Leader: Joan Oppel
Members: Ron Altemus, Mary Scala, Karen Morgan, Randy Sim
Route: Scenic and low traffic (except for some short miles on Croom Rd). This route went out North Keys, Molly Berry and up Van Brady, then all of Duley Station, Croom to Mt Calvert/Duvall, rest stop at Jug Bay. Then onto Merkle via Croom, St Thomas/Fenno and around Nottingham, Tanyard, returning Brooks Church, Baden Naylor, Candy Hill, North Keys.
Weather: Sunny, very sunny - comfortable temperatures in low 40's (with layered clothing).
Report: Lovely day for riding, quiet roads (exception: Croom but we were on it a total of only about 3 miles in two segments). Sun dappled fields, trees, ponds, marshes, shrubbery horses. Tower is open at Jug Bay as are restrooms. We did stop to consider that we were riding through history - Nottingham has a brief place in the 1814 British attack on government buildings in Washington, the last time the Capitol was attacked prior to the events of yesterday, January 6, 2021. (This route was chosen the day before, Jan 5.)
In 1814 the British briefly landed in Nottingham, prior to the Battle of Bladensburg in which they defeated U.S. forces. The British went on from Bladensburg to attack and burn government buildings in Washington - including the Capitol.
NOTE: Tanyard Road remains closed to traffic, the road bed has a gash more than the width of the road, spanning 1 to 4 feet. We very carefully walked around it. The damage is about 1/4 mile from the curve where Nottingham becomes Tanyard, heading from Nottingham Road to Tanyard Road.
