Springfield, VA (USA)

As President of the Environmental Club, Mollie leads an executive board with a charter to increase awareness about environmental issues at her school. This sometimes includes creating opportunities for classmates to earn service hours (required for graduation). Today, the Club coordinated a trash cleanup at Lake Accotink Park, a place where Mollie and I sometimes go canoeing. We left my apartment at about 1130 (after I got a bit lost in the nearby neighborhood on the way) but met up with Mollie's teacher and friends by 1200.  It was sunny but pretty cold (30s) and I had been wondering if that would keep people away. Fortunately, several sturdy students joined Mollie in helping to beautify the waterfront. After seeing that they had things under control, I left the Marina area and took a walk around the Lake. Over the years, I’ve done several sections of the trail but never a full circuit. The “hike” was around four miles (not too tough). When I got back to my car (1400), I met up with Mollie.  She asked if she could go to the Springfield Mall with her friends and I agreed - it was a well deserved break for her - they left in their own car and I went home.

Washington, DC (USA)

[work - left office early (1035) and took Metro to Woodley Park Station - Amanda picked me up and drove us back to Dupont Circle, where we ate lunch at SweetGreen - stayed until around 1200 (she had to go to an interview) - I took the Metro home (had to use Red, Blue and Yellow because of another "disabled train" SNAFU - teleworked from home the rest of the day]

Washington, DC (USA)

[work (we had an off-site at L'Enfant Plaza) - left office at 1700 and took Metro to U-Street Station - walked around nearby and ended up getting dinner at Ben's Chili Bowl (1740) - then walked a short distance to Sudhouse, where I joined the Green Drinks Happy Hour - even though they had cans of beer on discount, I tried something local on tap (Lost Rhino) - met a lot of interesting people: Louisa (hostess), Bort (Australian PhD who worked at Smithsonian Natural History Museum in their three story plant diversity lab), Barry (Green Investment Manager), Nirvana (self help author and massage therapist) and many other people who were interested in the environment - I stayed from about 1800 to 1930 and then took Metro back to Huntington - home by 2030]

Woodbridge, VA (USA)

[checked on my kayak on Mason Neck (0945) and then walked along the Potomac Heritage Trail in Mason Neck State Park (1000 to 1130) - again, didn't see anyone while walking - drove to Woodbridge and bought some hiking clothing - at 1215, drove over to Matchbox and met up with Kelly and Gillian for lunch (they were at Monet's birthday party) - was there until about 1400 - then walked to Bahama Breeze for another drink - stayed until about 1530 and then drove home]

Oxon Hill, MD (USA)

I had a coupon for TopGolf so I decided to head over to National Harbor to add it to my membership card.  When I arrived (0945), I found out that the newer location didn't have any record of my membership.  Working with one of the nice people there, though, we got everything resolved.  When I determined that I didn't need to bring my own clubs (there were some in every bay), I decided to play a game (30 minutes) to try it all out.  That turned out to be a great idea - I had a lot of fun!  At 1100, I left the facility and drove north so I could go walking at Oxon Cove Park.  This time, I followed the access road to reach the Potomac Heritage Trail (it took me to the bottom of the hill).  I ended up walking all the way down the river (towards Anacostia) until I reached one of the Metro Bus Maintenance Buildings.  I then went back to my car.  I didn't see one person while I was walking!  I finished walking at about 1330 and then drove back to Virginia.  I stopped to go shopping and picked up some movie rentals on the way home.

Alexandria, VA (USA)

[after dropping Mollie off at her friend's house (1200), drove to Huntley Meadows (East Side) to go walking - when I arrived, I found it was VERY crowded (actually had to park on the road) - despite this, I walked around on the back woods trails for over an hour (very pleasant) - did a few rounds of the trails and boardwalk and then went home]

Washington, DC (USA)

