Bike Tours - NOVA/DC/MD

This post begins periodic chronicles of my various bike tours of the US National Capital Region (NCR) of northern Virginia, the District of Columbia and western Maryland. Because I work in government, I will be freely using (make that "utilizing") as many acronyms as possible in my various documentaries.

The DC-metro area is one the most dynamic places in the US. One of the best ways to explore it, I believe, is to get out of the car and enjoy the beautiful climate and scenery, whether it be walking or biking. In my case, cycling. I stay on the bike paths and go off-road when it's possible, but typically stay on the bike paths. I hate riding in streets or on roads, because it's extremely annoying for traffic and dangerous anyway from my perspective.

Anyway, the first "long ride" I started was The Loop, which is basically around Arlington County. Total trip length is roughly 13.6 miles.

The one I went on this weekend was along the bottom boundary of Arlington County and Alexandria County south along the Mt. Vernon trail to the Capital Beltway. From there I crossed over the new span to Maryland. Total trip length was 26.8 miles.

Next weekend I will likely be heading to Mt. Vernon, which is an additional 6 miles to the south after passing the Beltway. Mt. Vernon is a typical destination for native cyclists in the area.