Secrets of Arlington: The Ride Series

[Erin Potter]

Just wanted to thank everyone who contributed some ideas of neat things in Arlington. I had a lot of fun reading them all, and then because I dig maps, I made one with all our thoughts: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=zy7d8gxpakyo.k2-R1H-Ql8hs&usp=sharing

Here’s how the Secrets Ride Series is shaping up:
October 8: Secrets of Crystal City Route is complete– and will end at Tech Shop.
October 14: Secrets of Shirlington is right now battling it out with Secrets of Westover– any additional contributions to tip the scales are welcome
October 28: Secrets Haunts of Ballston needs to be test ridden–but is going to be Halloween-themed, so extra fun.

Hope some of you can join!

[PotomacCyclist]

Did anyone mention the old Alexandria Canal? It used to connect the C&O Canal in Georgetown with Alexandria. It ran through Alexandria County (now Arlington).

The canal was used from 1843 to 1886. Apparently the section in modern-day Arlington County ran along S. Eads St. for at least part of its route. I don’t think any of the canal is visible today.

https://alexandriava.gov/uploadedFiles/historic/info/history/OHAHistoryCanal.pdf

Some of the abutments of the Aqueduct Bridge and a pier are visible in the Potomac River near Rosslyn and Georgetown. [The Tidal Basin and Lock was excavated and restored in Alexandria in the 1980s. This is part of the Alexandria Canal Center.]

All the other structures of the canal were removed or buried.

[PotomacCyclist]

On the fictional front, in the original X-Files series, Crystal City was the setting for the “Federal Statistics Center” of the U.S. Census Bureau, which housed records proving the existence of alien facsimiles in the human population. Fox Mulder breaks into the Crystal City facility and uses the password “Fight the Future.” The “Three Words” episode aired on April 8, 2001. Season 8, Episode 16.

The location used for the scene had an appearance similar to that of Crystal City, but it’s unlikely that the scene was filmed there.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]9745[/ATTACH]

http://x-files.wikia.com/wiki/Colonization
http://x-files.wikia.com/wiki/Three_Words

In an earlier episode, “Ghost in the Machine” Season 1, Ep. 7, Mulder and Scully investigate a murder at a software company based in Crystal City. The computer system has developed intelligence and self-awareness and begins to kill in order to protect itself.

http://x-files.wikia.com/wiki/Ghost_in_the_Machine
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_in_the_Machine_(The_X-Files)

I remember that the character Fox Mulder was supposed to live in Alexandria. Scully lived in Georgetown and/or Maryland.

The alien invasion in the series was supposed to happen on December 22, 2012.

Of course, there are no real-life locations for any of this. But I remember being on a tour in London where the guide pointed out the real-life location where the James Bond from the original novels was supposed to have lived. So why not point out locations from The X-Files set in Arlington?

The X-Files had a huge fanbase, and interest will increase because the show is returning to television, in January. Really. FOX will air a limited run of new episodes, featuring most of the original cast, including David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson. The six-episode season begins on January 24, 2016.

[PotomacCyclist]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUAJJvCd2G0

The Lincoln Memorial is seen from the perspective of a helicopter flying in from Arlington.

[PotomacCyclist]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hz6uYJwRoM

Fast-forward to the 23:00 mark. At least until this video gets taken down.

[Author]

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