Jones Point Park and Lighthouse

Last week, on a fabulously sunny and warm "winter" day, Diggory and I ventured south to Old Town Alexandria to investigate Jones Point Park.  If you haven't been, and you live in the Washington, DC area, go there.  Like, right now.  I am totally impressed and kicking myself for not finding it sooner.  And here's why.

First, the park is steeped in history.  The highlight, at least for me, is the lighthouse.  Built in 1855, the Jones Point lighthouse is the last riverine lighthouse in the Chesapeake Bay region.  It served an important role as a navigational tool on the Potomac River and supported the maritime economies of Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.  The exterior has been renovated - and it appears as though the interior is currently under construction.  Maybe it will open to visitors sometime in the near future?  Anyone know?  In addition to the lighthouse, the paved and gravel paths throughout the park are lined with interpretative signs and historical markers, including several cement plinths marking the original Virginia boundaries of Washington, DC.  In fact, one marker is the south cornerstone dating from 1791 or 1794 and is thought to be "among the oldest existing physical monuments associated with the Federal City."  Other signs discuss the ecology of the Potomac River and native species of fish, the history of commercial fishing in Alexandria, the now-dismantled WWI shipyard that used to occupy the space, and the history of the indigenous cultures in the area and archaeological artifacts found within the park.

   

I tried to remain patient and let Diggory run at will.

The lighthouse.  Peek inside the windows on either side of the door facing the water for a view inside.

We frolicked on the rocks in front of the lighthouse.  In hindsight, not my most responsible parenting moment...but throwing rocks into the water is just so much fun!

Second, you get to walk UNDER the Wilson Bridge, which in itself is pretty cool.  The parking lot for the park is accessible from Royal Street on the south side of Old Town Alexandria.  It's located just north of the Capital Beltway (I-495), so you get to walk under the bridge to get to the lighthouse.  Maybe I'm just a total geek, but I thought it was pretty cool.  There's also a few picnic tables, basketball hoops, impressively clean restroom facilities with a changing table, and two playgrounds - one on the north side (and better for toddlers) and one of the south side (and better for older kids).  Here's a map of the park, for your reference.

Cool bridge architecture and interpretive signs.  Neat!

So, that brings me to my third point.  The playgrounds are AWESOME!  Diggory has always liked swings, but the slides, climbing apparatus, and squishy ground (for falling) is just really, really cool.  Good luck pulling your kid away from them...maybe tell them that they can go throw rocks in the water.  Oh man, I swear I'm a good mom.  All in all, it was a wonderful morning in the sunshine.  And we'll be back again soon.

Yet another picture of Diggory in a swing.

There are a bunch of these path markers.  This one is for a rabbit, but there's one for a raccoon, a dog, and several other animals.

Potomac River sunshine.