Orchids Abloom in Midwinter: 'Orchids: A Cultural Odyssey,' U.S. Botanic Garden

WANT TO ESCAPE the snow and cold plaguing D.C.? Head to the U.S. Botanic Garden for the annual orchid show it puts on with the Smithsonian Institution's Horticultural Services Division to immerse yourself in more than 1,000 colorful blooms and learn about the orchid's history and cultural importance.

Kyle Wallick, a botanist at the Botanic Garden who helped plan the show, said that this year's theme, "Orchids: A Cultural Odyssey," explores how orchids feature in the arts, literature and culture.

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Historical Fiction: Tracy Chevalier, 'Remarkable Creatures'

WHILE MANY AUTHORS write about topics they know something about, Tracy Chevalier chooses to write about what she doesn't. Chevalier, whose 1999 book "Girl With a Pearl Earring" established her reputation as a historical fiction writer, is back with her sixth novel, "Remarkable Creatures," about two women who search for fossils in England in the 19th century. Chevalier, who lived in Takoma and Bethesda until she was 18, discusses her work on Thursday night as part of Smithsonian's Educational and Cultural Programs.

» EXPRESS: What made you decide to tell the story of Mary Anning, a woman who collected fossils on an English beach?
» CHEVALIER: I was interested in telling her story since I was surprised at how young she was when she made some of her discoveries. She was only 12 when she found the first complete specimen of an ichthyosaur. She was an uneducated, working-class girl who did things on instinct and had a good eye for finding things. ... Also, she was struck by lightning and survived. Accounts at the time said she had been very sickly and lethargic before and after she became lively and intelligent.

» EXPRESS: How did you find her story?
» CHEVALIER: I was at the dinosaur museum in Dorchester with my son, and there was a display about her. I had never heard of her before I saw the display.

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Summer Wonderland: 'Hawaii'

ONGOING: We're already tired of all the Christmas-y exhibits. Fake snow, pine trees, sparkly lights, jolly trains — forget about it, we want summer again.

For a taste of warmth that'll probably just make you more upset when you have to leave it, try the Botanic Gardens' "Hawaii" exhibit, where you can glory in tropical plants that don't grow here even in the most beautiful weather.

» U.S. Botanic Gardens, 100 Maryland Ave. SW; permanent, free; 202-225-8333. (Federal Center SW)

Photo by Richard Lipski/The Washington Post

The Plants of Delicious: 'The New Age of Chocolate'

THIS WEEK: The Botanic Garden knows how to draw a crowd: chocolate. Their ongoing exhibit is an attempt to inform the public about sustainable, humane ways of producing chocolate and how to make responsible consumer decisions when it comes to dessert.

» U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW; through Aug. 16, free; 202-225-1116, usbg.gov. (Federal Center SW)

Photo by Katherine Fogden

Green is the New Black: Sustainable Design Expo

MONDAY: Don't miss the last day of the P3: People, Prosperity and the Planet Student Design Competition for Sustainability.

Part of the fifth annual National Sustainable Design Expo, the competition features more than 70 teams demonstrating their plans for alternative energy sources, agricultural applications, green buildings and sustainable water use. It's a chance to see the environmental trendsetters of tomorrow — before they become trendy.

» The National Mall between 3rd St. and 4th St.; Mon., April 20, 12:30 p.m.-5 p.m., free. (Federal Center SW)

Written by Express' Brian Austin
Photo by The Washington Post

All Lit Up: Capitol Christmas Tree

KICK OFF CHRISTMAS with this year's lighting of the Capitol Christmas Tree. Join members of Congress, senators and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi in the traditional ceremony of lighting up the "People's Tree" -- one that's of the people, for the people and by the people, of course.

Hailing from Montana, this 144 year-old, 78-foot fir tree will be decorated with more than 5,000 handmade ornaments and 10,000 LED lights. Chris Gabrielsen, a 4th grader from Montana, won a statewide drawing and will have the honor of flipping the switch to light the tree.

» West Lawn of the U S. Capitol, Tue., Dec. 2, 5 p.m., free; 202-265-0930. (Union Station, Federal Center SW)

Photo courtesy Office of the Architect of the Capitol

But It's So Cute: 'Windows to Wonderland'

GO WINDOW SHOPPING this holiday season with "Windows to Wonderland," at the U.S. Botanic Garden, opening this weekend. The show features miniature Santa's Village and other Christmas-y locales, as well as an adorable seasonal train and, if you overshopped or overslept, it can all be viewed through the museum's windows after closing time. And try to stop yourself from saying, "It's so cuuuute" over and over.

