Tidal Basin Morning Walk

If you are looking for a quiet place to walk in DC, the Tidal Basin in January is the place to go. And that’s exactly what we did yesterday. We drove in to town from northern Virginia and arrived about twenty minutes later. We found our usual parking spot right across from the Washington Monument. It was very sunny but also quite cold but we were dressed accordingly. I was also trying to take photos for the subject “motion blur” photo challenge this week, but to no avail. Using slow shutter never works if you don’t have a tripod so everything turned out very blurry which isn’t the idea. Nevertheless we started by the paddle boats and made our way to the Jefferson Memorial. It amazes me how there is no guard rail along most of the pathway. And because it rained the night before the water piles on to the sidewalk which can make for a muddy and messy situation. The geese paid no mind as they were flying overhead and landing along the shore and everywhere else. My favorite cherry tree was still there - it doesn’t look like it will ever come back but it does every year. There was hardly anyone in sight which made for a very peaceful walkabout. I like it that way while my husband prefers the crowds. Even the Roosevelt memorial was empty. There were a few more people at the MLK Memorial. The time passed quickly - especially when we stopped for photos and the surroundings keep the eyes busy. It’s about a two mile trek around the basin and well worth the time.