The sun sets and all kinds of good things start happening -- like the Moonrise Festival in Baltimore, set for the weekend of June 8-9. 

Did you watch the 2012 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and notice a slightly askew Mickey Mouse-look-alike floating around? Figure out what's behind this mysterious character, COMPANION, with a little help from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. 

Admission to the park is $50 per adult and $40 for children (minimum age: 7).

If you know anything about Loudoun County wineries, you know that Quattro Goomba's Winery (2860 James Monroe Highway, Aldie) is the place to be for great live music. 

Explore future design and innovation from across the globe during the D.C. International Design Festival, open throughout May 19 at the Artisphere (1101 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Va.).

The ,4000-square-foot exhibit The Next Wave: Industrial Design Innovation of the 21st Century features innovations from Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy and the U.S. Hundreds of objects will be on display including housewares to textiles to furniture and tools. 

If you make your way to Maryland's Eastern Shore soon, you just might find yourself in the realms of a pork nirvana.  

 As you meander along Old Dominion Drive in Mclean, Va., you can practically smell the wealth in the air. No, wait, that's the flowers.

Mehr Bro's Flowers (7166 Old Dominion Drive) is an unassuming outdoor flower stand, nearly hidden among the many chateaus that surround it. 

The flower shop was started in 1951 by Stanley Mehr and his brother, Seymour. Stanley, who passed away this January at the age of 94, used to travel the globe as a USDA employee.

It may surprise you that The Winery at La Grange (4970 Antioch Road, Haymarket, Va.) uses oak barrels made from trees at the Manassass Battlefield. Another surprise that might be in store for you: the Benoni ghost. 

The mansion that served as the exterior inspiration for Disney's Haunted Mansion ride is located just an hour away in Baltimore, and -- although it kinda pains us to say it -- it offers visitors a far more enriching experience than the popular Disney experience.

Tucked away between the campuses of the College of Notre Dame and Loyola College sits the magnificent former home of railroad tycoon John W. Garrett. The Garrett family's gorgeous, 48-room estate -- complete with 23-karat gold-plated bathrooms and a theater painted by an iconic Russian artist -- was designed in classic Italianate style to reflect their  eclectic cultural interests.

The home also features a bowling alley and gymnasium, as well as a red Asian room displaying Chinese and Japanese artifacts the family collected throughout their travels overseas.

Since being acquired by Johns Hopkins University in 1942, the 19th-century mansion has been transformed into Evergreen Museum (4545 N. Charles St., Baltimore), an exquisite venue featuring a wide-ranging collection of fine and decorative arts including paintings by Picasso, Modigliani and Degas, as well as a library with nearly 30,000 rare books and manuscripts on display.

The mansion is surrounded by 26 acres of Italian-inspired horticulture, through which guests are encouraged to wander. The estate is also home to the famed Bakst Theater, which often hosts concerts, films and lectures.

Evergreen is open to visitors Tuesday-Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. The exhibitions and collections can only be viewed via a guided tour, which is offered hourly.

Museum admission is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors, and $5 for students.

Starting this month, the museum will feature an exhibit entitled Herbert Hasetine: Sculptor of the Modern Age. Hasetine, a renowned American sculptor, was a close friend of the Garrett family and contributed several works to their private collection, which are on display in the mansion's main library until May 26.

A year and a half ago, the site of what's now Cana Vineyards (38600 John Mosby Highway, Middleburg, Va.) was just a hay farm. Now it's a blossoming winery with one of the best views of the Bull Run Mountains. 

Cana -- which opened its doors this past September -- is a developing winery with only a few months under its belt.  Since their own vines need time to mature, the 2011 vintage was made with grapes purchased from four other Loudoun County vineyards.

Cana is located about 40 minutes from downtown D.C. 

The National Park Service says it's considering expanding an overnight lodging program in the Chesapeake & Ohio National Historical Park.

The agency is holding public meetings Tuesday night in Potomac and Thursday night in Hancock to discuss the program.

Since 2009, the NPS and the nonprofit C&O Canal Trust have offered six lockhouses along the canal for overnight stays. The NPS honored the program with a national award in 2011.

