Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-05
BEAUTIES Of NATURE
CHARMS OF OUTDOOR LIFE AT
OUR VERY DOORS.
Nothing Can Be More Delightful
Than Day in Rock Greek
Park.

1t will not be long now before the wild
honeysuckle will break into bloom along
the banksides of the country roads, the
dogwood will blossom in the woods and
the country, adjacent to Washington will
put on it's most inviting garb to welcome
the woodland stroller
And this suggests the fact that there is
contiguous to the national capital a pastor
al paradise Astounding in picturesqueness.
1t Is more than contiguous, for it is prac-
tically g. part of the city. You step out of
a street car within ten minutes ride of
the White House and enter the frontiers of
this delightful stretch of country So close
does the border come to the asphalt of the
town that practically nothing but a brawl-
ing stream separates rows of brick build
ings from sheer woods and thicket.
This bit of wild and rugged country has
long been known to the poSsessors of car
riages and enjoyed by the hardy pedes-
TRANS who have tramped through its val
leys and trudged along he paths of it's
hillsides. They would come back to town
with wondrous tales of the charm and
beauty of the place and people would say,
What, all that loneliness right at the
city's door?' Then the bicycle opened up
the delights of the woodlands to another
faction of the city s population. But the
votaries of the wheel discovered only a
portion of the treasure. The stuck to
smooth roads and followed the grade
wherever possible. While it is true there
are some glorious views to be witnessed
from the bicycle roads, the widest and
most picturesque scenes are for the pedes-
trian or the man on horseback, who follows
the bridlepaths.
Stretching away for miles north and west
of the city boundary Is the Rock Creek
Park and the country outside of the park
limits Rock creek and its tributary brooks
flow through the valleys and contribute
to the picturesqueness of the landscape,
made by cliff and wooded hillside If one
were a visit to a far-away place he
would probably go into raptures over a
similar scene. Because 1t is at hand easy
of access and perhaps often witnessed, it
may suffer from familiarity.
New beauties are constantly being re-
vealed by the opening of roadways through
the park and the bridging Of the streams
The road is the only thing artificial or sug-
gestive of the hand of man in the environ
ment. All else is wild nature, more rugged
than would be expected in a tidewater re-
gion.
Leaving the driveways and striking off
across hill or up a narrow gorge, the
sides of which in summer are covered with
honeysuckle. wild violets and laurel one
can explore and discover sylvan retreats
that offer many beauties. It Is far from
the madding crowd for a verify. and yet
as the crow flies less than mile would
put him overhead the most populous resi-
.dence portion of the capital.
Close to Natures Heart.
There are some wise people who take ad-
vantage of the rustic resources. In spring
and summer on Sunday afternoons you can
find them scattered about the region, revel-
ing In the freedom Of the woods. The
writer is acquainted with several families
who make it a point on all pleasant Sun
days from spring until snow flies to camp
out in the woods of that region.
They start after breakfast, with papers
books and pipes, the children carrying a
basket containing the camping outfit They
select secluded spot with a little spring
adjacent and make camp. When dinner
time arrives a beefsteak is cooked on the
fire or some bacon toasted on the end of a
stick over the Goals, while the coffee pot
diffuSes its fragrance through the air. A
spring might reveal a little bottle-cream
for the coffee, of course. So the day is
spent and everybody gets home in the even
ing with a healthy tired feeling dusty
sunburned and rejuvenated by a day spent
close to natures heart.
Then, there is the upper Potomac, reache ed
easily by trolley car. There the scenery is
even wilder and in places picturesque
Time was when 1t was the vogue to make
boating parties up the river. 1t is a Won
der that some one has not revived the Gus
tom by providing boats in the neighborhood
of Cabin John bridge or the Little Falls
lie OCCASIONAL BASS nSnermdn VINO mas an
chored out in midstrcam around Sycamore
Island on lazy summer afternoon, when
the shadows of the hills were reaching far
out into the river, could paint a picture of
beautiful landscapes. The passenger in the
trolley car above him Skins along and
through the dust catches but momentary
glimpse of the scene. You have to be in it.
quiet, receptive, STEPPED in its charm, to
appreciate all the beauty of it.
Washington is blessed in possessing these
resources. They have not been fully auure-
ciated, but they will be, as people turn to
outdoor life more every year, and as facili-
ties for reaching these pleasure spots are
Increased.