Leader: Dan Donahue (and reporter!)
Members: Ron Altemus, Rick Hagen and Lisa Petersen
Route: Back country roads to a historic African-American schoolhouse, then via Piney Point Rd to the eponymous Piney Pt. Lighthouse for a rest stop. Next a tour of St. George Island before returning on Piney Point Rd to the start. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43148060 32.3 mi, 500' elevation gain.
Weather: Low humidity, sunny day, but it did require windbreakers and cycling tights, with starting temps in the high 50s, reaching the low 60s by ride's end.
AMS: 12.1
Mechanicals/Mishaps: none
Report: this was a trip that averaged 12.1 mph, but it doesn’t give the full picture. At times, we did 14 mph. At other times, we were down to 8 mph, looking at lots of osprey along the water and admiring other unique Southern MD scenery and wildlife. This was also a very social ride where, at a turnaround on St. George Island, we met a couple who were also cycling, and we spent what seemed like 15 min. chatting with them.
The purpose of the ride was to expose people to some of the unique St. Mary’s County history that spanned the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War, and WWII. This included touching bases at the Drayden one-room African-American schoolhouse and Piney Point Lighthouse and Museum, which was our rest stop.
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<- We also toured both sides of St. George Island (seen from Piney Point), taking in the watermen culture of the county. |
This ride also gave me a great opportunity to regale people with all of the history of the area that I’ve acquired over the years. Everybody seemed to have a great time.
