I love it when we're
crusin' together...
Smokey Robinson, Cruisin', ASCAP
Some roads simply evoke feelings. Go on, I dare you. Get on Route 66
and try to not remember a leaner, more mystical Dylan. Or try to stop
your mind from wandering as you curve around the Pacific Coast Highway.
Don't even start me on the feelings that Broadway near Times Square at
night evokes from the back seat of a taxi.
But the George Washington Memorial Parkway?
Oddly enough, yes. The residents of metropolitan Washington take the
GW for granted, but some of our nation's most beautiful sights are glimpsed
from this road winding from McLean to Alexandria. There is a little bit
of extension in Maryland named the Clara Barton Parkway, but we will ignore
that stretch of road for purposes of this review. Besides, Virginia folk
do not often talk about Maryland things and vice versa. Don't ask me why;
I don't know, we just don't.
I have lived in this area for more than twenty years now and the task
of being a tour guide frequently falls on my shoulders when friends or
relatives who live out of town come calling. They all have different sites
they want to see in Washington (one recently wanted to see the NRA's gun
museum. Again, don't ask, I have no idea why). When I get done driving
them down this road, however, all simply adore the trip and ask if we
can go back the same way.
A Confession
For several years, I worked in Alexandria, Virginia in an area called Old
Town. The GW Parkway actually becomes city streets through Alexandria before
picking back up again to race to Mount Vernon. My office was mere blocks
from this treasure, and I frequently drove it coming to and from work. My
seventh floor office even looked out over the Potomac River and Washington
Monument. Airplanes arriving on the southern route coasted along the river
and parkway to National Airport.
I loathed the experience of driving that road then.
Now I commute less than ten miles to work and realize how lucky I was
to drive along this gorgeous road, soaking up American history all the
while, instead of passing 2 Starbucks, three McDonalds, a large shopping
mall and a whole lot of office buildings. I don't even see an American
flag for pity's sake!
I can be an idiot sometimes.
Cruisin' Down The Road
Stretch One
Trees and More Trees, But It Ain't The Beltway
The George Washington Memorial Parkway starts at the Capital Beltway. You
know the Beltway - you hear about it all the time even if you do not live
in Washington. It is that round road that encircles the city, but never
actually enters its confines. At the 9:00 o'clock position on the Beltway,
the American Legion Bridge crosses from Maryland into Virginia. The first
Virginia exit starts you down the George Washington Memorial Parkway.
As you enter the parkway, you roll into lush Virginia greenery. The
first thing you will notice is that you do not appear to be three miles
and closing from the border of the capital of the free world. The quiet!
What happened to the trucks? Not allowed - not anywhere on the entire
parkway. Even tow trucks must obtain police permission before entering
the parkway to rescue a stranded motorist.
Wildlife surrounds you. Drive with traffic, but in the slow lane. The
woods surrounding your car are filled with all manner of small forest
animals and birds. At fall foliage peak, there are beautiful golden maples
and fiery sycamores intermingled with evergreens to provide one of Nature's
prettiest shows.
Two miles onto the parkway, you will see the area of Turkey Run. You
can find picnic tables here amid the woods as well as hiking trails and
restrooms. These areas are typically deserted. Those traveling to Washington
and those of us who live here could hardly ask for a nicer place to enjoy
a picnic lunch. Grilling is even allowed if you bring a small, portable
grill. The nearby ranger station is also staffed by friendly folk throughout
the day.
Stretch Two - Look! In the Trees, What Was That?
Keep driving and you roll past Route 123, the main drag of McLean. The CIA's
main entrance is just off the parkway and for kicks; we sometimes drive
a visitor off the parkway and pass the highway sign that reads "CIA". Our
guests always seem nervous when we do this. A long private driveway leads
to a guard's gate there, and you used to be able to go halfway down and
turn around. Ever since a gunman killed two CIA employees in 1993, however,
they are a bit touchier about stray motorists. Do not drive down the driveway.
As you cruise to Route 123, you will soon see a sign for Fort Marcy.
Two pieces of strange American history mingle here at Fort Marcy. The
most recent, of course, was that this is where the body of White House
counselor Vince Foster was found early in the Clinton administration's
first term. The second is that this site actually marks the area where
a fort was built to protect Washington, D.C. from rebel troops during
the Civil War. There were actually multiple forts circling the city.
Think about this for a minute because I am going to toss some more Civil
War history your way in just a minute.
There is also a pullover here between Gulf Branch and Donaldson's Run,
two small waterways. You can't get to them driving south as we are, but
mark them for your trip back to the Beltway.