At 1000, Mollie and I left my apartment and drove to Georgetown.  When we got into the city, we found a good place to park and then walked around on M Street until the Crumbs and Whiskers Kitten Lounge opened (1100).  Mollie told me that she’d never been in Georgetown before (“except by accident”) and was was intrigued by the many stores and restaurants.  We met the daughter of my friend (Chris), Ashley, just as the Kitten Lounge opened and we spent 30 minutes playing with the kittens.  Mollie had a lot of fun and we took lots of pictures.  Afterwards, we went over to the Patagonia store to look around.  Mollie wanted to get some lunch so we went to a place called America Eats Tavern for lunch (BBQ and burgers).  We had a great (relaxed) conversation and the food was good.  After we were done eating (1245), we explored the area, enjoying the warm sun as we walked on the waterfront and the C&O Canal path.  Mollie saw some murals and sculptures that she liked.  It was nice to walk around in the pleasant weather and we talked a lot about the animals, architecture and people we encountered.  We then walked back to the car and followed Mollie’s Google Maps app toward Alexandria.  There was a lot of traffic on the way but it gave us more time to talk.  We got home at 1500 - what a fun day!

Tysons Corner, VA (USA)

[work - left DC at 1745 and took Metro to Huntington - drove to Tysons Corner and attended an REI presentation about Trekking Machu Picchu (VERY crowded) at 1900 - stayed until it was over (2015) and then headed home]

Arlington, VA (USA)

[work - took Metro to Pentagon City - met up with old flying buddies from the Viking Association at 1700 - stayed for almost three hours at the Roundup, trading stories about our sea tours, kids and later careers - spent the most time talking to Darrell, JP and Ron - left for home at around 2000 and made it to my house just over 30 minutes later]

Arlington, VA (USA)

[work - took Metro to Pentagon City - started at Chevy's, trying out their new happy hour (meh) - later moved to CPK and had some pizza and beer (better) - there was a chance that Joe R and Stephanie might come by but they never gave me an indication they were almost there - left at about 1645 and took Metro towards home - 10 minutes after I was onboard the train, Stephanie texted to say she and Joe were at Chevy's (SMH)]

Punxsutawney, PA (USA)

It’s Groundhog Day! In order to see the 02/02/2020 weather prediction, Mollie set an early alarm (0315) and we were able to get out of the hotel within about 20 minutes.  We then drove into Indiana to get breakfast at Sheetz (0415).  We then had to drive about 30 minutes (through light snow) to reach Punxsutawney.  By the time we arrived, we found the Walmart parking lot (our targeted stop, based on the festival website) entirely filled and a HUGE line waiting for the shuttle bus.  Calling an audible, I drove us through town, following a State Trooper, until we found a parking spot (behind the H&R Block, making me wonder if we’d get towed).  I asked Mollie if she was OK with the idea of walking (she said she was) but we ended up finding another shuttle stop in time to catch a bus by about 0500.  The ride to Gobblers Knob was quite scary (lots of snow and ice on the narrow, hilly streets) but we arrived in one piece and made our way to the large clearing where the festivities were planned for sunrise.  There were so many people and we learned that it was the most attendance in the 134 year history of the event.  Almost everything (food, souvenirs) was already sold out so we spent all of our energy trying to find a good spot to stand.  Meanwhile, we were entertained by a barber shop quartet, cover bands, chants and cheers for Phil.  There were also a lot of pyrotechnics, including a giant fireworks show at 0630.  The crowd was energetic and fun (dancing, singing, cheering).  Just after 0700, Phil’s top-hatted Inner Circle came onstage to ask the groundhog what kind of weather we could expect over the next six weeks.  Following a huge buildup (~0725), Phil predicted an early Spring and everyone cheered.  Just then, it started snowing (a LOT!).  The crowd surged towards the buses but we decided to follow the locals across a snowy cornfield towards town (a 1.5 mile walk).  We’d heard that the temps were in the high 20s and, by this point, it felt very cold. But the nice people in Punxsutawney came out on the streets to give the visitors cookies and coffee.  That warmed our hearts a lot; back at our car (it was still there!), we were faced with a choice of whether to stay to enjoy more fun or to get out of town before the snow storm trapped us.  We chose the latter (no regrets) because we felt we had experienced the best part of February 2nd.  Mollie and I agreed that a visit to Gobbler's Knob is definitely worth your trouble if this is on your Bucket List!  We left town on a back road at around 0800 and drove through pretty winter forests.  The road got worse and worse (plowing wise), so I gravitated to a main road, rather than the rural suggestion of Google Maps.  After braving a mini-snowstorm on US-219 (no plows or sanders in sight), we made it to the crest of the Allegheny Ridge on US-22.  Mollie was in search of another NPS Passport stamp and this one was tougher to get than I’d hoped.  By the time we parked at the Allegheny Portage Railroad NHS Visitor Center, I was genuinely concerned that we might not get back to civilization (un-plowed roads, cars in ditches).  However, Nessie got us there safely and we decided to spend some time learning about the history of the park.  Since we were the only visitors, we decided to spend some time learning about the history of this rather unique site.  The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania decided to employ an odd solution to move canal boats from one side of the mountain range to another. It proved again that the early pioneers were determined to conquer the land even if the technology wasn’t quite ready to help. We can’t call it a bridge to nowhere, but the railroads replaced it almost as soon as it was completed.  The engineering involved to build the landmark interested me a lot and Mollie didn’t try to race out after she got her stamp.  We figured out that the park was Mollie’s 200th NPS Unit (!!!) and this made her very proud. After celebrating, we realized that the snow had let up a bit.  So we decided to head east to I-99 before we got trapped.  As we drove away, we talked about how the park was definitely on our list for a revisit because we only saw a fraction.  Mollie told me she was we went, even with the inclement weather.  I drove towards home via I-99 and I-70.  As we continued east, the weather improved dramatically (there eventually wasn’t even any snow on the ground).  What a difference a few miles in wintery PA makes!  As we drove, Mollie fell asleep (for about 45 minutes) - after she woke up, we stopped for gas and lunch (McDonalds) in Clear Spring, MD (1155). We then got back on the highway and drove to Frederick, MD.  From there, we drove home (I-270 and I-495); Mollie FaceTimed Brenna to tell her about the Groundhog.  We arrived home at about 1445 and unpacked.  I decided to take a nap and Mollie studied for several hours.  She made dinner (chicken farfalle in pesto sauce) and we ate together after I woke up (1800).  Mollie took a break from studying to watch Super Bowl ads on YouTube and, later, she uploaded some fun videos to Facebook from our trip.  Nicky picked her up later so she could go to a Super Bowl party and I went to bed early.  What a great day!

