Sunday, September 8, 2024
It is Monday now. But yesterday I went on the loveliest bike ride. I think it came to about 12-13 miles total. I drove to a parking lot in Leesburg that abutted the W&OD trail, optimistically hoping that I might reach the Purcellville end of the trail.
Prior to beginning my ride, I ate sushi at a place called Japomen, which was a fast food-style sushi place in the middle of a Lotte market (they had a sort of food court in there). I gave it a try because I craved sushi, but I also wanted the caffeine/energy of a fountain soda. So many of the good sushi places around here only have cans/bottles, and I prefer good fountain soda wherever I can get it. I also hate having to be that weirdo that's like, "I'll order a bottle of Coke, but I don't want it until the food is ready." (Because I want it to be cold while I'm eating, obviously.)
Thoughts on Japomen:
The actual sushi was a solid 7/10.
The customer service was 10/10 (the ordering was done on kiosks; but the guy behind the counter was very kind about accepting my modification of no cucumber).
General sitting ambience was 8/10 (would have been nice to have more booths).
Fountain machine was there but needed more carbonation (5/10).
The music in the food court and the Lotte at large was loud and annoying (3/10).
So overall, a 6.6. Not too shabby.
Anyway, if I had wanted to make it all the way to Purcellville realistically, I should have eaten heartier for lunch AND brought some protein snacks...That ride would have been 30 miles total. Who knows? Maybe someday if I start earlier, I'll try to do the whole thing.
The beginning of the path was near some glimpses, generally fenced off, of quarried land. One of the memorial benches near an overlook was dedicated to a man who had been a water resources engineer in the area. I always like to look at memorial benches and I liked the detail on this one about Eric, who was tragically young when he passed, riding on streets of gold. It was a nice sentiment and the view, though it was of austere, carved out, earthen landscapes, was still stunning for its scope.
I continued on the path, which was pleasantly shaded for most of the journey. The trees bending overhead occasionally imitated a vaulted roof.
Possibly the most beautiful part of my ride was an area to the right of the main path that was carpeted in golden wildflowers, where a few deer were eating. During this part of the journey, I was listening to Harry Potter y el misterio del príncipe.
I ended up turning around a little ways past this cool bridge in Leesburg, intent on grabbing a slurpee and taquito from a nearby 7-Eleven.
