October 19, 2012 - US FreedomWalk Festival, Day 1

Today was Day 1 of the 11th annual U.S. FreedomWalk Festival. The event was created  to welcome walkers from all over the world to the nation's capital city in friendship. This walking event is hosted by the Office of the Surgeon General of the United States; Arlington County, Virginia; Cultural Tourism DC; various Embassies; and AVA Club 901.  

Our first walk was a 10 k walk in Arlington, Virginia. We started at the Rosslyn Holiday Inn and headed over a pedestrian bridge to Theodore Roosevelt Island, in the middle of the Potomac River.






 



In the 1930's landscape architects transformed Mason’s Island from neglected overgrown farmland into Theodore Roosevelt Island, a living memorial to America’s 26th president. They conceived a “real forest” designed to mimic the natural forest that once covered the island. Today miles of trails through wooded uplands and swampy bottomlands honor the legacy of a great outdoorsman and conservationist.

After returning to Arlington we walked through a busy commercial area with many enticing lunch spots. We chose a place called Chop't that offerd many choices for fresh salads.

Our next stop was the Marine Corps Memorial, also known as the Iwo Jima Memorial.  This inspiring sculpture was featured in the film "Flags of Our Fathers."  This awe-inspiring sculpture was based on the iconic photo taken by AP photographer Joe Rosenthal.

Next to the Memorial is the Netherlands Carillon. We happened to be passing right at 2:00 pm,  so we got to hear it chime while enjoying the view across the Potomac.

The "money shot":  The Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument and Capital

We continueded along the edge of Arlington National Cemetery to one of the gates of Fort Myer. Then we headed toward Courthouse Road and continued past the site where Fort Morton once stood.  It was one of a series of small forts constructed in Virginia by the Union army to defend Washington, DC during the Civil War. 

Arlington Cemetery

I need to mention that the route instructions were the best I have ever seen, and the trail was so well marked that you could have followed it without looking at the route instructions. The instructions included an overall map of the route as well as detail maps of each portion of the route, keyed to the numbers of each route maneuver. Each kilometer was noted, as well.

Walk Route:  A

Walk Instructions: A+

Theodore Roosevelt Island