Before the powerful Arctic cold brings freezing weather, we were able to enjoy the beaufy of nature with baby Therese. They are absolutely great places to explore with your babies and all these places have stroller-friendly trails.
We brought Therese to Shenandoah at the end of October to enjoy the its best fall color. We saw plenty of golds, greens, orange and red along Skyling Drive. The Limberlost Trail is a stroller-friendly trail. We didn’t really get on that trail as it’s getting darker when we got there. The picture at the right was the entrance view of the Limberlost Trail.
We visted the Arboretum in October as well. It’s one of the best places in DC to chill out with the babies outdoors. It’s usually not as crowded as other parks, even during peak seasons. The Ellipse Meadow with standing National Capitol columns is a great place to take awesome photos. Other than all kinds of beautiful trees, they also have bonsai exhibits.
Emmitsburg (MD) – St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Shrine & National Shrine Grotto
We went to Emmitsburg (about 90 mins driving from DC) with some friends last weekend. It’s a bit chilly, but a really nice sunny day. Our friend got us the tickets to the historic home tour (free on second Saturday of each month) at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Shrine. After a lovely picnic, we went to National Shrine Grotto for a mini pilgrimage, which is less than 10 minutes driving from Seton Shrine. We walked through the Stations of the Cross to the Grotto and the Crucifixion Scene, and walked back through Rosary Lane (prayed the Joyful Mysteries).
We visited Great Falls with Therese a little while ago when she was 3 months old. I did hiking on the Billy Goat Trail before. Fortunately the Patowmack Canal Trail is stroller accessible so we didn’t need to challenge ourselves hiking with little Therese. We plan to visit it again next spring or fall.
Meadowlark Botanical Garden (VA)
We visited this beautiful park when Therese was 2-3 months old. They have beautiful local flora collections and forests and nice walking trails. You can also find local fauna among lakes. Right outside of the visitor center, there was a whimsical fairy garden, absolutely cute!
Joyful Christine 