TRAVEL Greenandgrand innation’s capital

BY FRITZHAHN

The National Arboretum is a placefull of contradictions. It was established byCongressin 1927 aspart ofthe U.S.Agriculture Department“for purposesof research andeducation concerning tree and plant life.” Ninety-five yearslater, scientistsstill work inits greenhousesand open fields,while generationsof Washingtonianshave adopteditas a government-owned city park, a place to situndertrees with friendsortake kids to ride bikes.

At446 acres,it’s oneof Washington’s largest green spaces,butit’s cut off from the city bymultilane commuter routeson two sides,andthe Anacostia Riveronanother. It regularly turnsup on listicles for“D.C. hidden gems,”butthe National Capitol Columns, whichwere featuredonthe East Portico oftheCapitol from 1828 to 1958and were placedin thearboretumin 1990 are includedin justabout every

“MostInstagrammableplaces in D.C.” roundup online. And yes,the columnsarea wondrousthing: Evocative of the ruinsof an ancient temple, placedinthewildEllipse Meadow theymakea stunning and popularbackdropforphoto shoots.Butthere’s somuch more to see atthearboretum than oldsandstone. When warmer weather returnsinthespring,itwill bringthebloomingofmagnolias, dogwoods, cherries and azaleas.Thefacility itself remainsaffectedbythe coronavirus the NationalBonsai & PenjingMuseumis temporarilycloseduntilatleast April,asisthebucolic Fern

Valley, where thepathways are too narrow for social distancing —buthorticulturistsandthe Friendsofthe NationalArboretum offersuggestionson what to explore inthefuture.

TheAsianCollections

Occupyingtheeasternmost edge ofthearboretum,the AsianCollections fill a scenic landscapethatslopesdown toward theAnacostiaRiver. Gravel paths andstonesteps windpastvalleysofshrubs and evergreens,leading toterraces withpeacefulbencheswhere you canpauseandadmire the viewsof flower-coveredhillsides as wellastheriver It’s one ofthemore romantic sections ofthearboretum. Differentsectionsare namedfortheplants’ countries oforigin Japanese Woodland KoreanHillside,China Valley stitched together harmoniouslyas you navigate thetrails,which canbe twisting andsteep. A highlightis a Chinese-stylepagoda,which looks out overtheChineseandAsian valleys,andcanalsobebusy with groupstaking photos. Atthe end of thetrailclosest to theparking lotis a glenof chainsare

Attheendoflast year, the Tahoe region receiveda record-breaking 212inches ofsnow. Luckily, ourfamily and friends gotinandout between twoepic stormsin mid-December. Someof us snowboarded, elatedatthe stunningvistas,some ofus satin the hot tubafter scrapingsnowoff its cover and oneof us surviveda plunge into the watersof Lake Tahoe. Our youngestfell 8feet through a gapbetweena pierandanadjacentramp.

Thesmallopening was hidden bysnow.Sheswam afew strokesintheicy waterbeforerealizingshe could touchthebottom. Luckily, she wasunhurt and embracedthe experienceas anadventure.But theincident was an effectivemetaphorforthedangersthat snow can conceal. Tahoe,which straddles theborderbetweenCaliforniaand Nevada, isa premierwinterdestination.

Famously home to the 1960 Winter Olympics,itboasts acrystallinealpinelake surroundedbydramatic mountains. “Tahoeis oneof the most beautiful fun placesonthe planet,”says DavidReichel, executive directoroftheSierra AvalancheCenter.Buthe’s quick to addacaveat. “Any placewithsnowand mountainshasdangerassociated withit.” brightly coloredcamellias. Their beauty is a tribute to thearboretum’s scientific mission.Harshwintersin the 1970s killed941 ofthe arboretum’s 956 camellia plants. A NationalArboretum scientistnamed WilliamAckermanbegan breedingthehardysurvivorswithothercamellias, seeking to findonethat couldsurvive the region’s cold temperatures.He ultimatelycreatedmore than 50 new hybrids.

Thatdangercanbe compoundedwhenout-oftownersencounterunfamiliar weather. (Just because youlove wintersports doesn’t mean you’re snowsavvyofftheslopes.) Journeyingintosnow country canbeimmensely rewarding,butitalso requires preparation: In Tahoe,as we discovered,what you don’tknow can hurt you.

Be aware ofroad conditions,closures Becauseofthedramatic riseoftheSierrarange, peopledrivein fromdry landand findthemselvesin awhollydifferentclimate.