Park Superintendent Kevin Brandt says he wants to hear ideas from the public on ways to expand the program to other canal buildings.

Women in the military have have flown F-15s over combat zones and nursed soldiers back to health, and recently won the right to fight in combat -- but they still only make up about 20 percent of the U.S. military.

The Virginia War Museum (9285 Warwick Blvd., Newport News, Va.) puts the spotlight on these brave women of war with five films throughout March. All films start at 1 p.m. and are free with general admission ($6; free for kids under seven).

While there, browse exhibits such as "America and War," which houses artifacts from World War II, such as a U.S. pilot's blood chit (a document carried by a soldier, usually aircraft personnel, that provides identification for a downed flyer).

The museum also offers an educational program for students. Programs offered include American Revolution, the Holocaust and the Vietnam War.
 
Women's History Month Film Festival schedule:

March 16: "V for Victory: Women at War"

March 23: "Top Secret Rosies: The Female Computers of WWII"

March 30: "The Forgotten Grave: Women Soldiers of the American Civil War"

The Virginia War Museum is about three hours south of downtown D.C. and is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to  5 p.m.

ALSO in the Newport News area: Shamrock Party on O'Plaza, March 16

Mount Vernon is known for re-creating the lifestyle of George Washington, but starting next month, you'll also be able to see a very presidential libation being produced. 

A visit to the Simeone Automotive Museum just might redefine the term "sports car" in your mind. Take, for instance, the 1909 American Underslung with 40-inch wheels.

Yes, you read that right. Forty. Inch. Wheels.

The museum (6825-31 Norwich Drive, Philadelphia) houses roughly 60+ different exotic sports cars in rotating exhibits, spanning 10 decades. Frederick A. Simeone chose each car for display with a purpose in mind: to illustrate the evolution of the automobile. See how competition in the industry caused cars to evolve in the early 20th century.

Even car enthusiast Jay Leno has visited the museum, where he got to test drive a few cars -- including a 1933 Squire Roadster, a duPont Le Mans replica and a 1952 Cunningham C4R.

Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesdays through Fridays, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends. Admission is $12. 

A trip to Geppi's Entertainment Museum (301 W Camden St., Baltimore) will have you reminiscing about decades of American pop culture.

The world's largest and longest-running indoor flower show will transform the Pennsylvania Convention Center with an early taste of spring.

This year at the Philadelphia Flower Show (March 2-10), see stunning displays inspired by the iconic beauty of Great Britain's most illustrious gardens.

The British invasion, aptly named "Brilliant," will feature more than 140 retail vendors, a myriad of wine and food samples, and floral and garden experts from around the globe. Attendees will be immersed in every element of British horticulture through elaborate, contemporary exhibits ranging from royal palaces and quaint hillside cottages to the eclectic Mad Hatter's tea party and the ominous streetscapes of Jack the Ripper.

You can also learn about aspects of gardening such as urban vegetable plotting, woodland settings and formal gardens with water features.

The new Hamilton Horticourt will display individual plants under an LED lighting system designed to illuminate the most prominent features of the new species of coleus, petunia and primula. 

You'll also see a glowing display of Big Ben Plaza complete with various music and images projected onto the clock tower and plaza every hour.

General admission tickets and premium ticket packages for the flower show are available here. All proceeds from the show, including tickets and sponsorship contributions, go towards the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and its urban greening programs.

The flower show attracts nearly 300,000 visitors annually, so accommodations will be in high demand throughout the nine-day event, which includes two Saturdays.

One of the most convenient options is the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown Hotel, which is attached to the convention center. The Marriott is offering a special "Stop and Smell the Roses" package with rooms ranging from $238 to $310 per night.

Another convenient option is the four-diamond Lowes Philadelphia across the street from the convention center. Lowes will be offering a nightly happy hour and live jazz music throughout the week. Rooms are $249 per night with breakfast included.

The chocolate craze begins in Fairfax this Thursday. Feb. 28, as the  2013 Chocolate Lovers' Festival gets under way... with chicken?

Actually, yes.

