Shortcake Bakery/Northwest Branch Trail

[PotomacCyclist]

Cool. I can see cyclists riding to College Park from Hyattsville, but are that many cyclists riding up to Baltimore? I thought only a few hardy souls do that, and not on a regular basis.

The comments on the article are surprisingly grumpy. What’s up with that?

[PotomacCyclist]

Cool. I can see cyclists riding to College Park from Hyattsville, but are that many cyclists riding up to Baltimore? I thought only a few hardy souls do that, and not on a regular basis.

The comments on the article are surprisingly grumpy. What’s up with that?

[ginacico]

Peter and I did a loop up that way recently.

• MCT to Georgetown
• CCT to Bethesda
• Georgetown Branch Trail to Silver Spring
• Sligo Creek Trail to Hyattsville

This track stops at Shortcake Bakery. We actually continued on to College Park and rode Metro home, but apparently I forgot to resume my routing.

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We really just stumbled on the bakery itself, but it looked so appealing we wanted to take a break. The sign said they had just closed, but she opened the door and invited us inside while they were cleaning up. We ate several of their treats, one more delicious than the next, and felt like we’d really lucked out to encounter such great hospitality.

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So case in point, if it weren’t for the bike trail, we never would’ve stopped there. And I would totally go back again.

[GovernorSilver]

You’ve given me some ideas to ride there, ginacico. Thanks!

As for article comments, I skipped them – I figured they’d be just like the other comments on news articles, all noise and no signal.

[PotomacCyclist]

Usually the GGW comments can be quite informative. There are a couple cranky people there. But in general, there are some very intelligent and thoughtful people who post there. I actually learn quite a bit about transportation planning, urban design and local neighborhoods in the greater DC region from many of the comments. Not kidding.

[mstone]

@PotomacCyclist 128499 wrote:

The comments on the article are surprisingly grumpy. What’s up with that?

I’m not sure it’s really the kind of article to attract many positive comments–there’s only so many ways to say “yup”.

[elbows]

Can someone please tell me how far up one could take the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail for a foray to this shop? This map seemed to imply that I could take it to Benning Road and that is my recollection as well.

Other thoughts on fun routes from Arlington?

[Greenbelt]

Elbows, you are correct, the ART currently stops at Benning Road, although that hasn’t stopped “some people” from going past the barriers to take pictures: http://www.thewashcycle.com/2015/11/anacostia-riverwalk-trail-construction-update-nov-2015.html

The work around is quite a ways out of the way. Take the Met Branch trail/Prince George’s commuter silk route something like this: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/11346342

[elbows]

Thanks. Glad the trail is progressing, although it’s always hard for me to watch the conversion from pervious to impervious.

One more question, if I may. How terrible is Bladensburg Rd from the Arboretum to Maryland?

[ginacico]

@elbows 128858 wrote:

How terrible is Bladensburg Rd from the Arboretum to Maryland?

Pretty sucky, if I recall, but it’s a short distance and doable. Google Maps shows a more bike-friendly route taking West Virginia to 18th to Rhode Island.

Another way to get up there would be via the Rock Creek trail / Beach Drive to Silver Spring, then down the Sligo Creek Trail. It does require navigating some roads through Silver Spring.

[Greenbelt]

@elbows 128858 wrote:

Thanks. Glad the trail is progressing, although it’s always hard for me to watch the conversion from pervious to impervious.

One more question, if I may. How terrible is Bladensburg Rd from the Arboretum to Maryland?

Not unrideable, but not great either. You have to either take the lane with great confidence and visibility, or take the sidewalk very slowly and watch for entrances and exits carefully. Northbound, you can get off Bladensburg Rd at 37 street just after the cemetery/funeral home, and access the park entrance to the right. Go down the park road and through the parking lot to access the spur to the Anacostia Trib trail system. The spur comes out just across from Bladensburg marina.

There’s also a sweet little CX track in the woods behind Colmar Manor park….

[Bruno Moore]

@elbows 128858 wrote:

One more question, if I may. How terrible is Bladensburg Rd from the Arboretum to Maryland?

Purgitorial to Hellish.

I do it pretty regularly; it’s okay on Saturdays, less so on Sundays, clear late at night (but watch for potholes and the pitch black Bladensburg Waterfront Trail on your way back), and choked and miserable weekdays.

You’re almost better off taking Montana up to 18th, using the climbing lanes to get to Varnum, then going north on Arundel Road through Mount Rainier at 22nd/Eastern/Varnum before crossing the bridge at 38th and taking the NE Branch to Shortcake. It’s how I’m planning to get to work once Bikeyspace opens up in Ivy City.

…and yes, Shortcake is awesome. So are Franklin’s and Vigilante, both of which might have bike-related business stories of their own. I know Chris Vigilante bikes to the roastery from DC, and Mike Franklin had a bit of a “grrr, bike path” to “BRING ON THE CYCLISTS!” conversion once people started locking up on his racks and drinking all his beer.

[PotomacCyclist]

@Brünø Moore 128990 wrote:

Purgatorial to Hellish.

I do it pretty regularly; it’s okay on Saturdays, less so on Sundays, clear late at night (but watch for potholes and the pitch black Bladensburg Waterfront Trail on your way back), and choked and miserable weekdays.

You’re almost better off taking Montana up to 18th, using the climbing lanes to get to Varnum, then going north on Arundel Road through Mount Rainier at 22nd/Eastern/Varnum before crossing the bridge at 38th and taking the NE Branch to Shortcake. It’s how I’m planning to get to work once Bikeyspace opens up in Ivy City.

…and yes, Shortcake is awesome. So are Franklin’s and Vigilante, both of which might have bike-related business stories of their own. I know Chris Vigilante bikes to the roastery from DC, and Mike Franklin had a bit of a “grrr, bike path” to “BRING ON THE CYCLISTS!” conversion once people started locking up on his racks and drinking all his beer.

Interesting choice of words, considering that the road goes through Cottage City, where the boy who inspired “The Exorcist” novel lived with his family. Modern observers tend to think that the boy was a prankster or seeking attention and not a victim of demonic possession, assuming that even exists. But it’s undeniable that news accounts of the boy inspired the novel and later the famous movie. So the “Exorcist” phenomenon has its roots in Cottage City.

[Author]

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