Retreat Into Nature
• July 16, 2015

Since vacations are for taking a step back from day-to-day life, take advantage of your time off this summer and retreat into nature. Follow our suggestions below or blaze your own path. Whatever you do, spend your trip enjoying the environment — and be sure to unwind, decompress and unplug along the way.

Moab: In the Land of Extremes
Moab is hard to get to. But hauling it from a distant airport — Las Vegas, in my case — is worthwhile, not only because of the destination’s otherworldly beauty, but also for the geological diversity that haunts and amazes during the drive: mammoth mountains, precipitous canyons and rivers plunging through gorges.

The town itself isn’t much — T-shirt stores here, Mexican restaurants there, motels marking the main drag — but it’s sandwiched between two of our country’s preserved treasures, Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park. These two parks offer some of the best hiking trails and most spectacular views of nature in the world. Delicate Arch, in Arches National Park, is a must-see for visitors of any experience level. The hike is short (two miles), but steep, so get ready to work those calves. The view of Delicate Arch, at the end of the hike, is breathtaking, making any scrambling up the trail’s slick sandstone well worth it.

Experienced hikers, on the other hand, should head to the Syncline Loop at Canyonlands. Why the park is called Canyonlands becomes obvious a few hours into the hike, as sharp red walls rise above the trail and one canyon leads to the next, on
and on. Sometimes you’ll hike through massive round boulders; other times you’ll need to be on the lookout for sharp crags jutting into the trail.

About halfway through the eight-mile hike, you’ll be greeted with the Island in the Sky, a brilliant geological feature offering many photo ops. But no matter what, pay attention to pylons guiding the path and bring lots of water on this trip. (You can thank me later for the water tip, as you make your way to the top of false peak after false peak, trying to get out of the canyons.)

Moab Adventures is a one-stop shop for other extreme activities, including rock climbing, rappelling, canyoneering and rafting on the Colorado River. Trip leaders will bring you to hidden local gems like Corona Arch in your search for outdoor thrills.

The store also rents mountain bikes to ride on nearby Slickrock Trail, a mountain biker’s paradise, hailed as some of the best terrain anywhere for off-road cycling. To call it a trail, though, is a bit deceiving. It’s more like round-topped sandstone hills that grip a mountain bike’s tires. Riding can be strenuous, not to mention dangerous, when you’re riding up and down, up and down, with unending hard slopes under your wheels.

Bald Head Island: A Different Kind of Beach
Escape the boardwalks, chain stores and tattooed tourists with a beach trip to Bald Head Island in North Carolina. A photo of the island’s South Beach, with its long stretches of sand and homes on stilts, make Bald Head look like many other shore destinations on the East Coast. But Bald Head’s special qualities include a diverse natural landscape, tons of outdoor activities and, best of all, no cars. Visitors can rent golf carts and bikes to navigate the island after disembarking from the ferry that leaves from the town of Southport.

Once you’re on island, you can lay low at tranquil South Beach or head to East Beach for larger waves, suitable for surfing and boogie boarding. The island’s country club offers golf, tennis and swimming for the family — but watch out for alligators in nearby bodies of water.

Want to get even closer to nature? Take a stroll through the Maritime Forest Preserve, where beautiful Spanish moss climbs up ancient oaks. Or check in with the Bald Head Island Conservancy and schedule a visit to see endangered loggerhead turtles. The turtles lay their eggs in May and June and the little hatchlings emerge from their shells and waggle their way to the Atlantic in August and September.

Fishing is big on Bald Head Island, and there are lots of ways to do it. The easiest way is to bring your rod to one of the beaches and surf fish. You can also charter a boat from one of the outfitters and go searching for the giants of the deep. Or why not rent a kayak or paddleboard and go fishing or crabbing on the marshes around Fishing Creek?

With so much to do, it’s helpful to have a guide. The luxury vacation company Natural Retreats has a host of them. Not only will their people help you nail down accommodations, they have a team on site to take care of all your needs. Natural Retreats runs trips to destinations all over the world, but Bald Head Island is their top trip this summer.

