We wanted to get some fresh air and exercise, to let the kids run wild for a bit after being cooped up in the car for too many hours.
With Great Falls Park (in Virginia) we hit the jackpot. Not only is it inexpensive ($5 per carload or $20 for an annual pass), it’s beautiful,
and it’s full of history.
Along our hike, we learned that George Washington founded the Patowmack Company in 1785 to construct a canal along the Potomac River that would connect the east to the west via a waterway, complete with locks to bypass the Great Falls. It took 17 years to complete the project and George Washington died in 1799, two years before the project was finished. The history of the park is very interesting–there’s a little something for everyone.
If you head to Overlook 3, you’ll find the High Water Pole, which marks the height water has reached during different years in history, and it’s amazing to see how high its been, even recently.
There are also lots of places to explore, a critical component of fun for growing boys…
Apparently, the park is also a fun place to take trick pictures. I suppose that’s learning with a camera, right?
We loved being there, too, and especially being there with such great people! L,M
Thank you for visiting my site. I do love the pictures you have here.
Jennie P. Martin
http://www.jenniepmartin.com/2011/01/graham-crackers-and-miracles.html
WOW, what great scenery. You got some awesome pics. I wish there were something like that worth seeing here in Texas, but, seriously, there's nothing, especially during the winter!