Day 68, April 2, The Ride concludes in DC

Three words define today:

Congestion: We had planned for crowds. And we found them. A beautiful warm sunny Saturday found most Washingtonians hungry for fresh air and natural beauty, and they swarmed to the C&O Towpath. By the time we ended up in Georgetown 55 miles downstream from Brunswick, we found the rest of Washingtons inhabitants on the streets and sidewalks. Exhausted, hungry, and more sore than I thought possible, we took our lives in our hands and fought our way through throngs of people and traffic to our Airbnb in a small albeit clean and comfortable brownstone not far from all the DC action. Taking the stairs up to our room proved grueling as our anterior thigh muscles are thick with lactic acid and totally spent. Aaron fell asleep sitting up on the side of the bed, too tired to think, almost incapable of laying down.    The C&O was also congested with wildlife. We saw birds and ducks of multiple varieties, turkeys and deer and even mating turtles. Congested, too, with riotous daffodils and wildflowers in purples, pinks, whites, yellows, and oranges. 










Ingenuity: A couple of days ago, the Velcro band around the bottom of my pants was lost leaving my pants to repeatedly get caught in the bike chain.  So while I sat on a porch and blogged, Aaron went to the only place in tiny Paw Paw, WV, to shop, that great shopping destination Dollar General, in pursuit of a rubber band. Having no rubber bands for sale, Aaron improvised and procured a far superior solution; an arm band cell phone carrier that served me the rest of the trek far better than a rubber band would have. His ingenuity and commitment to meeting my every need inspires me to serve him in return. Only he’s ever so much more resourceful and innovative than am I.                                                            The builders of the locks and dams and aqueducts of the stupendous feat that became the C&O Towpath were not experienced engineers but rather borrowed their ideas from the newly completed Erie Canal. The 60 foot wide, 6 foot deep, 185 mile long canal was dug out by hand with the use of shovels and mules and blood and sweat. This has been one of the most memorable journeys I’ve had the privilege to experience. From the quiet solitude of 180 miles of green dense forest to the small historic townships where we refueled to the White House and US Capitol, this has been one memorable and epic ramble, a trip full of wonders every mile. 








Perseverance: Today has proven an exercise in perseverance. Fatigue and exhaustion have threatened to test our willpower. Each time we stopped we knew we had to get started again, and initiating forward momentum proved difficult at best. As eager as I am to be snuggly prone in a warm soft bed tonight, yet I am loath to see this journey conclude.  It has been so beautiful, so intriguing, so full of adventure and history and emotion; I find myself ambivalent about it coming to an end.  But tomorrow promises to hold more adventures and discoveries, so I will anticipate General Conference and a slow bike ride though the National Mall between sessions. 

Good deeds: Though no specific opportunities arose for us to act on today, we did a yeoman’s job at maintaining patience with the crowds, politeness in yielding right of way, and  kindness, smiles, and courteousness with each other first and then with everyone we encountered. 

We did it!






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