Thanks for the responses. I really appreciate this community and the caring they have for this beautiful sanctuary. I have to say, seeing that there were over 1,800 hits on some of the topics made me a little nervous. How long has that been happening? Driving out from the city - I really look forward to the quiet. Usually when I get away - I get far away, northern Ca, etc. I've been mostly pretty lucky at DC, never going on a weekend and using my intuition, I have oftentimes been there without big crowds. However, I only visit a few times a year. I am feeling it now... missing that nature. After school break might be a little better bet. And after the wind. And the rain. Although once I went, (accidentally), during a thunderstorm. It took such an effort to get there I wasn't just going to go back home. So I stayed and just as the guy I was talking to about the wisdom of sitting in a hot springs during lightning, just as he said he didn't feel it was "his time," lightning struck the hilltop nearby and we were electrocuted. We were almost bounced out of the pool, finding ourselves standing upright and out of the pool almost instantly and simultaneously. I know you have to watch out for heart attacks so I was watching him and monitoring myself, "Are we ok?" He was totally charged (!!!) and it was really pretty funny, once we made sure the folks in the big pool were still alive. It was a spectacular day - even hailed. (Naked and warm in hail.) Continuous violent black ET clouds swirled and marched violently across the skies and whenever I heard the lightning get closer, I would just get out of the water and take cover. It was powerful. But, I wouldn't do it again. There were only about 8 of us there, but I wouldn't mind hanging out with more if it meant not getting electrocuted!