Year 2 - Day 8 Mount Vernon VA to Fredericksburg VA

 

Leaving Mount Vernon, we spent a significant amount of time on Route 1. This section of Route 1 does not have a bike lane or shoulder, so we rode on the right side of the right lane. This section is also very busy. Traffic was, for the most part accommodating, but I had a couple drivers who passed way to close. One in particular, a black pickup with a fifth wheel car carrier attached passed me so close the I could have reached out and touched it. 

In Lorton VA, we entered the Cross County Trail. Along the trail we encountered a very unique underpass. 

THIS BRIDGE WAS BUILT IN 1946 by imprisoned laborers from the nearby Lorton Workhouse using bricks made in their brickyard. It is the only structure of its kind in the state of Virginia.
Known as voussoir arch bridges (so named for the wedge-shaped or tapered stones used to construct arches) or barrel arch bridges (due to the resemblance to the inside of a wooden barrel), this complex building style is among the strongest and most durable forms. (One of the oldest examples is the Caravan Bridge, which spans the Meles River in Turkey, and dates back to 850 B.C. It is one of the oldest human-made structures in continuous use.)
The Barrel Arch Bridge in Lorton is 23 feet wide and produces an interesting echo effect for those traveling underneath it. The bridge originally crossed a spur of the Lorton & Occoquan Railroad, but the passage is now a recreational trail, and atop the bridge is another trail that runs between historic Barrett House and Central Green at Laurel Hill Park.

We crossed a footbridge over the Occoguan River that placed in the quaint little town of the same name. Climbing out of the town on the other side, we proceeded to Woodbridge and rode along the shore at the convergence of the Occoquan and Potomac Rivers. In this area the rivers looked to a mile wide! Big water!

We continued to meander through the countryside and little towns of Featherstone Shores, Rippon Landing, Dawson Landing, Neabsco, Dumfries, and Triangle.

On Route 1, on the road that leads to Quantico Marine Base, I spotted this statue. 

We stopped and ate lunch in Stafford VA at the Mason Dixon Cafe. We actually circled the block until we found a suitable place to eat!

We continued through the countryside through more little towns like Leeland, Highland Homes, Dahlgren Junction, and Chatham Heights. 

Before crossing the Rappahannock River into old town Fredericksburg, we go a right on River Road and were diverted by the ECG path through two very nice memorial parks. These parks had everything a resident could ever want. Soccer fields, baseball fields, exercise equipment, you name it, it was there! What a great resource for the residents of Fredericksburg!

Exiting the park trail on River Road again, we turned and had a very short, very steep, climb up to the level of the “old” Route 1 Cambridge Street Bridge across the river. It was suggested by the mapping program that we ride across this bridge on the oncoming traffic walkway side. The bridge was very busy, and the sidewalk was high above the pavement, very narrow, and crumbling! 

We successfully navigated this sidewalk, but I did not take my eyes off the path, nor did I do anything but what was absolutely required for me to get across! Even the others commented about the difficulty and challenge this bridge provided! 

Once off the bridge, we continued through the old part of Fredericksburg via Business Route 1. We turned left on William Street just before the next right-hand turn, we noted a bike shop called Bike Works. Bob had been having difficulty with his shifter, so we stopped in to see if they could repair it. 

Bob had taken his bike to Shirk’s Bike Shop back in PA before the trip. They claim to have tightened the shifter screw that was causing it not to stay in gear. It worked for several days, but now was causing the problem again. Gary called this new shifting phenomena Shirk-o-matic! Bike Works was very accommodating with the request for an immediate repair. The bike was soon on the stand and the tech was diagnosing the problem.

The repair was anticipated to take about one hour, so Dan, Gary, and I took off for the hotel. About an hour later Bob rolled in with his repaired bike! The screw retightened and Locktighted! 

While we were standing in front of the bike shop, we looked across the river and saw where we turned on River Road. We could have avoided the park loop and that treacherous bridge crossing by simply coming across the bridge!

After today, we will have ridden 540 miles and climbed 18,913 feet in elevation gain.