What a crazy weekend it was! I’m still buzzing from all the excitement of the historic snowstorm that pummeled the DC area for 36 hours, leaving behind almost two and a half feet of snow. Here are some of the photographs I took during and after the blizzard. Because the roads were impassable, I was only able to photograph places…

When I met with Leslie Combemale on Wednesday morning, she was cheerful and energetic even though she had been working all through the night. But if your job was to see an early release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens in the middle of the night, and then write a film review before coming to the art gallery that you…

Trees are part of Reston’s unique identity — unlike many suburbs, this area has preserved several of its mature trees. When you live in a city nestled within a forest, every season is beautiful. Autumn, however, is almost magical here in Reston. As we rake the last of this year’s foliage, let’s look back on…

If you have young children, you can’t miss the Cox Farms Fall Festival. It’s 90 acres of sheer silliness. This fall festival is one of the largest and most well known in Virginia, and has been listed by USA Today as one of the coolest pumpkin patches in the country. Cox Farms is a family farm in Centreville that…

There has been a lot of buzz lately about barre workouts — ballet/yoga/pilates-inspired classes that focus on isometric strength training with high reps of small movements. These exercises are typically done at a ballet barre or on a mat with props like resistance bands and light weights. Studios have been popping up like mushrooms, touting benefits…

The Reston community is saddened by the loss of Reston founder Robert E. Simon, who passed away this week at the age of 101. Hundreds of community members gathered at Lake Anne Plaza on Friday, September 25, 2015 to celebrate his memory. They lit candles along the waterfront, and sang “This Little Light of Mine”…

Almost two years after Reston’s Lakeside Inn closed, a new restaurant is finally ready to open in its location on Lake Thoreau. Red’s Table is a family-owned, local restaurant that is scheduled to open this Monday, September 7, 2015, for Labor Day. It will be open for dinner only over the next few weeks, but expects to…

Virginians seem to have had their fill of fancy, high-priced wine these days. If the newly established Loudon County (LoCo) Ale Trail is any indication, beer is having a major moment. Nowhere is this love of hops more apparent than at the brand new Barrel & Bushel restaurant in the Hyatt Regency in Tysons Corner. Chef Dan Dienemann (Founding Farmers, Tupelo…

It’s one of the zaniest ideas to come to town. By now, you may have heard of the BEACH exhibit in Washington, D.C. It’s a sea of white plastic balls where you can swim in the climate-controlled, shark-free, and architecturally magnificent National Building Museum. This temporary installation has received rave reviews from the press. After comparing my experience…