It’s a long way. I guess I should put that another way. I thought I would reach 40,000 quicker than I did. I thought waling the Mall would put me very close to my goal. It turned out that wasn’t the case. That’s not to say walking the Mall isn’t along way; it is. But I thought I’d have been further along than I was.
That’s why I decided to go by the old homesteads. That proved to be very interesting. In some ways the area hadn’t changed all that much. I’ve been gone for the area for 14 years (that in and of itself is hard to believe). I lived in the area from 1981 to 1997. I left after I got mugged.
Now there were some huge changes. Many of the houses that had been falling apart had been renovated. The old school across the street from my last apartment at 12th and E had been converted into condominiums. The old basketball court was now a park. The area right around Union Station had changed a great deal. Several more office buildings were up. There were also many more restaurants in the area. Also a large coffee shop that wasn’t a Starbucks which looked very nice.
But some things looked very much the same. The Armands was still there. The 7/Eleven was still there. The local mom and pop grocery stores were still there. The semi-run down apartment building was still there along with a couple of homeless people hanging out in front of it. My old apartment building had replaced the front door. But the tile in the foyer didn’t look any different. Also the carpet on the stairs was the same color.
It was interesting walk down memory lane. I’m glad I took the time to walk by.
Showing posts with label 40000 steps. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 40000 steps. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 09, 2011
Sunday, March 06, 2011
40,000 Steps
There's a program through my insurance where people have signed up to try and walk 10,000 steps a day. People participating in the program have been given a pedometer and are supposed to record their steps for the next month.
I've been doing pretty good. A couple of days I got in 20,000 steps. I wondered what it would be like to try and walk 40,000 steps in one day. 40,000 steps is about 20 miles give or take a few feet one way or another.
The more I thought about it the more I thought I'd try and do it. I picked Saturday because it was supposed to be the better of the two days this weekend.
I started out early. I got out for a walk around my neighborhood at around 6 in the morning. I came back in and had breakfast and went off to a class at my gym. I got off at Metro Center and walked to the gym. After the class I went up for a hair cut at the Hair Cuttery which is in DuPont Circle.
The rest of my route is in the following entries.
The last entry shows how far I got on Saturday and if I made the 40,000 steps.
I've been doing pretty good. A couple of days I got in 20,000 steps. I wondered what it would be like to try and walk 40,000 steps in one day. 40,000 steps is about 20 miles give or take a few feet one way or another.
The more I thought about it the more I thought I'd try and do it. I picked Saturday because it was supposed to be the better of the two days this weekend.
I started out early. I got out for a walk around my neighborhood at around 6 in the morning. I came back in and had breakfast and went off to a class at my gym. I got off at Metro Center and walked to the gym. After the class I went up for a hair cut at the Hair Cuttery which is in DuPont Circle.
The rest of my route is in the following entries.
The last entry shows how far I got on Saturday and if I made the 40,000 steps.
Getting Down to Business
The walk is now starting in earnest. I walk from the Hair Cuttery to Q Street and take the Dumbarton Bridge. It was these wonderful buffaloes on it. Near by is a statue to General Sherman. The last picture is the Turkish Embassy.
A Small Digression
A small little digression here. This has been one of my pet peeves for a very long time. This is the logo of the Monarc construction company. The problem I have with it is the butterfly does not look like a Monarch butterfly. It looks like a Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly. You'd think they could have picked the right butterfly. On with the walking.
In Georgetown
I'm in Georgetown now. Feeling pretty good about the progress that I am making.
There's an Apple store which I stopped in.
I went into Georgetown Park. That's the second and third pictures. The third one shows people waiting in line to get into the DMV. What a fun way to spend a Saturday.
Next is the iconic bank (it used to be Riggs but now it's PNC) at Wisconsin and M.
The last is the Four Season where I was at 16,787 steps.
There's an Apple store which I stopped in.
I went into Georgetown Park. That's the second and third pictures. The third one shows people waiting in line to get into the DMV. What a fun way to spend a Saturday.
Next is the iconic bank (it used to be Riggs but now it's PNC) at Wisconsin and M.
The last is the Four Season where I was at 16,787 steps.
Around George Washington University
I stopped off for lunch at a Subway near George Washington University.
The first picture is the statue of Washington in Washington Circle.
The next is the building going up on the site of the old GW hospital. The one after that is the new GW hospital.
The fourth picture is the site of the old Washington Women's Hospital which was converted into fancy condos.
The last picture is from the building where the NFL and the players are currently negotiating.
From here I headed down to the Lincoln Memorial.
The first picture is the statue of Washington in Washington Circle.
The next is the building going up on the site of the old GW hospital. The one after that is the new GW hospital.
