Adam Van Grack’s gym doesn’t feature elliptical machines or overenthusiastic spinning instructors. And — as he effusively points out — there’s no membership fee. “My gym is the … river,” the Bethesda ...

Gifted a rare three-day weekend with my wife and kids out of town last fall, I could have surrendered to the cliché — yard work, errands, pints with friends. Instead, I did what I usually do with free ...