Stretch Three - Places You Already Know
Over the next several miles, you are going to start encountering more traffic
as you drive down the thin ribbon of parkway separating Arlington, Virginia
from the Potomac River and Washington, D.C.
You will zoom past the Key Bridge and pass another turnoff - this one
for Theodore Roosevelt Island. Again, you can't get there from here, you'll
have to be traveling north, but you do want to visit the island so mark
it for your trip back.
You are also going to pass an exit to allow you in to Arlington to visit
Arlington National Cemetery (always a touching experience), Robert E Lee's
memorial and the famous Marine Corps Memorial (the "Iwo Jima Statue").
Look out the left window and through the trees you will begin seeing
the Potomac River almost at road level. Across the river are the familiar
bridges, monuments and memorials you have always known.
Remember I said that I would give you some more Civil War history? Okay,
imagine this now. You are Robert E. Lee, one of America's top military
strategists. The country is going to war and the only question remaining
is when. President Lincoln summons you to the White House to beg you to
take charge of the Union Army and quash the rebellion. You clamber onto
your horse in nearby Arlington, ride down to the river and cross the bridge
to regrettably tell the president that you are going to side with the
rebels. Then, lonely but standing by your convictions, you ride back across
the bridge into Arlington.
These roads! These bridges! Right here, it happened right here. (Of
course, Lincoln should have just had him shot there and forced an earlier
end to the war without giving Jeff Davis his tactical genius, but that
is for another story). You are driving along the area where that famous
incident took place.
A lovely little pulloff area is finally on your side. This is a small
park dedicated to Lady Bird Johnson just past Memorial Bridge. Stop here
if you would like to gaze around. See those people zooming by with Virginia
plates and an intent look in their eyes? They are on their way to my old
office. Laugh because your adventure is still going on and there is plenty
to do and see.
Okay, hop back in the car because you're about to pass one of Washington's
best-kept secrets. Keep looking out your left window and you will see
another pull-off. Nothing seems remarkable here unless of course there
happens to be a plane landing or taking off. They are going to pass so
close that you feel as if you could reach up and touch them. I know I
told you about the other picnic areas, but this is where I love to stop.
If you bring a youngster, please make sure that you have earplugs with
you. The noise is loud and can hurt their ears. A blanket is nice too.
And a bucket of chicken. And oops, there goes another flight, but let's
go back in to the car for the next area.
Stretch Four - Alexandria
By now you have passed National Airport, since called Reagan National Airport
because we have only named two buildings after the man less than fifteen
years after his presidency and some folks just will not be happy until we
call the whole place Reagan, D.C.
You have also passed the confusing highway signs and hopefully avoided
getting stuck back on the interstate system or crossing a bridge into
D.C. proper. Now the fun starts. You will pass the Washington Sailing
Marina on your right as well as Daingerfield Island. Area boaters swear
by the place, but you are just pulling up into Alexandria now so we will
visit another time.
Alexandria is a strange city. Colonial themed, there are extremely poor
areas surrounded by pockets of swank boutiques and expensive restaurants.
There is a cosmopolitan feel to the city because of its proximity to Washington,
but it is also still a rebel city and proud of that distinction. You are
still on the GW Parkway (sort of) and you may want to detour off to look
in a shop or down along the Alexandria waterfront. Stay on Washington
Street - the Alexandria city portion of the parkway and zip quickly through
town. Actually, you will crawl slowly through town unless you are traveling
late night on a weeknight, but you will enjoy the open parkway that much
more when you're finally through the urbanized mess.
Stretch Five - George Washington Slept Here
Once you pass the Beltway at the 6:00 o'clock position (can you believe
those people meandered through the Virginia suburbs while we had an adventure?),
you are going to end up with more parkland.
Beautiful areas such as Dyke Marsh, Belle Haven Park and Fort Hunt Park
make you once again feel as if you are no longer in a city. Joggers and
bikers race along side your car, the world is green again and you are
almost to Mount Vernon!
The estate at Mount Vernon is actually where you'll stop. Think for
a second. Remember our story about Robert E. Lee? Okay, Lee is pretty
cool, but this is George Washington and this is his house, his lands,
the same view he saw, the whole enchilada. Reality is a wonderful thing
to experience.
Tour's Over - Don't Forget To Retrace Your Steps
There were a number of pullovers and nice places to see heading northbound
on the parkway. The trip is certainly worth the time back to savor the views.
Pull a u-turn and head on back to McLean. Then, when someone mentions famous
roadways in the future, you can tell them all about George and Robert E.
Lee's road.
