The Daily Commute

I have the most scenic commute of anyone I know (save for my coworker, Chris -- the "Ninja" -- who practically has the same one).

Traffic in the Washington Metro Area is some of the worst in the country -- second only to Los Angeles, so I'm told. So I think I've lucked out. My daily commute to Bethesda, Maryland is largely opposite the flow of traffic. Most people are headed inside the Capital Beltway from the outside in the morning, and the other way in the evening. The largest distance of my commute, however, is "outbound" in the morning and "inbound" in the evening.

The largest distance is covered on the George Washington Memorial Parkway. The GW Parkway (or G-Dub for short) is actually run by the national parks service, and goes right along the Potomac on the Virginia side. It starts (or ends) at the north side of the Capital Beltway and goes south, finally ending (or starting) in front of George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate. I'd say I travel about half -- the northern part between I-395 and the Beltway. The whole northern stretch is green. By green, I mean, teeming with plant life. Adding to the beautiful scenery is the Potomac, and the many sights of DC.

On my trip I get to see:
The Pentagon
The Washington Monument
The Lincoln Memorial
The Kennedy Center
The Air Force Memorial
The Memorial Bridge
The National Cathedral
The Capitol Rotunda
Georgetown

...pretty much every day. It's beautiful in the Spring and in the Winter (when there's snow, at least), especially. Sometimes, depending on the route I can catch a glimpse of the Jefferson Memorial and the "tippy-top" of the White House.

However, particularly in the evening, I get to intimately know every tree and blade of grass, and especially every pothole. But it sure is purdy. I guess if I need to be stuck in a traffic jam, at least I can enjoy the view.

-Kal