Primland: View from the Treetops
Want to spend a few days living in a luxury treehouse? How about riding a horse or an ATV through verdant pastures? Have you ever contemplated playing 18 holes in the mountains or disc golf in the wilderness? Or just climbing tall trees in the Blue Ridge and stargazing from a mountaintop?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, Primland is the vacation destination for you.

Primland is an eco-friendly luxury resort nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, almost as far south as you can go in Virginia, and it’s the perfect place to take a break from the speed and anxiety of city life.

The resort has been lauded in the Washington Post, Town & Country, Golf Magazine and many other publications — and for good reason. Primland is one of the most dynamic yet secluded resorts in the country. The 12,000-acre resort is well stocked with magnificent mountain views and out-of-the-box outdoor activities. With upgrades to the classic resort offerings, like golf, swimming and spa treatments, this resort provides a country escape both luxurious and contemporary.
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‘All Clear’ Given After False Gunshot Reports at Walter Reed
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Walter Reed National Military Medical Center reopened and resumed regular operations Monday afternoon after being shut down and searched by police for the larger part of the day. Police were there in full force due to reports of a shot fired on the 243-acre medical campus in Bethesda, Md.

Montgomery County Police officials arrived on the scene in force, with dozens of officers and a number of armored vehicles, after receiving a call reporting a single gunshot around 10:48 a.m. Federal agents were also on-site to search for a shooter.

Meanwhile, medical center staff and patients were ordered to shelter in place and all non-emergency appointments were cancelled for the day.

After three hours of searching, MPC tweeted “Walter Reed UPDATE: Police operations are complete, there is no evidence of a firearm discharge. Normal operations expected to resume soon.”

The scene of swarming local and federal police to a military facility based on false reports of gunshots echoed that of the Navy Yard last week. Reports of shots fired there shut down the surrounding area and became national news briefly, before the “All Clear” was given by authorities when search for a shooter failed to come up with any evidence of a shooting.

Georgetown University Joins Big Brands, Other Schools In UN Push for Gender Equality
• June 22, 2015

UN Women, a body designated by the United Nations to support the empowerment of women around the globe, announced Thursday that Georgetown University has joined the HeforShe movement and outlined specific steps the school will take to push for gender equality within its walls and beyond.

A number of other multinational corporations, such as Twitter and Vodafone, as well as international universities, including Oxford and Stony Brook University, have also pledged to forward the movement, launched with a powerful speech from actor Emma Watson on feminism that went viral last year.

According to Time Magazine, Georgetown University President John DeGioia committed to advancing gender equality “through research compiled by Georgetown’s Institute for Women, Peace & Security, which will soon unveil a new study on women’s political participation in ending conflict.” In addition, G.U. recently instituted a new education program on campus to help faculty and students better identify harassment and sexual misconduct.

Georgetown is joining the fold as a part of the UNWomen’s IMPACT 10x10x10 initiative, which engages 10 leaders each from three sectors — public, private and academia — in the organization’s broader push for gender equality. The organization announced the first five leaders from the private sector and academia, respectively, to make commitments to the HeforShe movement earlier this year at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. G.U. was already technically involved in the movement, coordinating with early pledge-taker Tupperware Brands to conduct research on how women’s confidence affects their economic success.

Georgetown and Stony Brook are the only American academic institutions involved in the initiative, with other schools represented hailing from all over the world.

Other commitments made include Barclays’ pledge to provide 2.5 million women around the world with financial programs, Oxford University’s expansion of its “Good Lads” workshops on consent for men on sports teams and in social clubs, and the University of Sao Paolo’s implementation of a zero-tolerance policy in dealing with on-campus violence against women. (The University of Buenos Aires and the Autonomous University of Mexico have joined the University of Sao Paolo’s efforts.)

UN Women and HeforShe have yet to announce commitments from 10 public sector leaders that would further gender equality.

Dave Chappelle Electrifies Duke Ellington Commencement
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D.C. native Dave Chappelle created and ran one of the best, funniest shows on TV for a few years there in the early aughts. Then he disappeared.

Sure, the 41-year-old comedian emerged from exile, putting on stand-up shows here and there, getting booed in Connecticut, and popping up every so often on TV or online for special occasions. But for many in the ever-distracting Internet age, he’s long gone, remembered as the man behind uproarious, politically incorrect skits that brought us “Black Bush,” hilarious takes on Rick James, Prince, Lil’ Jon, Wayne Brady and countless others, and, of course, the “Racial Draft.”

