Today, I took li'l Dais out for a spin on the Mount Vernon Train. The Mount Vernon Trail goes, not surprisingly, to Mount Vernon. It's a popular trail among bikers, because it goes south along the Potomac and gives you nice views of cool, big stuff across the river in DC. For example, here is the Washington Monument... might look kind of familiar, but I haven't photographed it from this particular angle ever before, and DEFINITELY not with ducks in front. So, enjoy.
This is the Arlington Memorial Bridge, the one I crossed over on from DC to Virginia. When I took the C&O Canal Path up to Great Falls in November, that was going north along the Potomac on the Maryland side. The Mount Vernon Trail goes south along the Potomac on the Virginia side.
I spent the first part of the ride congratulating myself on living in such a great place, with so many nice, flat bike paths along the nice, flat river. Spoiler alert: I quit congratulating myself after about an hour. But hey, look, off in the distance, it's the Capitol Building! And doesn't it look like such a nice winter day?
It was that perfect balance between cold-enough-to-keep-out-the-riff-raff and just-warm-enough-to-be-outside-for-more-than-twenty-minutes-at-a-time. You know, that balance. So the trail was rideable, but not crowded. Perfect. Also, this is Navy and Marine Memorial, in the middle of a giant circle of mud along the highway.
I actually thought it was pretty cool, which is why I took pictures of it. Isn't it though?
One of the totally coolest things about the Mount Vernon Trail is that it goes RIGHT PAST Reagan National Airport. I mean, RIGHT PAST. And LOOK! Here it IS! (I really love airports.)
And LOOK LOOK!! It's an AIRPLANE!!! I wanted to try get someone in the one of the windows to wave at me, but I was too occupied trying to take this picture.
So the path goes down the river, around the airport, and then through Old Town Alexandria, which was totally cute. I vowed to take pictures of it on my way back. I didn't. This, however, is Dyke Marsh. At this point, we're about 13 miles into the trip, about 7 miles from Mount Vernon. I was anticipating a nice, smooth, easy, city free ride on a nice, calm, bike path through some nice, pretty scenery, on a nice, chilly-but-not-too-chilly winter day.
The temperature was about 42 or so, and once I got to mile 5 or so, I was definitely feeling it, especially since the clouds had moved in permanently by this point. I was also feeling the hills... ... ok, ok, they weren't like "hills" hills, but they were DEFINITELY NOT part of the flat, calm path I had envisioned. What I wasn't feeling by about mile 2, was my right foot. It had pretty much frozen over. I really almost turned back early, really, but then I saw there was a "comfort station" at the end of the trail, and my curiosity won over.
Finally, finally, mile 0. I had made it. Mount Vernon. Comfort station. Change of socks.
Unfortunately, the extensive "comforts" of this particular "station" were seasonal only.
And Mount Vernon costs money to get into, which was fine, because I was more interested in beating the rain home than I was in paying $13 to see Washington's tomb, etc.
So instead of going in to places, I just took pictures of the signs and the place where you'd buy tickets.
Fancy building, hey? Don't get too excited. It's the restaurant/gift shop.
... right out front by the bus stop. It was tempting - you can strap your bike right on the front of those wmata busses - but the bus apparently only runs during the morning commute (evening commuters, you're on your own?)
You don't get to see a lot without a ticket, even if you peer through the gate. Oh well.
I also took a picture of the map, mostly because on what had become such a cloudy day, I was happy to see any kind of color I could.
This is me, back at the "comfort station," SO excited about the 20 miles back home... :-\
It was kind of brutal. Too brutal, apparently, for me to stop and take very many pictures. In fact, there were several times when I saw something out of the corner of my eye, noted that it looked important/interesting, decided I should take a picture, and then just kept riding. Stopping is dangerous... it's very hard to start again.
I almost bailed in Alexandria, with 30 miles down and only 10 to go. Really. I, Shana Heller, almost walked my little bike over to the metro station and rode the train home. Almost. In fact, I was kind of hoping it would rain, just so, when I told my story later, I would have a real excuse, beyond "but I was SO TIRED AND COLD!" But it didn't rain. And I didn't bail. I kept watching the mile markers, and I saw the planes above me getting lower and lower, and I knew the airport was close.
It's not that I don't have warm clothes. It's just that I don't ever imagine I'll actually be cold. It always kind of catches me by surprise.
The extra pair of socks was what saved me, really. I ended up riding with one sock on my left foot and three on my right. I still couldn't really feel it, but I at least felt like I was making an effort.
I almost bailed again at the airport, about 6 miles from home. But instead, I rubbed my little feet, blew my nose in my sleeve, took a picture of this plane, and got back on my bike. I cannot tell you how happy I was to see first the Capitol building, then the Washington Monument, then the Arlington Memorial Bridge, and then, oh my God, Thomas Circle, and then, miracle of miracles, my own balcony on my own house.
It was actually a pretty fun trip... of course, I can only say that now, now that it's safely over. But Dais and I made it there and back, just like we'd set out to do, and I'll sleep well tonight, that's what it's all about anyway. Life is good, hey? :)
