Exploring our nation’s Capitol by bike.
DC is, in my opinion, America’s best biking city; with great downtown lanes and Capitol Bike Share, all to take you on a self-guided tour of the monuments and other sites. It also links together a great variety of well maintained bike trails that take you into the suburbs and beyond into horse country.
The Mt. Vernon trail runs between the river and Memorial Parkway, right past Reagan National Airport (you can practically reach out and touch the airplanes at the gate from the trail skyway) and is a great ride into DC from National Harbor or Alexandria. The P Street Bridge which crosses over the river to the Jefferson Memorial connects with many great bike lanes that take you into the heart of DC. Ten minutes further north you can cross over the Key Bridge from Georgetown to the Lincoln Memorial.
Did I say spring was LATE this year? Good thing they plow and salt the commuter trails!
You can ride a century round trip on the Washington and Old Dominion Trail. I rode a half century out to Herndon, through Arlington, Falls Church, Vienna and Reston. The Capitol Crescent Trail is a really scenic route that takes you along the upper Potomac and into Bethesda and Chevy Chase. The Curtis Trail links from the Washington and Old Dominion Trail into Arlington.
With the convenience of intercity bike lanes and the option for some serious miles, DC has everything a two-wheeled traveler is looking for. Do you agree? What’s your favorite city to bike in?
Until next time,
Tailwinds!
Elisabeth Robert
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