Kid Gloves LbNA #9241 (ARCHIVED)
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Nearby Boxes
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Add Location| Owner: | DrewFamily    |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Apr 21, 2003 |
| Location: | |
| City: | Washington DC |
| County: | District of Columbia |
| State: | District of Columbia |
| Boxes: | 2 |
| Found by: | Moofie & Blaze |
|---|---|
| Last found: | Sep 26, 2007 |
| Status: | FFFFFFFFaa |
| Last edited: | Apr 21, 2003 |
Archived into the basement, long gone...great walk tho.
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Kid Gloves
Washington, D.C.
(Letterbox #1 was graciously replaced by Trish and Mary in June, 2003. Thank you, ladies!)
Be sure to search for Trish's Kid Glove Letterbox here as well.
Rock Creek Park is a jewel of an urban green space that is a safe and well populated respite from city life. There are three letterboxes on this 3.5 mile loop hike, which follows the Rock Creek, Normanstone, and Dunbarton Oaks Trails.
Using the clean and efficient Washington DC Metro system, take the Red Line to the Woodley Park/National Zoo Station in Bethesda-Chevy Chase MD. At the station's entrance, turn left briefly to the sidewalk, and then right (south) on Connecticut Ave. If you would prefer to drive, park your car in the National Zoo area on Connecticut Ave and continue a block or two south to pick up the hike at the Metro Station. Heading south on Connecticut Ave from the Metro, cross at the first light and then bear right (before the large bridge over Rock Creek Park) on a paved path with steps down, crossing carefully over an on-ramp, into the park to an exercise station on the Rock Creek Trail.
Turn right, west, on the paved Rock Creek Trail, and just before it crosses the creek on a footbridge, turn right onto the singletrack Parkway Trail. Walk up and over a small hill and then travel along ten feet above the creek in a level stretch with smooth-barked beech trees on either side. Before the trail bends slightly to the left, at the biggest creek-side beech, just off the trail on the right, is an oak tree with a furry vine. Facing uphill, with your back to the tree, find the big tree at the 11 o'clock position. And that's where you will find the Rock Creek Letterbox.
Continue a short way to the Normanstone Trail at a small footbridge. Go right (north) on this orange blazed trail. A short way up the trail, turn left for a bit of pleasant road walking, with the trail blazes continuing conspicuously on the telephone poles. Passing the Cameroon Embassy, jog right on Normanstone Drive with the blazes. Just past 30-31st Streets, cut left with the blazes back onto a foot path in the woods. Climb a small hill, and in a flat area before climbing a little more, find the Normanstone Letterbox just off the trail to the right (northwest) behind a large dark-bark red oak tree.
Finish climbing the hill a short way to cross busy Massachusetts Ave, and follow the blazes straight past the British Embassy. To the right is the historic Naval Observatory, and you'll soon pass the New Zealand Embassy with its Maori statuary. Continue on to walk straight up to an intimidating looking Naval Observatory gate, and follow the trail, less prominently marked, but obviously there (and confirmed for us by a nearby Secret Service agent!), right along the outside of the fence line. Shortly emerge behind apartments and offices to a trail junction. Turn left, southeast, on the Dunbarton Oaks Trail towards Rock Creek. Down through an open area just smothered in Kudzu, a regrettably-introduced creeper, and through an old chain link gate, you'll find a left turn on a side trail up some stairs which is blazed in green. Follow this path to an open grassy area with a lovely side path going right down to some park benches. Continue straight a short distance with the blazed trail to turn right by a concrete park bench. The Dunbarton Oaks Letterbox lives under the northern corner of this bench. Linger here, or a few steps farther down the trail as you please.
Finishing your boxing adventure in DC, continue down the path through the benches and over a small stone bridge. Pass through the gates and jog left-right to continue east with the blazes and down along a small creek. Cross a footbridge and travel down to Rock Creek. Follow the path left, upstream, under the huge arched bridge carrying Massachusetts Ave, back past the Normanstone Trail intersection and to the beginning.
