Thing 31

31. Walk across the Woodrow Wilson Bridge

On Labor Day, I found myself at National Harbor, staring over at the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. I had water and a hat and my sun sleeves, so I decided to give this a go. In hindsight, that was a gigantic mistake. I was wearing jeans and converse and no sunscreen/cover for the back of my neck. By the end of the walk, I was in so much pain--not only were my feet actually bleeding but both my hips were hurting as they haven't hurt since before my hip surgery. So, yeah. Bad, bad idea. But apart from the physical suffering, I really enjoyed the path.

Timing:
10:45am- started at National Harbor along the walking path (stopping at every single historical marker to take photos of them)
11:17am- reached the bridge itself on the Maryland side and started across (stopping to take photos of the historical markers along the way)
11:53am- got to the end of the bridge on the Virginia side. Sat for a few minutes then turned around and headed back
12:17pm- returned to the Maryland side of the bridge
12:45pm- got back to the parking lot at National Harbor

I got in more than 11,000 steps during the trip and really enjoyed the views. I drive over this bridge several times a week to get to work, and I've always wondered what the historical markers on the path read. There are also some spectacular views of the Potomac River, Washington, DC, National Harbor, and Alexandria, Virginia. I'm really glad I walked the whole thing. I just wish I'd been smarter about doing it. I was just about dead at the end of it all!






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