Cherryblossoms

This year’s National Cherry Blossom Festival, which iscelebratedacross thecity, willbeheld from March 20 to April 17 Atthe arboretum,oncepeak bloomfortheTidalBasin’s cherry blossomsarrives, theymightstickaroundfor seven to 10 daysafter that, dependingon conditions.

Butat thearboretum,which ishome to more than 70 varietiesof cherry tree, someornamental cherries may flowermore thana weekbefore theblossoms downtown,andothersmay reach theirpeaklater.

Cherry blossomsare planted in multiple areas throughoutthearboretum, sometimesalongsideother flowering Japanese fruit trees.Beyond keepingan eye outforwhite, coralor rose-coloredpetalsas you strollthroughthe grounds, takea lookattheselfguided cherry blossom tour onthearboretumapp.The research fieldson Valley Road,neartheparkinglot, are home to a sun-dappled grove oftrees collectedin Japan, experimentalhybrids,andtrees usedfor breedingandpreservation purposes.

Crape myrtlenursery and ResearchNursery6

Ifthere’s anarea that demonstrateshow easy itis to misssomeamazing plantsatthearboretum,it mightbetheseadjacent research fields,located between Meadow Roadand ValleyRoad.“It’s a very, very beautifulspot,”saysbotanist KevinConrad,the curatorofthearboretum’s WoodyPlant Landscape GermplasmRepository. “To situnderneathsomeof thoseincrediblyoldand stunninglybeautifulcrape myrtlesis really a horticultural experience.It’s a plant thatis exquisite frommany perspectives.”

Lookforthe exampleof Lagerstroemia fauriei that thearboretumhas given the accessionnumber 10536-P. “Thistree isanoriginal from the JohnCreech expedition in Japan to the’50s,where he collectedthistree and broughtitback,”andusedit inthecreationofnumerous hybrids resistant to powdery mildew, such as NatchezandArapaho, Conradsays.It’s notlabeled butit’s hard to miss: “The tree is 30 feettallby 30 feet wide,with a trunk that’s got to be 2feet indiameter The bark isdark,withbrown and blackishmottlingthroughout.It’s incredible.”

Thedawn redwoods

Across fromtheentrance to theGotelliConifer Collection,clusteredona triangle-shapedisland between two roads,isa standoftall,skinnytrees with flaredbasesand knobby roots.They exude age andnobility. You have to crane yourneck to see the crowns.

Theseare dawn redwoods,which fossil records tellus grew across Europe and North Americamillions of yearsago.Butthenthey

FROM E13

She recommendsthat travelersvisitquickmap.dot.ca.gov ordownloadthe CaltransQuickMapappfor up-to-the-minutehighway conditions.

Maintain yoursupplies Inaddition to chains, foodand waterareboth essentials to have inthecar.

If youdon’tliveinsnow country, itmaynotoccur to you to bringanicescraper to clearthewindowsand to makesure yourantifreezeis toppedoff.Check your wiperbladesand fluid,tire pressure,treaddepthand theforecastbeforeleaving. Youmaybespendingsignificanttimein yourcar,so ensurethatit’s gassedup, that you’recharging your phonewhile youdriveand that youhave blankets just incase.

Dothelocalsafavorand stockupinadvance.Ann BryantofHomewood,who runstheBearLeague,a became extinct orso biologistsoncethought.In the 1940s, a researcherin CentralChina’s Hubei provincebegan examining someunusualoldtrees,and in 1946 Chinesebotanists announcedthatthe genus Metasequoia hadbeen rediscovered.

Seedsmadetheir way aroundthe world,including to thearboretum,which acquireditsseedsin May 1948 “Juststandthere and enjoythe moment,because you’re in a grove oftrees that were thought to be extinct,”saysConrad. “The grandeurofthem,thebuttressedtrunks,thefactthat they’re in a grove really makesit a magicalplace.”

TheDogwoodCollections

Cathy Kerkam,thedirector offundraisingand communicationsforthenonprofitFriendsofthe NationalArboretum,knows what to dowhensheneeds to takea break:Sheheads fortheDogwoodCollections,perchedintheupper northeast cornerofthe grounds,far fromthepopularareas.“Whenthedogwoods comeoutandthey’re infullbloom,there’s every color you can imagine,”she says.“It’s just a fairy tale backthere.”

Butbefore thedogwoods blossommightbethebest timeof all.

