Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Exploring Wetlands

We spent most of last weekend running errands and doing other boring things, which I didn't mind so much because the weather was rainy and windy and gross, i.e., not the best weather for taking photos. But Sunday afternoon, the clouds parted, and we decided to get out and stretch our legs and find a new place to explore.

Huntley Meadows Park in Alexandria, VA
Huntley Meadows Park
Huntley Meadows Park in Fairfax County
Huntley Meadows Park

Huntley Meadows Park is 1,500 acres of trails and wetlands in south Alexandria, which is only about 25 minutes away from us. Walking on the trails, all you can see, for what seems like miles, are trees and trees. It's almost impossible to believe this area is nestled right in the middle of a very congested area, full of busy roads and strip malls.

We saw lots of birds, huge turtles, and evidence of beavers everywhere. Apparently, you can also sometimes see deer here, though none were out on our visit.

All the trees and plants look brown and sparse right now, of course, so I'm looking forward to going back later in spring or summer when everything's lush and green. :)

3 comments:

  1. Beautiful! We have a lot of forest preserves and wetlands in the Chicago area too, and I agree it's strange to realize that you're still in the middle of traffic and congestion. I'm so happy it's warming up a little so we can go explore nature a little more.

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  2. Love that dock. And the red berries sure do pop against all the brown. Love you how captured the sparkle on the water :)

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  3. My favorite arboretum has a lot of wetlands, too. And it's funny that you mention a little oasis in the middle of congestion because that's exactly how things are here, too. Part of the arboretum is off of a highway, and another part backs up into a neighborhood if you walk far enough. Haha.

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