April 4, 2011 : Rock Creek Park

April 4, 2011 Rock Creek Park Trail off Ridge Road NW

April 4, 2011 Rock Creek Sunset from the Nature Center

I grew up on the edge of Rock Creek Park, the word's largest urban park, in a neighborhood called 16th Street Heights.  The park is 2.75 square miles worth of wild forest, complete with deer, fox, coyote, squirrel, chipmunk, hawks, hiking, biking & horse trails, and is criss-crossed with a series of vehicular roadways. 

I love the Park.  I'm not a religious person, but instead focus my spirituality on the natural world around me.  I was driven through the park daily from ages four to fourteen, and to me, Rock Creek Park is both a wonderful wild space, and a church at whose roots I worship. 

My move to Brookland lengthened my commute to work from fifteen to thirty minutes, but I'm grateful that I still traverse the Park, and make an effort to see it nearly daily.  I also like to hike and jog in the Park, and on beautiful nights, I'll just stop to read my book while the sun sets around me.