Maryland and DC pit stop recommendations?

[cvcalhoun]

As usual, there has been a lot of focus on Virginia pit stops. (I can only be jealous of the Crystal City one being open all week!) But does anyone have recommendations on the Maryland and DC ones? Ones I could possibly attend are:

• Rockville – Fallsgrove
• Rockville – Town Center
• Rockville – Twinbrook
• North Bethesda – US Nuclear Regulatory Commission
• Rock Springs Business Park
• Naval Support Activity Bethesda
• National Institutes of Health Bldg One
• Bethesda
• Friendship Heights
• National Geographic Society
• Golden Triangle – L Street
• GoldenTriangle – Farragut Square
• Georgetown Waterfront Park Area

However, applying my math skills here, that would be only about 15 minutes to get to and spend time at each one, which would be just about doable if I were using a jetpack instead of an overloaded bicycle with an ancient rider. I’ve therefore had to give up my dream of going to all of them. So, on that list, which ones have the best food? The best swag? The best raffles? The best entertainment?

[Terpfan]

Well, I got this from BicycleSpace via e-mail:

“At our 440 K St NW pit stop, we’ll host U.S. Labor Secretary Tom Perez from 8:30 to 8:45 a.m. Please attend and represent the best of Bike D.C.!”

I’m just doing my one in Old Town I think. Post-malady, I don’t want to push myself too hard. Otherwise, that looks like an awesome list.

[cvcalhoun]

@Terpfan 115807 wrote:

Post-malady, I don’t want to push myself too hard.

Sorry to hear you’re still not 100%. Hope you feel better soon!

[Riley Casey]

Silver Spring always has a good turn out but then it’s the only pit stop I’ve been to other than Freedom Plaza so my perspective is limited and skewed by it being my home base.

[KWL]

@Terpfan 115807 wrote:

…I’m just doing my one in Old Town I think. Post-malady, I don’t want to push myself too hard. …

Oh come on. Swing by Del Ray or Crystal City. They both are right on your way. I do hope you are getting better.

[ebubar]

@Riley Casey 115836 wrote:

Silver Spring always has a good turn out but then it’s the only pit stop I’ve been to other than Freedom Plaza so my perspective is limited and skewed by it being my home base.

Silver Spring coffee club has a reasonably sized group meeting at 6:30 there. Perhaps we’ll see you!

[Terpfan]

@KWL 115847 wrote:

Oh come on. Swing by Del Ray or Crystal City. They both are right on your way. I do hope you are getting better.

My wife is going to ride as well (she never rides), so I’ll see if I can talk her into more. Or at least riding up to Braddock Rd/King St to nab one of those free ulocks from WMATA. I would be lying if I said I didn’t have two already, but three never hurts.

And thanks all–feeling a little better and hopefully by the end of the weekend to do a full week straight. It was absolutely depressing driving so many days this week as the weather was so beautiful.

[SilverSpring]

@cvcalhoun 115794 wrote:

As usual, there has been a lot of focus on Virginia pit stops. (I can only be jealous of the Crystal City one being open all week!) But does anyone have recommendations on the Maryland and DC ones? Ones I could possibly attend are:

• Rockville – Fallsgrove
• Rockville – Town Center
• Rockville – Twinbrook
• North Bethesda – US Nuclear Regulatory Commission
• Rock Springs Business Park
• Naval Support Activity Bethesda
• National Institutes of Health Bldg One
• Bethesda
• Friendship Heights
• National Geographic Society
• Golden Triangle – L Street
• GoldenTriangle – Farragut Square
• Georgetown Waterfront Park Area

However, applying my math skills here, that would be only about 15 minutes to get to and spend time at each one, which would be just about doable if I were using a jetpack instead of an overloaded bicycle with an ancient rider. I’ve therefore had to give up my dream of going to all of them. So, on that list, which ones have the best food? The best swag? The best raffles? The best entertainment?

