Issue #7

6 IN-DEPTH Wed., April 28, 2021 Wed., April 28, 2021
IN-DEPTH 7
GET OUT OF YOUR HOUSE... NATURE IS WAITING!
The Great
Outdoors with
the Gomezes
The map features 30 parks with free admission, selected by senior Eva
Gomez, freshman Shane Gomez and their family. They have visited these
places and determined them to be worth the trip. The locations have been
listed in ascending order of distance from Annandale High School.
1. Ossian Hall Park
2. Backlick Park
3. Hidden Oaks Nature Center
Map Key
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF RACHEL GOMEZ
Senior Eva Gomez and her
brother, freshman Shane Gomez,
take a break after hiking down
by the Potomac River at Turkey
Run Park (#22 on the map). “It
was an adventure! There were a
lot of rocks you had to scramble
over and we even had to jump
over a creek,” Eva Gomez said.
“We got lost, but we managed to
find our way back and that just
made everything more exciting.
There were also a lot of pretty
wildflowers, so I felt like an elf.”
4. Mason District Park
5. Wakefield Forest
6. Holmes Run Stream Valley Park
7. Canterbury Woods Park
8. Rose Lane Park
9. Roundtree Park
10. Green Spring Gardens
Freshman Shane Gomez went to
the National Arboretum (#28 on
the map) with his family for his
birthday. “There is a really wide
variety of different places and
things you can do, all contained
in the park,” Shane Gomez said.
“They have these really cool
pillars I liked because I hadn’t
seen anything like that before.
They’re from the Capitol, so that’s
interesting.”
11. Eakin Park
12. Brookfield Park
13. Lake Accotink Park
14. Long Branch Nature Center & Park
15. Hidden Pond Nature Center
16. South Run Park
17. Huntsman Park
18. Burke Lake Park
19. Jones Point Park
20. Huntley Meadows Park
Senior Eva Gomez discovered her love
for parks through her mother, Rachel
Gomez, who worked at Green Spring
Gardens (#10 on the map). “I’ve gone
there since I was little and I loved
helping out,” Eva Gomez said. “It’s
what got me interested in working at
parks. Now, I want to be a park ranger
when I grow up.” Her mother shares
this sentiment. “Green Spring is a
hidden gem off busy Braddock Road.
It’s peaceful and beautiful with ponds,
hidden gardens and a woodland trail,”
Rachel Gomez said.
21. Bull Run Marina
Scan the QR
code to access
the customized
map and get
directions to all
these places!
CREATED BY KHADIJA AHMED USING GOOGLE MY MAPS
22. Turkey Run Park
23. National Mall
24. Pohick Bay Regional Park
25. Riverbend Park
26. Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge
27. Mason Neck State Park
28. United States National Arboretum
29. Julie J. Metz Neabsco Creek Wetlands Preserve
30. Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park
Another favorite of the Gomezes
is the Bull Run Marina (#21 on
the map). There are many paths
that contain stunning views. “It
feels very secluded from the
outside world and really special,”
Eva Gomez said. “I recommend
you go during the winter when
the leaves are gone because the
views are spectacular.” For those
interested in history, it is also
located near Manassas National
Battlefield where the Battle of
Bull Run took place.
Cancel your weekend plans, go here instead
Holmes Run Stream Valley Park (#6)
This park features five river crossings, many meandering
paths and a nature center. One particular path contains a lot
of nature, including some very pretty wildflowers. There are
many different grassy areas to sit and take in the scenery.
Also, the main paths are paved, so it’s great for biking. You
might even come across some ducks in the stream.
3437 Charleson St, Annandale, VA 22003
Open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays through
Lake Accotink Park (#13)
Lake Acotink has a lake and marina. During the spring
and summer, there is boating available as well as carousel,
mini golf. There are many paths to walk alongside the lake
and take in the water. There are offshoots from the path that
lead to the lake if you want a better view. If you’re lucky, you
may come across geese, herons, and even a bald eagle’s nest.
7500 Accotink Park Rd, Springfield, VA 22150
Open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. everyday
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF ERIK RIVAS
Rose Lane Park (#8)
Rose Lane is a hidden park surrounded by houses in a
neighborhood. It is also bordered by a creek and has two
paths that can go in either direction. If you follow along far
enough, you get to another park called Roundtree Park (#9
on the map). If you take the other path, it leads to a pool.
Although it starts in a residential area, you gradually enter
more of a full forest.
3584 Terrace Dr, Annandale, VA 22003
No hours available
Huntley Meadows Park (#20)
Huntley Meadows has a variety of things to enjoy and
caters to everyone’s interests. It has wetlands and marshes,
boardwalks, forest walks, observation towers, nature centers
and meadows. They offer programs during the day and night
to explore the park more deeply. They have a lot of different
animals like beavers, muskrats, ducks, herons and various
amphibians.
