Scenic St. Mary's

Before this last ride, we had both cycled down to Maryland's southern-most tip on the western shore, but never together. This time, we charted a loop course that took us by St. Mary's County farmland, Maryland's first capitol, St. Mary's College and the Potomac and St. Mary's Rivers. It was a beautiful, sunny day, and we made great time on our way south. Once we made an about-face, however, we realized why we had made such great time. We quickly saw the importance of calculating the direction and speed of the wind when setting a route. While our ride south followed the straight and speedy Route 235 (which also included a strong tail wind), our route north followed Route 5 - rolling hills aside the river, facing the wind head-on. Needless to say, we didn't make the best time on our return north!

We thought we'd share some photos with you of our scenic ride. Wide shoulders, low traffic, smooth roads and great views all make this a fun trip worth considering (and doing again)!

Pausing for a timer shot across from St. Mary's College

Wide shoulders and low traffic made it possible to keep your head "on a swivel!"

Checking out the sailing team on the St. Mary's River (plenty of breeze for them!)

Entrance to St. Mary's College

Views from the road - St. Mary's County, Maryland

Rolling hills and farmland - St. Mary's County, Maryland