A couple of days in last week, it was warm enough to walk outside without bundling up like an arctic explorer. On one of them I parked down along the Potomac River and walked a circle through the troll park (a park under the Woodrow Wilson Bridge.)
As I was walking along the river I could hear it before I could see it. An aircraft that makes a very unique sound, a weird hybrid of a helicopter and a propeller driven plane, and very loud. The Osprey must be deafening to be close to, or to ride in. Can you imagine driving across that bridge as it crossed overhead at about 500 feet?
The area where the bridge crosses the river has a deep history. There was a shipyard there from World War I through World War II. Liberty ships were assembled there during WWII. There are a few artifacts left behind, cleats in the seawall that the ships were tied to during final fit out, parts of a slipway running back through the trees. Buried deep in the wetlands and trees is the site of a Civil War Fort from the 1860's.
There are huge parking lots under the bridge, part of the original design, that for security reasons are closed to the public. A great place for basketball, skateboards and bikes.
Along the water is the Jones Point Lighthouse (the official name of the National Park Site.) We were married in front of the lighthouse, with a special permit from the National Parks Service.
The flightpath for Reagan National Airport (it will always be National Airport to the locals, airport code DCA) follows the river, with landing or departing aircraft flying the course of the river for 5-10 miles. There is also a military heliport on the east side of the river, the destination of the Osprey that afternoon.
The tall building is the MGM Hotel at the MGM National Harbor Casino, just across the bridge from us.
The Osprey helipeller is something else! It was National Airport when we lived there when whathisname was president and I will never call it anything else.
ReplyDeleteI so agree.
DeleteThat was a nice little stroll with lots to see along the way. I love when you land at National it always looks like you are floating just above the river.
ReplyDeleteIf you are landing to the north, my house is on the left side, just before you get to the bridge, on top of the hill.
DeleteThe last time we were in DC, we strolled along the Potomac by the Key Bridge. Quite a few planes flew into National and we also saw an Osprey. It's a busy route.
ReplyDelete