After finally getting (somewhat) settled in my hovel, I rode the Metro to the airport, and hopped a flight to Atlanta to enjoy my niece's high school graduation and visit with family.
It will be interesting to see if my "home" feels like home when I get back!
In our downtime here, I have been reading about the history of Washington, DC, and I think I have found a couple of new and interesting ways to continue to explore the city:
Boundary Markers - The original legislation creating the nation's capital (in 1790) called for an area "not exceeding ten miles square." When the boundaries of the new capital city were surveyed and marked, sandstone monuments were placed "at each mile of the original diamond shape." Surprisingly, almost all of the markers are still there. With help from this website --> www.boundarystones.org/ <-- I think it might be fun to track down each of the markers, and, thus, eventually work my way around the entire original boundary of the city (the boundary changed in 1846, when the portion that had originally been part of Virginia was "retroceded" to the state).
The Capital Crescent Trail - This is a terrific walking/running/biking trail that follows the old railbed of the Georgetown branch of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad. The trail is scenic, and provides a great way to combine exercise and exploration.
Expect progress reports on these two projects.
Also, I just ordered an Annual Pass from the National Park Service. It's $80, but I'd expect to spend at least that much in park entrance fees over the next year - it's $15 just to get on to Skyline Drive, so just a few visits there in the next year, and the pass will have paid for itself.
Cheers...
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