The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal was built during the "transportation revolution" to connect Washington DC with Cumberland, MD, along the Potomac River. Construction began in 1828 and finished in 1850, with active use from 1831 to 1924. Today, the NPS hosts the 184.5-mile trail as a national historical park. The trail runs between the river... Continue Reading →
Three states converge where the Shenandoah River empties into the Potomac River, giving the tiny hamlet of Harpers Ferry a stunning view of Virginia and Maryland. The National Park Service manages Harpers Ferry National Historic Park - the depot where John Brown's raid holed up and a little village - as well as the Appalachian... Continue Reading →
This morning, I picked up a bike from Capital Bikeshare and rode 39 miles round trip from my hotel in Virginia into the nation's capital. Though I've been to DC numerous times, this was the first on a bike, giving me the chance to see many iconic sites. Leaders The Lincoln Memorial Washington Monument Martin... Continue Reading →
A work assignment took me to Iowa City, so I arranged to finish my task with time to ride! 10 miles through the heart of downtown, along both banks of the Iowa River - just right. "Old Capitol" served as the territorial seat from 1842 to 1846; now it's part of the University of Iowa.... Continue Reading →
I finished my weekend of riding with a relaxing pass along the Indian Creek Trail and Blue River Trail. It was a mix of gravel (above), busy public parks, and the backside of strip malls.
Tiny Liberty, MO, sits across the Missouri River to the north of Independence and is the county seat of Clay County. Joseph Smith was imprisoned for five months in the Liberty Jail. The Liberty Jail Historic Site hosts a replica of the prophet's prison. The site of Jesse James' first daylight, peacetime robbery is celebrated... Continue Reading →
Independence, MO, is the county seat of Jackson County and a suburb of Kansas City. With population over 123,000 it is the fifth-largest city in Missouri. The city is overlaid with layers of history, serving as a starting point for overland trails (California, Oregon, and Santa Fe), a promised land for Latter-day Saints that never... Continue Reading →
A special work assignment took me to the Kansas City area for a long weekend, so I rented a gravel bike and rode more than 100 miles on four rides. Looking west/upstream on the Missouri River (taken on March 2). I set out first through downtown Kansas City, MO, and across the state line into... Continue Reading →
The opening of the West Davis Highway brings a welcomed new trail that connects Legacy Parkway Trail to Bluff Trail (aka Emigration Trail). The pavement is all laid, except for a few spots in Farmington, and there are many trailheads, including some gravel. The trail's bridges and tunnels make it an almost uninterrupted 10-mile ride... Continue Reading →
I continued a fabulous First Day of the year with a family ride along the bike path at Huntington Beach in a 6-person surrey with by Sunshine, Econ, Panda, and Cupcake. Huntington Beach stretches for miles along the Pacific Coast Highway lined with palm trees.
the Bikeswain 