Indiana, PA (USA)

Mollie and I left NoVA this morning so we would be able to visit our favorite weather forecaster tomorrow morning. It took a lot of work for me to get Mollie out of bed but we managed to get on the road by 1030.  We drove to Pennsylvania via I-495, I-270 and I-70.  Along the way, we traveled through rainy and cold conditions, with fog and snow at times.  We left I-70 near Johnstown and used a series of back roads (Mollie was looking at her Google Maps app) and we arrived at the Johnstown Flood NPS site after a relatively easy drive (1400). The Visitor's Center was in a location that allowed us to view the valley below where an earthen dam failed in 1889 and destroyed towns in the valley as far as 15 miles away. I’ve been here before but the somber memorial still had a powerful impact on me and Mollie (her first visit). One of the most moving exhibits was a first hand account of a lucky young man who somehow survived the devastation as his barn swept away in the flood - while he was forced to watch his family perish, along with thousands of others. We had some thought provoking discussions about who was to blame and whether such a tragedy could have been avoided. Even though it happened a long time ago, human tragedy like this probably can’t ever be explained or understood. Mollie got another NPS Passport stamp and then we took a walk along the remnants of the dam.  I got my Disabled Veteran NPS Access Pass and signed over the old one to Mollie.  After eating lunch (snacks) in our car, we used US-22 and some back roads to get to Indiana, PA.  We arrived at our hotel (a free Wyndham rewards night!) and found out that it had been sold out.  Fortunately, they still had our room (I felt lucky I’d made the reservation early).  After checking in (1600), we unpacked and looked over the Groundhog Day celebration package that the hotel gave us.  Then (1645) we drove to a nearby restaurant (Hoss’s) for dinner (steak, chicken, salad and dessert bar).  We had a nice conversation and took our time eating.  By 1800, we were back in our room.  I walked around in the hotel (to get my steps) while Mollie studied for her Bio exam.  In order to get enough sleep to see the Groundhog and drive home, I went to bed at 2100.  Looking forward to meeting up with a certain furry friend in the early AM!