Natural Happenings: Winter Evenings

As the nights grow longer, we need things to do in the dark. Here are a few natural night-time activities that caught our eye for this week:

One of the most popular activities at the National Arboretum is their monthly full moon hikes. A guide will lead you on a four-mile walk through the arboretum grounds from 7:00 to 9:00 PM. This month's walks are on this Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, Dec. 1-3. Advance registration is required, and last I checked, Thursday's hike was already full. (It's not too early to sign up for January or February!) $22 ($18 for Friends of the National Arboretum).

The Conservatory of the US Botanic Garden on the Mall will stay open until 8:00 PM on several Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout December. And they'll have live music starting at 6:00 PM. Up this week: harps and singing on Tuesday night, and a cappella singing on Thursday. If you can't stand Christmas music, your best bet might be next Tuesday, December 10, when they'll have a klezmer band called Lox and Vodka. The full schedule is here. Free.

Map geeks may want to check out a lecture in observation of the 125th anniversary of the US Geological Survey topographic mapping program on Wednesday at 7:00 PM at USGS headquarters in Reston. Mark DeMulder will "highlight elements of the colorful history of the program and describe the future of topographic mapping at the USGS." Bring a photo ID since it's in a federal office building. Free.

As always, we've got a full schedule of daytime activities up on our calendar as well.  See you out there!

Like the photo in this post? Mouse over for credits; a click takes you to the photographer on Flickr.