DAY 1: "Run Forrest, Run!"

150 km (93 miles)

Washington DC to Fredericksburg, VA

My ambitious quest for glory began this morning at 6.50 am as I locked my apartment door and dragged my bycicle down the silent hallway and carried it in the elevator. I quietly packed my things in the early hour of a lazy DC summer morning. Completely and utterly energized by what lies ahead I got into my cycling gear, ate oatmeal and two bananas, I left my building and I was out on the silent and empty downtown streets slightly amused at the thought of someone stopping me and asking where I was riding to and me calmy quipping: to the Grand Canyon! I left the Capital down 19th st with not a single cloud in the sky and not a soul in the downtown streets. I rode past the stately Lincoln Memorial, I crossed right away into Virginia, my first state! and took my first picture of the trip, that of the Arlington bridge with my heart pounding thinking about the thousands of miles that lay ahead. The first 14 miles, an easy stress-free ride following the Mount Vernon trail, through historic Alexandria, which looked very sleepy at that time of the morning. The first part of the trail was heavily used by early morning runners but after Alexandria I enjoyed a solitary ride through trees and along the Potomac before I parted ways with the big river and headed south west. Then I had to deal with highway traffic through heavily populated Northern Virginia for 2 hours before I could make my way into the gently rolling Eastern Virginia country roads. Before that I passed through Fort Belvoir, a neat and solemn US Army installation of about 8000 people, quintessential suburbia a la American Beauty, with neatly trimmed lawns, spotless front porches, smooth American flags hanging by the side of the houses and orderly traffic that runs through it. At about noon, with about 55 miles in the bag, I stopped for 30 minutes to eat my lunch in an empty church courtyard in the middle of nowhere. Virginia is full of farms, some really big ones, like you see in the movies. Forestry and logging are Virginia main export. Virginia is very hilly and that doesn't make for a smooth ride so I stuck to a slow steady pace to enjoy the scenery. I didn't rest long as I was anxious to get to Fredericksburg early. I am already thinking about Monday which I expect to be a tough day with the climb up the Blue Ridge Parkway, dubbed the 'most beautiful drive in America' as I start the first serious climb of my trip up the Appalachians, rising to an elevation of 3300 feet. So tomorrow hopefully should be flat and smooth sailing until Charlottesville. I am hoping to get there early in the afternoon so I can rest my legs and possibly take a walk through the historic town. Monticello, Jefferson's residence is only 6 miles off route but I don't want to be distracted. For now it is just riding, once I get to Colorado I will do sightseeing. Colorado?? Am I insane? I can't think like that! It is too far off, let's take one day at the time. My legs feel pretty good at the moment. I passed a few cyclists but didn't have a chance to chat, they were mainly locals doing a stretch. The traffic was light on the country lanes but heavy on the highways, however, as I move west traffic is bound to get lighter. I checked in and was in the shower by 3.30 pm, which gave me plenty of time to chill, write the blog and cool my legs for tomorrow. The hotel, Comfort Inn, Southpoint, Fredericksburg, VA conveniently located by the side of the highway, is sandwiched between a massive Mc Donald and an array of several other chain eateries. American life lies by the side of the highway; its pleasures smothered by long distance drives and the illusion of moving from A to B through the open spaces gratified by the sight of millions of others traveling the same distance. Paul Haggis' Crash epitomizes the spirit of the highway and the way of life of the non-communicating traveler, faraway and yet so close. Needy and yet unchained. Compromised and yet free. Just before entering the town I crossed the Rappahannock River, which is a very important river in American history. A few miles before the hotel, I cycled past the entrance to the famous Fredericksburg battlefield. Here the battle was one of the toughest one-sided being fought between the Union Army and the Confederate. Actually the whole of Virginia is littered with civil war memorials; I passed quite a few signs along the way today. Hope you enjoy the pictures I chose for today's report.




6.59 am, Arlington Bridge, the first of many bridges I will be crossing


The sun is rising in DC


Alexandria is still asleep


George Washington Memorial Parkway, America lies ahead


Last glimpse of the Potomac, it goes south and I go west


Unsettling calm in Fort Belvoir


Stone house


Rappahannock river


Entering Fredericksburg


Downtown Fredericksburg


Entrance to Fredericksburg battlefield


Historic Sunken road