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It was quite a day. Artifacts of American Indians were displayed beside children making butterflies of paper and clothespins. An open door welcomed visitors to a re-constructed, post-Civil War log cabin. The beekeeper offered his wares as bluegrass music hummed in the background. Costumed actors and antique automobiles brought memories of the “flapper era” because of stories that a silent movie star, Pola Negri, once lived on the premises. Amid nature’s silence, pounding noises signaled that the blacksmiths were at their forge.

In 1966, some far-thinking local citizens combined efforts to save “open space” in a burgeoning local building boom. One result is what some call “Arlington’s hidden gem,” while others know only the official name: Gulf Branch Nature Center, a unit of the Conservation and Interpretation Section, Arlington County Park Division.

It was quite a day. But the good news is that much of what was enjoyed last Sunday is available throughout the year just a few steps off Military Road. Woody paths with wayside stations explaining the works and workings of Mother Nature remain. Stillness punctured by birdsong awaits. Hundreds of books form an environmental library for research on site, including many in Braille for the visually impaired.

For Information and directions

http://site.friendsofgbnc.org and https://parks.arlingtonva.us then search term “Gulf Branch.”