Category Archives: History

Further along

Posted on May 4, 2015 by John M

We’re moving further along through springtime; another week and we’ll be halfway done. (Spring vernal equinox was March 20; summer solstice will be June 21.) My nose tells me we have quite a way to go, and if that isn’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, History, Photography | Tagged Christ Church, Dark Star Park, David Herold, John Wilkes Booth, Lewis Powell, Marine Corps War Memorial, Nathanael Greene, nature, Netherlands Carillon, outdoors, Potomac Heritage Trail, Potomac River, Red-winged Blackbird, Washington DC | Comments Off

Tugwell’s Dream

Posted on April 17, 2015 by John M

Good heavens, it’s been a month and a half since I last posted! It’s not for lack of hikes, certainly: we’ve been doing two just about every week since my last post. Maybe it has more to do with the … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, History | Tagged Constitution, Greenbelt, New Deal, Tugwell | 2 Comments

Long weekend, lost wonder

Posted on September 6, 2014 by John M

Whenever a Federal holiday comes around, yielding a three-day weekend, I usually feel compelled to fill up with hikes. Maybe this compulsion comes from something I was discussing with a friend not so very long ago, about the lost wonder … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, History, Photography | Tagged Billy Goat Trail, C&O Canal, Civil War, Great Falls National Park, nature, outdoors, Potomac Heritage Trail, Potomac River, Washington DC | 1 Comment

Catching up

Posted on August 15, 2014 by John M

The past couple of weeks I have still been busy hiking, but sadly negligent in writing posts about it. So I’ll have to back up and play catch-up again… Carderock On Saturday, August 2nd, I thought a visit to Carderock … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, History, Photography | Tagged C&O Canal, Cameron Run, Carderock, Civil War, George Washington Masonic National Memorial, Lockhouse 10, nature, old town alexandria, outdoors, Potomac River, South Run, Supermoon, Washington DC, wildlife | 1 Comment

Sesquicentennial and a sultry garden

Posted on July 16, 2014 by John M

Last weekend I went on a couple of hikes that were about as far apart in both subject matter and venue as you can get! On Saturday we went on a 6-mile hike in Washington D.C., on the sesquicentennial anniversary … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, History, Photography | Tagged Anacosia River, Battle of Monocacy, blue heron, Fort Stevens, General Jubal Early, kenilworth aquatic gardens, lotus, nature, orchid, outdoors, robin, water lillies, wildlife | Comments Off

Ups and Downs

Posted on April 23, 2014 by John M

Last Saturday I had a trip planned to the Shenandoah National Park (SNP), a repeat of the combined hikes at Dark Hollow Falls and Hawksbill we did last June. Since this was to be the first trip to SNP in 2014, … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, History, Photography | Tagged Civil War, Fraser Preserve, Great Falls National Park, nature, outdoors, Potomac Heritage Trail, Potomac River, Rowser's Ford, Scotts Run Nature Preserve, Seneca Park, Shenandoah Mountains, Shenandoah National Park | 1 Comment

Pimmit Run: Forts Ethan Allen and Marcy

Posted on December 9, 2013 by John M

On Saturday we went hiking on Pimmit Run, which flows into the Potomac River near the Chain Bridge crosses the river from Virginia into the District of Columbia. The hike started at the Madison Community Center, which is located where Fort Ethan … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, History, Photography | Tagged Fort Ethan Allen, Fort Marcy, Madison Community Center, nature, outdoors, Pimmit Run, Washington DC | Comments Off

First Manassas Trail

Posted on November 25, 2013 by John M

I visited the Manassas National Battlefield Park last Saturday to hike the First Manassas Trail, a 5.4-mile route that starts from the Henry Hill Visitor Center, leads northeast to the Stone Bridge, up Bull Run to the fording site of … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, History, Photography | Tagged Civil War, First Manassas, Gray Ghost Vineyards, Henry Hill, Manassas National Battlefield Park, Matthews Hill, nature, outdoors, Stonewall Jackson, the Stone House, wildlife | 2 Comments

The Guns of Autumn: Forts Foote and Washington

Posted on November 14, 2013 by John M

Last weekend was not only a long one (because of Veterans Day), but also about the last hurrah for autumn colors here in northern Virginia. To take advantage of the extra day our hiking group did three hikes over the weekend! The first two, Burke … Continue reading →

Posted in Guns, Hiking, History, Photography | Tagged Burke Lake, Fort Foote, Fort Washington, Lake Accotink, nature, outdoors, Veterans Day | Comments Off

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 | 1 Comment

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
	1	2	3	4	5	6
7	8	9	10	11	12	13
14	15	16	17	18	19	20
21	22	23	24	25	26	27
28	29	30