Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-05


lovers of good times are an
swering the. call and making
the most of every opportunity to es-
cape from the city streets for a day
or an afternoon and feel the good. soft
earth under their feet and feast their
ewes upon the beauties Of the country.
side in Springtime.
The environs of Washington are
truly beautiful at this season. but
perhaps the greatest favortte as an
all-around place to have a good time
is along the towpath of the old Z
o. Canal, following the picturesque
Potomac, and offering diversion of SO
many sorts.
This delightful path away from the
traffic and even out of hearing Of
trolley, though near enough to be con-
veniently reached, is probably the
only place within many miles OF the
city where mixers can really hike I'M
molested by streams Of motor cars.
Here they come in rough, comfortable
clothes, sweaters, Knockers and heavy
shoes, oftentime with canteens and
lunch kits strapped over their Shout
ders, and may hike as far or near as
they have endurance.
The less ambitious plan on short
hikes of various distances from
Georgetown to Cabin John. or vice
versa, a total distance of seven miles;
while the real hiker starts at Cabin
John, the end of the car line, and hikes
an uphill pull of another seven miles
to Great Falls.
Spring along the towpath, any
where, is a succession Of disappearing
curves. all tender green and inter-
spersed with many rosy red bud trees,
and the laciness of quantities Of
| white dogwood (Which it is hoped the
public will admire and leave to bloom
again another year0 The ground is
carpeted with purple violets; the
farther you go, the larger and longer
stemmed they are. For all the kinds
Of flowers to be found one would have
| to ask one Of the many botanists
whom / have seen along. the way,
gathering specimens and searching in
| their books and making real study
| Of the matter.
The canal is much as it used to be
| before it lost out as means of trans
portation in favor of faster carriers
| Here one can still get an old fiat
| bottomed boat or even a canoe and go
| for some distance between locks, as
| the slope Of the lower canal is very
| gradual The white Lighthouses at
| frequent intervals are always pictur.
| esuue, and one that comes to mind is
| just now Swallowed by the long. sway
| ing fronds of a graceful weeping vii.
! low tree in its first and daintiest
green. The hiker enjoys the lock.
| houses, because he knows he may get
a drink Of good cool water, and il the
house is deserted, as many are, he
| may stop and open his lunch kit and
eat and rest while.
Beyond the District line the canal
is not flooded, but instead n mucky
along and harbors multitudinous bull
frogs that keep up constant peeping
and croaking. From a little beyond
Chain Bridge to Cabin John is the
part Of the towpath especially devoted
to camps. cabins and cottages of all
sorts. quite teeming with life during
the Summer months. Many of these
are most delightful places, between
the canal and the Potomac, facing the
river.
Some are so situated that they may
use boats and canoes on the river In
front of their BUNGALOWS. Others, not
so we'll located now that the canal is
practically dry. depend upon the
beauty of the woods for their attrac-
ton and have farther to go to reach
the water.
With the first warm days you can
hear the ring of the hammer and the
buzz Of the saw as repairs are being
- made. and additions put on these