[SkateDC] After-Skate Report, Sunday Intermediate, Aug 9, 2009

[Bill English]

Skaters,

We had a good social skate today. We got back to the White House a few minutes too late to visit with the advanced group at 11:10. This was due to the frequent long breaks we enjoyed along the way. We found lots of nice shady spots with a breeze where we could sit and cool off. No use letting the heat & humidity beat us down. Best of all, we found 85 cent ice cream bars on sale at the Anacostia Park Skating Pavilion. I don't remember the snack stand being open during our previous visits to the Pavilion. I wondered if I should cut the regrouping stops a little shorter, but the skaters seemed to want to extend the breaks and do some talking. That is just the way things go on a relaxed early morning Sunday Skate.

Eight Participants: Bill, Carl, Shawn, George, Eryx, Jackeline, Renee, and Michelle.

Places we visited along the way: White House, Union Station, Eastern Market, Marine Corps Barracks, Capitols Ballpark, Frederick Douglass Bridge, Anacostia Park Skating Pavilion, John Phillip Sousa Bridge, Capitol, Constitution Avenue descent, and Navy Memorial. Since it was hot and humid we used a route lacking big hills except for Capitol Hill and the Douglass Bridge.

I got the idea to visit the Marine Corps Barracks last Wednesday when David led us past it. Rodney mentioned then that it would be an interesting place for skating. The Marines guarding the gate were friendly, but they made us wait a couple of minutes while they made sure it was okay to let us in. We did not get to skate beyond the reviewing stand area, but that was enough to see the historic highlights. There is a a web site for that at http://www.mbw.usmc.mil/ It is better to arrange for a barracks tour ahead of time, which you can do at the web site.

I took a few photos which I will put on facebook. You can search for me on facebook easily by entering my e-mail address, english60 at yahoo.com.

Bill