Mark Goes to Washington

Lutherville-Timonium, MD to Washington, DC

October 2, 2014

By: Mark

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Lutherville-Timonium, MD to Washington, DC

I woke this morning very well rested and ready to continue my journey south. My original plan was to make a quick detour through Baltimore before heading over to Washington. The plan changed, as it often does, when I reconsidered what I really wanted to see in Baltimore. And what I really wanted to see in Baltimore was … well … uh, nothing. I’ve been to Camden Yards for a ball game before – and even if I hadn’t, playoff tickets aren’t exactly in the budget. Other than that, there’s not much in Baltimore. Don’t believe me? Try watching The Wire!

Scenic ride through Maryland.

So, rather than risk my life cycling in and out of Baltimore I decided to bypass it completely and just take a scenic ride to Washington. The ride in question would be about 90km. According to Google it would be a somewhat hilly ride but, based on recent experience, I wasn’t convinced. It turns out my skepticism was well founded. There were certainly a few hills but nothing to cause any great concern. My accommodations for the night had already been arranged so that was one less thing I would have to take care of along the way. Those accommodations would have me staying with Nicole – a friend I know through Gage. So, all I had to do was get to Nicole’s.

The ride from Lutherville-Timoninum to Washington was generally pretty scenic and away from big highways. As usual, the biggest problem with such rides is the number of different side streets on which one needs to travel. The number of roads isn’t so much of an issue. Making sure you don’t miss any turns along the way though can be a bit of a nuisance. So, like other days like this, I found myself constantly checking the map to make sure I hadn’t veered off course. First World problems to be sure. But still a nuisance.

One of many boardwalk sections of the Matthew Henson Trail

As I neared Washington, Google took me off the city streets and onto a couple of trails – the Matthew Henson Trail and the Rock Creek Trail. Both were good but the Matthew Henson Trail was definitely better. It had a lot of boardwalk bridges along the way which I’m sure could be slippery when wet (and covered with leaves) but they were dry today. The Rock Creek Trail was paved and generally smooth but there were significant sections where the trail was uprooted by, well … roots. Not a problem for walkers, joggers, and probably mountain bikes. More of a problem for fully loaded road bikes. That said, the only reason I left that trail early was that I missed a turn and ended up back on the main road a few kilometres earlier than planned. Side note: There doesn’t seem to be a shortage of deer in the area as I saw five along the Matthew Henson Trail. One almost stayed around long enough for a photo.

The final few kilometres to Nicole’s place went without incident. It was probably the most traffic I’ve seen in a while – it was a five lane road with the middle lane’s direction dependent upon what time of day it is. As it was nearing the end of the day, the bulk of the traffic was going the opposite direction from me which meant less traffic for me to encounter. I didn’t mind.

My arrival at Nicole’s was well timed as we essentially arrived at her place at about the same time. It took a couple of tries but we managed to get the bike into the elevator without having to remove all the gear while still having room for the two of us. A few minutes later, we had everything moved into her apartment and I met her very growly miniature schnauzer, Galway. Nicole had warned me that he was all bark and, after a brief chat with Galway – and a treat – the growling stopped and we were on our way to becoming best friends.