Wilkes Street Tunnel in Old Town Alexandria

We have been by it several times but never explored it. The Wilkes Street tunnel in Old Town Alexandria was always fascinating to look at from the car. We took a ride to Old Town this week for a morning walk and to be on the look out for a photo option for the 52Frames challenge. We usually start at the waterfront and head towards the south side of town. When we got to the park the tunnel was within a reasonable distance. So rather than take our usual route back, we decided to explore the area. It was very interesting. Apparently the train tunnel has been around since 1856 and was used during the Civil War and WWI to connect Washington DC to Richmond. The tracks were removed in the 1970’s and a walking path was created. Some say it is haunted - I’m glad I didn’t know that while visiting! What we heard was a lot of birds chirping and building nests inside the rocks. The tunnel is well lighted and is quite long. I’m glad we finally had the chance to see it. So we returned back to our car via Royal street wondering how life was like back in the day. Old Town is really a great place to observe history. What do you think went on in that tunnel all those years ago!

Walking Path in Virginia

Last week we took a ride to visit family members in Virginia. It's a four hour ride by car and is always a very pleasant journey. Gone are the obnoxious drivers and congestion. We had a few opportunities to walk - in the downtown area; on the property that was just bought down by the James River for an alternate living space for fishing, boating and hiking; and along the walking path near their home. The weather was actually nice - it usually rains when we are there. Along the way we found a gigantic leaf; walked by streams and brooks and dams; an old railroad tunnel; and train tracks way above ground with a stationary train sitting on them. Anyone we saw along the way greeted us with warm southern charm - something definitely lacking in DC - but more familiar to our Midwest taste. I think we learned we should stay on the path rather than venture off - too many slips and slides for older folks! I know I would never want to live the in the sticks, but I'm not really a very urban person. Our tiny place on Capitol Hill feels very suburban - especially on weekends and holidays. The place clears out! So every once in awhile it's nice to see another side of living. Probably because we have family there makes a lot of difference.