That was fun. Ten of us met for Breakfast at City Diner and eight of us went for the ride. We headed toward DC on Columbia Pike and turned left at the Pentagon to join up with the George Washington Parkway. I love the GW Parkway. I think it’s the only road inside the Beltway with scenic overlooks. After the Parkway ended at the Beltway, we slipped onto Old Georgetown Pike which was the first scenic byway in Virginia. At least that is what the sign said.
There is no way to get from Great Falls to the other side of Leesburg without spending a little time on Route 7 but we kept it down to just a few miles. Cascade Parkway and Loudoun County Parkway got us past the suburban sprawl. When we turned onto Red Hill Road (617) I thought that we were getting into the good stuff.
Now, I don’t spend a lot a time poring over satellite map pictures to find good roads. I mostly just enter my destination into my GPS and tap the “Winding Roads” route button. Of course I set the options to avoid dirt roads and it will warn me if it thinks I chose one. Unfortunately, TomTom’s knowledge of dirt surfaces has some gaps. When Red Hill Road turned from paved to dirt, I decided against a U-turn and decided we were adventurous enough to go through. After all, we had two GS bikes in our group and one of them was brand-new; its tires had never touched dirt! That’s the reason to include a few miles of dirt in a club ride, to prove our adventurous spirit. We won’t admit that I blindly go wherever my GPS points me.
The really good stuff started past Aldie when we turned onto Snickersville Turnpike. It’s got to be one of the prettiest roads in Virginia’s horse country. Sam Fred Road detoured us into Middleburg for a short break. The place was mostly empty as you expect on a holiday. We wiggled north on Foxcroft Road past more country estates that none of us could ever afford. If I did have that much money, I don’t think I would want to bother with horses. Now a small motocross track would look really nice tucked between the hills.
I’ll make a note to avoid Purcellville next time. The stretch of 25 MPH road is too long and the “special fines enforced” signs too ominous to enjoy its transit. Once past Purcellville, the roads were fun all the way into Brunswick.
Everybody seemed to enjoy the coffee shop in an old church. That is the reason for its name, Beans in the Belfry. The ham and bean soup was outstanding, the latte was foamy and delicious, and the apple caramel pie sinfully yummy. I’m sure it will be on many more club rides, especially if people trust me to be in the lead.
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