Last year I accidentally stumbled into the Rolling Thunder Rally. I went on one of my early Sunday morning paddles out of Columbia Island Marina, not thinking about how close it was to the Pentagon parking lot gathering point for the rally. This year I repeated the experience with the foreknowledge that I'd be running into the bikers.
My trip on the Potomac was uneventful save for the sound of a thousand Harley V-Twin engines roaring along the shore. The magic of the river is such that I could be aware both of a heron gliding noiselessly over the river - a pristine natural scene - while also being aware of the flow of Softtails, Electraglides, Sportsters, choppers, trikes, and bobbers along the GW Parkway.
After I got off the water I strolled through the LBJ Memorial Grove and over the footbridge to the Pentagon parking lot. Holy cow - thousands of bikers and their bikes all lined up for the event. Quite a scene. I was probably a little conspicuous, being the only guy there not in biker gear and being dripping wet besides.
I went home and picked up Valerie. We got to the McKinley Road overpass over I66 in time to see a huge contingent of bikes (so many that they closed the highway) go by.
Cool stuff.
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