For one sweltering Sunday, Chappelle was back, bringing some of that magic from his old show with him for a speech at Duke Ellington’s commencement ceremony at George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium and an interview with the Washington Post.

Chapelle harked back to the “Racial Draft” when discussing the absurdity of Rachel Dolezal posing as black, quipping that black people “would take her all day, right?” (He told the Post after the speech: “I’m probably not going to do any jokes about her or any references to her for awhile ’cause that’s going to be a lot of comedians doing a lot.”)

He also tried to shine some light on the booing incidents that seem to have plagued his one-off shows, saying, “They said I got booed off stage on TMZ. I got booed, but I didn’t leave. I was contracted to do an hour and that’s exactly what I did. And then a few people got mad and said, ‘We want our money back!’ And I said hell no! I’m Evel Knievel. I get paid for the attempt.”

Other highlights include Chappelle knocking on algebra (saying he didn’t need to use it even though he has “millions of dollars”), quipping, “You don’t need to be smart because the Internet,” and arguing his life now is “happier,” “rounder,” and “fuller” than when he was working on his Comedy Central show.

He harked back to his time at Duke Ellington School, saying he attended the high school to learn how to act – so that he could ultimately be a comedian. He also told a story about almost not graduating from his alma mater because of overdue library books.

He says he has a “few things I filmed I’ve been sitting on” but gave the sense that they wouldn’t see the light of day anytime soon. If only they would – and turn out anything like Chappelle’s return to Washington on Sunday – Chappelle’s legacy could be something bigger than “Chappelle’s Show.” For now though, all fans can do is sit and wait for the legendary comedian’s broader return to form.

Who Lives Here: Nora and Allison
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Restaurant Nora has long been a staple of the D.C. food scene, visited by a number of presidents and dignitaries — the Obamas dined there for Michelle’s birthday in 2010 — not to mention foodies. Vienna-born Nora Pouillon is the chef behind the restaurant, and a Georgetown resident to boot. She led the organic food movement by opening the first certified-organic restaurant in the country, where she has hosted numerous national movers and shakers not far from Dupont Circle. Now Pouillon has released a book, “My Organic Life,” a memoir with the subtitle: “How a Pioneering Chef Helped Shape the Way We Eat Today.”

Pouillon lives in a unique pink, modern house on Reservoir Road between 32nd Street and Wisconsin Avenue, though she says the architect was forbidden from building in Georgetown again after unveiling the place, which she describes as in the style “Old Miami.” She moved to Georgetown 19 years ago from Adams Morgan, and despite being apprehensive prior to the move, admits that she now loves the neighborhood, saying its strongest attribute is its “mix of commercial and residential.”

Georgetowners can catch her out walking through Dumbarton Oaks or along the canal, window-shopping on Wisconsin Avenue and M Street — her favorite stores are Hu’s and Hu’s Shoes — exercising at the Four Seasons, or during cooler months, ice skating along the riverfront. She’s also been known to patronize Malmaison, which she calls underrated; Chez Billy Sud; the Grill Room at Capella; and when her namesake restaurant is out of a necessary ingredient, the farmers’ market across from Safeway. She professes love for nearly all things Georgetown. However she is not “a cupcake person,” preferring “salty and spicy” tastes to sugary.

Allison Silberberg doesn’t live here, residing instead in the Parkfairfax neighborhood of Alexandria, but she is a longtime Georgetown Senior Center supporter and served as president of the board from 2010 to 2012. On June 8, Silberberg won the Democratic primary for mayor of Alexandria. Currently vice mayor of Alexandria, she defeated sitting mayor Bill Euille, who has held the position since 2003. She also beat former mayor Kerry Donley, whose campaign called for aggressive development throughout the city.

Many observers expected Euille to easily fend off his challengers, but he and Silberberg were neck and neck as precincts reported in. Far outspent, Silberberg nonetheless ended up winning by 321 votes. The Washington Post attributed her win to her “warm and personable” nature and opposition to development in Old Town and elsewhere.

