Days 3, 4, and 5

Day 3: Took a day off in Arlington to spend my last few days in DC.  For the second time, I brought too much weight on a bike tour.  Got rid of some old gear and bought a few new things from REI.  Replaced my old 7 lbs. tent with a 2 lbs. tent.  The bike now rides much smoother after dropping some weight.

Day 4: Stayed in Arlington again.  I rode the metro out to New Carrollton station with my bike so I could finish the bit that I missed.  I like to think of it as "uncheating," albeit I went without my gear so the bike was lighter, and it was a beautiful day as opposed to the cold rainy one on Day 2.  Riding in from Maryland made me appreciate the bike-friendliness of DC's roads.  Distance ridden: about 15 miles from New Carrollton, MD to Arlington, VA.

Day 5: Rode from Arlington, VA to Culpeper, VA.  It was a beautiful day and riding was great for most of the day.  Northern Virginia had wonderful bike paths taking me the first 15 miles.  There was a stretch of 11 miles with heavy traffic and a tiny shoulder that I had to ride off the road for a while to avoid trucks.  The rest of the trip was full of beautiful country roads winding through Virginia.  About 10 miles out from Culpeper, I was met by an awesome view of the Appalachian Mountains in the distance.  At present, I am Couchsurfing with David and Sarah in Culpeper.  They made an awesome taco dinner with homemade tortillas, and now we are watching Into the Wild.  I'm resting up now, with three days of rain to look forward to.  Distance ridden: about 75 miles.