I helped lead a 30-mile bicycle tour of the Arlington County Libraries. Three other volunteers kept the group together: George who served as sweep and whose bicycle is in the photograph, Lynn who designed the route, and Ron who organized the ride and told us interesting stories about each library. The best part was the police escorts on bicycles and in a cruiser who controlled traffic at all the intersections. I really felt like a VIP when they stopped traffic for us.
I always like leading a group of cyclists; sometimes I feel like a mother duck with her ducklings following behind. And this time I had LOTS of help keeping the group together. Such a luxury having radios at the front and rear of the group! And in the cruiser.
I've been to all of the libraries many times, but I learned something new about each one from Ron's stories. I love the Tiffany stained glass in the new Westover library, the garden surrounding Glen Carlyn, the beautiful courtyard and facade at Shirlington, and we saw gardeners planting tomatoes in front of the Columbia Pike library. Aurora Hills is a multi-use building with a community center and fire house; I noticed the FDNY 9-11 monument behind the library. I learned that the same person designed Cherrydale, the old Westover (which is now an open field) and one other branch which is slipping my mind right now--maybe Glen Carlyn since it seems the same style. We pointed out Plaza library but couldn't go in because it's only open during the day on Mon-Fri. And we started and finished at the Central library.
The weather was perfect for bicycling. The group was fun. The pace was leisurely. Two friends joined the group: Vickie (a racer who climbed every hill she could find) and Bunny (who leads the Bunny's Babe rides and calls me Jentle Joan). I don't see either of them as much as I'd like and it was a nice surprise when I found them at the ride start.
I love libraries and I love bicycling. It was a lovely way to spend the day.
I took this photo at the Shirlington library: a gorgeous blue bicycle leaning on blue-striped wall--even the water bottle is blue. The owner is a long-distance cyclist who volunteered to serve as sweep on this ride.
