Coffeeneuring #4: Capital Crescent Trail

“The journey is its own reward” should be the slogan of the Coffeeneuring Challenge. It’s not the coffee you drink, but how you get there.

That was my consolation after drinking this.

bad cappuccinno
A bowl of hot milk – enjoy!

It was supposed to be a cappuccino, from Quartermaine’s in Bethesda. It was more like hot milk in a bowl with a dollop of espresso. I’d been so spoiled on my previous coffeeneuring adventures to Dolcezza and Buzz Bakery that this mediocre concoction was a shock.

I needed to return to DC, where cappuccino was made by surly men with beards. So I gulped this down and headed back to the Capital Crescent Trail. It’s my favorite trail in the Washington area and the one I ride the most.  The CCT follows an old railway line from Georgetown to Bethesda, with a gentle uphill grade most of the way.  Scenic year-round, it had exploded with fall colors over the weekend.

handlebar view
There’s actually a speed limit on the CCT – 15 miles per hour. On the downhill run back to Georgetown, it’s easy to exceed the posted limit. DC hasn’t figured out how to post speed cameras on bike trails – yet.
well-maintained section of Capitol Crescent Trail in MD
The MD section of the CCT is maintained by Montgomery County. It’s in better shape than the DC section, which is neglected by the National Park Service.
Light at the end of the tunnel #latergram
The Dalecarlia Tunnel, where the CCT passes under MacArthur Boulevard.
bridge over the C&O Canal
And then there’s great old railway bridge over the C&O Canal.
leaf-covered Capitol Crescent Trail
The Sunday after the time change, and the shadows were long.
C&O Canal in fall
For the last few miles into DC, the CCT runs parallel to the C&O Canal. This is at Fletcher’s Cove.
Key Bridge in fall #coffeeneuring
The CCT begins in Georgetown, right under Key Bridge. The late afternoon light and the fall colors were absolutely perfect. Crazy how good iPhone pics can be with the right light.

Four coffeeneuring adventures completed – three to go! Will I complete all of my seven required trips by November 17? Will I have better luck in coffee? Stay tuned!

Coffeeneuring #3: Union Market

The great thing about coffeneuring is that it gets you biking to new places. Coffeeneuring #1 sent me to Buzz Bakery and their delicious red velvet cupcakes. Coffeeneuring #2 was a trip to hipsterville aka Big Bear in Bloomingdale.

For my third coffeeneuring adventure,  I decided to visit Union Market. This wholesale market in Northeast DC (formerly known as the Florida Avenue Market) has been reinvented as an artisanal shopping experience.

To get there, Google Maps sent me across the city via M Street. I thought the route was crazy, but I played along.

the Google Maps route to Union Market
Logan Circle to Union Market, the crazy Google way.

The Google sent me down M Street through Shaw, across Mad Max-style New York Avenue and through NoMa streets torn up from construction. After going under the railroad tracks, I just followed the hipsters up to the market.

Union Market is home to more than a dozen different restaurants and retail shops, including Peregrine Coffee, Dolcezza Gelato, Co Co. Sala and TaKorean. It’s sort of “city in a box” where you can shop for all your luxury treats in one location. Continue reading “Coffeeneuring #3: Union Market”

Coffeeneuring to Big Bear Cafe

For my second coffeeneuring adventure, I biked to Big Bear Cafe in Bloomingdale. Reminder: the idea behind coffeeneuring is to bike to seven different coffee shops by November 17.

Like most bike people, I have more than one bike. I’ve limited my addiction to just to two cycles – a Specialized Sirrus and Breezer Zig 7, a folding bike that I bought off Craigslist. Small enough to fit in the trunk of a car, I’ve taken this bike everywhere, from the cobblestoned streets of Savannah to mile-high trails in Colorado.

But I had a problem.

This city is hell on bikes
This could be a problem.

I can fix a flat tire. But I could not loosen the nut that held the tire to the frame, even after employing bike tools, WD-40 and even a hammer. So I took it to The Bike Rack at 14th and Q.

The Bike Rack
The Bike Rack at 14th and Q NW.

It’s a great store with honest mechanics who quickly and cheaply fixed my problem. Within minutes, I was back on the road. Continue reading “Coffeeneuring to Big Bear Cafe”

Coffeeneuring 1: Buzz Bakery, Slaters Lane, Alexandria, VA

Shutdown has a silver lining – more time for coffeeneuring! What is coffeenuering? The idea is simple:

Ride your bike to 7 different local coffee shops from Saturday October 5 through Sunday, November 17.

You ride your bike to a coffee shop, take a photo and tag it with #coffeeneuring. Simple.

After some research on Yelp, I decided to visit the Buzz Bakery on Slaters Lane in Alexandria. Though it’s right off the Mount Vernon Trail, I didn’t even know it existed. That’s the beauty of coffeeneuring – it gets you to new places.

I cruised down the 15th St bike lane, went around the White House and then encountered Shutdown Theater.

Lincoln Memorial shutdown
Lincoln Memorial shutdown to visitors.

Shutdown Theater is when the National Park Service unnecessarily shuts down open-air parks, monuments and even bongo-playing hippies. The purpose is not to protect monuments built to last thousands of years (they’re guarding them anyway, as you can see above) but to provide visuals for TV anchors to stand in front of. It’s a political strategy.

But, on a bike I’m free of these petty functionaries, and could escape over the river to Virginia. Crossing my favorite Memorial Bridge, I cruised down the Mount Vernon Trail. This is National Park Service land too but all they’ve done is close the bathrooms.  I was joined by plenty of other lawbreakers.

Biking on the Mount Vernon Trail with Capitol in background.
Biking on the Mount Vernon Trail with Capitol in background.

Continue reading “Coffeeneuring 1: Buzz Bakery, Slaters Lane, Alexandria, VA”