October 11, 2011: White’s Ferry to Lincoln Monument, Washington D.C. (36 miles):

This morning after a hearty breakfast we returned to the ferry at White’s Ferry, and crossed the Potomac, (very few cars were waiting at 9:30 this morning – whereas last night at 4:00 there were long lines of cars waiting on both shores).

Whites Ferry across the Potomac

On The Road Again

After putting Cal on the trail our first meeting point was at the Great Falls Visitors Center, we ate lunch before walking on the boardwalk across the Potomac to see the gorges and series of water falls on the river.  Cal continued riding and I began navigating traffic coming into D.C!! I found the Georgetown C & O Visitor Center (it was closed) and Cal rode to mile post ‘0’ at Thompson Boats.  Cal continued to follow the river, riding to the Lincoln Monument where he asked someone else to take his photo, as there is no place for me to park – I actually drove across the bridge to Arlington, drove around the roundabout below the cemetery, and back over the bridge to the Lincoln Monument – I did this twice!! - until Cal was finished with the photo session!



Horse Farm in Maryland




Canal Boat near a Lock on the C & O




Great Falls on the Potomac




Great Falls on the Potomac



Mile Zero of the C & O

Later Cal rode up to the step of the US Capital (east side) and again had someone take his photo while I waited in a handicap parking spot.

We have been to all the Monuments on the Mall (several times) except for the new Martin Luther King Jr monument. So we did take the time to stop and see it.  Interesting design concept, but well done.

In Front of the Lincoln Memorial

Martin Luther King Memorial

Martin Luther King Memorial

In Front of the Capitol



In Front of the Capitol




















We wanted to return to the C & O canal so Cal could catch another bike trail north around the city. Well!! The traffic!! Between 4:00 & 6:30 traffic patterns change in DC (thank goodness our friend told us this last night). For those of you not aware, lanes of traffic reverse, so there are more lanes of traffic going out of the city at that time of the day. Before 4:00 you travel ‘normally’, but at 4:01 you may be going the opposite direction in that same lane of traffic!  A lot of roads become one way streets and you cannot get to where you want to go! We could not get to where we wanted to go, so we gave up for the day!  With frustration, we found a hotel out of the city!

The weather is changing!  The last few days have been lovely - sunny and warm. We do not know what to expect tomorrow, but the forecast is not good! - first they predicted 2 inches of rain, now it is 1 inch of rain. It depends on the weather as to the time we will start tomorrow, and also the traffic as to the exact location where he will start riding, Cal hopes to at least ride to the NE side of DC (but in Maryland), if not farther.  Ideally he would like to get to Annapolis by tomorrow night, but… – stay turned!