Most anything is walking distance if you have the time and the energy. That has long been my line of thought.
The middle son and I took the MARC train into Washington, D.C. on Monday morning. It was foggy, but it wasn’t cool. It never dropped below 65 on Sunday night. Welcome to summer South of the Mason-Dixon line in the Shenandoah Valley, where how long your deodorant lasts is anyone’s guess.
I keep telling myself, “I WILL adapt”. I will learn to embrace the humidity and the heat. Otherwise, I will be sitting inside for half the year.
Waiting for the train to come in the misty morning fog. The train was a couple of minutes late because a freight train was traveling in the opposite direction – the backbone trains that haul all the basic ingredients for manufacturing. When I lie in bed, I can hear those trains howling when they go behind our house. They are heavy and slow.
Leaving West Virginia, going through Harper’s Ferry.
The Potomac River is still slightly higher than normal, but is finally returning to its usual level. The rain this spring and into June has been substantial, with many thunderstorms passing through. It’s brought the Eastern Panhandle out of last year’s drought, so there is that.
We arrived at Union Station and walked out into the humidity, where I realized that the moisture felt like a tub of face lotion being poured all over me. The many Southern Magnolia trees agreed with me.
We visited the General William Tecumseh Sherman monument, which sits on a corner of the President’s Park below the Treasury Department and the White House. The setup for the parade on Saturday had started in full swing, and fences were being erected at a rapid pace. It was almost worth just watching how fast men can work. June 14th is the 250th anniversary of the US Army, as well as Flag Day.
This was as close as we could get to the monument, but it was a valuable learning experience to discuss the legacy of General Sherman. We delved into it and studied his life story. And of the end of the Civil War – and of the bitterness that still exists to this day for parts of America. The monument was erected under President Teddy Roosevelt in 1903.
Although the boys are no longer home-schooled (they returned to school this past year), we still homeschool in our way. History is all over, and never miss a chance to get both a walk and a lesson in.
The Treasury. Good at taking money and spending it “wisely”. For sure. (The statue is of Albert Gallatin)
With the security for the parade, this was the only view of the White House one could get. It made for a good hike up the hill to it. Extra steps were good for us.
We dropped down the other side of the President’s Park and came down to the National Mall, rounding up behind the Washington Monument.
The lawns here are a great walk through on the pathways. You can pick up a breeze often, and it’s less people-y.
It was a good day. We saw a lot and did a massive loop. It was hot, though. It topped at 83* with humidity in the high 70 to 80%. The wind finally returned in the early afternoon, which at least made it more tolerable. I made sure we stayed very hydrated and took breaks under the trees.
However, I have proved that I am capable of hiking in the heat – if I work up to it, go slowly, and stay hydrated. Of course, it is a lot easier to acquire icy cold lemonade in an urban setting than when hiking on the AT 😉
Walking D.C. with teens is a great way to see the historical buildings and monuments, and it gives time to just be and talk about history and why it matters.
~Sarah