It's a summer ritual in our area, that Friday afternoon exodus of folks heading out of Dodge, with outbound traffic increasing weekly as summer days get shorter and back-to-school sales start to appear. There's no denying that beaches, mountains, and other destinations hold their appeal, but never fear! There are plenty of options for those of us who choose to stay local.
If you want to make the most of the rest of the summer but a day trip is a more realistic prospect than a weekend get-away, why not start by taking Metro or Metrobus to explore the other 3/4 of the original parcel of land that makes up the District of Columbia?
All you need is a Smartrip card, some good walking shoes, and this link to Cultural Tourism DC's Heritage Trails, and you could find yourself in the midst of Barracks Row, Deanwood, or Civil War Washington!
Choose from nine different self-guided Heritage Trail routes, like:
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A Self-Reliant People: Greater Deanwood Heritage Trail
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Civil War to Civil Rights: Downtown Heritage Trail
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Midcity at the Crossroads: Shaw Heritage Trail
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River Farms to Urban Towers: Southwest Heritage Trail
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Roads to Diversity: Adams Morgan Heritage Trail
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Tour of Duty: Barracks Row Heritage Trail
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Village in the City: Mount Pleasant Heritage Trail
To make it even easier to find your way and learn as you go, each Cultural Tourism DC Heritage Trail route is marked with illustrated poster-sized street signs describing the history and significance of each stop on the Trail.
Cultural Tourism DC has a lot of other great resources, including an events calendar, so take a look before you hit the trail and make the most of your time on the other side of the Potomac.
WALKArlington's Sweet 16
Meanwhile back on the Potomac's west bank, WALKArlington is pleased to announce the arrival of our newest Walkabouts brochure featuring all 16 of our mapped neighborhood Walkabout routes. Jam-packed with fun- and fact-filled routes, this pocket-sized brochure is your guide to exploring our walkable County on foot.
From the heights of Dominion Hills to Rosslyn’s underground, from the international flavor of Columbia Pike to the verdant trails of Arlington Forest, there’s a Walkabout route for everyone.
To order your very own copy of the new Walkabouts brochure free of charge, click here to set up your account. Then look for “Potpourri/Other Brochures of Interest” and click here to select the Walkabouts brochure. Or pick up the phone and call (703) 228-RIDE and request the new Walkabouts brochure.
And keep watching this space for the date and location of WALKArlington’s next “live” Walkabout, coming soon to a walkable neighborhood near you!
Time Travel
You can travel across the Potomac to DC, travel around Arlington, and, thanks to this Arlington Virginia Networks-produced video on the history of Freedman's Village, you can even travel back in time.
Dedicated in 1863 on land that is now part of Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington’s Freedman's Village began as little more than a tent camp and grew into a community not only for refugees and former slaves. As the community grew, the Village was able to provide housing, education, training for employment skills, church services, medical care and food for the former slaves. Although the camp was set up to provide temporary refuge for freed slaves, the shelter lasted for more than 30 years.
After the Civil War, motivation to help the freed slaves declined. In 1882, the U.S. Supreme Court closed Freedman's Village. The federal government obtained the rights to the land, which was given to the military, and the civilians at Freedman's Village had to leave.
Although you can't actually see Freedman's Village today, you can walk to the southernmost portion of Arlington Cemetery where the Village once stood. Once you reach this area of the Cemetery’s hallowed ground, be sure to stop and reflect on Arlington's rich local heritage and important role in our national history.
Back to the Future
Earlier this month, the Arlington County Board approved $3.3 million in funding for proposed improvements to parks, street lights and sidewalks in nine neighborhoods.
Under the Neighborhood Conservation (NC) program, neighborhoods that have completed an NC plan submit proposals to the NC Advisory Committee for consideration. Twice each year, the Committee recommends projects for funding. The County Board gives final approval, and the projects are funded through voter-approved bonds.
The nine projects approved on July 14, 2009 include:
· Cherrydale: sidewalk, curb, gutter and streetlights
· Leeway: sidewalk, curb, gutter, streetlight, and street trees
· Radnor-Fort Myer Heights: sidewalk, curb, gutter and streetlights
· Aurora Highlands: new play area with spray water features for Virginia Highlands Park
· Barcroft: improvements to the W&OD Trail and Glencarlyn Park
· Columbia Heights: new streetlights
· Dominion Hills: narrowing roadway and travel lanes by expanding median width; landscape improvements
· Arlington Ridge: new streetlights
· Old Dominion: new streetlights
Covered in The Washington Post on July 23, these improvements and the neighborhood-driven program that advanced them will make these nine walkable Arlington communities even friendlier to pedestrians.
