sunday in the park

since i wanted to do something nature-related during this visit, sharon, jessica, and i took a sunday morning walk around theodore roosevelt island. people had mentioned this island to me before, and i'd never been there, so we decided to go. it was a great decision.


from the parking lot, we had to cross a bridge to get to the island. from this bridge, one can see across to dc, and specifically georgetown. on this sunday morning, there were lots of kayakers on the potomac river.


once we got on one of the trails, we quickly encountered this seeming obstacle course.



towards the center of the island, the trail becomes a wooden walkway (though there were runners, along with the walkers and dogs). it's very interesting the juxtaposition of the man-made walkway and the wild surroundings, as well as the natural preserve and the metropolitan.



here are some pics of the flora and fauna: a butterfly flitting among the flowers, a dead log, and a fuzzy caterpillar.




in this city of monuments, there is, of course, a monument on this island--one dedicated to its namesake. there is a statue of roosevelt, surrounded by trees, water elements, and excerpts of his writings sculpted on big concrete plaques.








on the way out, took these pictures of dc, the river, and some ducks.




we had a great walk around the park. we topped it off by having sunday brunch at mancini's in alexandria. they have great, big breakfasts. (i forgot to take pictures. i guess i was too hungry.) what a lovely way to spend a sunday morning!