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D.C. By the Dozen
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Tip: The restrooms aren't in the best shape, especially later in the day. You might want to make a pit stop before you pull into the park.
MASON NECK NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE 7603 High Point Rd., Lorton. 703-490-4979.http:/
JUNE: All That Jazz
Nobody is gonna answer the phone if you call during the day. The shutters will be closed if you walk by before the appointed hour. HR-57 doesn't go out of its way to pull you inside, but maybe that's the point: You have to sort of know. And it's worth knowing, especially if you're into jazz. (Or if you're looking to impress a date with pseudo-sophistication.) This nonprofit jazz house is the antithesis of those haughty table-service-type places. Brick walls, low couches, shabby chairs and not a waitress in sight. At the front, a set of musicians makes you feel like you found a wormhole to a different city, a different decade. Someplace cooler, a time with more verve.
On Wednesdays and Thursdays, musicians from around town and beyond show up for jam sessions. On Fridays and Saturdays, the club, named for a congressional resolution designating jazz a "rare and valuable national American treasure," plays host to polished quartets.
Tip: HR-57 is BYOB. So bring a bottle of whatever, but plan on paying a $3 corking fee per person. The staff will sell you wine and beer by the glass if you forget your own.
HR-57 1610 14th St. NW. 202-667-3700.http:/
JULY: Behind Closed Doors
You've driven by and seen folks working out, Rocky-style, on the front steps. Or walked past and glanced up at the hulking sphinxes perched over 16th Street. It's imposing. A little spooky. And they'd love for you to drop by for a quick visit.
Seriously. Though it might not be that quick. Every weekday, the Temple of the Scottish Rite opens its doors to visitors, in part to dispel that sheen of spookiness. The fact that there are two dudes buried in its walls might not help that agenda, but it's certainly a tour highlight.
Actually, the whole thing is pretty fascinating. Designed by John Russell Pope (who did a few other buildings in town, including the Jefferson Memorial and the West Building of the National Gallery of Art), the temple dates to 1915 and is the headquarters of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry's Southern Jurisdiction. The grand meeting rooms are impressive, as are the libraries and the ornate hieroglyphics in the lobby. But before you over-think that last part, the guides (often interns from local colleges) will assure you that there's no real significance to the Egyptian decor. That was Pope's doing.
The best part is the breezy explanation of Freemasonry, a centuries-old fraternal organization with millions of members around the world. Conspiracy theorists will still conspire, but these folks will tell you their whole mission is to make members into better men.
Look closely at those sphinxes, by the way. One's eyes are wide open; the other's are half closed. That's "Power" and "Wisdom," respectively.
Tip: Call ahead. It's not super busy, so docents aren't always plentiful. One day there was a note on the door saying the guide had gone home sick. It's worth your time to give them a heads-up that you're coming.
