Rosslyn serves as a proud gateway into Arlington and the Commonwealth of Virginia. And on Friday, June 5, Rosslyn and WALKArlington join forces to host our newest Walkabout - a one-mile walking tour of Arlington's gateway community.
Starting at 6:00 p.m., this one-hour guided tour takes walkers above, below, and through Rosslyn, returning in time to kick off the second month of Rosslyn's free Outdoor Film Festival "I Love the 80s" with a screening of "Weird Science."
Attractions highlighted along the ten-stop Walkabout route include the green space of Gateway Park, head-turning public art, some of the region's tallest buildings, the world's third steepest elevator, and other superlatives at street level!
The Rosslyn Walkabout is open to the public (all ages) and will take place rain or shine! If you'd like to join the Walkabout, come to Gateway Park, between the east- and west-bound lanes of Lee Highway at the intersection of North Moore Street, by 5:45 p.m. on Friday, June 5. We'll be gathering by the fountain in the Park and will head out promptly at 6:00 p.m.
You don't have to wait until the June 5th Walkabout to discover new horizons on foot. This Saturday, May 30, at 10:00 a.m. join Congressman Jim Moran, members of the Arlington County Board, and members of the Alexandria City Council to celebrate the completion and opening of the multi-use trail connecting the popular Four Mile Run and Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) Trails.
The new trail link provides a safer, more direct route for walkers, runners, and cyclists under Shirley Highway (I-395) and West Glebe Road along scenic Four Mile Run.
The event is accessible on foot from the existing Four Mile Run and W&OD Trails, as well as by Metrobus 10B, 23AC, and 25PR. The Arlington County Bicycle Advisory Committee will host an informal ride to the ribbon-cutting ceremony starting at 8:30 a.m. from Courthouse Plaza, 2100 Clarendon Boulevard.
With walkers, runners, and cyclists sharing the way with ribbon-cutting VIPs, it would be wise to review Arlington County's new "Sharing the Way" flyer, chockful of cyclist and pedestrian tips on sharing Arlington's trails and sidewalks, before heading out! Hard copies of this handy flyer will also be available in English and Spanish at the ribbon cutting ceremony.
Cross a Bridge
Just one week after the Four Mile Run-W&OD Trail link opens in Arlington, you can witness another local trail opening when the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Trail makes its debut at 1:00 p.m. on National Trails Day, Saturday, June 6! This 1.1 mile, 12 foot wide multi-use trail will allow pedestrians and bicyclists to travel between Alexandria and Prince George's County, Maryland.
The trail also includes three "bump-out" areas with informational displays and telescopes for taking in unique views of Old Town Alexandria, National Harbor, and Washington, D.C. The Wilson Bridge Trail is one in a series of multi-use trails included in the larger Woodrow Wilson Bridge Project to improve pedestrian and bicycle access throughout the area.
The Washington Area Bicyclist Association and local municipalities are hosting a ride across the bridge on June 6 after the Bridge Trail opens at 1:00 p.m. The Woodrow Wilson Bridge Ride is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Of course, walkers are welcomed on the new trail after 1:00 p.m. as well!
Expand Your Boundaries
Most locals know that Arlington County was once part of Washington, D.C. In fact, the County's tag line even says so: "Arlington, Va., is a world-class residential, business and tourist location that was originally part of the '10 miles square' parcel of land surveyed in 1791 to be the Nation's Capital."
If you want proof, most of the original boundary stones still stand! Thanks to research undertaken by Arlingtonian Stephen Powers and the willingness of Washington Post reporter John Kelly to join Powers' most recent boundary stone pilgrimage, we know that 36 of the stones are still accounted for.
Kelly's account of the pilgrimage ran earlier this month in The Washington Post. The Post website also offers some intriguing video footage of the outing.
We don't necessarily recommend you set out on your own to locate all of the remaining stones, but you could plot your route by visiting www.boundarystones.org
