Constitution Gardens Pond

Yesterday we took a ride in to town. The best place to park is at the Tidal Basin - no one seems to know about it and you can walk in any direction from there. My husband loves the Constitution Gardens Park. No one seems to know about that either. It site is right past the WWII Memorial and along Constitution Avenue. People tend to walk by the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pond instead. A few weeks back the park service removed most of the plants from the pond which took away the favorite spot of the heron that visits regularly. Something is growing back, but it’s no where near what it used to be. But as soon as we saw the “island” in the middle of the pond our friend the heron was sitting near it where no one could get at him. It’s also a great view of the Washington Monument from there. To break up the blue and green scenery there were a few golden day lilies blooming in the beautiful sunny weather. It’s always a rather leisurely walk in the middle of the concrete jungle. And every season has its own charm. 

Constitution Gardens, Birds and Carp

My husband really likes taking a morning walk around Constitution Gardens. It’s a great place because the tourists don’t know where it is. We always park at the Tidal Basin, then walk past the WWII Memorial and then turn in to the park. There was a beautiful Chinese fringe tree in full bloom. The we stumbled upon a “common grackle” with the luminescent head feathers. Of course there were geese sailing by as well as a pair of ducks. There were also a lot of ducklings. The view of the Washington monument is always nice from the signers of the declaration section that you reach after crossing a foot bridge. Then we made our way toward the Lincoln memorial that is under renovation - like everything else is in the city. When we got back to the car we walked up a bit around the Tidal Basin and saw for the first time some very large fish - it almost looked like a dolphin! When we got a close look they were slapping about against the wall in a frenzied state. When we sent the photos to an expert fisherman we know he said they were carp. They almost looked like cat fish. When we drove home we passed through our old neighborhood on Capitol Hill and saw the house/basement apartment where our grandson will be living for six weeks this summer while he does his internship. It’s almost across the street from our old condo and the house where he grew up for ten years. We always like to visit and oftentimes wish we never moved. But then reality strikes and we realize it was good while it lasted, but glad we made the change. 

Constitution Gardens Morning Walk

I was in search of water pictures for the photo challenge. We had spend a few days visiting some of the neighborhood parks along the Potomac River, but the Tidal Basin area also has a lot of options. So we parked by the Tidal Basin - which is a great place that no one else seems to know about - and walked over to the WWII memorial. There are a lot of fountains there. Then we headed over to Constitution Gardens - another spot that no one seems to know about. The views of the Washington Monument are great from there. Next up was the Lincoln Memorial. As we walked the crowd was getting bigger and we chatted with a guy visiting from Tampa who was there for a job interview and wandering about taking in all of the sights. The new park police horse stables was just newly opened. There were four horses standing about. But the center wasn’t open because the park ranger had just left for lunch. Maybe next time. On the way back to the car we stopped by the pond across the street from the tidal basin and there was a turtle saying hello by the metal pieces hovering over the water. From there we headed towards the paddle boats by the Jefferson Memorial. There were a few takers. At the annual gardens were a few leaves that had some water drops that looked interesting for some macro shots. In the end I used a Potomac River image. But every time we visit town we enjoy the sights and sounds of DC. We try to go in at least once a week and it is always worth the trip.  

Constitution Gardens, Circle of Remembrance

One of our favorite places to take a morning walk in DC is Constitution Gardens. It doesn’t appear to be a destination for tourists as it’s always quite serene with little foot traffic. And January is always a great month to visit just about anywhere in town. We drove in on Monday and parked at the Tidal Basin - another spot that’s always great as long as it’s not cherry blossom time. We then walked by the Washington Monument, past the WWII Memorial and on to the gardens. There is a new memorial of sorts called “a Prayer for the Nation” located in the circle of remembrance along the way. They are the words Roosevelt spoke on D Day in 1944. I remember seeing the area being worked on last year and apparently it will be dedicated some time this year. There were a lot of ducks floating and flapping about and probably building nests in the grassy areas. I was also trying to find some options for the weekly photo challenge that calls for “black and white” as the subject. It was very cloudy which usually makes for interesting scenes and reflections on the water. But I think the water photos are more beautiful in color which is what I prefer. There is a little island where the water foul tend to hang out. The area was a lot less woodsy in the winter months. There was a single individual working on his laptop and totally undisturbed by our presence. It was an absolutely beautiful day for a walk. We are very fortunate to have these choices just a short drive from where we now live. It’s hard to believe that we moved to Capitol Hill seventeen years ago. Where did the time go? 

Morning Walk near Constitution Gardens

Every week we drive in to town for a morning walk and also to take photos for the weekly challenge and for this blog. We haven’t been to the Lincoln Memorial for quite a while so we parked by the Tidal Basin. It’s a great place to park and isn’t very well known. It’s also less busy than the National mall. First we stopped at the WWII Memorial. Then we walked along the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool and made a turn to the Korean War Memorial. This is a great time of year in the city because it’s the least busy. Then we headed up the steps to the Lincoln Memorial where there were a lot of people gathering. One of our favorite spots is Constitution Gardens. Someone was painting the gardens and I asked her if I could take her photo. She said she wasn’t from around here and seemed almost out of place. We are always on the lookout for the blue heron that has made its home there. But there was also what I thought was a white egret hanging around too. The little island that has a monument to the constitution always has a great view of the Washington monument. This area is usually very quiet as most people don’t seem to know it exists. Then we looped back to the WWII Memorial and headed back over to the tidal basin. It’s always a nice ride in and an even better walk. There is always something to see and it feels like home. When we lived on Capitol Hill for thirteen years we usually walked near the Capitol and the mall, rarely making it all the way to the Lincoln memorial. I always think about all the people who come here to visit. We get to visit all of the time.