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Arlington History Ride

The BikeArlington community has people who organize some fun rides. Last Saturday Bob (a.k.a. Bobco) organized an Arlington History ride. I only participated in the first part of it . It was clear the ride was going to run far longer than the planned four hours, it was really hot, and I didn't want to be too wiped for going to the theater that night, so when it got near my house I drooped out and rode home. Of course, if I had stayed with the ride I wouldn't have gone home for that snack of ciabatta bread and I wouldn't have cut my finger open, requiring stitches ...

Some of the places we stopped on the part of the ride I did included:
  • Shirlington (a portmanteau formed from Arlington and Henry Garrett Shirley, former Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Highways)  
  • The site of Arlington Mill (built in 1836 by George Washington Parke Custis)
  • Carlin Hall in the Glencarlyn neighborhood (built in 1892)
  • The actual springs in the Carlin Springs neighborhood (there was at one time a resort there)
  • Mary Carlin House (oldest house in Arlington)
  • Bluemont Junction (former rail junction)
  • One boundary stone and one corner stone marking the original DC boundaries (now Arlington)
  • Minor's Hill, the highest point in Arlington (and, of course, a Civil War outpost)

Further details on the stops and the remainder of the ride are available at Bob's forum post here.

Also, there were a couple of killer hills on the ride. Some people walked them. I did not :)

Our leader filling us in on the  history of Bluemont Junction

At the oldest house in Arlington

Participants listen with rapt attention to Bob's opening shpiel



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Location: Arlington, VA, USA

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