For some reason, this ended up as a weekend of hiking and biking in cities vs. woods.
On Saturday, Carl and I decided to eschew the Appalachian Trail and instead amble along the Carroll Creek Park pathways in Frederick Maryland, over to Frederick Municipal Airport where a "Wings and Wheels" festival was taking place - aircraft (not chicken wings) and historic cars. Carroll Creek Park is a long linear park that was created as part of a flood control project - the actual creek runs in large culverts under a very scenic canal and pathway system with multiple fountains, art gardens and a wide variety of bridges. The walk was a bit more than 2 miles each way.
The air/car show was about 90% cars and only about 10% planes. There was the usual mix of '57 Chevies, old Mustangs and Camaros and the required GTO - but there was some contemporary cars (like the new tiny Fiat and some Mini Coopers) that somehow got in.
The next day I decided to bike my all time favorite bike route - a 32 mile loop that starts in Garretty Park MD and goes down through Rock Creek Park on Beach Drive to Georgetown, then back up the Capital Crescent Trail through Bethesda to connect back to Beach Drive. It actually turned into a 35 mile ride, as Beach Drive is closed for construction and in trying to sneak around the closure, I ended up in the National Zoo road system with no way back to the trail. So, I had to bike up Adams Mill Road over to Adams Morgan and then around to Calvert Street until I wound my way past the construction.
From Georgetown, the Capital Crescent Trail parallels the C&O Canal Towpath until the Fletcher's Boathouse area - where it appears the replica C&O Canal Barge is sitting a bit low in the water.
From there it is about 5 miles uphill to Bethesda, past the Bethesday Row Landmark theater where the night before Carole, Jim and Jacquie forced me to see the worst movie I've seen since "The Lobster" - "Certain Women." Even though Ann Hornaday of the Washington Post gave it 4 stars, none of us could figure out why the movie had even been made. As we were walking back to our car complaining about the movie, a young couple walking behind us agreed. We were still complaining in the elevator in the parking garage - and an older woman joined in, saying Ann Hornaday was no longer her go-to movie reviewer...
From there the trails goes under the Air Rights Complex building, through the Columbia Country Club and then back to Beach Drive, where I turned north into the teeth of the 30 mph winds.
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