The weatherman was really discouraging about rain today. He's trained professional with a lot of education; what does he know?
As usual, I ignored him and rode north under partly sunny skies. Weekday breakfasts are only a bowl of cereal. Weekend mornings are my chance for bacon and eggs. Tom and Chris were also hungry for a good breakfast at the Ashland Café in Cockeysville.
Breakfast ride by
Bruce Dimon, on Flickr
Tom knows the roads through Maryland's Hunt Country. That's their version of Middleburg, VA. Do you know how to tell the difference between a farm owned by people who need to earn their living from it and a farm owned by a rich person playing "gentleman farmer?" One smells a lot better and devotes a big chunk of land to a manicured lawn.
Tom led us through narrow twisting roads that criss-crossed over creeks and threaded a path among historic houses and modern mansions. This part of Maryland has been farming since colonial days. There are a lot of historic houses and old small towns to charm the modern eye. The roads had lots of curves and only a little scarified pavement. (It is construction season after all.) In spite of the heat, the thick woods and cool streams along the road kept the temperatures down. As we rode from Loch Raven Reservoir to Prettyboy Reservoir, the only other people we saw were fly fishermen. The anglers were not having as much fun as we were.
View Larger MapApproaching Westminster, the skies tried to open up but the sprinkles only lasted about ten miles. It was not enough to get us wet behind the fairing but was enough for that well-educated weatherman to claim his 50% chance was accurate. After gassing up, Chris and I said good bye to Tom and turned south onto MD 97. It's a good alternative to I-95 or I-270 because it's direct but pleasant until you get into the suburbs around Olney. Chris and I split after crossing the Potomac into Virginia. I pulled into my garage at 2:00 pm, fifteen minutes before the weatherman's threatened storm finally hit. I enjoy hard rain when my bike is in the garage and I am watching it through my family room window.
Another great ride. Thanks Tom! See you at 9:00 am on the first Saturday of the month at the Ashland Café, 10810 York Rd, Cockeysville, MD 21030