Walk for Megan

Trees,Trees, Trees...A Walk for/with Megan at the U. S. National Arboretum

Today we took a 5K walk sponsored by the Volksmarch Assn. at the U. S. Arboretum in Washington, DC. After several days of rain we were ready to get out into the sunlight. It was a nice day for our hike, except the wind was strong (30 mph) which made it more challenging.

After checking into the visitor's center, we headed out on paved trails through this park. We had checked in for our trip sheets to guide us through the 5K hike, but ran into trouble. We missed a turn somewhere and got totally lost. Instead of a "zig" we must have "zagged." This forced us into another option. To measure our distance we used an app on Dave's phone called "Pacer" that measures distance through counting paces, 7311, which translated to 3.0 mi or close enough to a 5K length.

The autumn colors were on the downward trend for the season, but the trees were still magnificent. Along the way we ran into a grouping of tall, sandstone columns. These columns were removed from the U. S. Capitol Building in 1958, during a remodeling period. Now they stand tall here in the Arboretum. This facility serves as a research project for the government. For example, one area was devoted to native trees and plants to study the environmental advantages they provide to us. On the last leg of our hike we stepped into the National Bonzai Museum to view these unusual, tiny trees. So we concluded our hike from the straight and tall to end with the small, ornamental Bonsais.

As we walked in the park, we were reminded of a large Maple tree that stands in front of Megan's family home in Binghamton, NY. This beautiful tree has become the standard background for many family photos recording proms, graduations, confirmations, and numerous other celebrations. The tree seems to be a part of the family....saying in its own way..."well done..I'm with you."

Previous total 77K
Today's total 5K
Current Total 82K (goal 100K)