The Washington DC Area Volksmarching Club
DRIVING DIRECTIONS
From I-495 in the far northern Virginia suburbs: Take Exit 44 onto the
George Washington Memorial Parkway (first exit in Virginia from Maryland).
Drive for about 8.5 miles and exit from the GW Parkway at the Memorial
Bridge/Arlington Cemetery exit. At the end of the exit ramp, turn right and
stay toward the right in the traffic circle to continue straight onto the
Memorial Bridge to cross the Potomac into D.C. At the end of the Memorial
Bridge, bear right on the Rock Creek Parkway/Kennedy Center exit. Follow
the Rock Creek Parkway and Kennedy Center signs as the parkway passes
under the Kennedy Center by the river and the Watergate complex on the
right. At the next traffic signal after the Watergate, turn right onto
Virginia Avenue. After 3 traffic signals, turn right onto 24th Street, which
goes into the parking garage at Columbia Plaza.
From I-395 in the southwestern Virginia suburbs: Take Exit 8B
(Pentagon/ Arlington Cemetery/Rosslyn) and follow signs to exit onto
Memorial Bridge. Bear right onto the bridge to cross the Potomac into D.C.
At the end of the Memorial Bridge, bear right on the Rock Creek
Parkway/Kennedy Center exit. Follow the Rock Creek Parkway and Kennedy
Center signs as the parkway passes under the Kennedy Center by the river
and the Watergate complex on the right. At the next traffic signal after
the Watergate, turn right onto Virginia Avenue. After 3 traffic signals,
turn right onto 24th Street, which goes into the parking garage at Columbia
Plaza.
invites you to
Enjoy Walks to Explore
the National Mall and
Iwo Jima Memorial in 2016
Two exciting walking trails are available:
The National Mall Year-Round Walk
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•
You can walk a self-guided trail for a7 KM (4.5 miles), 11 KM (7 miles), or
17 KM (11 miles) during daylight hours from January 2 to
December 31, 2016
This is the 24th year that this international favorite has been offered.
The Iwo Jima Memorial Year-Round Walk
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•
You can walk a self-guided trail for 10 KM (6-miles) or 12 KM (7.5 miles)
during daylight hours from January 2 to December 31, 2016.
This is the 8th year that this year-round event has been offered.
The American Volkssport Association (AVA), a member of the International
Volkssport Association (IVV), sanctions these events to promote leisure
sports in the interest of family, health, recreation, fun, and fellowship.
Sanction Numbers:
AT2016/Y231 (National Mall YRE)
AT2016/Y1563 (Iwo Jima Memorial
YRE)
SPONSOR: Washington DC Area Volksmarching Club, AVA-021.
START/FINISH POINT: Reception Desk, Columbia Plaza Apartments, The
Consul, West Lobby, 2400 Virginia Ave NW, Washington DC 20037. The
registration box (or "Walk Box") for both events is at the apartment reception
desk. Please be considerate of the employees at the start point. These good
people have volunteered their place of business and do not know anything about
volksmarching. This is a self-service start/finish.
HOURS: Register at any time on any day but New Years Day on any day between
January 2 and December 31, 2016. WALK ONLY DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS.
ELIGIBILITY: Everyone is welcome! Participants may walk, jog, or run. Children
under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
REGISTRATION AND FEES: Register in log book for the event you want to
walk, take a start card and a set of written instructions, and enjoy the walk.
When you return, stamp your IVV event and distance books, pay the appropriate
fees by mailing your start card and a check in an envelope available in the
registration box. A $4.00 fee includes a "B" award and IVV credit. IVV credit
only is $3.00. There is no charge if you do not want an award or IVV credit, but
everyone must register and return the completed start card.
PRE-REGISTRATION: You may pre-register for either walk by sending a
self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Washington DC Area Volksmarching Club,
10111 Capitol View Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
TRAILS: The trail for the National Mall YRE has variable lengths: 7 KM
(4.5 miles), 11 KM (7 miles), and 17 KM (11 miles). Regardless of the distance, the
trail follows city streets and passes through monument areas with some steps.