“There is a littlesecret pavilioninthe woods,called theAnacostiaOverlook,” Kerkamsays. “Youcansitin thatlittlepavilionand you’re up on a precipice lookingdown overtheAnacostiaRiver Andsometimes you cansee theeagles hunting.”

It’s notthat you should ignore the floweringtrees, andthelong, grassyallee thatleads fromtheen- trancedown to anornamentalfountain.Butthistranquilperch, overlookinga bendintheriver, is worth seekingout.

GotelliConiferCollection

Christmastrees are probablythe first conifers that come to mind,orpossibly a scenicpineforest with a needle-strewn floor. The GotelliConiferCollectionisproofof justhow much more isoutthere:See astunningseafoam-green atlascedarthat resemblesa spikymopof a weeping willow, a dwarfbluespruce thesizeandshapeof a small boulder, andtrees whose needlesare icyblue,sunset goldorelectriclime green. The contrastsinshape, texture and colorare most strikingwhen you can takea stepback to compare,so takea moment to pausein anattractive hillsidepagodaoratoneof the wooden benchesalongthe grassy paths. WilliamGotelli, a private collectorwhoassembled 1,500 conifersforhis New Jerseyhome,donatedhis treasures to thearboretum in 1962. What makes this sectionsoenjoyable to browseisthelayout,with the conifersarrayedin gravelor rock-linedbeds, alongwith a mix of ground cover, flowersandsmaller shrubs.Thisarrangement gives plantsspace to breathe,andletsthetrees andshrubs shine,inalltheir hues.

TheMorrisonGarden

Azaleashave floweredon theslopesof MountHamilton,thehighestpointonthe arboretum grounds,since thelate 1940s,thanks to Benjamin Y. Morrison,the firstdirectorofthearboretum. Morrison was de- voted to theideaofbreeding large, colorfulhybridazaleasthat couldsurvive MidAtlanticwinters. Thewidevariationsin colorsandshapes,fardifferent fromtheazaleason displayinmostsuburban yards,draw crowdsofazalealovers to thetrailsof MountHamiltonduringthe bloomingseason,which beginsinlate Aprilandearly May.

ConifersintheGotelli collection,overlookingapond,arespacedoutin rocklinedbedsalongwithanarrayof ground cover, smallershrubsand flowers.

But year-round,there’sa calm to befoundinthe Morrison Garden, a brickwalledformal gardenat the baseof themountain.Rows of Morrison’s hybridGlenn Daleazaleas,namedforthe Maryland town where Morrisondidmuch ofhis research at a USDA facility, feature vivid colorsand unusualstripes,providinga startling contrast to boxwoodhedgesand a shaded brickpathleading to a large, ornate pottery planter.A solitary bench undera trellisprovides a view upthe mountain,which rises to 240 feetabove sealevel,and popsof color fromthe floral plantings there.

Onthe way out,take noticeoftheChineselacebark pinetree whose exquisite bark ismottledwith abstractsilver white and grayblotchesasengaging asan impressionistpainting.

Hahnwrites for The Washington Post,wherethisarticle first appeared.

1846-1847 —someofwhom resorted to cannibalism to stayalive—stillprovidesa cautionarytalesheishappy to sharewithparkvisitors. If youskiorsnowboard, usethebuddysystemand share yourwhereabouts withanappsuchas Life360 orFindMyiPhone.

If you go attractthem regardlessof theseason.Bryantsays onlyone-half to three-quartersofthe Tahoearea’s bruinsarehibernatingright now, whichmeansvisitors stillmusttakeprecautions. electricalmats—likean anti-welcomemat—becauseifabearhas come once,itwillprobably return.

Hoursandentry: TheNationalArboretumisopenfrom8a.m. to 5p.m. everyday exceptChristmas. Admissionisfree. Car accessisallowedthroughthe gate at 2400 R St.N.E.until 2p.m. Afterthat,carsmustenterthrough 3501 New York Ave. N.E.,a gate thatis reachedfromaneastbound service road neartheintersectionwithBladensburg RoadN.E.Either way, the parkinglotsnearthe gates fillquicklyon weekends.

Parking: The Friends of theNationalArboretum recommend usingthe parkinglotnearthe Grove ofState Treesandpicnic area,onthesouthside of thegrounds Fromthere,it’s an easy walk to the Capitol Columnsandother collectionsmentioned above.Also,whiletherearesmaller parkinglotsnearsome collections,suchastheAsianCollectionsortheconifers, theselotsusuallyhave room foronly 10 to 12 cars. At peak times, it’s easier to park and walkthan to drivefromsiteto site.

