"Morning Rays" ~ Virginia (c) 2011 Skip Hunt
Heading out on a local bus for a day of wandering in Washington D.C. I wanted to make sure to be as unnoticed by my sister as possible so that I leave a "low maintenance" guest impression. I really like the area and want to return.
My sister kept asking if I wanted a ride but I just insisted it was only a 20 minute walk to the downtown bus stop from her house Hamilton, VA. Besides, it's a beautiful day and I actually like walking.
I really don't understand why more people don't walk to destinations when possible. They'll walk around a track or mall for an hour or so for exercise but not to a destination. When I was in Mexico recently, I'd ask for directions and I'd be told you have to take a bus or a taxi there. Then I'd change the question to "If I wanted the exercise, how far is it?" and they say it's about a kilometer or so, maybe 20 minutes walk. That doesn't seem like a mandatory taxi or bus ride to me! :)
One man at the park and ride bus stop had passed me in his car and was fascinated that I was walking. He asked how far I'd walked and I said that I didn't know, but it was around 23 minutes including time to step off the road when a lot of cars were coming.
He seemed amazed and said, "Well, that's about 2 miles!" and I replied, "No, more like a mile and a half. Maybe less accounting for the time stepping off the road to get out of the way of cars."
He just thought about it for a second with a faraway look in his eyes, then smiled and nodded with approval.
I can't believe a 23 minute walk to a bus stop sparked interest and conversation. It was actually peaceful and nice to walk one with the first morning rays. I think we've all become way too addicted to our cars.
Skip Hunt
Austin, Texas