Author Archives: John M

Fall colors at Riverbend and Rock Creek parks

Posted on November 5, 2013 by John M

Last weekend was the start of peak Fall colors along the eastern seaboard of the mid-Atlantic coast, and I tried to maximize the occasion with back-to-back hikes on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday’s outing was to Riverbend Park in Great Falls, Virginia. Like its adjacent cousin, Great Falls National … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, History, Photography | Tagged Boulder Bridge, fairfax county virginia, Great Falls, Great Falls National Park, Melvin Hazen Trail, nature, outdoors, Peirce Mill, Potomac Heritage Trail, Riverbend Park, Rock Creek, Rock Creek Park, Washington DC | 2 Comments

Hawksbill & Stony Man

Posted on October 28, 2013 by John M

The Autumn leaves are changing colors in Virginia, so on Saturday we went out to the Shenandoah Mountains National Park to get a look. What better vantage point than the two highest peaks in the park, Hawksbill and Stony Man? … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, Photography | Tagged Hawksbill, nature, outdoors, Shenandoah Mountains, Shenandoah Mountains National Park, Stony Man, Upper Hawksbill | 7 Comments

Leesylvania

Posted on October 18, 2013 by John M

Yesterday I visited Leesylvania State Park to check it out for a group hike this weekend. The 508-acre park was once the plantation home of Henry Lee II, father of “Light Horse” Harry Lee and grandfather of Robert E. Lee, and is located along the Potomac River in Prince William County, Virginia. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, History, Photography | Tagged CSX train, Harry Lee, Henry Lee II, Lee's Woods, Leesylvania State Park, nature, outdoors, Potomac River, Prince William County, Robert E. Lee, train, Virginia, wildlife | 6 Comments

Toasted cloves

Posted on October 16, 2013 by John M

The other day I was browsing through lots in a coin auction and spotted a very interesting silver restrike 1780 Maria Theresa Taler with clove countermarks from Pemba Island, off the coast of modern-day Tanzania. The coin Maria Theresa talers (or thalers) feature … Continue reading →

Posted in Coins, History, News | Tagged cloves, countermarks, Julius Nyerere, Maria Theresa, Maria Theresa Taler, Pemba Island, President Nyerere, Taler, Tanzania, Thaler, ujamaa, Zanzibar | 1 Comment

The fix is in

Posted on October 11, 2013 by John M

Here’s something cool. In my October 7 post about a walk along Holmes Run and Winkler Botanical Preserve, I mentioned finding that the North Chambliss Street Bridge project is complete, and that I had reported the change to Google (on October 5). This … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking | Tagged Google, Google maps, Winkler Botanical Preserve | Comments Off

Holmes Run and Winkler Botanical Preserve

Posted on October 7, 2013 by John M

Had a nice walk with friends this past Saturday along Holmes Run Trail, with a side visit to Winkler Botanical Preserve, both in Alexandria, Virginia. We visited the same stretch of Holmes Run Trail earlier this year, but this time we started … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, Photography | Tagged fairfax county virginia, Holmes Run, Holmes Run Trail, Jerome "Buddie" Ford Nature Center, Mole Kingsnake, nature, outdoors, wildlife, Winkler Botanical Preserve | 1 Comment

Arm of the Seine near Giverny in the Fog

Posted on September 28, 2013 by John M

Claude Monet Arm of the Seine near Giverny in the Fog (Bras de Seine près de Giverny, brouillard), 1897 Oil on canvas 36 1/2 x 35 inches At the Kreeger Museum, 2401 Foxhall Road NW, Washington, DC 20007. Photo © … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Arm of the Seine near Giverny in the Fog, Art, Bras de Seine près de Giverny, brouillard, Claude Monet, Impressionism, Kreeger Museum, Monet, Painting | 2 Comments

The Palisades

Posted on September 27, 2013 by John M

Below are photos and descriptions of landmarks from a walking tour of the Palisades District in Washington DC. The tour starts from the Palisades Recreation Center, 5138 Sherier Place NW, Washington DC, GPS = 38.92525,-77.10339. The walk is about 5.75 miles and takes about 2 hours. The surface is a mix … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, History, Photography | Tagged architecture, C&O Canal, Capital Crescent Trail, history, outdoors, Palisades, Washington DC | 4 Comments

Commemorative medal

Posted on September 19, 2013 by John M

I think this is what an old-fashioned commemorative medal would look like if something like the Nine Years’ War took place today, with Barack Obama as William of Orange. They seem to share a similar self-perception: “IOVI TONANTI” (Jupiter the Thunderous). We’re in for trouble if there … Continue reading →

Posted in Coins, History, News | Tagged barack obama, humor, Obama, Politics, satire, Syria | Comments Off

A walking tour of DuPont and Kalorama

Posted on September 9, 2013 by John M

Below is a set of 32 photos with descriptions to accompany a walking tour of the historic DuPont and Kalorama Districts in Washington DC, starting from DuPont Circle. The photos show notable buildings and landmarks in the two districts, mostly drawn from the National Register … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, History, Photography | Tagged Dupont, Dupont Circle, Kalorama, Rock Creek Park, Washington DC | Comments Off