East Coast Greenway: Richmond North: Fredericksburg, Washington, D.C. and Baltimore

Richmond

Richmond was the capital of the Confederacy during the Civil War.  It is not surprising that a historian would love to visit the many battlefields in the vicinity.  I remember the name of Mechanicsville because of that, but I did not take any time to explore the sites on this trip.

This windmill caught my eye in Mechanicsville.

My research told me that this was built in the 1970s as a bank branch.  It is a decorative windmill that is distinctive and it remains an eye catcher.

These little towns near Richmond are the suburbs now.

Ashland, like so many towns that I have seen along these bike routes, got its start from the railroad.  In the mid 1800s a mineral springs was expanded into a destination to attract visitors.  The local horse race track also was a draw for travelers.  Unlike other town this community has been able to sustain itself.

Because of the attractions the train stopped.  At some towns like the next one, Woodford, if you wanted the train to stop you needed to wave your handkerchief. At night you would need a lantern to be seen.  With a train going through, entrepreneurial individuals started producing wood wool or excelsior.  It is the slivers of wood that come off the logs as they are trimmed.  It is mainly used as a fill in packaging.

Wood wool or also known as excelsior.

The Rappahannock River at Fredericksburg.

The Manahoac indigenous people lived in this area. You may see from the route map the  many water ways and the Chesapeake Bay.  I thoroughly enjoyed the Michener book about the area.

It is rough to bike into urban areas.  You really need to do some extensive research.  I am not doing that in this case.  Above is what I got from Google Maps for a suggested bike route.  Below is the suggestion from Ride GPS.  I have used Ride GPS twice on long rides.  The app will give you audio turn by turn directions and it is nice to keep your eyes on the road and off the map.  I will not bother with any photos of Washington, D. C.

The section above is from Adventure Cycling Association which has a map set for this route.  I am not using this set of maps for this virtual trip.  If I were actually doing the route, I would invest in them; they are worth the investment.  I have used them and they are geared (no pun) for bike tours.  Service clues help you find bike shops, lodging, WIFI,  and points of interest.