Washington, DC (USA)

Weather was marginal for a long walk but getting away from home was worth braving the elements today. Wanted to visit Theodore Roosevelt Island but wasn’t surprised to find that the indefatigable National Park Police has blocked off access to the parking lot. Undeterred, I drove a short distance to the Marine Corps Memorial and found a place to park. It was a bit chilly (high 40s), windy and misty when I left my car (1100) and walked east into the Rosslyn business area. Found a shortcut across several busy streets - Freedom Park - and located the Mount Vernon Trail near the Potomac River’s edge. Got to see some good views of Georgetown and the National Cathedral from the District boundary. Walked south along the George Washington Parkway and soon reached the pedestrian bridge over to the island. There weren’t too many people who had the same idea for urban solitude and I enjoyed the memorial, some trails and boardwalks. It started to warm up and dry out, which made the walk more pleasant. After about an hour, I started wondering if I’d get a ticket for exceeding the One Hour Parking limit and headed back towards my car. Mostly retraced my steps but made one wrong turn that prolonged the backtrack. Ended up walking a little bit longer near the Netherlands Carillon and Arlington National Cemetery. Finished by 1245 after about four miles. Glad to get outside during National Park Week!