Morning Walk in DC

We lived on Capitol Hill for thirteen years. Now we drive in to town from our northern Virginia home at least once a week. This week we went in to search for options for my weekly photo challenge as well as take a morning walk. After it was done, it was really amazing what we had seen during that hour and a half. It started at the National Gallery of Art. We know the place so well now that we don’t waste any time heading in the direction we like best. After that we kept going towards the Capitol building to see the decorated tree. There weren’t a lot of visitors there, but it was lovely to see the tree from California in all of its glory. Then we crossed the empty Independence Avenue and walked over to the US Botanic Garden - one of my favorite places. The Christmas trains are outside this year because the building is a part of the Capitol complex that is still closed. Nevertheless the trains looked even better outside in the open air. After that we walked by the American Indian museum, then the Air and Space Museum, then the Hirshhorn gardens and in to the Smithsonian Castle. The last stop was the NGA sculpture garden and the ice rink. We have taken this walk so many times and enjoy it all the same. It’s a great time of year to avoid crowds and just take in the sights. Coming back home on the GW parkway is always such a pleasant experience. Everything is so familiar to us!