I’m aiming for five pit stops tomorrow: Takoma/Old Town-nice people; Silver Spring/Discovery-serviced by my LBS, Silver Cycles; Bethesda Downtown-a better class of swag; Georgetown Waterfront-best food treats; and Freedom Plaza-a chance to see Team EPA kitted out). At different points in the past, I thought it was friends and family, money, love, and work worth doing that were the mark of a life well-lived. Now I know that free BTWD water bottles are the TRUE measure of success!

[cvcalhoun]

@SilverSpring 115865 wrote:

I’m aiming for five pit stops tomorrow: Takoma/Old Town-nice people; Silver Spring/Discovery-serviced by my LBS, Silver Cycles; Bethesda Downtown-a better class of swag; Georgetown Waterfront-best food treats; and Freedom Plaza-a chance to see Team EPA kitted out). At different points in the past, I thought it was friends and family, money, love, and work worth doing that were the mark of a life well-lived. Now I know that free BTWD water bottles are the TRUE measure of success!

Yeah, I think 5 is far more realistic than 12. I definitely want to do Bethesda (where I’m registered) and Georgetown (for the food). Just trying to figure out which 3 of the other 9 I should prioritize. And unfortunately, the BTWD site doesn’t really say a lot about what’s going on where.

[cvcalhoun]

Okay, I’ll blog this myself as I go along. First stop: Naval Medical (open at 6:00 am).

Security was extremely dubious. “You don’t have military ID?” “No, but I was told I could get in for Bike to Work Day.” “But you don’t work here?” However, after a check with someone, she let me in with just a driver’s license.

Swag: towel, patch kit. (Apparently, they didn’t even have enough t-shirts for all who registered, so the last 10 registrants were being told that they couldn’t have one.)
Food: pears, bananas, bagels
Entertainment: none
Raffles: none

[cvcalhoun]

Rockville

Swag: dog plastic bag dispenser, foldable Frisbee, portable coffee mug, notebook, pen, glasses wipe, map, reflective clip-on, can lid
Food: Chia bars, fortune cookies, Kit’s Organic bars, theoretically coffee but it wasn’t ready
Raffle: yes, but no idea what it was, as I would have had to stay there to win

[cvcalhoun]

North Bethesda – US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (across from White Flint Metro Station):

Swag: magnetic clip, smartphone cleaner, bell, bike pin, pencil, map
Food: coffee (finally!), donuts, bagels, raisins, smoothies, bananas
Raffles: every 15 minutes (I won a $75 Whole Foods gift card!)
Entertainment: DJ

[creadinger]

Del Ray –
Swag: none that I could see
Food: peanuts, powerade, coffee, and water
Raffles??? Hahahahahaha
Entertainment? You mean more than just meeting new people and friendly early morning conversation?

Suitland –
Basically, same as above.

[KWL]

@creadinger 115889 wrote:

Del Ray –
Swag: none that I could see
Food: peanuts, powerade, coffee, and water
Raffles??? Hahahahahaha
Entertainment? You mean more than just meeting new people and friendly early morning conversation?

Suitland –
Basically, same as above.

Del Ray – plus water bottles & all of last year’s shirts you could carry. (“Please, take all you want”) The Happy Tart cookies were warm and good.

[lordofthemark]

Shirlington

Swag – an instant raffle – I got the small prize and took a pair of BikeArlington socks. Large prize included helmets.
Food – Best buns, coffee, muffins, bread and scones. Copperwood tavern lemonade and some kind of candied popcorn
Raffles – see above
Entertainment – dj, guy with a unicycle

Crystal City – Swag – well the jersies of course, for some of us. CCBid giving out blinky lights, ankle straps, etc.
Food – bagels and coffee and bananas.
Raffles- none I saw.
Bike repair from bikes for the world.
Entertainment – well lots of people

Canal Park
Swag – Water bottles, blinky lights, and ankle straps
Food – coffee, muffins, fruit
Raffles – Capitol Riverfront BID doing a raffle for BID swag, not sure what that includes
Bike repair by BicycleSpace
Entertainment – posing for the department BTWD picture (technically not in Canal Park, at the front steps on NJ Avenue instead)

Oh and I think both CC and CP had granola bars.

[Author]

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