Down By The River

One of my favorite Arlington trail access points is 4 Mile Run Park. From here, you can jump on 4 Mile Run Trail, which in relatively short order connects you to either the WO&D trail or Mt. Vernon Trail. It's a relatively short walk/run from here to Shirlington, Crystal City, or Del Ray, if it's civilization you seek. You can combine the Four Mile Park trail and the Four Mile Run trail to form a 1.8 mile loop. This is especially useful for doing sprints (like we did yesterday), where covering lots of ground isn't key.

And for the Boy Scout / Photographer / 8 year old boy in me, there's even a small walkway down to the Four Mile Run stream (or river? or just 'run'?). Yesterday I had a few minutes to explore before and after our run.

Pop quiz: how far do you need to drive out of Arlington to go fly fishing? Answer: 0 miles:

Although, technically this section of Four Mile Run is in Alexandria. Still, this is the 4th fly fisherman I've seen fishing the area. I spoke to the guy, he didn't seem to be having any luck. But still, it looked like fun.

If I didn't know better, I'd say that I had found a piece of sea glass that had washed up on shore. It certainly felt like sea glass, it was smooth, yet seemed dense enough to not be a piece of plastic. With my luck, it was just a piece of trash left by a teenager. Check it out:

OK, I know this guy isn't natural. But he still made for a fun subject to photograph:

All around the park, Spring is springing! I know I keep taking the same picture of the same buds over and over again, but I don't care. They're just too beautiful to not notice and appreciate:

Now, where did I leave my allergy medicine?