Yesterday we ventured into the Neutral Zone Maryland for a day of biking, eating and fun with one of Shira's friends and were rewarded with the perfect day. We biked most of the Sligo Creek Trail, which is a 10 mile stretch of hard surface trail comparable to the WO&D and other high quality trails in the area. The trail runs along Sligo Creek, which in turn runs through some wonderful natural terrain.
We saw a number of deer (probably 10 in all) grazing along the trail. More impressive, a large buck jumped across the trail right in front of Shira as she peddling full speed. It was an amazing moment, but happened way to fast for me to even consider getting a photo. It's probably one of the most remarkable sights we've ever seen while biking.
Had we just gone for a late Summer bike ride, that would have been enough. But wait, there's more! We made our way to Max's Kosher Cafe to pick up falafel and shawarma and then biked over to Wheaton Regional Park. The park not only has a carousel and train for kids to ride, but also an especially impressive playground setup. I see a trip here with nieces and nephew in our future.
After a delicious lunch we made our way to the Takoma Park Folk Festival, where we spread out on a blanket listening to folks music. It was the perfect compliment to biking around the area. Oh, and we found Shira's friend's favorite soap seller in the craft vendor area. Even I had to be impressed with all the different varieties (and clever uses for said varieties) that she offers.
Finally, as we exited the Sligo Creek Trail I noticed a fenced off area a few paces away. Naturally, I had to hold up our progress and check it out. Turns out, I discovered the Takoma Park Presidents Tree, or more accurately, the marker to the tree. The tree itself died in the early 1990's and was finally blown over in 1997. The best photo I was able to dig up of the tree can be found here, and it's pretty unremarkable. It just looks like a tree covered in graffiti. The narrative describing the tree is far more interesting. To think that in 1997 you could have see the markings of a civil war era farmer are pretty impressive.
And of course, here are some photos. If you're a biker, definitely add the Sligo Trail to your TODO list.
No comments:
Post a Comment