ALEXANDRIA, VA to WASHINGTON DC, to BETHESDA, MD  40 MILES. GOT LATE START-10:00 AM. 2 m to Mt. Vernon-20 tour buses lined up-keep going on bike trail all the way to DC. Stop at boat ramp-eagle picture. Go over bridge-look at map-Dwayne asks if we need help. Tell our story-says we motivated him-asks if he can pray w/us. Hold hands & he prays for us-reminds me when Mary Ruth did the same before each biking day-after yesterday we need God’s help. Bike trail to DC-bumpy, congested (runners, walkers, bikers, skaters, dogs), stressful w/traffic going both ways. DC is amazing-100,000 people here today-beautiful day. Stop at White House-didn’t see Obama. Too many people- get back on trail to MD. Not as many people-biker tells us Bethesda is 15 m away. Pass biker-asks about ride-now just want to find motel. Bethesda-trying to use GPS-same biker stops & asks if we need help. Has smart phone-calls several hotels-$270 & up. Susan is a teacher-knew there was a  reason we hit it off. She biked across America w/brother in 80’s. Can’t take us home-calls brother-he’ll take us. Go on dirt trail-trouble keeping up. Get to his house-golf clubs sitting in front yd-just getting home from golf. Standing in front yd to welcome us like family-Susan bikes away. BOB & TALI are bikers-toured Ireland on honeymoon. Also did RAGBRAI (ride across IA) last yr-IA wearing RAGBRAI jersey. Invited us to dinner-went w/Tali to pick up Indian food-made sure some of it was vegan. Not eaten Indian food-not sure like it. Dinner-daughter Miriam & boyfriend there too. Can’t believe they included us on MDay. Clean my plate, get 2nds. Miriam & boyfriend leave to go back to Baltimore. More we talk, more we have in common. Bob & I are teachers-going to retire this yr. (also has law degree) ran marathons, plays golf & tennis-like Armand. Tali bikes & does triathlons. No tv in house-went 20 yrs without 1, no cell phone-have flip phone but rarely turn it on. Tali just had knee surgery-go for walk after dinner. Rubarb pie for dessert-pie don’t eat-try small piece-clean plate. Have room downstairs- picture of daughter Hannah-w/loaded bike-graduated from hs & biked across America w/friends. There bikes are down here too.

ARE THERE BIKE ANGELS? People who out of the goodnes of their heart-stop & help total strangers. SUSAN didn’t have to stop or try to help us find a place to stay, but she did. BOB & TALI didn’t have to open their house to us but they did. Certainly hope we see them again.