Part of my new hiking project will involve some Urban hikes. While these do not have the tranquil solitude that I get from my nature hikes, they do provide so many other wonders. On this hike I was nicely surprised by some wonderful architecture and flower gardens.
I picked up a nice little book, Easy Hikes Close to Home: Washington, D.C.
Today I did a 4 mile hike around the Brookland neighborhood in Northeast Washington DC. To get there I took the the Metro right to the Brookland stop. From the metro I headed west toward the Catholic University of America. The campus is right off the metro and is a nice mix of old and new architecture.
My first sign of some of the wonderful Gothic buildings was the Dept of History, Cardinal Hall. And right after that was Gibbons Hall. Both made me think more of jolly ol’ England than the Northeast part of DC.
Finally reaching the crown jewel of the campus I stood in awe of the great domed Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. While I may not be a religious person, I do love the architectural wonders that they inspire. I spent some time walking around the Basilica taking pictures and enjoying the near perfect weather.
I wondered around some more of the campus checking out the old and new buildings. Being summer there was next to no one around, giving me a feeling of an exclusive pass to this wonderful university. The only other photo I will share here was of a new resident hall, only because they seemed to meld the old and new styles to make it happen. Check the faux battlements along the top of the building.
I continued my hike north along the metro line until I got to Taylor avenue. At this point I headed west through an older neighborhood. I really liked this area as it reminded me of where my great aunt lived in Oklahoma City. Nice tree lined lane with brick row houses mixed in with small wooden homes. The maintenance varied wildly on the homes, with some that seem to have almost been forgotten to others displaying lovely gardens.
My next area for exploration was Howard University Divinity School. I really had no idea what to expect walking up the long drive all I could see from the main road was what looked like a church. The building looked like some of the Spanish inspired churches I had seen in the southwest USA.
The guidebook for this hike, recommended walking around the divinity school. Doing so I encountered a few things. First off the back of this school looks postively dastly, little to no upkeep has been done to the building or the grounds. There was a memorial bench to a Martha Staples donated in 2001 which apparently was busted and left that way ever since. The bench was half sunk into the ground, seat was busted, and several plants had happily taken up residence. (pic in gallery)
Walking along further I came to a very odd sight. There was a paved area, with no corresponding road attached with a free standing wall. Nothing on the wall, just a wall. Here’s a pic just in case someone has an idea.
There was a nice old home attached to the school which I presume was for the dean. But it looks like it had been abandoned years ago, with Danger/Warning tape around the porch area and otherwise just falling apart.
Continuing a short distance on 14th street I came upon a Franciscan Monastery. This was indeed an oasis compared to the previous religious edifice. Here was a large church surrounded by lovely gardens and statues. I did not get to spend as much time as I had liked since I had a lunch meetup so I walked the main gardens and headed out. I will come back though.
Further down 14th street I came across a historical marker for Fort Bunker Hill. Looks like I will have to come back and explore that area another time also. Next I cut through a neighborhood market area on 12th street and then I was back to the metro station.
It was a hot day, but the 4 mile hike drifted by very easily. There were some hilly areas but really with all the tree lined lanes and buildings to stop and look at I felt more exhilarated than exhausted. Sweaty? Yes, but still keepin it cool.