Tag Archives: Washington DC

Looking back on 2022

Posted on December 31, 2022 by John M

During 2022 our hiking group continued to burn up the trails! We went on 108 hikes for a total of around 500 miles; averaging about 4.6 miles per hike. That’s not much different overall from last year, but this year … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, Photography | Tagged C&O Canal, Civil War, Great Falls National Park, nature, outdoors, Potomac River, Rappahannock River, Shenandoah Mountains, Washington DC, wildlife | 6 Comments

Looking back on 2016

Posted on December 30, 2016 by John M

Looking back, it has certainly been a busy year for hiking! Our hiking group grew by 1,779 members, from 6,796 to 8,575, and we met for 103 events during 2016, hiking a total of 450 miles at locations throughout Virginia, … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, Photography | Tagged azaleas, Billy Goat Trail, Buzzard Rock, Carderock, Dupont, Georgetown, Great Falls National Park, Kalorama, National Cherry Blossom Festival, nature, old town alexandria, outdoors, Patapsco Valley State Park, Rock Creek Park, Shenandoah Mountains, Sky Meadows, Virginia bluebells, Washington DC, wildlife | 7 Comments

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

Rites of Spring

Posted on April 22, 2015 by John M

Spring has finally arrived, and it’s always great to be able to get out on the trail for a couple of hours without having to spend almost an equal amount of time bundling up for the occasion. Cherry Blossom Festival … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, Photography | Tagged Bollman Truss Railroad Bridge, Cherry Blossom Festival, Jefferson Memorial, National Cherry Blossom Festival, National Mall, nature, outdoors, Patuxent Branch Trail, Patuxent River, ribbon snake, Savage Mill, Savage Mill Trail, spring, tulips, Washington DC | 2 Comments

A brief reprieve

Posted on February 9, 2015 by John M

Consulting the weather forecast is always a good idea when planning hikes (or any outdoor activities), but especially during the winter season. Even then, you just never know what you’re going to get. A couple of weekends ago we were … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Billy Goat Trail, blue heron, Burke Lake, C&O Canal, Civil War fortifications, Dumbarton Oaks, fairfax county virginia, Fort Ward, Great Falls National Park, nature, outdoors, Potomac River, Rock Creek Park, South Run, Tregaron Conservancy, Washington DC, wildlife | 4 Comments

Blue skies and the perils of hiking backwards

Posted on January 18, 2015 by John M

We closed out last year with a visit to National Harbor, Maryland, a 6-mile hike across Wilson Bridge and back from Jones Point Park in Virginia. The sunny skies’ brilliant blue, reflected in the glassy calm of the Potomac River, … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Anne Archbold, Appalachian Trail, C&O Canal, Francis Scott Key Memorial, Georgetown, jones point park, Maryland, National Harbor, Oak Hill Cemetery Chapel, old town alexandria, outdoors, Potomac River, Rock Creek Park, Sky Meadows, Washington DC, Wilson Bridge | 3 Comments

Hiking the holidays

Posted on December 26, 2014 by John M

Actually, this post is about hiking over the entire month of December, to date! But given that merchants, the media, and accompanying decor shift into Christmas holiday mode the very second after the Thanksgiving feast is served, I figure I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, Photography | Tagged Christmas decorations, Christmas holiday, Christmas in the City, Christmas Tree, Freeman Store, Meetup, old town alexandria, outdoors, Potomac River, Smithsonian Visitor Center, Vienna, Washington DC, wildlife | 6 Comments

Down to zero

Posted on November 24, 2014 by John M

The past three weekends have been filled with hikes, as Mother Nature put on her Autumnal show of colors before finally turning the temperatures down to zero. Here’s a few highlights: Brookside Gardens Brookside Gardens, in Wheaton-Glenmont, MD, with its … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, Photography | Tagged Billy Goat Trail, blue heron, Boulder Bridge, Brookside Gardens, C&O Canal, deer, Fort Ethan Allen Park, Great Falls National Park, Gulf Branch, nature, outdoors, Peirce Mill, Potomac Heritage Trail, Potomac River, Rock Creek Park, Washington DC, Wheaton Park, wildlife | 4 Comments

3 x 3 + 1

Posted on October 9, 2014 by John M

Seems like I’m always falling behind — too busy hiking to plan the next hike or too busy planning the next hike to blog about the last hike. During group hikes, I’m usually too busy navigating (avoiding getting lost) to … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, Photography | Tagged Butterfly Habitat, Merchant Marine Memorial, National Building Museum, National Museum of Women in the Arts, outdoors, Potomac River, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Smithsonian Gardens Butterfly Habitat, Smithsonian National Zoological Park, urban hike, Washington DC | 4 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 | 4 Comments