Bike Trip 2016!

We got back on Friday and I'm a better person for having rode through the wilds of Northern Virginia. After getting settled back at home, we hit the bar for a salad dinner and red wine chaser. In describing our trip, I heard myself mentioning strong black tea several times…It was like watching a train wreck, everything was in slo-mo and I kept going on about tea!

Truth be told, I'm not a party animal and I LOVE tea. I suppose the way we choose to enjoy a road trip may not be other people's cup of tea. HA! Here are a few highlights (click on an image to see full-sized):

Union Station Pizza-stop. our traditional lunch whenever we go to DC...

I am still the queen of packing light. There were three distinct outfits for daytime wear, plus sleepwear and undies. My secret is rolling. Everything fits into the black bag strapped not the right-most bike in the pic. How did we get to DC this year? We took the Marc Commuter Train, which allows bikes on weekends. Our usual journey involves several trails from Baltimore to Annapolis to DC to Arlington to Fairfax to Falls Church to Reston to Herndon to Sterling to Leesburg.

In DC we biked to the White House, through Georgetown, then across the GW Bridge to Rosslyn, VA...

Hotels in Rosslyn are much cheaper and offer comparable amenities!

Mmmmm, Tea! Post dinner tea at Bistro 360...

My Keen biking show and water bottle speeding down the Custis Trail toward Leesburg...

Our traditional Leesburg lunch, Fire House Pizza!

This is my view on the majority of our trip…hubby's caboose...

Dessert at the Oyster House in historic Leesburg, it's bread pudding with white chocolate shavings...

Another bike trip tradition, dark and stormy drinks with authentic Caribbean food...

Jerk chik'n for him, and oxtail for her...

Leaving Leesburg means a pitstop at King St Coffee...

Eventually, my tire had to be changed...

Taking while selfless while riding is not recommended...

…Dominion Tea is Purcelville, VA. Hubby had a flight of Earl Grey teas...

..isn't it wonderful? Regular, Vanilla, and Jasmine Earl Grey…

I enjoyed both hot and iced versions of the strongest tea ever made…and we were treated to an interestingly detailed description of how the leaves are harvested and processed…very cool.

Back in DC for some strong mint tea and flour less chocolate cake…hell'yeah...

Returning home this year, we did not bike the mixed-use roads, but instead took the DC metro to the BWI airport and rode back from there…. gotta love public transport (when it works)...