Some of Euille’s supporters are calling on him to campaign as a write-in candidate during the general election, but the party has warned against the move, saying they will put their full weight behind primary voters’ chosen ticket. [gallery ids="102107,133845" nav="thumbs"]

Georgetown University Professor Sentenced to Death in Egypt
• June 12, 2015

Public policy professor Emad Shahin has been sentenced to death in Egypt along with 35 others on charges of espionage. Luckily for him, he’s safe in Washington, acting as a visiting professor at Georgetown University.

The death sentences, which Shahin called “unprecedented,” were handed down by the Cairo Criminal Court in response to criticism of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, who rose to power in July 2013 in a military coup.

Shahin said he first heard of the charges being weighed against him through a stranger’s message over Facebook. Shahin was roped into the espionage case because he was cc’ed on a number of emails that the court claims discussed undermining Egyptian power with agents of Hamas and Iranian nationals.

The professor left Egypt in January 2014 and maintains his innocence. Shahin told Vice News, “The judicial context and the political environment in general is not conducive to a fair trial and due process [in Egypt].” Shahin argued that Sisi is “treating Egypt as an extension of the army and not the other way around.” He also said the trial are a “sham” and that Sisi’s reign resembles that of Hosni Mubarak or Saddam Hussein.

The Cairo Criminal Court proceedings have also been called into question by the U.S. State Department and Amnesty International, among other foreign policy players. Unsurprisingly, the Egyptian government has defended the trials as fair and called international criticism “an unacceptable intrusion into the work of the Egyptian judicial system.”

Shahin plans to take on the role of activist at the end of this semester. “I wanted to be viewed as an academic and scholar solely but this is too much,” he told Vice, adding, “they are acting on their madness so they have to be stopped, that’s what I am trying to do.”

‘Flashback’: 40 Years of D.C. Pride
• June 4, 2015

Pride in Washington has come a long way since local gay activists put together a one-time event to promote and celebrate lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender identity in 1972.
Those organizers pushed the boundaries in an age when gay sex was illegal and gay federal employees were fired for being gay — based on rationale that they were “perverts,” and therefore, security risks. They likely couldn’t have imagined the strides our country, or the world, would make with gay rights over the next 40 years.

But the purpose of the event hasn’t changed. “Every Pride is someone’s first Pride. When it’s your first Pride and you’re just coming out, you really need that mix of the political and celebratory,” says Chip Lewis, Capital Pride’s communications director.

Over the decades, however, a small demonstration has evolved into a spectacular slew of events drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors — not to mention hefty corporate sponsorships from mainstream companies and participation by traditionally conservative groups like the Boy Scouts of America.

Pride became an annual event in Washington starting in 1975, first led by community leaders like Deacon Maccubbin. For several years, LGBT-centric organizations like Whitman-Walker organized the event. In 2008, volunteers formed the Capital Pride Alliance to keep Pride traditions alive, as Whitman-Walker struggled financially.

Since its founding, Capital Pride has done more than just continue Washington’s lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender traditions. The organization and its volunteers have ushered in a new era of Pride in the District marked by broader attendance, new sponsors, more floats, parties, festival themes and a gala celebrating prominent supporters of gay rights, like this year’s honoree, former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder.

“For me what’s exciting is the continuing growth of excitement and energy around the event and what our community produces for Pride,” says Capital Pride Executive Director Ryan Bos. Chatting about this year’s celebration, his eyes light up, his fingers tap and he twirls the piece of candy in his mouth. (Bos keeps a jar full of Laffy Taffy, Dum Dums and other treats in his office at all times, FYI.)

Bos is particularly pumped for this year’s theme of “Flashback,” laughing as he describes how eager he is to see how the theme “manifests itself at the parade and opening party at Arena Stage.”

Capital Pride is planning for attendance in the hundreds of thousands for this June’s festivities. Parade highlights include color guards from the U.S. military and the Boy Scouts, and floats put on by several local schools and faith-based educational groups. Bos says, “We try to create a place for anyone who wants to participate.”

Lewis, a holdover from Whitman-Walker and the organization’s gay-history buff, notes the changing face of Pride sponsors. Lewis says, “A few years ago, our primary sponsors were beer and vodka companies like Budweiser and Absolut. Now there are a lot more banks.” In addition, Bos points out that Northrup Grumman, a major security and defense company, is sponsoring this year’s events in honor of the repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.”

