couples to get married, in 1975. 


Thu 14th May - The Strathmore has a cool event called 'Please Do Touch' about evolving the role of tactile sense in art museums. Interesting. 


Fri 15th May - Go hear the Gay Men's Chorus sing songs about civil rights, 'Born this Way'. 


Sat 16th May - Spend the day learning about astrophysics with Mario Livio. Or attend the amazing Future is Here event all weekend with the Smithsonian - outstanding speakers of a sciencey/culture/arts/innovation nature.Then the place to be tonight is Black Cat for Story League's story-and-singing show. I saw this before and it was genius. Or you could always to go a vintage French dance party at the French Embassy... or a Cannes Film Festival party. Or see Perfect Liars Club star Michelle eat fire at the Bier Baron. Saturday is amazing!


Sun 17th May - If you haven't been kayaking or paddleboarding this season, Sunday might be the day to do it!


Mon 18th May - Head over to Hillyer Art Space to do some life drawing. 
0 Comments

What's cool in DC and what's coming up

5/5/2015

0 Comments

 
Hooray for summer - or at least for that brief moment where the sun is glorious rather than scorching, you're warm rather than sweaty, and the mosquitoes are still at home, packing their bags for their vicious summer outing. That's why the last week has been about strolling, paddleboarding and drinking champagne on roof terraces... but what's coming up this week? 


What's coming up


Tue 5th May - Last Resort Comedy is on at the Bier Baron, or go to Kramer Books at 6:30 and muse upon what life on Earth would be like after the next mass extinction with The Next Species. 


Wed 6th May - Of course it's Perfect Liars Club! Advance tickets are sold out, but come try your luck on the door - there will be some extras available!


Thu 7th May - There's still tickets left for the Phillips after 5, and the theme is 'nerd night'. Math and mead are involved. 


Fri 8th May - Celebrate DC's beer crafters at the Smithsonian at 8's 'Toast to DC' at the Carnegie Library. Or go celebrate the best of Tokyo nightlife. 


Sat 9th May - During the day, it's time to visit your favorite European embassies - obviously the British one will be brilliant. In the evening, Artisphere's at it again with their cool innovative events - this one's a screening of a 'live' documentary film inspired by Guinness World Record setters, The Measure of All Things. Across town, tonight is Nerd Night and as of time of writing, there's still tickets!


Sun 10th May - There's free comedy at the Petworth Citizen reading room. 


Mon 11th May - Pulitzer prize-winner David McCullough takes on the Wright Brothers in his latest book - hear all about it at Sixth and I. Or head to Theatre J to belt out Broadway songs in their big singalong. 


Tue 12th May - Head over to SpeakeasyDC for stories about 'colossal failures'. Heartening... 
0 Comments

    RSS Feed

    What is this blog?

    Every Friday, Perfect Liars Club MC Layla laboriously curates a list of all the coolest English-accessible things happening in Tokyo for the next week for your delight and entertainment. If you live in Tokyo and like attending great events, you had better sign up.

    How to suggest an event to be included

    Tweet @perfectliarstky or email Layla with details and a link.

    What sort of events does this listings guide include?

    ​Recommendations are biased towards things Layla personally enjoys, like theatre, cinema, sciencey talks, book things, storytelling, comedy, art and random quirky activities.

    Come to my event, Layla!

    You can email Layla to invite her to something cool.

    Archives

    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014

    Categories

    All

Proudly powered by Weebly