Twelve Mile Circle – An Appreciation of Unusual Places

Tag: Washington DC

  • Osage Orange

    It seemed strange to fixate on a single tree for more than a decade but that’s exactly what happened. I notice it a few weeks every autumn and then quickly forget about it for another year. That all started sometime around 2013 when I began to ride a stretch of the Capital Crescent Trail along…

  • I have Visited the District of Columbia

    There are No Counties in the District of Columbia – “End Taxation Without Representation“ The District of Columbia is considered both a county-equivalent and a state-equivalent administrative unit by the United States Bureau of the Census Also be sure to see my United States County Counting Page for all of the states. I have visited…

  • Bird House Flight Cage

    Smithsonian National Zoological Park, Washington, DC (2007) The Smithsonian’s National Zoo Bird House (map) hosts many avian species, either within the building, the large flight cage or in the attached outdoor exhibits. This is one of the quietest parts of the zoo, a bit off the beaten track, and visitors have to really make a…

  • Theodore Roosevelt Island National Memorial

    Washington, DC (2007 & 2009) Few things are nicer than a walk on Theodore Roosevelt island on a beautiful day. The Setting We visited Theodore Roosevelt Island, often referred to by its shorter name “Roosevelt Island” an 88 acre nature preserve set amid the Potomac River and the surrounding urban landscape (map). The National Park…

  • Washington, DC Boundary Stones

    Located in Arlington and Alexandria, Virginia (Visited 2000-2010) Beginning in 1791, a survey party placed stones marking the boundary of the District of Columbia, one mile apart in a diamond pattern, ten miles on a side. Two thirds of the land came from Maryland and one third from Virginia. This land formed the new capital…

  • Jones Point Light

    City of Alexandria, Virginia, USA (2000) Only Jones Point light remains as a lighthouse on the Potomac River. It dates back to 1856.  The land on which it rests returned to the Commonwealth of Virginia only ten years earlier. I mention this because I first stumbled across the Jones Point Light while conducting field research…

  • Tom’s Day

    I remembered the day well although I couldn’t recall the exact date. It came to be known as “Tom’s Day,” within my close circle of friends, a day so perfectly aligned with my interests that it must have occurred through divine intervention. No day will likely improve upon it. Many readers will probably consider it…

  • Three of Them

    Sequences of three came to mind, a trio of possibilities. Little did I know that so many places also focused on a similar theme. I found an abundance of opportunities. Of course, that equated to long lists for me to review as I started searching for something memorable. By “memorable” I meant to me personally.…

  • Highest Numbered Street

    Newer cities created on grid patterns often used street naming systems based on numbers. The closest street to an important urban feature became 1st Street. Numbers increased from there. Distinct patterns emerged in different cities, of course. Maybe numbered streets increased outward in two directions, north and south or east and west. Plenty of other…

  • C&O: Carderock to Georgetown

    I ride my bike most weekends and I like to switch-up the route whenever possible. Sometimes I complete a circuit. Other times I’ll go for an out-and-back. When I do that I enjoy playing a little game I call “how far can I get in an hour.” We’re blessed with an abundance of well-maintained, scenic…