Ready, Start, err… Go!

Well, so it begins. I rode over to Georgetown late this morning to scout out the start of the C&O Canal Towpath there. I also wanted to go to the Canal Mile “0” which is reportedly somewhat less than easy to find as it is off the Towpath proper. I found it just fine-

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went there first, actually- and then spent a while sorting out the Towpath back through Georgetown, which in fact turned out to be the more challenging part. After being misled by a number of “C&O Canal this way” street signs

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I finally got onto the Towpath up near the Key Bridge across the Potomac and so wound up heading east to its start point.

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There was a huge mudbog I had to negotiate

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and then a one block detour of which I was previously aware.

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Once around those I reached the entrance sign.

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I’m going to call this little section done so my start tomorrow will be back at the Key Bridge, this time headed in the right direction.

George Washington Slept Here, Really.

Another bucket list item my couple of days in the Washington, D.C. area has allowed me to check off is to ride the Mount Vernon Trail bicycle path that parallels the George Washington Parkway out to- where else?- Mount Vernon. Having seen the only place where you can be certain a “George Washington slept here” sign is factually accurate- Fun Fact: George Washington never slept in the White House, as it was not completed until after his death– when I lived in Virginia in the 1980s, I didn’t need to see the residence or any of the outbuildings again. The bike trail was it for me.

33DE348A-77A5-434C-8718-2497AA6017BE Continue reading →