October 20, 2012 - US FreedomWalk Festival, Day 2

Washington, DC

Today was Day 2 of the U.S. FreedomWalk Festival.  We selected the 13k walk. Some hardy souls selected 22k or 42 k ("the marathon").  

Georgetown University

Starting in Rosslyn, we walked across the Key Bridge to Georgetown.  We were treated to nice views of Georgetown University from the middle of the bridge.  









 








On the DC side of the bridge, we followed Canal Street until we came to the Glover-Archbold Trail.  (The 183-acre Glover Archbold Park was donated to the city in 1924 by Charles C. Glover and Anne Archbold - a former Riggs Bank executive and Standard Oil of New Jersey heiress, respectively - to be used as a bird sanctuary. It contains trees that are 150 to 200 years old.) We followed a pleasant path through Rock Creek Park for about 3k.  It was surprisingly "woodsy" for Washington, DC, but the only wildlife we saw was a chipmunk.  Last year, a mountain lion was sighted in this park.

 






At Cathedral Avenue, we left the park and headed to the Washington National Cathedral. (Before reaching the Cathedral, we crossed 39th Street at a point just 5 blocks from the apartment I lived in from kindergarten through 3rd grade.)  Of neogothic design, the National Cathedral is the sixth-largest cathedral in the world, the second-largest in the United States, and the fourth-tallest structure in Washington, D.C. 

In front of the British Embassy (I just had to)

Very soon after leaving the Cathedral we began to pass embassies.  We reached the Embassy of Norway, our first checkpoint.  I was expecting to be able to see the inside of the Embassy and be treated to aquavit, or at least lutefisk, but the checkpoint was outside and all there was to sustain a weary walker was water and a tiny Tootsie Roll.

 

The next point of interest was the US Naval Observatory, official timekeeper for the US government and home of the Vice President.  

The Embassy of Finland

This section of Massachusetts Avenue is known as "Embassy Row" because there is one embassy after another. Embassy Row is also home to the Islamic Center of Washington which includes  a mosque and Islamic cultural center. When it opened in 1957 it was the largest Muslim place of worship in the Western Hemisphere. The center was originally conceived in 1944 when the Turkish ambassador died and there was no mosque in which to hold his funeral. The Washington diplomatic community played a leading role in the effort to have a mosque constructed. 

At Sheridan Circle we turned off Massachusetts Avenue to cross Dumbarton Bridge (also called the Buffalo Bridge) and enter Georgetown. Georgetown is a historic section of Washington, DC, located along the Potomac River.  Founded in 1751, the port of Georgetown predated the establishment of the federal district and the City of Washington by 40 years. Georgetown remained a separate municipality until 1871, when Congress created a new consolidated government for the whole District of Columbia. (A separate act passed in 1895 specifically repealed Georgetown's remaining local ordinances and renamed Georgetown's streets to conform with those in the City of Washington.) After passing Dumbarton Oaks, the site of a series of diplomatic meetings which led to the creation of the United Nations, our surroundings started to transition from a dignified, well-preserved residential area to the busy, trendy shopping scene of Wisconsin Avenue.  

A Georgetown townhouse

Our second checkpoint, outside of the Marvelous Market, turned out to be a real treat.  There was a booth right next to the checkpoint where Magnum Bars were being given away as part of a promotion.  This was the perfect substitute for lunch on a warm Indian Summer afternoon.

We followed Wisconsin Avenue to the high end shops of M Street.  This area is even busier and trendier than Wisconsin Avenue. Upon passing a bakery called Georgetown Cupcake we noticed a line over a block long.  Really?

We returned to the start point via Key Bridge, and thus ended a seriously long walk.  Again, the route and directions were very well done.  However, it would have been nice to have been given a little more information about the numerous interesting buildings we passed.

Walk Route: A-

Walk Instructions: A