Great Falls Park Morning Walk

We haven’t been to Great Falls for quite some time. So we decided that it was time for a visit and a morning walk. I was surprised to see that it would cost twenty dollars to get in. Then we remembered that we might be able to use our federal park senior pass - and we were right. We bought that pass when we first moved to DC seventeen years ago when we went for a ride to the Blue Ridge Parkway. So it came in handy. It seems where ever one goes these days there is construction and it was no different at the park. There weren’t a lot of cars at that time of the morning. I much prefer it that way. So we headed towards the three overlooks. The first one is a bit rocky while the second two are quite accessible. Then we took the back path along the Potomac River. It’s not easy to traverse the rocks and dirt trails anymore. Both of us felt out knee joints later on in the afternoon! The falls look as treacherous as they always do regardless of the season. We continued on along the path that took us to the outdoor wooden staircase. We passed by a gorge and continued on to a place we hadn’t been before. We finally decided to head back along this different trail and came upon a very old homestead - actually rocks - from 1790 in the now vanished town called Matildaville. One can only imagine how life was like back then. We didn’t come across any diamond back snakes this time - thank goodness. It’s not hot enough for them to be slithering across the path. All in all it was a nice walk - but I think I prefer flat surfaces to rocky ones. 

52Frames Water Challenge

I’ve been participating in the 52Frames weekly photo challenge for 10 weeks. I don’t consider myself a photographer; rather, I love taking photos. I used to have a Sony camera before the iPhone came around. Since then, the iPhone is all I use - primarily for this photo blog, and now for the weekly photo challenges. Last week was “water” so we decided to drive out to Great Falls in Virginia to see if anything would work. In the meantime I tried to get creative using a water bottle and sunlight; looking in to the water of the wall vase, and the usual park streams and leaves. I really wanted to get a photo at the Capitol reflecting pool but the city was choked off from any traffic due to the inauguration. I ended up selecting one of the four Great Falls options because I loved the color of the water and the frothy waves that looked like tire treads. This week is “horizon.” Because it’s icy and snowy today we will need to wait until tomorrow to search for something that’s interesting. Once the photos are posted to the website people can comment on them. It’s another way to pass the time as we remain cooped up in the house. It’s a great excuse for a ride in to DC, or anywhere else. 

Great Falls Virginia

It’s been a while since we visited Great Falls. The last time was in the hot summer and we saw a poisonous copperhead snake crawl across the path in front of us. The 52Frames photo challenge this week was water. Since we couldn’t get anywhere near DC, we thought this would be a great option. The entry fare was free because we have a national park service pass - otherwise it’s twenty dollars. There were several cars in the lot, but there was no where near the huge crowds that are typically around. There are three main stop offs to see the falls - but one of them requires a bit of climbing. That’s something I prefer not to do for safety reasons and my knees and hips don’t like it. There were signs everywhere to stay away from the ferocious Potomac River. There are several drownings every year. And the high water marker is simply scary! So we turned the trip in to our typical morning walk and ventured past the falls in to the walking trails. There are several, and we need to come back to check out the flat surface options. When we were leaving the sun came out. That changes the look of any photo. But by then I had had enough of the outdoors. 

Deli Italiano

We are always on the lookout for a nice Italian Restaurant. So when we passed by Deli Italiano in Great Falls last week on the way home from one of our favorite Greek restaurants, my husband looked it up, read the reviews, and thought it might be a good place to try. The building looked nice and the side patio did too. So we decided to try it out. I knew right away I wouldn’t like it because it was order at the counter. I hate that! The reason we go out is to sit at a table and do nothing but order and relax. But because we needed to go to an appointment later in the afternoon, we decided to stay and try it. We were both in the mood for a decent pizza, salad, French fries, and an Italian sub. When the order was delivered, the pizza was not what we expected. The French fries were good, but they are anywhere! We saved the sub for dinner and weren’t very impressed. The place was quite busy over the lunch hour - primarily workmen pulling in with their rigs and mom’s with kids. I’m glad we tried it but it wasn’t exactly what we were looking for. I think that’s why we tend to keep going to the same places. It might get boring, but we always like the food and the service. 

Our Mama Eugenia and Brix American Bistro

Last week we went to Great Falls Park in Virginia to see the angry Potomac River after weeks of rain. Afterwards we thought we would try a Greek place that we had seen earlier in the month. So we drove to the little shopping mall strip and went in to Brix for lunch. It was very good - the environment was pleasant with an outdoor garden area and the food was good - especially the Greek salad. But something was telling me that this wasn’t the restaurant we intended to go to because I wasn’t seeing Mama Eugenia anywhere - or souvlaki. Wouldn’t you know that we went in to the wrong door! The restaurants are right next to each other and we just went in the first place under the canopy. We weren’t sorry we went there, but I was disappointed that it wasn’t the one we thought it was. So we decided to go again today - just for the ride - and to try Our Mama Eugenia. And we are so glad we did! The food and service was excellent - we even got in to a discussion about Spain since our waiter was from there. As usual we have enough leftovers for dinner tonight, and without having wine for lunch, it’s always a better deal. So now we found two more places to dine out. It’s a bit of a drive but well worth it. 

Great Falls, Mather Gorge, Potomac River and a Copperhead Snake

We haven’t been out to Great Falls in Virginia for a while. And since we have had about two weeks of ugly rain and storms, the Potomac River was quite angry. So rather than walk the usual route in the neighborhood, we decided to take a ride and then stop for lunch on the way home. Even for a Wednesday the parking lot was full. We were lucky to have our parks pass - avoiding a ten dollar car charge. The first stop was the most spectacular because we were closest to the raging brown tinted water. Debris and junk were being hurled about, and there were artists everywhere trying to capture the scene - but nothing could replicate the sound of the fury. After stopping at the scenic overlooks we took the path on a walkabout. It was rather muddy so we tried to avoid the mess as much as we could. If I wasn’t looking down my husband would have stepped right on a copperhead snake that looked like a twig, but slithered off the path as we waited our turn to keep going. The floodwater pole shows where the river has actually reached - pity anyone near it during those times! All in all it was a nice change from our usual concrete jungle. The day was just perfect for the walk, but in the end we much prefer a more urban environment. I like nature - but more from a distance. Especially when you see the kind that have scales.