The fourth picture is the site of the old Washington Women's Hospital which was converted into fancy condos.
The last picture is from the building where the NFL and the players are currently negotiating.
From here I headed down to the Lincoln Memorial.
The Einstein Memorial
One of the best kept secrets in Washington is The Einstein Memorial. It's located on the grounds of the National Academy of Sciences. It is truly wonderful. A great place to stop and rest and contemplate especially on a hot day.
Lincoln Memorial
This is one of my favorite spots in Washington. It has tremendous views towards the Washington Monument and beyond. It is also a memorial to, at least in my opinion one of the greatest presidents we have every had.
At night, if you go around to the back of the Memorial and look across towards Arlington Cemetery, you can see the eternal flame on the Kennedy grave site.
At the Lincoln Memorial I was at 21,445 steps.
At night, if you go around to the back of the Memorial and look across towards Arlington Cemetery, you can see the eternal flame on the Kennedy grave site.
At the Lincoln Memorial I was at 21,445 steps.
From the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Monument
I headed off towards the Washington Monument. Along the was there was a Capitol Hill police officer exercising their mount. Also stopped off at the World War II Memorial.
Washington Monument Grounds
I think besides the cherry blossoms, I have more pictures of the Washington Monument that just about anything in DC. In some cases I have both cherry blossoms and the Monument in the same picture.
It really and truly commands the Mall unlike any thing else on the Mall and technically you could say it isn't actually on the Mall.
In spring there are always people flying kites. Such a great site to see.
At this point, I was at 23,583 steps.
It really and truly commands the Mall unlike any thing else on the Mall and technically you could say it isn't actually on the Mall.
In spring there are always people flying kites. Such a great site to see.
At this point, I was at 23,583 steps.
On the Mall
I'm on the Mall now. The weather started to get warm now. I took off my jacket. It was still early in the afternoon around 1:30 as you can see on the Castle clock. I had a good three more hours of walking to do before I would end up at Union Station and take the subway home.
At the Air and Space Museum
I made a stop at the Air and Space Museum.
The steps were not adding on exactly as I thought (in other words I thought I was going to be closer to the 40,000 then I was). I began to realize just how far 40,000 steps was going to be. I also needed to use the bathroom. I also sat down for a few minutes.
The last picture is of a dog and his stick which he was in no mood to give up. The owner tried a couple of times to get it away from him to no avail.
The steps were not adding on exactly as I thought (in other words I thought I was going to be closer to the 40,000 then I was). I began to realize just how far 40,000 steps was going to be. I also needed to use the bathroom. I also sat down for a few minutes.
The last picture is of a dog and his stick which he was in no mood to give up. The owner tried a couple of times to get it away from him to no avail.
The Capitol
One of the most impressive sites in DC is of course the Capitol. Even on a gray day it is impressive and views looking out on to the Mall incredible. At the Capitol, I'd reached 27,368 steps.
Around My Old Neighborhood
Here are a couple of the sites near Union Station that I would pass on a pretty regular basis when I lived in the area.
The first picture is the Thurgood Marshall Judiciary Building. I walked by just about every day when they built it in 1992.
The second picture is the statute of Nathanael Green in Stanton Square.
The last one is the back of the Supreme Court.
The first picture is the Thurgood Marshall Judiciary Building. I walked by just about every day when they built it in 1992.
The second picture is the statute of Nathanael Green in Stanton Square.
The last one is the back of the Supreme Court.
The Old Homesteads on the Hill
I decided to take a walk down memory lane and visit the three places where I lived on Capitol Hill.
The first picture is the house I shared. One of the guys I shared it with was the owner. Not a very good idea.
The second and third pictures is the efficiency that I lived in. It was right across the street from the previous place. It was a house divided into three apartments. It was a pretty cool place. There was on laundry facility on site. So most of the time I washed my clothes in the bathtub. Getting towels dry in the winter time was a pain in the ass.
The last two pictures are the apartment I lived in until 1997. I got mugged across the street and decided I needed to move quickly. Other than that small event, I really enjoyed living there. It was a very spacious apartment with a great kitchen.
The first picture is the house I shared. One of the guys I shared it with was the owner. Not a very good idea.
The second and third pictures is the efficiency that I lived in. It was right across the street from the previous place. It was a house divided into three apartments. It was a pretty cool place. There was on laundry facility on site. So most of the time I washed my clothes in the bathtub. Getting towels dry in the winter time was a pain in the ass.
The last two pictures are the apartment I lived in until 1997. I got mugged across the street and decided I needed to move quickly. Other than that small event, I really enjoyed living there. It was a very spacious apartment with a great kitchen.
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