3701 Lockheed Blvd, Alexandria, VA 22306
Open from 4 a.m. to 7 p.m. everyday
How do
you like
to spend
your time
outdoors?
CAMILO NUNEZ
freshman
“I like to spend my time
outdoors. I love to ride
my bike, because it’s
fun and makes you feel
free.”
MOLLY
CHICHESTER
freshman
“I like hanging out
with my friends, and
it doesn’t really matter
what we’re doing
or where we’re going.
Nature is so beautiful,
and it’s just nice to
enjoy it with them.”
RAKAN ALQADI
sophomore
“I like spending my
time outdoors by hanging
out with my friends,
playing football, running
and making
money any chance that
I get.”
ELLIE DAVIS
sophomore
“I like to go outdoors
and basically do anything.
Most of the time,
I’m either playing tennis,
going on runs or
going on walks with my
dogs. It helps clear my
mind a lot.”
KENNETH
ANDERSON
junior
“I like to just walk
around my neighborhood
while listening to
music and taking pictures
of the trees. It’s
a great way for me to
relax.”
LIZA CHICHESTER
junior
“I like going on walks
when the weather is
nice out. It’s really
refreshing to just walk
around my neighborhood
and take in everything
around me while
also getting in some
exercise.”
ANDY HOANG
senior
“I like to play basketball
with my friends whenever
I get the chance. I
have also started to go
hiking since the start
of the pandemic with
my friend Steve Kang.
I would recommend is
Billy Goat Trail for anyone
interested.”
HALELUYA
WORKU
senior
“I like having picnics
with my friends, especially
because of the
pandemic going on. It’s
one of the only ways I
can safely spend time
with them while social
distancing.”
Enjoy the warm weather with these activities
BY SEREENE DARWIESH
Staff Writer
With summer just around the
corner, there are tons of fun outdoor
activities that you can do with family
and friends! It’s important to get out
and be active, so make sure that you’re
taking advantage of the wonderful
outdoors. Another plus is that you’re
much less likely to be infected with
Covid-19 while outdoors rather than
public areas indoors.
1 BIKING
This activity is very active and
a great way to bond with your
friends. It’s a very liberating experience
since you’re going as fast as you can
and the wind is hitting your face while
you’re pedaling. It’s great when you are
able to go as far as you want while also
being able to get some exercise in.
It’s something that people of all ages
can do and there’s no restrictions. This
activity is especially great if you are in
a family with children because they are
also able to participate in this activity.
“I really enjoy going biking with
my older sister because we are able
to spend time together and also get
to destinations which would take us
a lot longer to get to with walking,”
sophomore Ruftana Beyene said.
“Sometimes, it’s a little scary to bike on
the main road, but in general I really
enjoy it.”
2 CAMPING
Camping is a great way to get
in tune with nature and forget
about all your problems. This is the
ultimate bonding experience since
you’re spending all your time with
whoevers around you.
It’s also a great way to learn new life
skills such as cooking over a fire and
setting up a tent. Bring long socks and
bug spray to protect against ticks.
Camping is an experience like no
other because you’re spending time in
nature, which is hard to do when you
live in a city and spend most of your
time there.
Don’t forget to bring ingredients for
the most fun camping experience of
them all: making s’mores!
3 PICNIC
Having a picnic is a great
alternative to eating at a
restaurant. You are able to customize
your meals and can make it as big
or small as you want. It is also a
great picture opportunity if you are
interested in photography. It’s a
simple but new experience everyone
should try at least once in their lives.
“My friends and I love to have
picnics because food is a great way
to connect with us,” sophomore Maya
Mann said. “Sometimes it can get a little
hot in the summer, but usually we plan
it on days with nice weather.”
Places like Gravelly Point are great
for picnics with a lot of open area so you
can spread out and socially distance
from others.
4 HIKING
This activity is one of the most
adventurous out of them all!
You are essentially walking towards an
unknown destination and using your
own sense of direction while doing so.
If you’re not into camping, then
this is a great alternative since you are
able to leave whenever you finish the
trail and go back home. This is a great
activity to do with friends and family.
Packing snacks for the hike and
being able to enjoy it at the top after
all that walking is an amazing and
fulfilling feeling.
“During the pandemic, my family
and I found a new appreciation for
hiking. It’s a great socially distant
activity, and it’s something that can get
us out of the house,” sophomore Ellie
Davis said. “I love hiking because I’m
able to take my mind off of things and
relax.”
5 BARBECUE
Food is always a way to bring
your loved ones together, and
a barbecue is the best of both worlds.
You are able to eat delicious food and
simultaneously spend time with your
friends and family. You can also play
sports, such as soccer or volleyball,
since you’re in an open area. Listening
to music and eating delicious food
sounds like the perfect outdoor activity.
Working hard to make your own food
makes it even more delicious once you
finally eat it.