Roosevelt Island - A Green Gem In Middle of DC

Whether your a resident of Washington DC or an intrepid visitor, Roosevelt Island is small in scale but full of pleasant surprises.  Not only will you find solace from the harried pace of life in Washington, you'll see a surprisingly mixture of topography, flora and fauna and get to see an interesting monument which celebrates the nation's first environmentally conscious president.  While the statue itself looks a bit like Vladimir Lenin giving a rousing speech, the architectural elements are pleasing.  There are two fountains and four 21-foot granite tablets inscribed with quotes that capture Roosevelt’s conservation ideals.

I work in Rosslyn Va., and this island is just the place when I want to go for a walk and gather my thoughts. Most people don't venture onto the island because getting there is not easy (see specific directions below).  The only access point is a footbridge that's accessible from the Virginia side, right off the GW Parkway.  As you cross the bridge, you'll note the great view of Georgetown University and the Key Bridge off to the left.  Head straight on the trail into the center of the island to visit the monument itself then veer to the right and get on the swamp trail.  This trail can be covered easily in about 30 minutes and will take you a tidal swamp where you're bound to see Great Blue Heron, Red Wing Blackbirds and Carolina Wrens.  The trail will take you on a loop that is mostly made up of easy on the feet boardwalk.

Theodore Roosevelt Island is accessible only from the northbound lanes of the George Washington Memorial Parkway. The entrance to the parking lot is located just north of the Roosevelt Bridge. Parking spaces are limited and fill quickly on weekends. By metro, go to the Rosslyn station, walk 2 blocks to Rosslyn Circle and cross the pedestrian bridge to the island. See a Map

Also, the island is located right along the Mount Vernon Trail and is easily accessible by bike. Bicycles are not permitted on the island but there are racks in the parking lot to lock them up.
A fun alternative way to reach the island is to rent a canoe or kayak from Bill's Boat Rentals which is found almost literally under the Key Bridge in Georgetown.  Fees are nominal and you can imagine yourself as an early colonial era explorer - OK, that takes a lot of imagining, especially with the jets that roar overhead on their landing approach to Reagan National Airport but you'll enjoy this method, rest assured.

Theodore Roosevelt Island is accessible only from the northbound lanes of the George Washington Memorial Parkway. The entrance to the parking lot is located just north of the Roosevelt Bridge.


Southbound traffic: take Theodore Roosevelt Bridge to Constitution Ave. Take a right on 23rd St. and cross Memorial Bridge. Once on the bridge, bear right to return to the G.W. Parkway.

The closest Metro Station is Rosslyn on the Blue and Orange Line.

Theodore Roosevelt Island
Visitor Information
(703) 289-2500
 
 
 

Strausburg Pa - Steam Engines in Amish Country

My four year old has the Thomas Train bug and while he's done a lot of rail fan activities with dad, he'd never seen a working steam locomotive. It was time to change that. Labour Day weekend rolled up on me, and being a notorious last minute planner, I had acted too late. No Deep Creek Lake, No Cumberland Md. train ride, No Mountain Cabins - seemed the world was booked.

I have been to York Pa., and Lancaster, the largest city in Amish Country, and one of the first cities founded inland from the Atlantic seaboard, on numerous occasions but never made it into the actual heartland of Dutch Country Pa. which is located in Lancaster County.  This really is the, center of Amish life and a home to a world famous working steam railroad found in Strasburg (about 5 miles outside of Lancaster itself).  Lets not forget all the must see hamlets in the sourrounding country with the interesting, if not oft made fun of names such as Bird in Hand and of course Intercourse - tee hee.

I realized that Strasbourg Pennsylvania would be a great destination and rooms would be available in and around Lancaster. The convenient thing about this rail town is the fact they have trains running every hour from about 11am until 7pm.  The train yard was such a cheerful site - I was as excited as my little man. The town includes the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, a museum of toy trains, a working train layout (the Choo Choo Barn) - it surpassed all expectations.

I knew the region was easily accessible via 95 N. to Baltimore, 83 up to York Pa, then 30 East to Lancaster - Strasburg lies just few miles beyond.  Opting for a different route, I decided on Rte. 95 to Baltimore until I crossed the Susquehana River and took the road through Port Deposit Maryland. The payoff was huge.  Port Deposit is similar to old Ellicott City, only instead of being nestled in an valley, this town was built on the narrow strech of flat land between the river shore and steep rocky cliffs.  The town boast a variety of fine dining (think seafood) and enough great early 19th Century Architecture to make this town stop a must.  Seems the bikers like this destination too - I noticed a lot roll through town, their periodic rumblings made more tolerable by the beauty of the day and surroundings.

We pulled into Strasburg just in time for the train - the stress of that near miss quickly evaporated as the train pulled out, the whistle blew and the steam bellowed - we were off and rolling through the tidest assortment of farms I've ever seen, it really was reminecient of the pages from a 1950s children's book.  The Amish waited patiently in their buggys as train snaked through rolling terrain.   The only criticism I had was the duration - I could have ridden for hours but twilight was coming and we didn't have lodging, so it worked out.  Our first choice was the Red Caboose Motel. There were about 50 vintages train cabooses painted out in the regalia of many long gone train lines, but of course it was booked up.  It wasn't long until we came across a vintage motel, picture perfect 1950's with a resplendent neon sign out front - the Dutch Treat Motel.

The following day, we drove around the countryside, paid a visit to the Intercourse Cannery for some fresh applebutter then hit the Choo Choo Barn.  This massive train layout has a reasonable admission rate and the anatromic diarama was first rate, my son was going bananas.  After the obligatory trip to the gift shop, we headed for the Dutch Haven.  This was a personal highlight of the day for me -seeing the first roadside attraction that went up in Amish Country in the 1940s. It was and remains the best site to purchase the Amish favorite - the famous Shoo-Fly Pie.  I love goofy architecture too and this building fit the bill - a large windmill mounted on an octangular shaped building.

