Arlington Cemetery, Virginia

Joe and I took the metro to Arlington Cemetery today, while Ian had his last day of birding with his friend Paul. Tomorrow Ian and I drive to NJ and leave this beautiful city of Washington DC, it's been a quick 2 months. Joe will be working in DC for another month and comes back to Massachusetts in May. The 3 of us have lived well in our small apartment in Virginia and enjoyed exploring the many grand and free sights of the area. We truly have an extraordinary capital for our country, of all the large cities I've been in, Washington DC is my favorite.

Entrance to Arlington Cemetery.

Changing of the guard. Only one guard changed every half hour. I was underwhelmed by the whole procedure, it was very robotic, but then I guess that's the point of it.

Joe and our flag.

An impressive amphitheater just behind the unknown soldier memorial.

Me.

Queen for a day, or a year, or longer :-)

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with the city in the background.

Great Falls, Alexandria and Hains Point.

Our first weekend here felt like late spring, so we headed for some lovely trails next to the Potomac river on the border of Virginia and Maryland.  Great Falls Park is off of the George Washington Memorial Parkway in a well preserved 800-acre National Park.

Great Falls just above Mather Gorge.

Ian recording birds he's just seen.

The Potomac flood levels are recorded here, but you need to add another 100 feet for it to get to the top of the banks!

Joe enjoying the outdoors.

Pampered Shih Tsu. They are special dogs :-)

Alexandria Old Town, lots of shops and brick sidewalks.

One of our favorite places to eat in any town.

Christ Church in Alexandria, Virginia.

Waterfront in Alexandria, Ian looking for more gulls and other shore birds. 

A Dad doing the best he can, but she's going to wail anyway.

I never saw one of these in New England.

East Potomac Park, Hains Point is a peninsula about a mile from our apartment in a tidal basin of the Potomac.  I've taken Ian there a lot for birding, it's a fine park with lovely views.

View from Hains Point, Washington D.C.

Fort McNair seen from Hains Point.

Sun going down on a fun family day spent outside, what a treat!