Bethesda

Parks

Cabin John Regional Park. One of the best playgrounds in the Washington area, this park has plastic slides, swings, and mazes to delight both toddlers and preteens. On the park grounds there also an ice rink, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, a nature center, hiking trails, and a train that operates seasonally. An outdoor amphitheater brings the occasional concert or theater production. 7400 Tuckerman La., Bethesda, MD, 20852. 301/299-0024.

Capital Crescent Trail. Suited for bicyclists, walkers, rollerbladers, and strollers, the paved Capital Crescent Trail stretches along the old Georgetown Branch, a B&O Railroad line that was completed in 1910 and was in operation until 1985. The 7.5-mi route's first leg runs from Georgetown near Key Bridge to central Bethesda at Bethesda and Woodmont avenues. At Bethesda and Woodmont the trail heads through a well-lighted tunnel near the heart of Bethesda's lively business area and continues into Silver Spring. The 3.5-mi stretch from Bethesda to Silver Spring is gravel. The Georgetown Branch Trail, as this section is officially named, connects with the Rock Creek Trail, which goes to Rockville in the north and Memorial Bridge past the Washington Monument in the south. On weekends when the weather's nice, all sections of the trails are crowded. Washington, DC. 202/234-4874 Capital Crescent Coalition.