There's no better place to start a ride than the Main Street Pub in Clifton, VA. Jose, Jim, and I shared some conversation before riding south through the woods. Riding to Morton's from Northern Virginia has basically three routes: I-95, Route 1, or the roads west of Quantico. Route 1 is a crowded business strip clogged with lights and cross traffic. I-95 is not just a highway designation. It's a reviled curse that churns the stomach of the toughest rider and bring an Ironbutt Champion to tears.
In contrast to that transit nastiness, the roads west of Quantico are tranquil two lanes through farm land and forests. Although it is significantly longer than the straight shot down I-95, it takes the same amount of time when the traffic is bad. And frankly, most of the time, the traffic is bad. Today we cruised along the edge of the Marine base through woods and past country homes of the old families and new exurbanites. We were so far from DC that the new McMansions were advertised as "starting in the $440s." That was a clue we were getting close to Fredericksburg. We crossed I-95 on the CenterPoint Parkway to join Route 1 about 8 miles north of the dealership.
View Larger MapWe hung out at Morton's for a while chatting with our friends, Jeff, Steve, and Stuart. Of course we sat on a few bikes and wondered what we should buy next. For the return ride, we went a further west before crossing the Rappahannock River at Kelly's Ford. This route has more forested roads and fewer houses. We even had a mile or two of dirt road on this stretch. We returned to suburbia in Nokesville on route 28.
View Larger MapIt was hard to believe it was December because the sun warmed the day into the fifties. Now that winter is almost upon us, we need to seize any day with warm temps and sunshine. Next weekend might be "wintery mix" and holiday shopping.