perfect for people watching...

ah... what to do... what to do?
it is never clear exactly what to do


unsure what to do we left off for Hains Point... not to ride bikes
but to entertain the kids
to do something as a family

intervals are not really my thing
pushing the pedals on the flats pointed into the wind... well that does not sound so attractive to me
putt putt... well... that sounds a little more like my speed

together Lisa and I picked the boys up from camp and headed directly to East Potomac Park
as the cyclists circled us we played Putt Putt golf at the Hains Point Mini Golf Course
it was fun... and a tad frustrating

without a single golfer among us it was anybody's game

put in the added variables of the somewhat declining condition of the course and the baby acorns on the course... well... the it was not clear who was going to win the 20 DOLLAR PURSE

playing games with children can be like walking a 12 year old dog with aging hips
it is a lesson in patience

nine year old Dean was having a solid game with decent focus and some excellent play
while six year old Grant was... well... behaving like a six year old
sure you can find diaper babies walking about with putters in a quest to become the next Tiger Woods
but for one timers like us... it is hard to impart the basics of actual golf upon mini golf
sure we tried warm ups... Grant listened and practiced... but when it came to game time
Grant's stance and stroke fell apart... sort of like dad's stroke at the tee... after three beautiful practice swings
the swing that counts lack finesse and fluidity sending the divot further than the ball

there were only a few families on the mini golf course
there was no need to accelerate our pace
there was never any moment where we were frustrated by slow play in front of us
in essence we had the whole course to ourselves

young Grant was able to warm up on the next whole after scoring the maximum on the hole that the family was scoring on
the warm ups did not help his game

we meandered the course mistakenly playing a hole or two out of order
no worries... as long as all 18 holes are played the score would remain the same

I could not help but watch the cyclists pass on the pavement around me

as much as I am a mountain biker... I still envied those on their road bikes

various kits circled and circled
I recognized a number of riders
not many... but some
it amused to see the bicycle cops exit the Park Police Station without slowing for the Stop Sign
cyclists not stopping at the Stop Sign at Hains Point is a point of contention with the park users

it was a good game... it was a close contest
everyone... everyone including Grant scored a few birdies

while everyone may have maxed out on a hole or two
after the 18th hole the boys were eager to know who won
they would have to wait for the scores to be tallied as we waited for our food to be cooked

at the 19th hole we ordered what would be our dinner... everything fried
my favorite... fried... yum... fried
the menu has expanded and the quality of the food seems to have stepped up
the beer is as cold as it ever was

Dean and I walked over to the driving range to scope out the pool and the to check out the golf culture
I tried to impart the idea of practice to my young son
aiding him understand how each of these people were working on putting, chipping, or driving

practicing now... so that they can achieve the desired effort when they played the game

once back at the table we relaxed and watched the people
golfers heading out to play a game of golf
golfers returning after a game of golf
golfers on the putting green

all sorts of golfers...

Lisa crunched the numbers of our mini golf game
Dean won buy a small margin

no shortage of eye candy
lots of people to watch

a cool breeze came through as the golden sun started to drop in the distance

our food came and we stayed as long as it took for young Grant to eat all the chicken tenders and all the french fries that a six year old could possibly eat
it was time well spent

with The Awakening gone from Hains Point we do not head out there as much as we once did
as passed the once home to the massive metal sculpture Dean voiced that he wished that The Awakening were still at Hains Point
I agreed... but I accepted the change... what can we do but accept the change
in the distance we could see The Wilson Bridge... which made us realize that the sculpture is really not that far if you feel as if you need to visit it at The National Harbor

ah... our evening... our out of the ordinary evening drifted through other people's everyday
as vacant as the area seemed there were many people for who this place is part of their everyday

men fishing in the potomac
cyclists with heart rate monitors getting fit
people washing and waxing their cars
couples making sweet love under blankets
families gathering at the grill

walkers... runners... roller bladers... kite flyers... swimmers... and of course... golfers
an amazing intersection of various subcultures escaping the city on this little oasis
a little secret for everyone except for those in "the know"

unsure what to do with your evening?
may I recommend heading over to Hains Point?
ride your bike down there and do some laps... then get dinner or a snack at the 19th Hole
drive down their with friends for mini golf or to hit a bucket of balls
play 9 holes... or make it 18!
the 3 Par was always my course of choice... less waiting and less looking for your ball

East Potomac Golf Course
www.golfdc.com

summer in the city... there is always something to do
you just need to leave the house

photos from the Gwadzilla Archive

Hains Point
scan my pages for mentions of Hains Point
even with the misspellings you can find some great images and maybe some interesting words
Hains Point
Haines Point
The Awakening