A Guide to Taxi's in the DC Area

The DC metropolitan area is made up of cities and counties in Maryland, Northern Virginia, and the District of Columbia.  With so many different jurisdictions involved, taxi rates can be rather variable, depending on where the cab company is licensed.  It can be hard to find rate information all in one place, so I've put together this page over at dctransitguide.com.

Running and Biking in Arlington: The Mount Vernon Trail

I'm living in Arlington, and I like to run when I can to keep in shape.  When I have the time and the sunlight, it is nice to take the time to get off of the streets and sidewalks, and onto the trails.  One such trail is the Mount Vernon trail.  This is an 18 mile trail, running from Arlington (in Rosslyn) to Mount Vernon.  The trail also has easy access points near the Arlington Cemetery, Reagan National Airport, and Braddock Road.

The trail is heavily used for bicycling (so if that's what you're after, it should be a great, mostly flat ride!)  So far I've only used it for running, but the trip along the Potomac river gives some wonderful views of the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, Capitol, and Thomas Jefferson Memorial.  The trail goes right by Reagan National airport, within easy walking distance of Arlington Cemetery, and through Old Town Alexandria too!

An additional bonus is Theodore Roosevelt Island, which is at the trail head in Arlington.  A short, pedestrian only bridge (no bikes) will bring you over to a wooded island with a couple miles of walking/running trails, and a monument for Theodore Roosevelt.

The picture above is a view from the Mt. Vernon Trail of the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument from across the Potomac.

Farmers Markets in the DC Area

I'm a big fan of farmers markets.  Without having a car in the DC metro area, getting high quality product from a grocery store can be a challenge, or can be expensive.  Getting your week's vegetables and fruits (apples, pears, and cider are in season right now!) directly from the farmer is an excellent choice.

I found this list of market locations and times covering the whole metro area.

Working and living in Arlington, I want to mention the markets I have frequented myself:

• On Wednesdays there is a market around the Clarendon Metro Station (between Wilson and Clarendon Boulevards).  This market always seems to be well attended
• On Thursdays, the park at Welburn Square (on North Stuart Street, just west of the Ballston Metro Station) hosts a farmers market.  I have seen the park full of vendors, and almost empty, so this one can be a bit of a hit or miss.
• The Arlington Farmers Market is held on Saturdays on North Courthouse Road.  The market is actually located about a block south of the Courthouse Metro Station, and is probably the larger of the Arlington farmers markets that I have attended.  Closer to the Metro Station, Courthouse also hosts a weekly Flea Market on Saturdays (don't be confused when you notice that there is no food at this market; they are separate events, and you need to head south about a block to get the farmers markets).

If you have any tips about other markets in the DC area, leave a comment and let us know!