COVID-19precautions: Because offederal regulations,visitors must wearmasks andmaintainsocialdistance at all times. Self-guided tours: Before youhead to thearboretum,downloadthefree U.S.NationalArboretumapp to yoursmartphone.

Zoominonaninteractive topographicmap of the grounds to learnthename of thecurious-lookingtreeor floweringplant next to you, and whereand whenit was collected. TheHere/ Now tabprovidesnews aboutwhat speciesare floweringthis season—camellias!daffodils!—andwhere to findthem. Some of the informationisoutdatedbecause of the pandemic. Self-guided tours,though,arethe reason to keep firingupthe app, offeringmoreinsightbeyondtheinterpretivesigns aroundthearboretumorthefreevisitorsguidebrochure availablethroughoutthegrounds. First-timevisitorscanstart withtheArboretumOverview, whichvisitsmostcorners of the park; for amore narrow focus, there are tourslooking at the lavenderorchilepepperplantswithintheNationalHerb Garden.Apopularoneinspringstops at more than two dozen varieties of cherryblossomtreesalonga3.2-mile path, showing offaclone of a Yoshinotreeplanted at the Tidal Basin by first lady Helen Taft in1912,orinvitingvisitors to see experimentaltrees in the Research Fields. The formatallows you to explore at your own pace.

Ablanket ofsnow covershomesinHomewood. Visitorsareadvised to bring groceriesandothersuppliesinadvance.Snow canlimitdeliveriesforlocals.

24-hourcallcenterforbear issues, requeststhatvisitorsbringtheir own groceries.Shesaysstoresranlow onfoodlastmonthafter stormsdelayedsupply trucks. Tourists“boughtall thefoodoutofthe grocery storesandusedallour gas, allrightduringChristmas,”shesays.“It was horrible.”

Respectthesnow DianaPratt-Simar,a historian/docentatDonner MemorialStatePark,says snowcancatchpeople unawares.“I’vehadkids comeupinsandalsinthe snow. Theyslipandslide throughthe tour.”The DonnerParty, wagon-train emigrantswho gotstuckin theSierrainthewinterof

Although avalanchesare primarilyadanger to backcountry recreationists, visitors to theareashould educatethemselvesabout thehazardstheypose.A goodplace to startisthe Sierra AvalancheCenter. HeadquarteredinTruckee, thecenterisanonprofit organizationinpartnership withthe U.S. ForestService.The groupprovides avalancheforecasting basedon weather, avalancheandsnowpack conditionsonits website.

Don’t forget aboutbears

Althoughmanybears hibernateinwinterbecause theylacknaturalfood sources,thefood(andthe garbage)thatpeoplebring to snowydestinationscan

Terri Tangney,amiddle schoolsecretarywhohas livedinHomewoodfor 50 years,hasbeenthevictimof repeated vehicularbreakinsbybears. “Theyopenthe [unlocked]doors,climbin, dowhateverthey’re going to do,andclimbbackout the waytheycamein,”she says.Adecadeago,abear gottrappedinhercar,anda friendhad to whipopenthe doorwhilestandingbehind it.

Areahomeownersdrape electricalwires overdoors andwindows to discourage bearentry. Our rentalcabin fazedmeat firstwhenI arrivedat twilightandhad to performa MacGyverstyledefusingso wecould getin.Apparently,the systemdoesn’thurthumans,dogsor evenbirds whoperch onthewire.The BearLeagueloansout free

Hunkerdown Tangneypointsoutthat evenif you reach yourcabin, youmightnotbemobile thereafter. Afterbigstorms, itcantakedaysforplows to get to sidestreets.Even then, “the two gasstations nearusranoutof gas”after thelateDecemberstorms, shesays.

Mike Moshier,a tech workerin FairOaks,spent 10 daysinDecember snowedinwithhisfamilyat theirsecondhomein Homewood. Withaneyeon theforecast,they wentupa fewdaysearly,knowing they wouldbeunable to leave partofthetime.“We knewthepower was going togo out,but we havea wood-burningstove to cook onand keepus warm,”he says.

Mailmanis a freelancewriter

Thisarticleoriginally appeared in The Washington Post.

