5/31 - Baltimore Orioles

Spent most of the day walking through baltimore neighbourhoods, stopping at the Lloyd st synagogue, 3rd oldest synagogue building in USA, for Shavuot services.  Where, of course,  I ran into a yavneh alum (Dodi Z, studying here).  Lots of brick row houses everywhere, and poverty.  Depressing.  Walked through Patterson park and greektown.  Took the bus back and walked through fells point and inner harbor (skipped  aquarium - $40!).  Then onto the game - rooting for the hometown orioles, who after a 10 minute rain delay,  beat the Yankees 10-4.  Sat in the front row behind the plate for 1/2 inning, then asked to leave.  Sweet seat!  Nice feature - plaques for home & visiting teams on eutaw St for homeruns hit out of the park.  Kitsch - take me out to the ballgame plays second fiddle to a country song during 7th innings stretch.
0 miles on the bike, walked 13 miles

5/30 - onto Baltimore

Key lesson learned today - the "visitor center' at the NSA, does NOT mean the same thing as at Yellowstone NP.  But first, how I got there...
Started the day visiting 2 senators offices.  Thanked senator Warren's staff for their hard work, and left senator Burr a note saying I think he is the most important person in congress right now.  And I got some NC peanuts.  Then a nice ride along well marked  bike path up the Anacostia.  When I noticed my ride went close to laurel, right by NSA headquarters, and that they had a museum, I decided to detour.   Well, Google steered me right onto Ft Meade base, where I was escorted off in a police cruiser.  Really - Bike in the back and all.  So after the escort, I kept riding and saw the NSA visitor center, so I went in.  Well, they had some questions for me - not quite park Ranger friendly.  Had to tell my biking tale to 4 different NSA cops, and then they started with the questions.  Where am I staying?  What do I do?  Hey - aren't you the NSA?   Don't you know this?  Anyway, they let me go and on to Baltimore.  A few river trails, but not as nice as dc.  Mileage guess (based on Google - not sure I trust them as much) - 55 miles.

5/29 - memorial day

A very emotional day to be in Washington.  Started at the Holocaust memorial, where I was struck by the similarities between Hitler in the 1920s and early 1930s, and you know whom.  Hitler's message of Nationalism and aryan superiority, delivered charismaticaly at huge rallies, with a "simple, emotional, repetitive and uncompromising" style was chillingly familiar.   Then onto the  vietnam memorial, where a ceremony featuring Lynn Novick and Ken Burns (making a documentary on the war, due out this fall) delivered the message that we "will never again blame our soldiers for the policies of our leaders".  Afterwards watched part of the memorial day parade, and went to Arlington National Cemetery.  Down to alexandria for dinner, then back for evening tour of the monuments.   Busy day - tomorrow I'll just be riding....
Total - approx 30 miles, one smashed garmin (popped off the bike) so it's a guess.
Biking definitely the way to get around dc - so may roads closed for security, and parades, and distances are too far to walk.  Lots of marked bike lanes and great riding today along potomac.

5/28 - Washington nationals game

The one benefit of our country failing to develop a decent rail system, is the hundreds (thousands?) of miles of former railways that are being developed into rail trails.  The capital crescent trail is a 10 mile, steady 1-2% (up) grade that ends in Chevy Chase, MD.  Then a beautiful ride back through Rock Creek park  (closed to cars on weekends).  Then onto Nationals park, where the Padres won 5-3 after 90 minute rain delay.  Nice touch - expos HOF players Carter and Dawson are recognized with other Senators / Grays / Nationals players. Kitsch - Presidents race.  Finished day with the memorial day concert on Capitol lawn. A very moving tribute to wounded warriors,  veterans and families of those affected by too many wars.  Note spelling vs capital - think trump knows the difference yet?  No, he wasn't at the concert. Or even mentioned.
40 miles, including UP twice to the airbnb I'm staying at.

Day 0 - redeye to DC

Who else starts a bike tour at night?  Next stop - the nation's capital.
Distance 4.2 miles.