Biking in Northern Virginia

I grew up in Alexandria, about a mile from Riverside Park on the Potomac River–just north of Mount Vernon on the GW Parkway. Before I could drive, the bike path along the Potomac River was my means of transportation into Old Town where I could get a High’s ice cream cone before meandering through all of the fun shops along King Street. After I could drive, the bike path was one of my favorite ways to enjoy that first beautiful spring day.

I loved riding along the river, watching life start to emerge. Trees were tipped with bright pink and white buds or the kelly green of new leaves, birds were chirping, the sky seemed to be a more vibrant blue, but it was the daffodils and tulips that, to this day, came to define spring for me. They were everywhere–waves of bright, vibrant colors gently rolling in the March winds.

When I was in high school, I saved the money that I earned babysitting (for $1 an hour!) and bought a 12-speed Peugeot, replacing my old Raleigh 3-speed. I could go farther and faster, and I loved it! That first summer, it became a contest against myself to see how many minutes I could shave off a round-trip sprint to National Airport (I still call it National instead of Reagan…old habits die hard!) and back. The summer before I headed off to college in the mid-west, I was working a 3pm-11pm job. While I missed being able to spend evenings with my friends before we all went off to college, I loved being able to hit the bike path during the week when no one else was on it. I still enjoyed stopping at High’s for the occasional ice cream cone, but I also discovered some of the area’s treasures.

Gravelly Point, just north of Reagan National Airport, is a great place to watch planes land and take-off; you can almost touch them they are so close! Columbia Island Marina is one of my favorite places to people watch while I grab a bite to eat and imagine all the adventures the boats have seen. The Navy-Merchant Marine Memorial depicting seven seagulls over a wave in Lady Bird Johnson Park is still one of my favorites. Another favorite sculpture is of Albert Einstein; many visitors to Washington, DC don’t see it because it’s tucked back behind some hedges.

As I type this, I can look out my window to see blossoming cherry trees and red buds. Spring is in full bloom here in Northern VA. It’s time to dust off my bike and find my old friend, the bike path.