Our First Summer Getaway

How do we get away from the city when we don't have a getaway vehicle? Well, we could bike to the country and that's exactly what we did this Memorial Day weekend! We rode our bikes to Leesburg, VA, a quaint historic town 37 miles northwest of Washington, DC, in the area known as the Virginia Piedmont.

The Historic District of Leesburg, VA

Our getaway route was the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park, a skinny 100-foot wide, 45-mile-long park that follows the former rail bed of the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad from Shirlington, Virginia near Washington, D.C. northwest to Leesburg before it ends in Purcellville, Virginia.  W&OD trains rolled along this right-of-way from 1859 to 1968. 

The Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park

Now, this rails-to-trail is a popular, asphalt-surfaced multi-use route for cyclists, rollerbladers, hikers and equestrians. Click here for a road map of our weekend excursion which included a side trip to the Civil War battlefield of Ball's Bluff. 

Tim in front of the Southern caboose at Bluemont Junction

A train depot once sat at Bluemont Junction, but all that remains there now is a caboose from the Southern railroad.  However, in its heyday, this depot served as the junction between the Washington & Old Dominion railroad and the Southern line which ran from Alexandria, Virginia to Bluemont, a fashionable resort in the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia.  Freight and passengers could also catch the short spur from here to Georgetown in D.C. and Great Falls, Virginia, a popular place for picnics and day trips on the Potomac River.

I snapped this shot of the Beltway on our return trip, but trust me! 
This was jammed on Friday afternoon!

We pedaled past disgruntled drivers who were stuck in the Friday afternoon traffic snarls created by  the revamping of the Beltway where westbound I-66 west intersects the District's encircling I-495. Roadways were flooded with federal workers fleeing the District for the first three-day weekend of the summer, but, except for the overhead powerlines erected by the Virginia Electric and Power Company soon after the W&OD ceased operations, our pathway was practically empty.

The Washington & Old Dominion Trail near Dunn Loring, Virginia

Empty the trail was on Friday afternoon as we left town, but when we returned, we found it jammed with hundreds of jubilant people in Vienna. Viva, Vienna! is the annual three-day celebration that the suburb of Vienna hosts over Memorial Day weekend. With amusement rides, food vendors, arts & crafts booths and political stumpers, this area of the trail was a happening place!

Viva, Vienna!

We whizzed by the Reston Towne Center near Dulles International Airport.

The Washington & Old Dominion Trail near Reston, Virginia

The semaphore atop the Old Herndon Depot could surely tell some stories of the messages it relayed back in the day, but I didn't have the ability to interpret its mechanical arms as I pedaled past its site next to the trail in Herndon, Virginia.

The Old Herndon Depot

The Norfolk and Western caboose just west of the Herndon Depot was moved to this location in 1989, thanks to the efforts of Herndon Historical Society member and railroad aficianado George Moore.

The Washington & Old Dominion Caboose in Herndon, Virginia

Founded in 1877, the Calvary Baptist Church is another landmark along the trail.

Calvary Baptist Church near Ashburn, Virginia

Although we did not stop at Partlow's General Store located at Mile 28 along the Washington & Old Dominion Trail, it is a very popular place for a drink or a snack.

Partlow's General Store, Ashburn, Virginia

Once we crossed Route 641, the terrain became much more rural in nature.

State Route 641 Crossing in Ashburn, Virginia

This marker for the Luck Stone Quarry was my chance to plead with Tim for a break from the saddle of my bicycle. 

The Luck Stone Quarry Marker west of Sterling, Virginia

The dump truck, filled with ore, is difficult to see in my photo below, but we had no problem watching it chug uphill to the crest of the road from our vantage point overlooking the quarry.  The Luck Stone Quarry is named for Charles S. Luck, Jr., who began the business in 1923.  Three generations later, the Luck family is still mining crushed stone, sand and gravel from its depths.

The Luck Stone Quarry Overlook

All too soon for my recovery, Tim declared that we needed to push on, if we wished to arrive in Leesburg before the sun set.  You may wonder why I included no photos of myself in this blog; however, my red, sweaty face was not fit for publication!

Tim prepares to mount up again.

Goose Creek is a 59-mile-long tributary that reaches the Potomac River just east of Leesburg.  Gazing down at it from the railroad trestle, it's hard to believe that this creek was once part of a system of locks and dams constructed in 1849 that enabled commercial barges to navigate twelve miles upstream from its mouth on the Potomac. 

Goose Creek flows north to empty into the Potomac River.

I counted three golf courses along our route, but I didn't stop to take photos of those civilized fairways.  However, this pasture reminded me of Camp Carlisle near my family's farm in Stafford County, Kansas, so I deemed it worthy of a photo stop.  Obviously by this point, I'm taking every opportunity to catch my breath!

Pasture near Goose Creek

At Mile 31, the power transmission lines end at the substation.  Without their presence, the vegetation near the trail becomes more overgrown and shady, giving us a much needed respite. 

The Washington & Old Dominion Trail near Leesburg, Virginia.

The Tuscarora Creek meanders next to the bike trail in an area called Kincaid Forest near Leesburg, Virginia.

Tuscarora Creek

Ah! We are almost there!  Blessed shade covered the trail as we entered Leesburg, Virginia.

Lengthening shadows almost obscure Tim.

Now, let's find the lodging that we reserved for the night.  I was dying to get off my bike and into a cold shower!  Still, this was a terrific bike ride, one that I would love to take again!