Roosevelt Island Morning Walk

In the middle of the Potomac River is Roosevelt Island. On one side is Washington DC with the Kennedy Center and Georgetown in view; on the other side is downtown Arlington with high rises and fanfare. We never go there on a weekend or Friday to avoid the crowds. And it takes a circuitous route to get there from our direction. We first have to drive to Arlington Bridge and circle back by Arlington Cemetery to make a u turn. And it’s always tricky to get back in the lanes with swerving crazy drivers - both locals and tourists. We have been to the island to take a walk with visitors and also at every season of the year since we moved to DC seventeen years ago. You wouldn’t expect to find such a secluded wooded place near the city. It’s about a mile and an half all around and then we walk a bit towards town to reach our typical 2.4 miles. Things were much greener this time than late spring. It’s like it happens overnight. There was a large student group and a tour group that passed by us on the boardwalk. Surprisingly there were many yellow iris on long stems throughout the marsh and wooded areas. There were also a lot of berries. The actual Roosevelt memorial was quite empty except for a girl and her dog. The beautiful fountains weren’t yet on. When we walked back across the bridge to the parking lot some fishermen were speeding by on their boat underneath. It was actually a beautiful day for this walk. It’s a great option for us. 

Roosevelt Island

It sits in the middle of the urban jungle - between Arlington and DC. Theodore Roosevelt island is an interesting and unexpected place to visit just across the river from the Kennedy Center and Georgetown on one side, and downtown Arlington on the other. It’s a tricky turnoff coming from our northern Virginia direction. You need to drive all the way down to Arlington Memorial Bridge, then circle back on to the GW Parkway - making sure you don’t miss the exit and not crash in to the merging cars quickly coming from DC. We like to visit every so many months to see how things change from season to season. And during the week it is much easier to park and navigate. Things still looked quite like winter last week. It was a bit overcast and cool. But the Potomac river was quite calm and the reflections of the surroundings were lovely. We usually take the same route - across the bridge and all the way around the perimeter - crossing over the planks - many recently repaired - around the bog like setting. The ducks always seem to find places to nest there. It seems odd to view the Kennedy Center from the natural environment. It was a rather sparse day for visitors which I don’t mind. We came upon our first daffodil blossoms right by the pedestrian bridge. Then we made the last bit of walk over to the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial statue. Not having made quite the two mile trek we like to take we walked a bit further along the GW walkway that eventually takes you all the way to Mount Vernon. Maybe one of these days we will start the walk there and see how far we get. 

Roosevelt Island Promenade

Yesterday we drove to the Tidal Basin in search of water scenes. That’s the subject of this week’s photo challenge. Today we decided to take a ride to Roosevelt island not only for a morning walk, but to see what other water options there might be. It’s best to visit the island during the week to avoid the crowds. What one doesn’t expect but hears the whole time you are walking are the overhead planes taking off or landing at Reagan airport. It’s non stop! We have been to the island in all seasons. The crickets were certainly out in full swing, there were little lizards scampering about, but not much else. There were a lot of water opportunities to photograph - over the bridge, under the bridge, next to the bridge. And also several Potomac River views - kids and kayakers here and there. Many views of Arlington. There was even a water fountain that a potential. The views towards Georgetown weren’t very impressive and the light just wasn’t right. In the end there may some winners after I do some editing. If nothing else we had a delightful walk. And that’s the real reason for the trip. 

Roosevelt Island Path

We like to visit Roosevelt island every few months. It’s a hidden gem in an unexpected place in the Potomac River - across from Georgetown, the Kennedy center, and Arlington. We always go during the week because on weekends the parking lot is packed. We always take the bridge across and walk around the island to see what has changed from season to season. Lately, before heading back to the car, we’ve been taking the foot path the takes you to either Washington or Mount Vernon. Because it is a bike path I don’t like it as much. So we stay on the left side to avoid getting hit. Either path takes you under the Roosevelt Bridge, which is undergoing some repair work. It makes for interesting views to see the underbelly of these structures. And along the way is the Potomac River and all it has to offer. We usually put on about two miles for a morning walk. This additional bit gets us to that mark. My husband really likes this destination - which is why we like to visit.