The 7-KM trail focuses on sites near the Tidal Basin and nearby memorials.
Some of the sights you will see on the 11-KM trail are the Lincoln Memorial, the
Korean War Memorial, the Washington Monument, the FDR Memorial, the World
War II Memorial, the U.S. Capitol building, the White House, and the Vietnam
War Memorial. The 17-KM trail also takes you by the U.S. Supreme Court,
through Union Station, and by the National Archives. The trail is rated 1B,
because it is generally flat with some natural surfaces. The trail is suitable for
wheelchairs and strollers.
The trail for the Iwo Jima Memorial YRE is either 10 KM (6 miles) or 12 KM (7.5
miles). The 10-KM trail leads around Kennedy Center and passes over the
Memorial Bridge, through part of Arlington National Cemetery, past the U.S.
Marine Corps War Memorial (which commemorates the flag-raising at Iwo Jima),
and through Rosslyn before returning to DC across the Theodore Roosevelt
Bridge. The 12-KM trail includes a loop around Theodore Roosevelt Island. The
trail is rated 1B, because it is generally flat with some natural surfaces. (During
inclement weather, the loop on TR Island would have a higher rating.) The trail is
suitable for big-wheeled strollers, but wheelchairs will find impediments blocking
their progress.
AWARDS: There is a "B" award for each YRE. The most recent National Mall
YRE award features a dreamcatcher in recognition of the 17-KM trail's passage
by the National Museum of the American Indian. The Iwo Jima YRE patch
features the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial. Other "B" awards of both trails
also can be requested. The cost of a B award and IVV credit is $4.00 credit).
REFRESHMENTS AND FACILITIES: Water and restrooms are available at the
start/finish point, at monuments, and in the museums. Snack bars on the Mall
are open during the summer months. Some museums have cafeterias open to the
public. Union Station has a food court on the lower level.
DISCLAIMER: While providing safe, enjoyable, and memorable events, the AVA
and its subsidiary clubs are not responsible for theft or loss of personal
belongings or property. All participants must sign a waiver.
STIPULATION: By registering for this event and signing the waiver and release
of liability, the participant accepts the guidelines for AVA Volkssport events and
agrees to observe the principles of good sportsmanship. Littering is not
permitted. Dogs are welcome, but must be kept on a leash and scoop law obeyed.
Dogs are not permitted in buildings. The event will take place in most weather
conditions, but participants should not walk during severe weather. No refunds.
CONTACT: Marshall Hansen, 10111 Capitol View Avenue, Silver Spring, MD
20910, Phone: 301/588-1913; [email protected].
Club Web site: http://www.mdvolks.org/wdcavc/
AVA SPECIAL EVENTS: Both events qualify for the 51 Capitals AVA special
program. Other special programs for which one or both events might qualify are
Boardwalks, Border Crossings, Honoring Our Flag; National Register of Historic
Places, and You'll Never Walk Alone. WDCAVC policy is to allow any walker to
stamp a special event book for either walk if the walker believes the walk
qualifies for a specific special program.
BY METRO: If possible, take Metro to the start/finish point. You can park at
many outlying Metro stations for much less money than you will be charge in
downtown Washington. Take a Metro Orange- or Blue-line train to the Foggy
Bottom-GWU station. As you exit the station, turn right to walk south on
23rd St. for four blocks (crossing five streets) to Virginia Ave. Cross Virginia
and turn right to walk west on Virginia for one-half block and bear left into the
drive, staying to the right of the underground entrance. The Consul, West Lobby
reception desk entrance is the second set of glass doors on the right.
PARKING: Limited parking is available at metered spaces on streets near the
start/finish point during workdays and Saturdays. (Meters are generally for
2 hours from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM. Some require payments on Saturdays; all are
free on Sundays and holidays.) A parking garage under the plaza (entrance on
Virginia Avenue) charges by the hour (roughly $11 for the first hour, $15 for 2
hours, $25.00 for all-day parking; prices may vary). Reduced rates may be
available for parking on weekends.