*****
Near this loop in about 1906, a newly arrived French diplomat named Henri Jusserand was hiking with the great outdoorsman, President Theodore Roosevelt. When it came time, he reluctantly forded the creek by following the President's lead. Writing home of the incident, he said: "I, too, for the honor of France, removed my apparel, everything except my lavender kid gloves. The President cast an inquiring look at this as if they, too, must come off, but I quickly forestalled any remark by saying, ‘With your permission, Mr. President, I will keep these on; otherwise it would be embarrassing if we should meet ladies.'"
--------
Kid Gloves
Washington, D.C.
(Letterbox #1 was graciously replaced by Trish and Mary in June, 2003. Thank you, ladies!)
Be sure to search for Trish's Kid Glove Letterbox here as well.
Rock Creek Park is a jewel of an urban green space that is a safe and well populated respite from city life. There are three letterboxes on this 3.5 mile loop hike, which follows the Rock Creek, Normanstone, and Dunbarton Oaks Trails.
Using the clean and efficient Washington DC Metro system, take the Red Line to the Woodley Park/National Zoo Station in Bethesda-Chevy Chase MD. At the station's entrance, turn left briefly to the sidewalk, and then right (south) on Connecticut Ave. If you would prefer to drive, park your car in the National Zoo area on Connecticut Ave and continue a block or two south to pick up the hike at the Metro Station. Heading south on Connecticut Ave from the Metro, cross at the first light and then bear right (before the large bridge over Rock Creek Park) on a paved path with steps down, crossing carefully over an on-ramp, into the park to an exercise station on the Rock Creek Trail.
Turn right, west, on the paved Rock Creek Trail, and just before it crosses the creek on a footbridge, turn right onto the singletrack Parkway Trail. Walk up and over a small hill and then travel along ten feet above the creek in a level stretch with smooth-barked beech trees on either side. Before the trail bends slightly to the left, at the biggest creek-side beech, just off the trail on the right, is an oak tree with a furry vine. Facing uphill, with your back to the tree, find the big tree at the 11 o'clock position. And that's where you will find the Rock Creek Letterbox.
Continue a short way to the Normanstone Trail at a small footbridge. Go right (north) on this orange blazed trail. A short way up the trail, turn left for a bit of pleasant road walking, with the trail blazes continuing conspicuously on the telephone poles. Passing the Cameroon Embassy, jog right on Normanstone Drive with the blazes. Just past 30-31st Streets, cut left with the blazes back onto a foot path in the woods. Climb a small hill, and in a flat area before climbing a little more, find the Normanstone Letterbox just off the trail to the right (northwest) behind a large dark-bark red oak tree.
Finish climbing the hill a short way to cross busy Massachusetts Ave, and follow the blazes straight past the British Embassy. To the right is the historic Naval Observatory, and you'll soon pass the New Zealand Embassy with its Maori statuary. Continue on to walk straight up to an intimidating looking Naval Observatory gate, and follow the trail, less prominently marked, but obviously there (and confirmed for us by a nearby Secret Service agent!), right along the outside of the fence line. Shortly emerge behind apartments and offices to a trail junction. Turn left, southeast, on the Dunbarton Oaks Trail towards Rock Creek. Down through an open area just smothered in Kudzu, a regrettably-introduced creeper, and through an old chain link gate, you'll find a left turn on a side trail up some stairs which is blazed in green. Follow this path to an open grassy area with a lovely side path going right down to some park benches. Continue straight a short distance with the blazed trail to turn right by a concrete park bench. The Dunbarton Oaks Letterbox lives under the northern corner of this bench. Linger here, or a few steps farther down the trail as you please.
Finishing your boxing adventure in DC, continue down the path through the benches and over a small stone bridge. Pass through the gates and jog left-right to continue east with the blazes and down along a small creek. Cross a footbridge and travel down to Rock Creek. Follow the path left, upstream, under the huge arched bridge carrying Massachusetts Ave, back past the Normanstone Trail intersection and to the beginning.
*****
Near this loop in about 1906, a newly arrived French diplomat named Henri Jusserand was hiking with the great outdoorsman, President Theodore Roosevelt. When it came time, he reluctantly forded the creek by following the President's lead. Writing home of the incident, he said: "I, too, for the honor of France, removed my apparel, everything except my lavender kid gloves. The President cast an inquiring look at this as if they, too, must come off, but I quickly forestalled any remark by saying, ‘With your permission, Mr. President, I will keep these on; otherwise it would be embarrassing if we should meet ladies.'"