Thirteenjournalistshave beenkilledinMexicoin thelastninemonths. Four were killedinJanuary, two in Tijuanajustsixdays apart. Above,a

MargaritoMartínezEsquiveldocumentedthe grislymurder scenesthathave becomea daily presenceinTijuana He made hisliving tellingstories that were uncomfortablefor the city’s establishmentand underworld alike.He rushed to crime scenes whilethebodieslayinthe streets,then sold theimages to local newssites that report theviolenceand corruptioninthe city. Occasionally his work appearedinthe Union-Tribune butmost ofit was too graphicfor U.S.newspapers.Thephotosshown here illustrate thedangersofhismissionand thebrutal honesty ofhis work in a city that recordednearly2,000 homicideslast year Itis impossible totell Martinez’s story without acknowledging and seeing theperilofhisprofession,which may havecosthimhis life He was shot inthehead outsidehis homeon Jan. 17

Detectives fromthe State Attorney General’s Officesearch atruckinwhich twomen were shotand woundedinColonia Jaliscoin September2021.

Aman wasfoundwrappedandsetonfireintheEjido Francisco VillaneighborhoodinDecember2021.

Tijuanapoliceofficersarrestamanwhoshotattheminacemetery duringapursuitinthecity’s Nueva Aurora neighborhoodin September2021.

Thebodyofamanwho was shotmultipletimeslieson DíazOrdazBoulevard,one ofTijuana’s busieststreets, inDecember2021.

A young couple were killed ina rollovercrashon Rosas MagallonBoulevard inOctober2021. Another coupleinthe vehiclesurvivedwithminorinjuries.

Thebodyofa manliesinthe shoulderonthe Tijuana-Tecate highwayintheEl Refugioneighborhoodafterhe wasrunoverin October2021.

MexicanArmy soldiers guard theareaaftera homicidedetectivewiththe State Attorney General’s Office waskilledashe lefthishomein thePlayasde TijuananeighborhoodinOctober2021.

Investigators examinethe scenewherethe bodyofaman inhis20s was foundinan abandonedlot inColonia Lomasde Tlatelolcoin December2021.

MARÍA GUADALUPE LOURDES MALDONADO LÓPEZ

MARCO UGARTE AP

Renee Maldonadoshowsaphotoofher aunt,journalist Lourdes Maldonado Lopez,killedon Jan. 23.

“Ifearformylife.”

That’s what MaríaGuadalupeLourdes Maldonado López told Mexico PresidentAndrés Manuel López Obrador in2019 at a news conferencewhile discussingher job as a journalist.Those fearsledtheBaja California state government to grantherprotectionsshe requested, including a “panic button” andpolice patrols atherhouse. She stil fearedforherlife,butshe still kepttalking truth to power, focusingonTijuanapoliticsandnews online.

“Ihave eightmonthswith police protectionandhuman rightsprotection and I know thatthey takegoodcare of you,butnoonecanprevent, not even undertheir supervision,that when you leaveyourhometheywil kill you and murder you insucha cowardlyandartful way.”

That’s what Maldonadosaid onthe show she livestreamed on Facebook “Brebaje con Lourdes Maldonado,”on Jan. 18 one dayafter Alfonso Margarito Martínez Esquivel was shotandkilled outsidehishome. Five dayslater she was shot and killed outside her home.

BY SONIADEANDA

Almostsix yearsago, I moved to Tijuana Mexico, from Tabasco, Mexico,whereI hadlivedformore than20 yearsandbeentrainedasa journalist. I left Tabasco because journalists were silent after the killingof a communicator Moisés DagdugLutzow,the owner of media company GrupoVX, who was stabbed to death onemorning in February 2016 insidehishome.

Before lastmonth’s killings of two journalistsinTijuana,ithad been 18 yearssinceanattackona journalistinTijuana.Somepeople saythatthisisnothing compared to whathappensinthe country’s centralandsouthernareas,where journalistsmaybekilledfortheir work andfor confronting cacicazgos (tyranny)orcriminal groups. Journalism“heatsup”criminal organization’s areasbecause journalistsdocumentdailyhomicidesincity streets.

Until Jan. 17, wewouldarrive withsecurity to riskyareas withoutincident Then reality intruded andoneofus was shotandkilled while leavinghishomeinthe Sánchez Taboadaneighborhood. Thefatalshootingof Margarito Martinez “cuatro-cuatro as we allcalled him hadusinshock.

Apriest givesaprayerattheviewingfor María Guadalupe Lourdes Maldonado Lópezat Gayoso FuneralHomeinZonaRioin

Tijuanaon Jan.26.The veteranjournalist wasshot to deathon Jan. 23 outsideherhomeinTijuana.