For all the years I've lived and biked in the DC area, I have somehow never ventured onto the Capital Crescent Trail. This is a 7 mile paved trail that connects Georgetown to Bethesda. Marcelle has ridden it many times so she agreed to be my guide.
On Fridays, I usually try to finish my work early so I can ride in the late afternoon, but I flipped it today to avoid the rain forecasted for late in the day. Ironically, the rain came early. When I parked in Vienna, it looked there had just been a downpour. I rode through spitting rain from the Vienna caboose to the Bluemont caboose on the W&OD (about 8 miles).
Marcelle had fun on snapchat while she waited for me.
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| Bluemont |
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From Bluemont, we cut over to the Custis Trail and rode into Rosslyn then over the Key bridge. I love riding over the Key Bridge because the railings allow you to really see the river.
Once over the Potomac we turned right on M street and rode down to Wisconsin where we took another right toward the water. And then another right on Water street.
Water Street dead ends at the Capital Crescent at the ivy covered overpass, just after Thompson's Boat house.
The trail is paved, wooded, and flat - except there is an invisibly slight incline when riding north, which makes for a fun ride back!
In a blink, we arrived in Bethesda.
The trail ended in front of Paul's - a cute little bakery/cafe filled with beautiful things to eat.
We sat outside for a quick rest. Marcelle enjoying her passion (a cup of coffee) and me scarfing down a salmon and mushroom quiche that came in a wonderful flaky tart-like crust.
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| Marcelle's libation |
It hadn't ever really rained on us, but it was humid and sometimes misty. And overcast. So after sitting in my damp clothes for a bit, I began to get chilled. In July! The world is going crazy. Anyway, we packed up and headed back down the trail--even faster than we'd come since it's slightly downhill going south.
We caught a glimpse of the Washington Monument with the Key Bridge in the foreground on our return trip.
Just a quick pic of the old canal in Georgetown.
Georgetown was lined with hanging baskets of pink flowers - the kind that wouldn't survive a week in my yard with my inconsistent watering habits.
And back over the Key Bridge toward VA and the W&OD.
What great fun to ride from Vienna to Bethesda without really ever leaving a bike path!
43 miles
11.7 mph
