Anybody interested in a monument tour ride?

[Kalidurga]

Well, the meeting time/place seems to be all set. The next most important question (for me, at least ) is: Has anyone talked about lunch?

[HillSlugger]

Has anyone talked about lunch?

You are starting to sound like my grandparents. Perhaps you have a bit of Hobbit in you?

Yes, lunch sounds good. I don't know DC well at all and will defer to others.

[bike4ever]

I'm all for food!!

[Zen]

Hot dog carts!

[Kalidurga]

You are starting to sound like my grandparents. Perhaps you have a bit of Hobbit in you?

Yes, lunch sounds good. I don't know DC well at all and will defer to others.

Hobbit, huh? I don't think so. My feet are too small

I'm not too familiar with that area of DC, food-wise, but I believe there's a food court at Union Station. If we wait till the end of the ride, we could grab lunch before getting back on Metro to go home. If we can't wait that long, there are food courts/cafes/restaurants in the museums/galleries along the Mall, or there are always hot dog vendors (dunno if they have any vegetarian options, though). Or there's a scattering of restaurants in the business district a block or so above Constitution Ave.

Bike4ever, thanks for backin' me up on the food concern!

[Kalidurga]

Hot dog carts!

You sure you don't wanna blow off your organized ride for this?

[HillSlugger]

We probably want to keep an eye over the bikes at all times, either a sidewalk cafe or somewhere we can take turns getting our food while someone keeps watch and then all eat together outside with our bikes.

Am I being overly paranoid?

[7rider]

Yes.

No....just kidding!!! You can never be too paranoid in D.C. Remember...there will ALWAYS be someone more paranoid than you in that town!

Food is good as long as I can cut loose and be home (and showered) for my 2:30 appt. We could always cable-lock all the bikes together in a big tangled mess. Sort of like schooling fish - safety in confusing numbers.

Early start - hot dog vendors - bike ride - taking in the sites with a fun group -- it's all good.

[Kalidurga]

The other option is to bring food and have a picnic, but that would mean putting in an effort to prepare something. Dunno if I can handle that...

[bike4ever]

I'd actually rather buy food. I'm coming from my brother's house in Laurel. He definitely wouldn't have food for me to take.

[HillSlugger]

The doctor says I have a moderate sprain. Continue the Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation (RICE Therapy).

• No running the rest of this week or next week; ok to try the following week.
• Swimming ok next week.
• Biking ok next week; ok for our Saturday monument tour ride if everything feels ok on Friday.

I'm thinking that twisting out of the clipless pedals might not be a good thing for a while so I'm gonna put toe clip pedals on for now.

[divingbiker]

OK, the family's on the airplane and now I can get back to taking care of my own life's details.

--I will attempt to update the route in bikely with locations of monuments etc (but the last time I tried it didn't work).

--I didn't get to ride my bike to the office picnic to check out the biking in Arlington Cemetery, but I asked a Fort Myer guard and a Tourmobile tour guide if it was possible to bike to the new Air Force memorial and they said yes. We will have to wing it.

--8:30 at Union Station sounds good...early is good. There are LOTS of tourists around right now. I guess we'll find each other, but maybe we can plan to meet near the metro escalators at the southwest corner of Union Station, or else on the opposite end (southeast corner) which would be nearer First Street, where we will be heading out on the ride.

--Re lunch, one possibility is the Old Ebbitt Grill, which is right across from the Treasury Dept building, a block from the White House. We'll be ending up in that vicinity toward the end of our ride. They don't have outdoor seating, but they have a bike rack right outside and they don't have a dress code (bike shorts are ok). We'd probably need to make a reservation. (no hot dog carts for me, thanks.) Sequoia on the waterfront in Georgetown is right on the bike path, and has outdoor seating. It's a little pricier I think. Another option might be somewhere in Chinatown, but the sidewalks there tend to be very narrow so there isn't a lot of room for bikes.

--How many of us are coming? We need a headcount!
This is what I've gathered:
Yes: Regina, Nicole, Tam, bike4ever, Janice
Maybe: logdiva32, f8th637, velobambina, Bridget (Janice's friend)
No: zencentury

[HillSlugger]

It looks like you must have been successful with adding the points of interest because if I click on the link for the cue sheet I get this info:

Cumulative Notes
0mi Union Station
0.5mi Supreme Court on left, Capitol on right
1.1mi Capitol on right, mall on left
2.3mi Washington Monument
2.6mi World War II memorial
3.1mi Vietnam Veterans Memorial on right, Lincoln Memorial ahead
4.3mi Arlington National Cemetery
4.8mi Iwo Jima Memorial
6.5mi Korean War Memorial on right
7.1mi FDR memorial
9.8mi The Awakening statue
12.2mi Thomas Jefferson Memorial
13.6mi White House to your right
16.3mi Union Station

You can also click from one to another with the 'Start Tour' and the arrow buttons. It looks great so far!

[Kalidurga]

--8:30 at Union Station sounds good...early is good. There are LOTS of tourists around right now. I guess we'll find each other, but maybe we can plan to meet near the metro escalators at the southwest corner of Union Station, or else on the opposite end (southeast corner) which would be nearer First Street, where we will be heading out on the ride.

I vote for the escalators at the southeast corner of the Union Station Metro platform exiting to First Street, at 8:30am. And Miss Scarlet with a gun.

[7rider]

And Miss Scarlet with a gun.

???

I figured hot dog stands were a joke. In addition to consideration for Janice, I'd have to be hard pressed to eat at one! There's only so much questionable meat-like products I can consume in a month, and I think our recent trip to Bassetts took care of my quota.

Old Ebbit's sounds good. What about the Capital City Brew Pub?

Janice, can you post a link to the route again?

I'll try to remember to bring my U-lock when I ride home on Thursday - normally, I leave it on the rack in the parking garage here. Otherwise, options are old (i.e., pickable) U-lock and some cable locks.