Hundie #2

DAY #2, 88 miles, 5000 feet of climbing, weather was crazy! Location: Washington D.C. to Cockeysville, MD

We woke up and saw the fog and drizzle, ugh… Our beautiful hotel provided an amazing breakfast and I was sure to eat a lot this morning! We headed out, mailed some things back home and then headed out. We got rained on but soon the weather cleared and we saw some sights. The atmosphere in D.C. is different than it was when I last visited in 98. Everything is very secure but the place is 10x’s cleaner and people are jubilant and more proud. I had not seen the Korean War Memorial when I visited last in 1999 and that was cool to see considering the soldiers were wearing rain ponchos and the weather was foggy and rainy. We also got to see the new WWII Memorial and it is beautiful! We rode around, took in the Capital, got some photos and then headed out for the Rock Creek trail, which was to take us the first 20 miles out.

Around mile 1.5 and it was thundering and raining so hard I couldn’t see in front of me. We took shelter from the rain and trail mud under a bridge where traffic was LOUD and scary. I was getting depressed, I wanted to push on despite the weather but wasn’t sure how we could make it to the family dinner 90 miles away and by 6:00 pm! The rain let up a little and we got back onto our saddles but kept stopping because the trails were muddy and not suited for road bikes. Once we got to the Zoo we decided to get onto Beach Drive, where the road was mostly closed to cars on the weekends and even though it was still raining was AWESOME to ride on as there were many other runners and riders to keeping us motivated. We stopped one last time to take shelter from the rain and then moved on.

We were 1.5 hours behind at the point. We got onto a crushed gravel trail where it was tough to move fast. Chris found a map and noticed we were going south and the wrong way! We got off that trail and onto the streets. I pulled out my G1 navigator and went back to where we went wrong and bam the SUN CAME OUT! Praise God!! Okay, we were 2+ hours behind but the sun was out. We continued on beautiful Beach Drive and then Chris altered our original route to neighborhoods instead of the MD trails. The hills were tougher this day but the wheat fields, the Triadelphia Reservoir; the eclectic neighborhoods we traveled through were beautiful.

During the last 14 miles uphill I started to lose it, I wanted to be there. The family was waiting w Maryland blue Crabs, cold beer, and more. As usual Chris motivated me to finish. The last 2 miles were UP and as I was mashing the pedals up, he called me a Machine, which gave me the boost I needed to finish strong! We got to our uncle Danny’s Palace, jumped into the shower, and for me into a cold beer. It was FANTASTIC! The next day was a giant family reunion and then we traveled by car back to ATL that night. It was a rushed trip but still awesome and we cannot wait to do it again. Cheers.

DAY #1, 98 miles, 3500 feet of climbing, weather, sunny and cool until the afternoon when it got HOT but was still breezy

Location: Fredericksburg, VA, Quantico Marine Core Base, Mount Vernon bike path, and finally Washington D.C.!

We started our trip on Friday morning leaving Fredericksburg, VA around 10:30 am. My in-laws took my daughter and our car to our final destination: family reunion in Cockeysville MD.

We set off on busy streets first but soon hit the open country roads of US1 where the only traffic was MACK trucks who were hauling loads to the back road industries and who were very considerate of us as well.

We passed thru wheat fields, small airports, a large marsh, a small fishing village, and got to ride alongside Quantico Marine Base for probably 20 miles. We got off of US1 and cut thru the Fort Belvoir Army Base via the famous Tulley Gate, and then finally onto the Mount Vernon pedestrian trail and into Washington D.C. Enclosed are some photos of some of the abovementioned areas.

My husband was carrying the panniers and I pulled most of the way helping to block the wind and ease his load.

We stopped at mile 40, which was the first place to get water and some snacks. I only had a yogurt for breakfast and now needed some substance. We stopped about every 5-7 miles after that to take in the view, get water, and a GU or GelBlock for energy.

As we headed on to the Mount Vernon trail my blood sugar dropped and I was feeling dizzy. I ate everything I had left and then felt better and mashed my way into D.C. feeling slightly recovered.

It was Friday afternoon and returning home Washington D.C. cycling commuters were coming fast and furious towards us on the narrow Mount Vernon trail so I was cautious but loved it. We stopped take in the sights of the Potomac and our nations’ Capital across the enormous river.

Before we rolled into the city we stopped to watch planes fly out of Ronald Regan airport and by this time I was starved again and all I saw was steaks and lobster tails fly over me and not airplanes.

We finally rolled into the Jefferson Memorial and then thru the city and onto our awesome hotel and out of dinner and drinks w my cousin who I haven’t seen in 13 years. Besides being almost flattened by a fire truck 1 block from my hotel, it was an AMAZING day.