Woods Wind Wander

A view across the river into DC (Capital Crescent Trail) I'm not sure one equates Arlington with the ideal hiking spot, but when a friend suggested we visit Potomac Overlook before stopping by her house, we decided to keep an open mind.  After all, there must at least be an awesome view of the river; it has an overlook , right? Welcome all! Potomac Overlook Regional Park and the adjacent Donaldson Run Park are typical suburban parks in that you are almost surrounded by houses on all sides, you aren't exactly in backcountry, nor are you "away from it all."  I mean, hey, the good news is you can't get lost!  Joking aside, it actually doesn't take very long to move into the woods and forget you are right outside of Washington, DC. Heading into those woods The upside to visiting any park for the first time is that you can't go wrong in terms of the route you choose. Everything is new to you.  After consulting the map, and a man walking his dog (people that...

We have moved from June to July here in Virginia and with this change has come an increase in temperature along with it.  For today's walk, I wanted to go somewhere different to keep it fresh, as we've been walking everyday, but not too far as I didn't want us to be out in the midday sun.  I, therefore, chose to go to Algonkian Regional Park. Algonkian has many advantages: ample parking, wide open space, and many places to play and picnic. While Algonkian itself doesn't have billions of miles of trail, if you are just beginning to hike with your kids, if your children are younger, or if you'd like a flat (yay!), short(-er) walk, than Algonkian is the place for you.  If you'd like a longer walk, Algonkian is along/a part of the Potomac Heritage Trail.  To the west (to the left when facing the river) you can connect (behind the cabins or along the river) to Countryside's beautiful trail system, and to the east, you can follow the Potomac Heritage Trail all the...