An interesting ride home…
October 24, 2006, 10:02 PM
Well, I ended up going against what I said I was going to do in my last entry. I did take Route 1 up through Alexandria, but then plans changed in Arlington. First of all, I took a side trip into Pentagon City, mainly to prove to myself that I could get there by car. So I went over, and drove past the mall. I also discovered some of the space between Pentagon City and Crystal City, and took a fleeting look at a park near the mall.
Then, returning to Route 1, I drove up until just short of the 14th Street Bridge. There, the road forks, with the right fork going to the 14th Street Bridge, and the left fork going to Rosslyn. I took the left fork, and found Wilson Boulevard. From here, I was basically following the Orange Line, station for station. I saw Rosslyn’s buildings (though I didn’t see Rosslyn Center), and continued past the Court House, Clarendon, and Virginia Square-GMU stations. There, I saw a sign for I-66, and turned, and headed into Ballston. I took Fairfax Drive past the IHOP restaurant, past the Hilton and Ballston Metro Center, and past the Metro station entrances. Then, a couple of blocks later, Fairfax Drive turns into the on-ramp for I-66.
And then from there, I passed East Falls Church, West Falls Church, Dunn Loring, and Vienna, and from there, bid goodbye to Metro for the night. Also, call it whatever have you, perhaps because I took the extended tour of Arlington, I-66 just looked different for some reason. I’ve been on I-66 countless times before, but it just looked different this time. Go figure.
Then I took I-66 to Route 28, and rode it to Manassas and beyond. I went through Old Town Manassas for the first time, and then went off into the country. I also had no idea that even out in the country, the speed limit on Route 28 doesn’t go higher than 45. I would have preferred 55 on there, as I felt like I was crawling the whole time going 45. Then from there, I hit Route 29, and went home via Charlottesville, on a trip that was thankfully uneventful. So life is good.
And thus concluded my first Monday trip to Washington. Believe it or not, I have NEVER been to DC on a Monday before, ever. So that covers that. Then the day I’ve been next least is Sunday, with two trips made on Sunday. Both are the most recent two occasions where I skipped Pentagon City, which I usually visit on every trip, regardless of whatever else happens that day.
Web site: WLW (AM 700), which I listened to once I lost WTOP around Culpeper.
Song: The commercial for Pillsbury cinnamon rolls that's on TV right now...
Quote: And I bought a mouse for the Lappy while I was up in Northern Virginia. At last, I'm free of that awful laptop mouse...