DC Round Two – Part 2: Mary McLeod Bethune Council House NHS, Belmont Paul Women’s Equality NM, and Chesapeake & Ohio Canal NHP

Continuing on my whirlwind trip to finish out all the DC National Park Service (NPS) units…

September 15, 2023

My work conference wrapped up with a half-day session, which meant for the next 24 hours I would be on personal time before my flight home! I had chosen to swap hotels, trading in some Hilton Honors points to score a cheap room at the Hampton Inn-White House, and luck have it, my room was ready at 1pm so I was able to check-in, change clothes, and stash my luggage before heading out on my adventures. This Hampton Inn is in a great location, offers free breakfast, and has a generous 12pm check-out time which I greatly appreciated the next day.

First up would be a mile walk to the Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site. Lots of walking in work shoes my feet weren’t use to led to some angry blisters that protested under bandaids determined not to stay in place in the heat and humidity of DC, but overall the walk wasn’t bad at all.

I have to admit, before my visit I had no idea who Mary McLeod Bethune was. I guess that is the great thing about NPS is that I have explored new places and learned about things and people that I otherwise would never have! I rang the doorbell, and Ranger Kevin let me in, and let me know a tour would be starting soon, but I was free to stamp my passport book and look around until then.

Mary McLeod Bethune was one hell of a women I’d learn as Ranger Kevin gave me a tour of the Council House! She was the first child in her family to born free, and the first to obtain a formal education. She would become a teacher, and then go on to open the Daytona Literary and Industrial Training Institute for Negro Girls (which eventually went to become a university, Bethune-Cookman University, which is still in operation today!). She then went on to serve many state, and then national-level organizations, including creating the National Council of Negro Women, Inc. (NCNW) on December 5, 1935. (Her full story can be read here!), which was headquartered in the Council House from 1943 to 1966.

After wrapping up and saying goodbye to Ranger Kevin, I set out on the ten minute walk over to Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site. This site is currently closed for renovations, so I had a conundrum… can I count the visit if I just stood in doorway? I mean, some count a visit to Hohokam Pima National Monument by traveling a stretch of I-10 that crosses of corner of it, so isn’t this almost better than that? (I mean, I guess that means I have also technically been to Hohokam Pima NM, ha! But you actually won’t see me claim that one on my checklists.) At the end of the day, I decided to count it, and vowed that if I find my way back to DC, I’ll take a tour to really seal the deal

It is a bit of a haul over to Belmont Paul Women’s Equality National Monument, so I grabbed an Uber for this leg. This national monument just reopened at the end of August much to my delight, so full visit for me!

For more than 90 years the National Women’s Party was headquartered in this 200-year old house (I mean, the British burned it way back in the day… it is that old!), this national monument was established in 2016 and details the history behind the women’s right movement. Though they have not completely placed all the artifacts back in their spots after the renovation, there was still plenty of exhibits to browse through.

After browsing through the house, I bought my souvenir patch and chatted with the rangers (whose names escape me) on all the things for quite awhile. I was even given the junior ranger badges which was very nice of the rangers, and I insisted I took a book so I could complete it on my own back home!

This day’s theme was “take all the Ubers,” so I decided to head to Georgetown so I could see the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historic Park (at least a small part of it) and Old Stone House. Rush hour traffic was a bit ridiculous, but I arrived after not too long of a ride at the Georgetown Visitor Center… which was closed due to low water levels in the canal. But hey, I got to see the canal, and therefore, NPS unit #69 for me!

Old Stone House, built in 1766, is the oldest structure on its original foundation in DC and serves as a gift shop and visitor center for Rock Creek Park… but doesn’t actually sit in the boundaries of Rock Creek Park. I stamped my passport books and took a quick look around.

I was technically only a bit over a mile from my hotel, but thanks to my sore feet, I chose to spend the money and get a ride back to my hotel. There was a Panera Bread across the street, so I picked up that while debating if I wanted to have a lazy night, or venture down to the National Mall after dark to see what all the monuments and memorials look like at night. Laziness, albeit hard-earned, won out!