C&O Canal: Swains Lock to Great Falls

Growing up in the Washington, DC area has given me the pleasure of a lifetime of memories at the C&O Canal.  This canal is 185 miles long and it starts in Georgetown and goes all the way along the Potomac River west through Maryland.  

I've learned how to canoe, bicycle, and rock climb along the different section of the C&O Canal's towpath.  I would love to eventually share information on all the different sections of the canal.  There is so much history to see and experience in addition to all the different sporting activities you can do along the towpath.  

Here are a couple winter time pictures I took walking along the section from Swains Lock to Great Falls.  There are nice opportunities to view the Potomac River along this section.  Swains Lock has free parking and is around 2 miles from Great Falls where the parking costs money.  So if you're a walker and you want to see the falls for free, park here and hoof it!

Lots of Ducks!

Duck Bums!

An odd patch of bamboo... ??

Bald Eagle

Rocks along the canal

Birds

Thanks for reading!  If you have a National Parks Passport Book, then you should visit the Great Falls Visitor Center for a stamp.  

For more information about visiting the C&O Canal: http://www.nps.gov/choh

DC Monuments Under the Full Moon

FDR Memorial

I recently joined the Mid-Atlantic Hiking Group.  I had been following their events on meetup.com for a while and finally decided to attend their 4 mile Monuments in the Moonlight social hike.  They organize their hikes into groups by pace.  I was having trouble deciding which pace I should do, moderate or social?

As I was standing there at the meeting spot in the crowd of 90 people, I still wasn't sure which group I wanted to be in.  But the leader pointed out an area for the photography group to stand.  I walked straight to that point in the grass with my new Nikon.  I didn't realize there was going to be a photography group on this hike and I was very excited.  I had purchased a digital Nikon before my trip to Europe last month, but I had no idea how to use most of the features.

The lady that was to lead the photography group had an extra tripod that she let me use.  I hadn't taken good pictures with a good camera properly since high school and I was excited to get back into it.  I was very lucky she had an extra tripod, as it is very hard to take good night time pictures without one.

I ended up having a blast!  It was a chilly night with a breeze, but it was clear skies with a bright moon.  A perfect night to walk around the National Mall.  The other members of the group were very helpful and taught me how to use my camera.  Without further ado, here is my attempt to get back into photography:

National Monument, Washington, DC

Thomas Jefferson Memorial and the Capitol Dome

Photography Group in the Soup Line at FDR Memorial

Korean War Memorial

Stone of Hope - MLK Memorial

Mountain of Despair - MLK Memorial

TJ Memorial

Tidal Basin & the Monument

Thomas Jefferson Memorial

Lincoln Memorial

Lincoln

Side Patio of the Lincoln Memorial

Full Moon and the Monument, from Lincoln Memorial

Vietnam Memorial

Vietnam Memorial and the Monument under the full moon

The National Monument

Full Moon and the National Monument

Gifts & Cafe

Lincoln Memorial

C&O Canal: Riley's Lock

Riley's Lock is one of the many places along the C&O Canal that you can park to access the towpath.  The C&O Canal is a National Park with 134 miles of trail which starts in Washington DC and follows the Potomac River west.  

Aqueduct at Riley's Lock

 Riley's Lock has a small boat ramp so recreational boaters and fishers can access the Potomac River.  The ramp is on Seneca Creek, giving boats a gentle start before they enter the fast currents of the Potomac.  These pictures were taken when the creek and river were both very swollen from a week of non-stop rain.

Side wall of the Aqueduct

Riley's Lock House

View of Seneca Creek from the Aqueduct

View of swollen rapids on the Potomac River from C&O Canal towpath

Swollen Potomac waterfall near Violette's Lock

Brave kayaker

Violette's Lock, just south of Riley's Lock

Paddle Boarders enjoying the peaceful C&O canal

Potomac River, overflowing it's bank all the way to the retaining wall.

Potomac River, You can see how high the water is.  Poor bushes..

Lovely C&O Canal

Reflective waters of the C&O Canal

Towpath along the C&O Canal

Seashells so far from the sea!

For more information on visiting the C&O Canal, visit: http://www.nps.gov/choh