Unedited view of the park sign -- we slotted BB in a site here and spent our first two weeks back 'home' in Northern Virginia. Its a park that we visited only rarely when we lived near it -- usually just to take the boys, when they were young, to their pool. We were glad to revisit:
It has some hiking trails and we hiked them. All short-ish. And poorly mapped and described, but with pretty good blazes-- so good thing they were short. Also connected to George Mason's home (Gunston Hall) and Mason Neck State Park. Quite nice.
The park is located on Pohick Bay -- part of the Potomac River -- just a lovely view for us:
Failed at documenting this place in pictures-- just a few of remarkable things: Ospeys nesting, spring coming alive as we watched the redbuds turn green and the dogwoods (Virginia's state flower and tree) bloom.
Our best evening there was the visit and campfire cookout with friends and former colleagues, Mary and John! So sorry I didn't remember to take a picture of that! Many other activities. Readers are welcome to this list. It is part of our Journal-Blog!
Week 1 at Pohick Bay
- Cookout camp dinner with Mary and John
- Cindy joined former colleagues for Lunch at First Watch. Always a hoot.
- Met with John Miller -- took him to Chipotle for a reunion dinner
- Did a short (0.75 miles) to the bay and watched the boats
- Walked to Gunston Hall
- Walked to Mason Neck (much farther than the sign said, and with weather threatening, did not get to the Visitor Center)
- Met with John Miller a second time for a laundromat marathon, haircuts all around, and dinner.
- Haynes Point for
- the view,
- the walk -- too windy for us -- we didn't walk--
- Incredible Cherry Blossom Grove
- Planes, trains, automobiles, bicycles, runners, and boats
- Visited our 5th National Park of the trip: Great Falls, where the Potomac falls through a small gorge and a series of rapids as it crosses the fall line. This is where the continental shelf meets the piedmont and the river becomes navigable all the way to the Atlantic. We watched kayakers meet amazing challenges, and we just marveled at the beauty of the place. Old eyes revisiting see the whole scene anew. Our memory is that this is one of the first places our Matt rock-climbed and probably kayaked. We are grateful everyday that he's still alive!
- Wrapped Up this week by being lucky enough to be invited to John and Mary's for a fabulous Easter Dinner with their family and friends.
- Walked the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Trail ( From Alexandria, through a piece of the District of Columbia and to the Maryland overpass into National Harbor ~4 miles out and back) and discovered Jones Point Park, under and next to the bridge in Alexandria. How have we missed that all the years we lived in Northern Virginia?
Baby Beluga glamour shot! From the bridge deck, her solar panels are seen!
Baby Beluga and a new Friend. BB seems ridiculous in this picture. Remember she's our home this year!
- Returned with John Miller for
- Fishing with him at Jones Point Park. (Bill and John fished; Cindy read a book and people-watched)
- Ate at Mama's Kitchen Italian restaurant -- a favorite place near John Miller's apartment
- Love how the bridge piers dwarf life in this picture:
- Had a Thai dinner (Duangrats on Rt. 7) with our old, dear friend, Rennie Dobbs and her son Nick. Very nice to see them and kicking ourselves for not snapping a photo.
- Attended a campground activity -- a campfire and a little bit of an interpretive program meant for children. Quite pleasant.
- Did a Volksmarch (but not a capital one) in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Finished it up with a vegan meal at SammyT's restaurant. We walked in and immediately remembered that we had dinner there once before, with our friend, Donna Kain, who now lives in Mississippi.
- Drove up Rt. 1 to remember all the commuting Cindy did in graduate school many years ago
Your photos are great. Snd your travels inspired. So glad to get these updates!!
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