Day 61 – Arlington, VA to Annapolis, MD

Miles today – 32 (I can explain)

Total miles – 3502

My day started early but not on the bike.  I needed to be in Bethesda by 7:30 because my friend Mike Ortman had arranged a live TV interview with FOX 5’s morning show.  I arranged a van cab to take me.  I had my bike and I had put all of my clothing in trash bags that I had gotten from the hotel.  I showed up in front of the studio and began to take the bags out and put them on my bike.  The security person saw me out there and, thinking I was a homeless person, came out asked said, “Can I help you?”  I replied, “Yes, I’m a guest on the morning show.  Can you direct me to the studio?”  She didn’t say it but I know she was thinking it…”Yeah, sure you are, buddy.”  But what she said was, “What is your name?” and she radioed to confirm that I was, in fact, a morning guest.  She directed me to the studio entrance.  I was interviewed by Allison, the morning host, live. 

Then I moved to a studio to be interviewed by FOX 29 in Philadelphia.  They put an ear piece on me and put me in front of a camera.  The interviewer was Jenn from the morning show in Philadelphia.  I was half way through the answer to her first question when she interrupted me by saying, “We love your story but we have breaking news.”  They went to a story about two journalists returning to America with some ex-President and some eccentric dude in North Korea.  What’s the big deal that this pre-empts the Arthritis Foundation?  Oh well.

On the street in front of the studio, my new challenge was how I can get from Bethesda to Annapolis.  The only safe way I could determine was to hop on the Metro train to the New Carrollton Station and take Route 450 east to Annapolis.  I rode up to the station but the security guard there reminded me that bikes are not permitted on the train until 10:00 am.  (My second encounter with security).  While I waited the 15 minutes a gentleman in uniform approached and began asking me about my bike.  I asked him about his military service and he told me he was a doctor at Walter Reed Medical Center.  Turns out he is a Psychiatrist working with solders returning from Iraq and was working on a self help book for solders and their families.  Charlie Hoge, MD is another hero I got a chance to meet.

Finally on the train, a very funny thing happened.  I guy got on the train, looked at me and said, “Hey, you’re that guy riding across America who was on television last night.”  I guess the awareness thing is working. 

I arrived in New Carrollton and asked a security guard (number three) how I get to Route 450.  As I headed east I noticed that there was what looked like a trail running along parallel with 450 and it looked safer.  It was the WB&A trail so I hopped on.  After about four miles the trail appeared to end.  Had I missed a turn?  Where I was trying to sort this out, a young girl stopped and asked me what happened to the trail.  So, Stephanie and I both tried to figure it out.  We decided to head north and while riding, we stopped and asked a road crew if we could back on the trail.  One of the workers confirmed that we could if we rode north about another mile and a half and sure enough, there it was.  Success!  Not so fast…one mile into the ride, the trail abruptly stopped at a river with no bridge to the other side.  This fact was left off of the trail maps!  Our only option was to retrace out tracks to 450 and head east.  In a short while, we met Bob who was riding a nice road bike.  He confirmed that we would get on a nicer, safer road if we continued on Route 450 so we did.  Route 450 becomes West Street in Annapolis which took me directly to my motel.  I said farewell to Stephanie whose Dad was picking her up in Annapolis.    

At 6:00 pm I walked done to Hell Point Restaurant in Annapolis to meet friends from the Maryland Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation and the Willis office.

Annapolis has always been one of my favorite places.

What a great day…. television, trains, riding and dinner with friends.

David

August 5, 2009