Gravelly Point and Reagan Airport

On our quest to find alternate morning walk routes I searched for options along the GW Parkway - many of which we have been to, but definitely passed by - in our thirteen years of living on Capitol Hill. Two weeks ago we walked Roosevelt Island and last week we strolled Dyke Marsh. Yesterday we stopped at Gravelly Point located next to Reagan airport on the Potomac River. There are always a lot of cars parked in the lot. There is a boat launch, open spaces for picnics and family outings, and the Mount Vernon bike and walking trail that takes you fifteen miles to Mount Vernon one way, and three miles to Roosevelt Island the other way. In between is the city of DC. The place is packed on weekends and holidays. Probably the biggest activity is watching the planes land and take off from the airport. There was a peculiar hint of smoke in the sky so things looked very surreal and weird. After walking two miles we returned to our car and watched for a few planes. Before that, we saw a couple having a barbecue picnic, saw the strobe landing lights with geese and other birds about it, and a few ducks in the water. Since they were taking off we didn’t get to see the up close and personal views of the planes coming in at very low heights. It was an interesting walk but not one of my favorites. There were more bikers than walkers and you needed to be constantly aware you wouldn’t get hit. I’m not sure when we would come back again, but I’m glad we stopped in after all these years. 

Planes Overhead Along the GW Parkway and Potomac River

Whenever we flew into Washington DC before we moved here, it was usually along the Potomac River by Mount Vernon and rarely along the national mall where all the familiar monuments are. And if we ever went that way, we were always on the wrong side of the plane to see anything. It is quite interesting to see things from above to get a different perspective. Yesterday we were traveling along the GW Parkway to American Plant to buy a couple tomato plants. Every few minutes was another plane in the sky heading to Reagan airport along the Potomac River and the national mall. Each of the photos is thirteen different planes that I happened to see on the way out by the Washington monument through Arlington, and on the way back by Georgetown, the other side of Arlington, and the Watergate. I'm always looking up anyway to see if I can catch an eagle flying around. No luck! I suppose a lot of folks like to visit DC. We did quite frequently before we moved here. The only thing in common with Milwaukee is that the airport there was the same distance from our house as it is here. But the scenery in between is quite different. 

East Potomac Park in Fall

We go there once in awhile. In spring it is very busy during cherry blossom season. During the summer it is filled with golfers and dinner boats can be seen drifting up the Anacostia River. But in fall, all the cherry trees and magnificent willows and such take on a very different hue. It is East Potomac Park, and on this day a game of soccer was underway, the wind was blowing, and the planes were landing across the Potomac River side at Reagan Airport. The streets were filled with joggers and bike riders and the sun was brilliant on a crisp autumn day. We meandered about and took our time taking in the views. Every season has a presence here in DC. The nice thing about it is that they are more evenly spaced out than in the Midwest where it is primarily winter with snow and ice. That is one of the primary reasons we moved. And on this day, most folks would agree it's a very good one.