It took Warren and Cynthia Kiesel of Alexandria, Va., 10 years to discover Theodore Roosevelt Island. Now they can't seem to leave.
On a recent Friday, the couple spent a cool and overcast morning alone on the island that sits off the banks of the Potomac River across from the Kennedy Center.
With no tourists to contend with or traffic to dodge, the Kiesels were free to walk their two dogs, read the newspaper and enjoy one of the last days of pleasant weather in a solitude normally reserved for settings far outside the city limits.
"We really just discovered it a few weeks ago and now it's like our favorite place," Warren said.
His wife agreed.
"It feels like you're in the middle of nowhere ... at least until a plane flies overhead," Cynthia said, laughing.
The completely natural wooded island was purchased by the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Association in 1931. It is home to the major presidential monument to Teddy Roosevelt - a 17-foot-high sculpture under a 30-foot granite shaft.
While no less significant than other major district presidential monuments, the island is hidden from the public eye. Alluring photos of the Washington Monument and the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials greet visitors as they make their way in and out of major area airports, but the massive bronze statue of Roosevelt is not among them.
The D.C. Tourism Bureau's Web site lists several generic tourist itineraries that plan up to 10 days of activity for interested travelers. Teddy Roosevelt Island is not mentioned once. The Tourmobile, a popular open-air bus in the city, takes patrons as far as Arlington Cemetery, but does not venture off the George Washington Memorial Parkway to the island.
The results were obvious as the Kiesels hung out at the base of the monument alone for 45 minutes.
"It seems like nobody really talks about it," Warren said. "I mean, it's like having the place to yourself in the middle of the city."
The obvious question surrounding Teddy Roosevelt Island's anonymity is, why?
"People that have three or four days in Washington, D.C., want to cross the major memorials off," said Rebecca Pawlowski, media relations director for the D.C. Tourism Bureau. "For something that's been out of the limelight for so long, it will be tough to put it back in. Lack of knowledge has turned people off."
Pawlowski said she has no qualms about making it a better-known icon, but said the tourism bureau operates on a fixed budget.
"Obviously our main priority was the World War II Memorial this year," she said. "We have to look at what's going to draw visitors."
A major reason the island is left out of the budget is its discreet location. Cars can only access the entrance if they head north on the George Washington Memorial Parkway. The closest Metro stop is Rosslyn - a 15- to 20-minute walk from the island with perfect directions. Longer, if you get lost.
Dana Dierkes, supervisory park ranger of the Virginia district for the George Washington Memorial Parkway, said she often hears people tell her, "'I just had no idea how to get there' ... and the reality is, it is difficult."
That was reason enough to turn Chad Swinehart of Tennessee off to the idea of venturing to the island.
"Everything is pretty much located here," said Swinehart, looking out at the National Mall from atop the Lincoln Memorial. "[The island is] kind of out of the way."
Maia Gantcheva, a junior at AU, lived only 30 minutes from the island during her high school years in Catonsville, Md., and did not know it existed.
"I really only knew about the monuments you see all the time," she said. With the semester clamping down, Gantcheva said she could see herself taking her homework to the island and enjoying the fall weather productively.
Dierkes said she and her staff have worked to build public interest by increasing their mailing list and putting up fliers about the various activities offered at Teddy Roosevelt Island.
"We want people to know that this is a major presidential memorial, but unfortunately it's not a popular top-ten thing to do," Dierkes said. "It's a different type of place."
Teddy Roosevelt Island is unique among D.C. attractions in the sense that there are no street vendors, gift shops, visitors centers or meticulously laid-out landscapes. It is exactly what Tim Glas, vice president of the Theodore Roosevelt Association in the District, thinks it should be. It is as natural as Teddy would have wanted, he said.
"If you look at all the D.C. memorials - the Jefferson, Lincoln, Washington, etc. - they all signify something about those individuals," Glas said. "In some ways, having Teddy Roosevelt Island remain an undeveloped, overgrown natural preserve is in itself a testament to the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt."
During his presidency, Roosevelt passed some of the most important conservationist legislation in U.S. history. He established the U.S. Forest Service for land management, provided public protection for nearly 230 million acres of land in the United States and signed the Antiquities Act of 1906 to protect cliff dwellings, ruins and missions in the southwestern United States. He also established Yellowstone as the first national park.
The island is filled with miles of hiking trails that weave in and out of the 91 acres of land. It is home to countless species of wildlife and natural vegetation. It is the heavily wooded area airline passengers see when they fly into Reagan National Airport that makes them wonder if they got on the wrong jet.
Sean Duffy, a senior and captain of the AU track team, has fallen in love with the island just like the Kiesels.
"I try and run down there whenever I get the chance," he said. "It's really an amazing part of the city, and hardly anyone is ever there."
Having worked on the island for more than three years, Dierkes said she is continually amazed that such a place exists in a city as busy and crazy as the District.
"Planes still fly overhead and a little noise can be heard from Georgetown, but for the most part it's really like a gem hidden in the middle of the city," Dierkes said. "It's really incredible to see nature unfold before your eyes right here."
Island officials all agree that something needs to be done to attract more tourists to the island. They also stress the importance of keeping the island a secluded and natural spot at the same time.
"It should certainly have more national exposure," said Dr. John Gabel, president of the National Theodore Roosevelt Association in New York City. But in the same breath, he warned that in order to make it more visitor friendly, extra parking and restrooms would have to be added and a museum constructed.
"It is in a discreet site and people like it for its isolation," he said.
Glas said he worries that an important element of the island would be lost if tourists demanded more.
"It is such a remote island, but that's also one of the best things about it," he said.
In the end, Dierkes said it is her job to look back and remember why the island was created.
"There is a lot of thought of what the island should be; some just don't value what it was intended for," Dierkes said. She said congressional legislation set the island aside for natural purposes and to remember the accomplishments of a beloved president.
Dierkes invites people in the area to participate in the many activities that show off the beauty of the island. She said the best way for people to become familiar and spread the word is to get involved with the island.
The Theodore Roosevelt Associaton of D.C. recently hosted a birthday celebration for Roosevelt, and the semi-annual cleanup of the island is set to take place.
If people really want to know what should or should not be done to attract more visitors to the island - if they need a reason to get out and explore it - perhaps they should simply look back at the words of the man to whom it is dedicated:
"There are no words that can tell the hidden spirit of the wilderness. That can reveal its mystery and melancholy and its charm," said Roosevelt during his presidency. "There is delight in the hardy life of the open"
