We left Hope Springs Marina at 8:20 am for a leisurely 47.5 mile trip to Washington, DC. I throttled back on the engines, but with a favorable 1.2 mph tidal current we still averaged about 8.3 mph in scattered clouds with a breeze of 5 to 10 mph. Until we approached the DC metro area, we only saw a half dozen boats, and the scenery was magnificent. I was able to continue my "love affair" with ospreys. We must have seen a hundred today! Hard to believe that the first ospreys were sighted on the Potomac River near DC only about 20 years ago. We did learn more about these magnificent birds. A
couple of years ago, two osprey living under a bridge near DC were tagged so that there migration pattern could be observed. During the warmer months, there are abundant fish near the surface, but in the colder months the fish move into deeper water. When the readily available food supply vanishes, the birds migrate south. One went to the coast of Venezuela and the other went to the coastal margin of the northern Amazon Delta. With their low body mass and large wingspan of up to 6 feet, they are able to glide efficiently using thermals. According to the researchers, they can fly those long distances over water with one eye closed and half of their brain asleep to conserve energy???
Much of the shoreline was in a natural state until we got closer to DC. George Washington's home at Mount Vernon is about 16 miles by water from DC so there are houses nearby, but the view from the water is spectacular. Washington was a surveyor so he had much of this area, and as you can see, he chose a spectacular location. Partially hidden in the trees, you can see some of the many outbuildings that served the farm.
We also went by the Marine base at Quantico, which has a long sprawl of buildings along the riverfront. It is also home to training centers for the FBI and NCIS. Interesting, but not very scenic...
As we got closer to DC, the number (and size) of waterfront houses increased. Honestly, they were not all this big, but...
The first real sign of the approach to Dc is the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge for I-95. The clearance under the bridge is 76 feet, but it does open with 12 hours notice during a strange time period (low traffic) of midnight to 6:00 am. Fortunately, we cleared with about 57 feet to spare.
There is a fabulous looking area with the Gaylord Conference Center (and hotel, ferris wheel, marina, shops, etc.).We might try to check this out on the way back down river. The picture is just the hotel and conference center. The shops, etc. are off to the left (east).
As we passed under the I-95 bridge, we got our first view of the DC skyline.
I will be the first to admit that this is not a great photo. Starting on the left you see part of the Alexandria, VA waterfront, a water taxi with the Washington Monument in the background, a plane to the right of the monument (going in to Reagan Airport, and near the right side is the dome of the Capitol Building. The cluster of radar domes on the far right is a Navy research lab. The scenery just kept getting closer and better as we approached the Capitol Yacht Club near the Washington Monument. It has been a long side trip of about 125 miles to go to DC, but it is well worth the effort.
After docking and getting settled, we went off to meet our friend Lori and meet several of her work colleagues. Then we went off for a great dinner at a Mexican restaurant. Since leaving Texas about 2 months ago we had been going through withdrawal for Mexican food and this was definitely a treat. After dinner, we walked to the Capitol Building and toured just a little bit. Yes, this picture is a "selfie" taken in front of the Library Congress Building. After the short walk, Lori was kind enough to drive us back to the Marina. By then, it was getting late (about 8:00 pm), and both the Admiral and I were struggling to stay awake. Aaaah, sleep, wonderful sleep! A long, but wonderful day indeed.
No comments:
Post a Comment