I slept well, even with the intermediate stops along the way, with the primary one being in Atlanta, where, as I learned the next morning, we arrived close to or after midnight . . . putting us at a four- or five-hour delay. I had breakfast with three people who had boarded in Atlanta, and they were nice but none too happy about sitting in the train station for that long . . .
But it was a bright and sunny day, so, at least for me, all was well. My only concern now was that our arrival time would slip further, as in past the peak temperature! If I'm going to be late, at least I hope to hit the best riding time! But as the day progressed and we got closer, it couldn't slip that much more . . . so the latest projection was a 3:30 to 4:00 PM arrival. And that pretty much held. So around Manassas, I started getting ready.
Dressed and ready to roll . . . leg warmers, long-sleeved base layer, and short-sleeved jersey on top. And on top of that, my long-sleeved (heavy) zip-up jersey. Layers, baby!
Claiming the bike was super easy. After disembarking, I just strolled down the platform three cars to the baggage car, produced my claim check, and was handed my bike. Then I loaded it up, reset the Garmin, and rolled . . .
I've never pushed off from the Alexandria Amtrak Station before, but it's well-connected to the local network as long as you're not headed west! This is the George Washington Masonic National Memorial, which limits travel in that direction!
While there is a bike trail along the Metro/CSX corridor, which I could follow to Del Ray and then Mt. Vernon Avenue, I opted instead for Commonwealth Avenue, which would take me to the same destination . . . the Four Mile Run Bike Trail. Commonwealth is more bike-friendly than Mt. Vernon, has bike lanes, lower volumes, and better road conditions.
The Bluemont Junction Trail is a short rail trail that effectively connects local neighborhoods with other transportation options, including Metrorail.
Later, Mark and I went out for dinner . . . a nice ribeye at Copperwood Tavern. Back to red meat! The seafood excursion is over (sorta)! But in that regard, I will miss the Gulf Coast for sure.
