George
Washington Memorial Parkway is two things: a green area dedicated to preserving
the natural flora and fauna along the Virginia side of the Potomac River and a
handy highway and shortcut for commuters to and from their places of work in the
Washington area. The highway, a landscaped, scenic drive currently connecting
Mount Vernon and I-495 just below Great Falls, is heavily traveled and requires
the full attention of the driver. The passengers, however, can enjoy some
splendid, close up views of the fall colors.
The GW
Parkway can be accessed from any of the highways crossing the Potomac River into
Washington D.C. Reversing direction of travel, once on the Parkway, can be a
challenge. The easiest spot is the Memorial Bridge traffic circle (near the
entrance of the Arlington National Cemetery). The portion within Alexandria is a
city street, frequently 'bumper-to-bumper' but you can always go around one of
the block (watch out for the one-way streets!).
The
southern section (from Alexandria to Mount Vernon) is much less busy. The fall
colors are also very much in evidence so we recommend this area for a short
scenic drive close in to the District.
The
National Park Service has an excellent web site describing the Parkway at GW
Parkway.
Most accommodations are 'booked
up' during the fall leaf viewing season. If you haven't made your hotel/motel reservations yet we
have included access to an on-line hotel reservation system for your convenience.
Hotel
reservations are available, usually at a discount,
in the following nearby communities:
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