Just across the Francis Scott Key Bridge from the northern end of Rosslyn is the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., with it's bustling shops along busy M Street, N.W. But, just across the canal, down a few sets of steps, nestled between the Whitehurst Freeway and the Potomac River, from the Key Bridge to 31st Street, N.W., is a spacious green park with a very relaxed atmosphere. While the eastern end of the park is currently under renovation, a newly designed section, opened in the fall of 2008, full of benches and open space, is located just a few steps away.
Relax on a blanket or claim a bench and prepare for a premier people-watching afternoon. (And, you thought the Carillon park was good...) Mixed-use pathways run throughout the park, allowing visitors to travel by foot, bike, or other non-motorized methods of transportation, or to simply take a break from shopping just up the hill. Use zoom lenses for close-up study while not drawing attention and affecting the scene with your presence.
Sit alongside the river wall for more intimate views of the Potomac and its kayakers and boats. Look for rowers in single sculls, which resemble water skimmers, that create distinctive patterns on the surface of the water. And, don't forget the Rosslyn, VA skyline, just across the river, with its glass and steel skyscrapers gleaming in the sunshine and reflecting clouds and passing aircraft.
If shooting film, be sure to take both black and white and color, along with filters (polarizer, UV) to help minimize surface glare and summer haze. For black and white film, try out a red 25 filter to darken blue skies and brighten puffy clouds, simulating UV film.
When the summer sun becomes too much to handle, you run out of film, or there's no more room on that memory card, wander on up to the shopping area for a cold beverage or slip inside the movie theater if a rainstorm pops up.
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