Ever since I came upon a beautiful photograph of a lotus flower by A. Drauglis in the DCist Flickr page, I’ve added the Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens, 1550 Anacostia Avenue NE, on my list-of-things-to-do-once-this-thesis-is-finally-over.

Located just below the Maryland state border in northeast D.C., this 700 acre national park houses a collection of flora and fauna that were once native to the area. It’s also the only national park that cultivates aquatic plants, according to the DC Audubon Society. The gardens’ website says that lotus and water lilies are nearing the tail end of their season, but I’m hoping more will still hold off for me next weekend.

While counting the days until I embark on a long overdue visit, I checked through our Flickr page for photos taken by contributors who have sauntered and snapped their way through the park over the years. The photos are pretty amazing. Click away through these contributions I was able to download and share with ya’ll.

Have you been to the Kenilworth Gardens? If so, let us know your thoughts or, even better, add to our growing collection of these photos to the Flickr pool.