We drove back into Lancaster and paid a visit to Franklin & Marshall College which was established in 1787 with a gift of 200 British pounds from Benjamin Franklin. This private college boasts my favorite piece of architecture.  Built in 1853 F&Ms main building is called "Recitation Hall." The distinctive, tall-towered structure, designed in the Gothic Revival style, was constructed on "Gallows Hill," the former site of Lancaster's public executions and the highest point of ground in the city. At the laying of the building's cornerstone in 1853, Henry Harbaugh, a Marshall College graduate and pastor of the Reformed Church of Lancaster noted that the city's lowest point was the location of the Lancaster County Prison. Harbaugh stated: "Thank God! The College stands higher than the jail. Education should be lifted up and let crime sink to the lowest depths!" Recitation Hall came to be known as Old Main and the ground as College Hill.  The distinctive towers of Old Main is now undergoing renovations, much of it dismanteled and sheathed in scaffolding (ugh).  We drove onto York, then South to Baltimore.  We arrived home all in about two hours.  I can't wait to go back - we'll be repeat visitors...

Neon Nights - Route 1 between DC and Laurel

As a long time fan of roadside architecture and especially the road side signage that still exists in some abundance I'll catalogue some regional gems. To effectively find it lost in the urban sprawl and gentrification of the DC metro area the conniseur will best be rewarded by traveling the, what are now secondary highways, the older routes which existed prior to the interstate system.  Route 1 of course boasts the entire eastern seaboard and allows one to drive its full length from Maine to Florida if you don't 763,746 traffic lights along the way.  Of course now the route is replaced by Route 95 which is great in coveying travelers rapidly but offers little in the way of commercial eye candy.

Living in Takoma Park MD, I'm in close proximity to the stretch of road that goes through Hyttsville, College Park, Beltsville and Laurel MD.  In fact the following gems are some of my favorites.  Headed North from DC, the first stop has to be the recenlty revived Hyattsville.  I love the plethora of 40s and 50s architecture, from Lustines automotive neon sign (now thankfully saved as part of a gym), to the crumbling gas stations with their stylized lines and old advertising.  The first honey of a sign belongs to Vet's Liquors which is found in Beltsville on the left hand side.  This looks to me like post WWII era and the novelty of it is first rate, just enough mix between industrial and folk art.  I have to say, I've never seen a sign which utilizes light bulbs for eyes.

Next up on my favorite list is the Giant Food sign from the parking Lot in Laurel in which George Wallace was wounded in an assignation attempt while running for President.  The sign is magestic and according to local followers prone to humerous word arrangements when the bulbs go out.

Laurel is also home to an original Arby's giant hat sign - all dancing bulbs and enormous presence, you can't miss these - fast disappering from our landscape.

Port Tobacco - End Of Road -

The name itself conjures up a rough and tumble colonial port which in fact Port Tobacco once was. On a whim (or an excuse for a blog entry) I dropped in my friend's Maury and Deb for their hospitality and local knowledge. If we had bug spray it would have been all the better-

Port Tobacco had been the second largest river port in Maryland—St. Mary’s City was the largest at the start of the Colonial Era. Ships from Europe brought prized goods to the Port and left with the much coveted "evil weed" - tobacco. Over time, due to poor farm planning, or rather over farming, the harbor gradually silted up and the river trade declined. The final blow to Port Tobacco came with the burning of the courthouse in 1892 at which point the county seat was moved to nearby La Plata.



With the lure of the beautiful area homeowners gradually have brought some vibrancy back to the area and historic preservation efforts are strong.  Must see sites include St. Ignatious Chruch - the oldest Catholic parish in the US which commands the high ground overlooking the confluence of the Tobacco and Potomac Rivers - one of the best views in the state I have to add.  The orginal brick court house stands not far from a charming one room school house and tobacco barns dot the rolling landscape.

The most exciting visit for me personally was our trip to Thomas Stone National Historic Site just a few miles from Port Tobacco.  It was here that Thomas Stone had built a prosperous farm before becoming important enough on the polictical scene to be one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence - he literally wrote himself into American history.  We found ourselves alone on 322 acres of revolutionary history. The plantion is was named Haberdeventure by the Stones - a “dwelling place in the winds”. Purchased in 1770 by Thomas Stone, this restored plantation home has been open to the public as a National Historic Site since 1997. I found the out buildings especially pleasing - well kept but dating back to the mid-19th Century, they suited the landscape perfectly.  The house is modest in scale and well proportioned with a generous balcony to oversee the land. The family plot is nearby and seems a spledid resting place, Thomas Stone is buried here as well . The only horror story here was the mosquito's - we all managed to get countless bites, so bring along repellent!

We capped a perfect day with carry out from a local BBQ institution - Johnny Boys Ribs, located at 7540 Crain Hwy, La Plata, MD.  This place is well known locally and even regionally.  Don't let the modest roadside architecture prompt you pass this treat up. You will exprience family type finger licking good Bar B Que.  All of the salads are homemade and they have a secret BBQ receipe that pulls in hungry crowds who patiently que up for this treat.

You can reach Port Tobacco in about an hours time once you pick up Rte 5 right off the Beltway and turn on 301 south in the direction Upper Marlboro and La Plata. Unless you're headed here specifically there's really no reason to pass through because this is the end of the road in Charles County.

This is also the route to take if you're interested in the Assasination Plot of President Lincoln and Booths post assissination escape attempt. If you follow the roads mentioned above you'll pass turn offs for Surrats Tavern, Dr. Mudd's House, not to mention Port Tobacco itself where this nefarious scheme was hatched at a local hotel / inn.




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