Make a trip to the Chic-fil-A at 9509 Fairfax Blvd. in Fairfax, Va., and mention the Chocolate Lovers' Festival when you place an order. Chic-fil-A will donate 20 percent of the purchase to the festival's grant program to help local shelters, senior centers and the Fairfax Fire Department. 

Our visit to Veramar Vineyard in Berryville, Va. left us wondering if we'd just had the best Riesling in all the land. So we decided to test our luck and travel to its sister vineyard, Bogati Vineyard in Round Hill, Va. - where we fell in love with their wine and small bites tasting. It was a good day. 

It isn't often that we stumble upon great wine (Veramar Vineyards) and also find a winery with such a creative infusion of Argentine-style wine tastings like Bogati's. We might also like (OK, love) the fact that both vineyards have classic tastings for $7 that include eight wines each.

Tip: try the wine and chocolate ($16) or the wine and small bites ($20) tasting at Bogati for a more interactive tasting experience. 

Veramar Vineyard has rolling hills, ponds and spacious acreage that's perfect for summer picnics, outdoor movie nights and, let's not forget, some of the best wine we've tasted. These two vineyards are both family owned; Delia Bogaty, vice president Veramar Vineyards, said owning two vineyards "is a lifestyle choice to keep the family legacy of wine making for generations to come." If they make it past three generations, she intimated, the Bogaty family is here to stay. 

While some restaurant weeks seem to entail a lot of travel (hello, Baltimore, we're looking at you), National Harbor, Md., is only minutes away from both downtown D.C and Northern Virginia.

With several retail stores and a 300-acre waterfront, the restaurant scene is a welcome addition.

National Harbor Restaurant "Week" begins March 4 and runs through March 17 -- yes, that's more like 13 days, but who's counting? Participating spots including Rosa Mexicana, Thai Pavilion and Ketchup, offering three-course meal for $20.13 (lunch) and $35.13 (dinner).

National Harbor is accessible from I-95 and I-295 and by water taxi from Georgetown, Mount Vernon and Old Town Alexandria.

Check out the full list of participating restaurants here.

Sipping on Pinot Grigio and enjoying a three-course meal for only $15.95 on the Maryland waterfront happens but once per year: during Annapolis Restaurant Week.

The weeklong event kicks off Feb. 25 and runs through March 3, as 41 restaurants in the greater and historic Annapolis region offer dining deals.

This year, breakfast has been added to the menu at some restaurants, including as Miss Shirley’s Café and Lounge. Two-course prix-fixe breakfasts are $12.95, three-course lunches are $15.95 and three-course dinners are $32.95.

Participating spots include lemongrass, Buddy’s Crabs & Ribs, and Galway Bay. See the full list here.

Parking problems? Take the the free City Circulator between participating restaurants and designated stops that include four parking garages.

He would be 281 years old -- but George Washington's birthday isn't just something you stop celebrating.

The annual George Washington Birthday Celebration Parade will meander through the streets of Old Town Alexandria for the 90th time this Presidents Day, Feb. 18.

The parade begins at 1 p.m. at the intersection of S. Fairfax and S. Gibbon streets in Old Town Alexandria. The route runs north, around Market Square and City Hall, before ending on S. Royal and S. Wilkes streets at 3 p.m.

The celebration features traditional parade fare, such as floats and bands, alongside horses and people dressed as colonial citizens. It touts itself as "the largest parade celebrating Washington's birthday" in the country.

Washington -- whose birthday was actually Feb. 22 -- was born in Virginia in 1732.

Alexandria is also offering free admission to several historic sites, including museums and Washington's Mount Vernon estate.

People who want to attend can park at a garage near the parade route. Alternatively, the free King Street Trolley will run from the King Street-Old Town Metro station until 11 p.m.

You can also park for free all day at the Eisenhower Metro Station. Starting at 11, you can take a free DASH shuttle from the station to Prince and Washington Streets in Old Town Alexandria. Shuttles returning to the Eisenhower Metro will run until 4 p.m.

If you're looking for snow near the D.C. metro region, you may not find it... but Oakland, Md., has plenty of it, along with a weekend-long Winterfest to boot.

We know that wine is the focal point -- but the building that Early Mountain Vineyards (6109 Wolftown-Hood Road, Madison, Va.) calls home is one of the few, if not only, wineries we've been to with such a vast selection of modern facilities.  

