Ok - I will admit, I am literally a fair weather bike commuter. I only will bike to work on days when the temperature is above 50 degrees in the morning. That being said, I have loved bike commuting over the last couple of years. There are so many obvious reasons why bike commuting is a good choice. Its good for your health, good for the environment and great for your wallet.
But I am not writing this post to be preachy, I am writing it to remind all of you who might be thinking about bike commuting about the not-so-obvious perks of biking. If you live in a city that you love (like me), you may often have moments when you realize that you don't spend enough time exploring it anymore. I mean, I have been to Tidal Basin during the Cherry Blossom Festival a few times but haven't gone the last two years. I love how beautiful it is but I don't make the time to go because I am busy and I know it will just be overrun by tourists. Luckily I haven't really had to miss out on spring blossoms at all this year! My new bike route takes me on the streets north of the US Capitol building and I had the privilege of riding through an abandoned grove of about 50 cherry trees in full bloom. It was such a beautiful spring moment and I had it all to myself.
The great thing is that 1. biking forces you to engage with your surroundings to a higher degree than you would when you are in your car - you notice more, 2. it takes you on roads and routes that will expose you to new hidden gems like my private grove of cherry trees and 3. Commuting to work means that you are on your bike early in the morning and in the evening, which depending on the time of year, may be at sunrise and sunset. So even if you have the same bike commute day in and day out, you get to see it in many different phases of lighting. The added bonus of this is that you avoid all crowds and can take a quite moment to soak in the beauty before the tourists descend.
My old bike route was along the potomac and then took me across Arlington Bridge and then right in between the Reflecting Pool and the Lincoln Memorial. Some of the most beautiful moments I have witnessed in all of my five years in DC have been during my bike commute. I have seen the Reflecting Pool and the Washington Monument hundreds of times, but I never get tired of it. As proof, just look at my instragram feed and you will find many many photos.
Enough said. Here are some of the beautiful moments I was able to witness from the seat of my bike.
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| a foggy morning on the Potomac |
Gah! These are gorgeous. Absolutely lovely.
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