17 Miles in Washington, D.C.

"As it turns out, the National Mall Turf (official name!) has come a long way. And not just since the days that sheep and cattle roamed freely across it. Over the last decade-plus, the Mall has received millions in funding and multiple makeovers; its Kentucky bluegrass blend now benefits from improved soils and an advanced irrigation system. There's also a schedule, depending on where you are within the park, for who can use the grass and when."

"Starting at The President's Park, heading south on 15th St NW, I took a right on Constitution Ave to link up with the Mall's distinctive beige-pebbled sidewalk. The Washington Monument was on my left. It was within view for every second of this run, and for that reason, by the end of the effort, it began to take on the architectural equivalent of semantic satiation. Wait, why do we have a giant obelisk again?"

"Running up the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, I shooed away useless memories of the least-remembered Planet of the Apes remake - the one where Mark Wahlberg returns to Earth to discover a giant chimp sitting on Honest Abe's chair ( 43% on Rotten Tomatoes) - and stopped to read the "Gettysburg Address." It's one of the most remarkable speeches ever recorded. And it's right there, you can read it: 272 words on the fragility of demo"

Hotel Washington sits across from the White House; it opened in 1917 and was renovated a century later. The recommended route is 6.0 miles with 107 feet of elevation gain, described as gravel and waterfront, and begins at the White House. The National Mall Turf has received significant investment, featuring a Kentucky bluegrass blend, improved soils, and an advanced irrigation system, plus a location-dependent schedule for grass use. The course follows 15th St NW, turns onto Constitution Ave, joins the Mall's beige-pebbled sidewalk with the Washington Monument in view, and finishes at the Lincoln Memorial where the Gettysburg Address is inscribed.

Read at InsideHook