Take your love bug to any of the dozen local Kimpton Hotels to take advantage of their "Take it Off for Love" rates. The more nights you stay, the bigger the discount. 

The British are coming! The British are coming!... to Alexandria, anyway.

Next weekend, a head-to-head battle re-enactment will honor the birthday of Revolutionary War General George Washington.

Watch as the Hessians (German soldiers hired by the British) and the British Army try to take control over the American Continental Army during this all-day battle for independence on Feb. 17.

It's just one part of a city-wide celebration for George Washington's birthday. Visitors can check out military drills, fife and drum music, camp cooking and cannon firings. rhe Regimental surgeon will also be discussing Continental Army medicine and will show you 18th-century surgical instruments (we think we're more scared of that than anything). 

• 10 a.m. -- Troop formation and inspection

• 10:30 a.m. -- Rifle demonstrations

• 11:30 a.m. -- Cannon demonstration

• 1:30 p.m. -- Parade around the park

• 2 p.m. -- Battle begins

• 3 p.m. -- Camp demonstrations

The B&O Railroad Museum (901 W. Pratt St., Baltimore) is gearing up to celebrate Black History Month with a new exhibit detailing the contributions of African Americans in the railroad industry.

Througout February, you can learn about passenger travel during the segregation era and find out more on the lives of the men and women who filled vital jobs in railroading.

And while you're there, make sure you check out the museum's primary attraction for the next three years, "The War Came by Train."

Just as the railroad's role changed throughout the Civil War, so are the artifacts on display. Year by year, the museum is switching out the military and personal artifacts each year of the war, 150 years later.

Some have never been on public display before. You'll be able to see textiles, lanterns, dining car china, communication devices, and the largest collection of Civil War-era equipment in the world, including locomotives and railcars.

Of course, a trip to a railroad museum wouldn't be complete without an actual train ride, right? Hop aboard a narrated, round-trip train ride to Mount Clare Mansion and Camp Carroll, the largest Union encampment in Baltimore.

The museum is open Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-4 p.m and Sun. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. The B&O Railroad Museum is located about 60 minutes from downtown D.C. Admission: $16 adults; $10 kids.

Sometimes you need to work together to create something great. That's why The Port of Leonardtown Winery (23190 Newtowne Neck Road Leonardtown Md.) infuses 14 different vineyards to create the best wine that Southern Maryland has to offer. 

Located in Leonardtown, Md., a town known for its national oyster shucking contests, the Port of Leonardtown winery may be small and easily missed along the road - but we're certain the quality of the wine is what you'll miss.  

Tastings are $5 and includes six wines and you get to keep the glass.

A worthwhile event this month could be the Chill Out with Chili event January 26 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. You'll taste a bowl of Chef Loic’s local bison chili, a square of cornbread and your choice of either a glass of wine or a tasting flight of wine. Cost is only $10 if you call ahead. 

Hours are noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday and noon to 9 p.m. on the first Friday of every month. Leonardtown is about 90 minutes from downtown D.C. 

"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" has long been (probably mis-)attributed to Ben Franklin -- but there's evidence of that statement's truth via the heavenly brews at Church Brew Works (3525 Liberty Ave. Pittsburgh, Pa.). Let us bow our heads. 

MORE FUN IN PITTSBURGH:

• Big Mac Museum: Yes, Really
• Don't Call It a Cable Car
• Andy Warhol: Way More Than 15 Minutes of Fame

With snow on the ground and more in the forecast, it's pretty much perfect weather to watch some athletes on the ice. The U.S. Junior National Short-Track Speedskating Championship is set for Jan. 25-27 at the Prince William Ice Center (5180 Dale Blvd., Woodbridge, Va.).

The speed skating competition will bring together about 75 skaters ranging in age from 13 to 19 -- many of whom have already qualified for an invitation to the U.S. Olympic trials in September.

In Woodbridge, they'll be vying for one of eight spots at the World Junior Short-Track Championship in very chilly Poland.  The event is free to spectators.

