Eleanor Lawrence Park, Northern Virginia

Aaron and I went home from work and had a quick snack.  I insisted that we eat standing up - I knew that if I sat down, it would be far too easy to be distracted by any number of stationary objects.  Furry cats, compelling computer games, things demanding reading... no, we had to eat standing up and get our hiking shoes on immediately.

I didn't actually bother changing out of my work clothes.  I wound up hiking in my hiking shoes, pinstripe pants and a light sweater I wore all day.  We grabbed bottles of water and set out.

The hike itself was 3.4 miles, a figure 8 that looped through thick wooded land.  It amazes me to find swaths of forest where you can imagine that you don't hear the constant drone of traffic, and you can really picture yourself on the trail, nestled in Northern Virginia, but they do exist.   We set a brisk pace and climbed the steep first, heading down the gentle slope.  I like to get up out of the way all at once if possible, as opposed to gradually, more because I find going down more difficult.  It's the challenge of hiking with one eye - distances are very deceptive.

I think my favorite part of the hike was the stream with the stepping stones through it.  They were wide spaced, able to leap from stone to stone, but right next to a bridge - the option was there either way.  Also beautiful, a tree with initials carved in it - not just two, but the whole tree as far as arms can reach, lightly etched.  It would not have been beautiful had they been all over, but as far as we could see, there were just two trees that were so inscribed.  Some of the initials have been there for decades - you can see by the fading and the slight growth around them, the stretching as they grew.  There were also random spots of bright green, new growth of daffodil and moss, primarily, which were a welcome spring-heralding sight.

We found the south loop only took us about 35 minutes, so we continued on our way.  The problem with hiking after work is balancing the need to make dinner with the need to get out and about.  Evening hikes need to be 2 hours at the very max, and that's if work gets out a bit early.  Well, at least until summer anyway.  Once that light is up until 9, the hiking possibilities open up widely.

Time spent on the trail:  65 minutes
Difficulty:  Easy - even for someone a bit out of shape
Bonuses:  Many benches for resting, taking photos, picnicking
View:  No overlooks, but many trees - at this time of year it is very grey-brown and tired
Kid friendly:  Absolutely