» U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW; through Jan. 4, free; 202-225-8333. (Federal Center)

Written by Express' Jason Koebler
Image courtesy U.S. Botanic Gardens

A Garden of Delights: The U.S. Botanic Garden

SUNLIGHT POURS into the West Gallery of the U.S. Botanic Garden as local chefs and mixologists garnish hors d'oeuvres and cocktails with the freshest seasonal ingredients. Some of the area's hottest chefs are here, serving up beautifully crafted bites for D.C. foodies and locavores alike. They've all come together to celebrate sustainability -- the theme of the USBG's current exhibition, "One Planet, Ours! Sustainability for the 22nd Century."

Thirty-eight organizations are presenting exhibits at the Garden. Some focus on renewable energy, some on green building and some on sustainable food systems. FreshFarm Markets, a group notorious for bridging the gap between field and plate, is represented with a beautiful organic vegetable garden designed by local farmers Zachariah Lester and Georgia O'Neal of Tree and Leaf Farms in Purcellville, Va.

FreshFarm co-hosts Thursday's reception, one of its many events that bring members of the community together to taste, talk and spread ideas. Co-director Ann Yonkers says this is what farmers' markets have always been about.

"Historically, the marketplace was always the meeting place for any town," Yonkers explains as she walks me through the USBG exhibit. "Markets have always been at the center of any civilization, and farmers markets in the U.S. are bringing back the qualities of ancient marketplaces."

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LBJ, Ike to Be Memorial Neighbors in Southwest

FEDERAL BUILDING NO. 6: If you've driven by it on Independence Avenue across from the Air and Space Museum, you probably don't remember it — it blends all too well into the blandness that is Federal Center SW.

The building, which houses the Education Department, has now been officially named in honor of former President Lyndon Johnson, who doesn't enjoy too much recognition in the nation's capital besides a memorial grove off the George Washington Memorial Parkway and a room in the Senate where cots were rolled out during this summer's all-night session on the Iraq war.

But Johnson will have to share the neighborhood with another president, Dwight D. Eisenhower. A planned memorial will eventually rise from the plaza outside, where Maryland Avenue meets Independence Avenue at 4th Street SW.

The LJB-Ike pairing is a telling bipartisan throwback in our bitterly divided capital. When Eisenhower, a Republican, was president, he often found that working with Johnson, the Democratic Senate majority leader, to be far easier than with the Republican minority leader.

» "Department of Education Building Renamed to Honor Lyndon Baines Johnson at Ceremony in Washington, D.C." [DOE]
» "It's Time to Build a National Memorial to Dwight D. Eisenhower" [Eisenhower Mem'l Commission]

You Can Drink Near Van Dorn St., But Not Cheverly

THREE MEN IN LONDON recently completed a liver-quivering task: a pub crawl featuring stops at all 275 stations on the British capital's Underground rail network. That's not 275 stations in one trip, mind you — it took place over five years. It's still quite the feat, though. And too many pints to count...

Since our Metrorail only has 86 stations, it'd be much easier to do a D.C. subway pub crawl, right? Not exactly. While stations like Gallery Place-Chinatown, Clarendon and Bethesda have plenty of options to choose from, there are some stations that aren't known for being hubs of nightlife — they're better places to park a car than to throw back a pint.

So we used our very own Metro Links mapping tool to see whether there are drinks to be had near some of Metro's outlying stations.

» VAN DORN STREET: Yes, sort of, but you have to walk over the CSX tracks to Pickett Street. Options include Shenandoah Brewing Company (you make your own beer) and Nick's Nightclub ("a well-known spot for county music and line dancing").
» CHEVERLY: No.
» GREENBELT: No, but wait a few years.
» EAST FALLS CHURCH: Well, sort of. You just have to walk 10-15 minutes into Falls Church.
» FORT TOTTEN: An emphatic no.
» DUNN LORING-MERRIFIELD: Yes! There's a Shark Club billiards location nearby. Who knew?
» FEDERAL CENTER SW: Yes. The hotel bar at the Holiday Inn called 21st Amendment Bar & Grill. (We've actually been there. It's the crown jewel of the neighborhood.)

» "Five-Year Pub Crawl Tours Entire Tube" [This Is Local London via Londonist]
» "MetroLinks" [Express]