Some have come to think Pride is just an excuse for massive partying, but Lewis disputes this, “Every time you bring the community together, you want to remind them that even though we’ve made progress, there’s still a lot that needs to be done.” He and Bos mention that transgender issues, LGBT homelessness, bullying, HIV and elderly people returning to the closet in assisted living are issues that still encumber the gay community.

“‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ is the only LGBT issue that has been completely resolved nationwide,” states Lewis. That said, “When you bring people together who live every day under fear of discrimination, and bring them into a safe space, they’re going to want to have fun.”

Both Bos and Lewis see D.C.’s Pride celebrations reaching a larger audience than just the gay community. Bos says Pride in the District has become more than a celebration of gayness. “It’s not ‘I’m gay and I’m proud.’ It’s that ‘I’m happy for whoever you are and whatever you are,’ and there’s no need to label it.”

As for those who haven’t experienced Pride yet, for any number of reasons, Bos says, “Just come watch and you’ll be amazed by the sheer diversity of people in the community who are just excited to be who they are.”

Expanded Sidewalks Are Back for Graduation
• May 21, 2015

This Saturday and Sunday, the Georgetown Business Improvement District will widen sidewalks on the 3300 block of M Street by eight whole feet to accommodate increased foot traffic from Georgetown University and George Washington University graduations. To lessen the sidewalk expansion’s impact on drivers, the BID is offering $5 all-day parking at the PMI parking structure at 3307 M St. NW. Northbound Circulator busses, meanwhile, will offer free rides from K Street up into Georgetown.

BID put a similar plan into work earlier this year to accommodate tourists for the Cherry Blossom Festival and the Georgetown French Market. The business organization also widened the sidewalks for Georgetown University and George Washington University’s overlapping parents’ weekend in the fall.

The widening is a key part of the Georgetown 2028 15-year action plan, which aims improve the business district by modernizing aspects of the historic neighborhood and upgrading how Washingtonians access it.

Bill Clinton to Speak at Georgetown University
• May 11, 2015

Former President (and potential first “first gentleman”) Bill Clinton will speak at Georgetown University Tuesday, April 21, in the third of four lectures he plans to give at the Jesuit institution.

The university stated online: “The lectures examine the framework for a lifetime spent championing an idea espoused by his Georgetown professor Carroll Quigley: that America is the greatest nation in history because our people have always believed in two things — that tomorrow can be better than today and that every one of us has a personal, moral responsibility to make it so.”

The first of the Clinton lectures came in 2013, when the former president spoke on his background and the purpose of service. Clinton returned last year to argue the importance of public policy in a defense of Obamacare. There is no word yet on what Clinton is set to talk about tomorrow but it’s unlikely that he goes to bat for his wife’s presidential campaign – yet. He told Town & Country that his role “should primarily be as a backstage adviser” until the end of the campaign.

Clinton gave a series of talks at Georgetown University in 1991, as well, as he ramped up his own presidential campaign. In those three lectures, Clinton laid out a “New Covenant” on community, the economy and American security.

In a bit of happenstance, Clinton’s former foreign policy ally, ex-British Prime Minister Tony Blair will speak at Georgetown on Thursday, April 23, on “The Global Future of Development.” The university wrote online that his speech continues “a semester-long conversation” on the topic convened by the school’s new Global Futures Initiative, which invites world leaders in the public sector, business, and civil society to engage with the university community around critical issues.

Bill Clinton Speaks at Georgetown University
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Former President (and potential first man) William Jefferson Clinton spoke Tuesday, April 21, at Georgetown University. Clinton’s hour-long speech meandered at times, touching on foreign policy, his time as president and even the Whitewater scandal. The talk, the third of four Georgetown lectures by Clinton taking place over several years, didn’t touch explicitly on his wife’s presidential campaign. (His topic was how Americans have a responsibility to shape the country into a better place than it is today.) Clinton had previously told Town & Country Magazine that his role “should primarily be as a backstage adviser.” On Thursday, April 23, Clinton’s ex-world-leader-buddy, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, will speak at the university at the invitation of Georgetown’s Global Futures Initiative.