Not sure you want to brave the cold celebrating Chinese New Year in downtown D.C.? Take a quick road trip north for an indoor bash to welcome the Year of the Snake at Walters Art Museum (600 N. Charles St., Baltimore).

On Sunday, Feb. 10 from noon to 3 p.m., you can watch traditional New Year's dance performances by the Johns Hopkins University Lion Dance Troupe, the Baltimore Chinese School and more; create your own snake art, calligraphy, and red money envelope; and view works of art depicting the attributes of the Year of the Snake (long life, security, intellect, intuition).

Walters Art Museum is located about an hour north of D.C. and is open Wed.-Sun., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. General admission is free.

If there's anywhere else to find a guinea pig-a-thon -- where your guinea pig can get a glamour shot photo session and enter a costume contest -- we haven't heard of it.

You'll find this spectacular event at the 12th annual World of Pets Expo (Maryland State Fairgrounds, 2200 York Road, Timonium, Md.) coming up Jan. 25-27.

Other than the guinea pig stuff (which, let's face it, is totally the reason you're going), you'll also find pet education classes, live bird shows, dog agility trials and even a cat activity contest... although, good  luck getting your cat to do anything on command.

Some of the country's leading pet experts will be on-hand to offer advice, along with seminars and demonstrations. The little ones (kids, not pets) will enjoy a petting zoo, rainforest experience and the parade of breeds.

You can also bring your own (well-behaved) pet as long as it's on a leash -- but dogs won't be permitted in cat areas, as entertaining as that might be.

Look, it's easy to be distracted in Vegas. Gambling, cocktails, shows, more gambling, more cocktails... we hear you. So if you didn't get the time to swing by the spectacular "Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition" at the Luxor Hotel and Casino, we understand.

But hey, it's nothing that a little road trip won't cure.

"Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition" is now open at the Franklin Institute (222 N 20th St., Philadelphia), showcasing more than 300 items pulled from the Titanic's ocean-floor debris field, including personal items, luggage, furniture, and china stamped with the White Star Line logo.

Travel through re-created state rooms and past a full-size replica of the Grand Staircase, touch a chilling "iceberg" (real ice) on the deck, listen to distress calls, and view personal items as you carry along your own boarding pass, bearing the name of a passenger on the ship. At the end, you'll learn the fate of your passenger.

From the website: The 15,000-square-foot exhibition takes visitors on a chronological journey through the life of Titanic, from the building of the legend to life on board. The Exhibition has been designed with a focus on the compelling human stories as best told through authentic artifacts and extensive room re-creations.

The exhibition is at the Franklin Institute through March 5, about a three-hour drive from downtown D.C. Hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday-Wednesday (last admission 3:30) and 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursday - Saturday (last admission 7:30). Tickets are $29/adults and $22/kids age 3-11.

Howard County Restaurant Weeks are quite possibly the reason why the phrase "But wait! There's more" was invented.

After all, D.C., Alexandria, Bethesda, et al, generally only have one week to call their own.

Running a full 15 days (Jan. 14-28), Howard County's event offers discounted bites at more than two dozen restaurants, including The Melting Pot, Ranazul Tapas.Wine.Bistro, Victoria Gastro Pub and Bistro Blanc. (See all here.)

Prix fixe menus for lunch and dinner range from from $10.13 to $40.13. Resersations are recommended.

Spend New Years in the mountains and wake fresh (we hope) with your first hike of 2013 at Black Water Falls State Park.

On Dec. 31, Blackwater Falls Lodge (1584 Blackwater Lodge Road, Davis, W.V.) will celebrate 2013 with a dinner buffet, live music, champagne toasts and even a chaperoned youth party. Best of all, it's situated in the rolling hills of the Canaan Valley, a top-notch ski destination.

To start the new year off right, take the first day hike at Black Water Falls to Lindy Point. While most of the three-mile trek will be walking, you may do well to bring along some snowshoes -- the snow may be deep in certain areas.

An overnight stay, dancing, dinner and breakfast is $200 per couple. Dinner and dance only is $70.40 per couple with the dinner/entertainment for kids at $20 each.

For reservations for both lodging and the hike, call 304-259-5216 Black Water Lodge and Falls is about three hours from downtown D.C.