I know there is a bike-hike trail all along the Virginia side of the Potomac River for miles, from somewhere opposite the District down to Mount Vernon. I've seen it, but never been on it in the section south of the 14th St bridge. It took a bit of casting around in the airport to find it. I've walked around between terminals and down to the hangars before, but which path would keep on going wasn't obvious to me. I came to a dead end in the rental car garage, and consulted the closeup satellite view on google maps to figure out where to try next.
I ended up on the correct side of the metro tracks, and the actual exit to the trail was alongside the little known Congressional parking lot. (There is a very close-in lot - as close to the terminal as the metro station - restricted to Congressmen and Supreme Court justices. I was glad to see it was nearly empty, as they should all have been hard at work.) I followed it south towards General Aviation, and was much relieved to come upon a signpost, pointing one way for Alexandria and another route to Crystal City.
I hadn't really planned on this walk, and I was wearing shorts and a tee shirt, and sandals. My plan was just to walk until I was ready to turn around. I knew there was a sailboat marina between airport and Alexandria, but only had the vaguest notion how far anything was. I figured I could find water or a bathroom at the marina if necessary.
It was really lovely. It was hot, and it was humid, but I just walked along and it wasn't too terribly bad. Much of the walk is through woods, and it was shady. A slight breeze was blowing, and I was efficiently sweating off the heat. I was listening to a fascinating book on the ipod, which helps the miles click off. The walk led along the shore, and at one point was on a boardwalk above a little swamp where hibiscus were blooming. As I went, it got more and more crowded. Lots of walkers, runners, and plenty of bicyclists. Finally, I came to a power plant along the shore and turned around to come back. I dislike retracing my steps, but this was linear. A look at the map suggested that the next metro stop was still slightly further away than turning around, and I did have other things to do during the day.
The return trip was hotter, but just as nice. I remembered to start up my tracking app on the phone, so I have stats for the return trip. I also experimented with the technique of taking photos of myself, trying to capture the lovely feeling. The last bit of the walk was really hot, and I was thirsty and had to pee. My shoulder bag seemed much heavier, and I started carrying it in my hand to take the weight off my shoulder. I started to get a blister from the sandals. The bicycles started to seem really appealing to me. I eyed all the different ones I encountered, thinking seriously about going bicycle shopping later. I was really ready to get back to car. Just as I did, my boy texted to let me know he had arrived at the destination.
Part of what really appealed to me on this walk was because it was a place I've never been before. There was the thrill of discovery, the joy of exploration, along with the good sensation of striding along while listening to a great book. I've got to get out more, go on along and find new places to explore.
I went on into the airport terminal where I was glad for the air conditioning. I used the rest rooms, and got a sandwich and bottle of water from the fancy grab and go restaurant there. I just sat on a bench in the terminal and enjoyed the sandwich and water in the air conditioning, before driving home in the heat.
Here's the stats and a link to the map of the return trip. All told, nearly six miles. Not bad for a totally impromptu stroll. And I didn't go buy a new bicycle after all.
River Walk Map
Walk Time: 58:06
Stopped Time: 5:27
Distance: 2.82 miles
Average: 20:35 /mile
Fastest Pace: 12:43 /mile
Ascent: 64 feet
Calories: 217
No comments:
Post a Comment