Theodore Roosevelt Island National Memorial

Recently my sister moved to Washington DC, giving us lots of opportunity to visit NPS sites each time we go down to visit her now. Thanks my sister! For our first family trip down to visit, we weren’t sure which parks we would be exploring. Most people think of all of the historic monuments and sites located on the Mall but I was eager to get outside for more of a hike then a journey through history.

We discovered that there was a small island in the Potomac River that provided a little nature getaway within the city. Theodore Roosevelt Island was an excellent adventure for our afternoon. The paths and boardwalks were being utilized by joggers, dog walkers, and casual strollers (like us). Stew especially loved watching the skies, not for birds, but for airplanes. This memorial parkway was right under the runaway for the airport and Stew is a bit of an airplane geek.

This park was another one designed by Fredrick Law Olmsted and he created a living memorial to Theodore Roosevelt, the man known as the “Great Conservationist.”  Theodore Roosevelt was the first president to make conservation of America’s natural resources a centerpiece of his domestic policy.  It’s a great hidden gem in the city and one I highly recommend checking out.