7: A One-Tank Day in DC

The end-of-the-quarter at work has come and gone. It went well. My team performed perfectly, and all of our deadlines and numbers were met with great success. I would love to say that this was attributed to my managing abilities, but I can't. The team that I work with is competent and capable, and I think that the result would have been the same whether I had a hand in it or not. Historically, the week following the end of a quarter is smooth sailing. Everyone is cooling off after the pressures of the past few months, and gearing up for the next three. It's a cycle that I've become accustomed to.
To celebrate and blow off some steam, I went to Frederick on Friday night. Between Bushwallers and Olde Town, and the 10-or-so Guinesses and Newcastles that they produced, I was able to completely forget about the past week. However, the following day, I still felt the need to do a little erasing.
Robin had it in his mind to ride into DC for whatever reason on Saturday. Not my first (or second, third, or fourth) choice of destination for a short day ride, but the weather being as beautiful as it was, anywhere would do.
The ride began at Starbucks, per usual. This has become somewhat customary. This particular morning, Starbucks gave me a bit of much-needed hydration. (The Newcastles from the previous night had rendered me a bit dry). We left there and used the local sideroads to get down to River Road, my usual route to DC. The interstate and the Beltway will put you in faster, but I hate them like poison.

River Road found us stuck behind the weekend travelers and explorers in their SUVs, putting down the road at 30 MPH, putting a damper on zipping through it's curves. (The posted limit IS 30, but I still like to break the law in small ways: speeding through forest turns, riding on the sidewalk to return my movies at Blockbuster, cutting across the common-area in my apartment complex when nobody is looking... I am truly a rebel. Watch out).

We stopped at a roadside bar/restaurant that I had eyeballed on a few occasions. An Irish pub, according to the sign outside. The outdoor seating full on this great Saturday, we took a bar table and a cute, nose-ringed (why?) waitress brought us a pair of perfectly drafted Guinesses. This was the extent of the Irishness, really.



The menu was surprisingly advanced and swanky. I had expected bar-and-grill fare, but found chef-grade entrees, many of which looked very tasty. But, being a creature of habit, I opted for the only cheeseburger on the menu. Angus beef, aged Irish cheddar: $10. A $10 cheeseburger is, to me, an outright challenge. I have to eat one, just to see what about this sandwich justifies the price. I am a cheeseburger connoisseur of sorts. I have no problem with paying $10, but the burger had better leave a lasting impression upon me. The one that I received, however, did not. Average, too small for the price, a little dry. Now I know.



Off to DC. We followed MacArthur Blvd and Reservoir Road into Georgetown, past the German Embassy, the French Embassy, and Georgetown University Hospital. (Kind of a crappy route but from a male POV, Georgetown has a lot of "scenery" to behold on campus. Totally worth a few extra stoplights). Down 35th to Prospect, I wanted to cut across to M Street. Unfortunately, my shortcut took us down a 30 degree hill made of 19th century cobblestone and choppy brick. Virtually undetectable to me on the DRZ, but a real pain in the ass for Robin, who rides a big Harley Davidson Softail. Guiding 700+ pounds of hulking metal down a lumpy hill is probably not much fun.

We crossed the Potomac into Alexandria on one bridge, and returned to DC on another to avoid walking the bikes through the Georgetown shopping district. This also brought us into The Mall on Constitution Avenue. Busy place on Saturdays, there is always something going on here. We slipped the bikes between two nicely spaced cars and walked a bit. Parking is a non-issue on two wheels.

Much to my surprise, an event surrounding the release of the new Ken Burns documentary "The War" was going on in The Mall next to the WWII Memorial. The event was in the early stages of being set up, with giant screens and podiums and oodles of chairs set up on the grass. The schedule of events listed on screen mentioned ceremonies and presentations, and even a screening of the film. If I had planned for it, I would have stayed. I can't think of a nicer evening than sitting on the lawn under the Washington Monument watching an 8-hour documentary on WWII. Seriously. I have been awaiting the release of this film for a long time - after Burns' "The Civil War", I would watch a documentary on The Muppets if he were to direct it. If you're not familiar with Ken Burns films, you are really denying yourself something great.



A little more walking around the WWII memorial. There seemed to be an unusually large amount of senior-citizens on hand, most likely due to the pending WWII events. A more socially capable Me would have taken the opportunity to have a first hand conversation with people involved in that War. Lot's to learn. Too bad that old people tend to run from me (not so much "run", but escape in their own way).





My motocross boots not being suitable for walking long, Robin and I hiked back to the bikes and made our exit from the city via Connecticut Ave. This took us past The White House, through DuPont Circle (the heart of DC's gay community), Chevy Chase and Bethesda with it's 10 zillion restaurants and eateries. Out to the Beltway and ultimately I-270 (sigh) towards home.



Traffic robbed us of total enjoyment, but the day was good anyhow. I prefer to travel West, but at least the DC ride reminded me that the film that I've been looking forward to was close to being available for me to watch. I am going to dedicate an entire weekend day to viewing "The War" in October. If anyone in the area would like to join me, you are most welcome!