Over and Under: Biking the Bridge

Spurred by a recent comment about a lack of traffic on the >Sister City Friendship Bridge, my family set out to bike across this enticing expanse. Whizzing past in the car, I’ve always wanted to try it.

Ten years ago residents identified I-270 as a major barrier between Town Center and points west. No sidewalks, shoulders or crosswalks existed. The Sister City Friendship Bridge opened in October 2007 to remedy this situation. Now it connects the Fallsgrove neighborhood to our new Town Center. The name honors our 50-year friendship with Pinneberg, Germany. In February 2008, the One Less Car organization named it one of the most bicycle and pedestrian-friendly projects in Maryland.

At 0.75 miles in length, the bridge turns out to be two bridges meandering through the loud roar of I-270. Although it was the middle of the day, we met a man biking and a woman jogging, so people are using the bridge. The only dangerous part was crossing the street-level entrance and exit ramps for I-270 on the eastern side. One car almost didn’t stop for the red light before deciding to turn right. Once on the bridges, you can safely enjoy the view — of all the traffic. Our only disappointment was that the Bridge wasn’t longer.

Our excursion lasted about one hour and included a trip through the tunnel under Maryland Avenue by Monument Park. When biking with kids, tunnels and bridges are certainly the safest way to go. Now that we’ve tried it, I think we will regularly bike to visit our friends in Fallsgrove. In just one trip the Bridge has gone from a special destination to an ordinary necessity.

Outdoors in Rockville!

>This Contributor’s Review is from Rockville Central friend, Amy Ellis.

It’s finally time for the return of the outdoor events that really make it feel like Spring/Summer in Rockville! I enjoy the greening plants and blooming flowers of early Spring very much, but my heart really sings when it’s time to get outside to dine, listen to music, and stroll comfortably around the city- not too cool and not yet hot and humid. There are a number of restaurants downtown with outdoor seating and it’s getting to be one of the prime times of the year to take advantage of that opportunity.

This past Saturday, May 17th, was the opening day for our Rockville Farmer’s Market. The sky was a beautiful blue, a brass band playing in the background lent a particularly festive atmosphere, and many old favorite vendors were back for another season selling local produce, baked goods, plants, meat, cheeses, and toiletries. These folks all grow or produce their own goods, so shopping at the market is a great opportunity to support not only the local food movement, but also hardworking small business people who take great pride in the high quality of the things that they sell. Strawberries are in at many of the farms (and will be coming in soon for others)- YUM!- and I saw lots of wonderful looking salad greens, bedding plants, and cut spring flowers. I satisfied my craving for sweet breads at the Trail Garden (and noted for future expeditions that a new baker- Praline- had some very tempting croissants that will certainly warrent a tasting), picked up some Minty Foot Cream at Bubbles and Bees (a little goes a long way- the big jar lasted me all Winter), snagged fudge at Unger’s, and of course grabbed some strawberries, too!

My whole family has been looking forward to the return of Concerts on the Square. Last Summer, we frequently met friends for the Thursday evening concerts- getting take-out for dinner at one of the restaurants in Town Center (Lebanese Taverna was a big favorite and this year I’m looking forward to Bobby’s Crabcakes) and making a picnic of the occasion. The kids played together in the grass while the adults listened to the music and enjoyed some conversation. We’ve already got plans to go out and hear Seamus Kennedy next week. I’m glad to see that Wednesday night will also be a concert option through July and we are looking forward to attending one of the Movies on the Square events. The Tuesday Kids Day events look like fun, too. Magic, reptiles, Mad Science- what’s not to like about that?!

The Rockville Express Summer Collegiate League baseball games appear to be worth checking out. They will play at Knight’s Field at the Rockville Campus of Montgomery College during June and July. It looks like an excellent chance to take the kids to watch a baseball game that’s close to home with reasonable ticket prices and a small venue where you can see the action up close. Someday you may even have the chance to say about a major league star “I remember seeing him play during the summer in Rockville back when he was in college…”

Finally, the weekend slate of activities for Hometown Holidays looks great and if the current predictions hold up, it looks like the weather will be perfect. I want to check out the VisArts Fine Arts Festival, my older son is excited about participating in the Ride and Stride for Rockville (this year the 2-mile fun walk for a start) and we will all enjoy having a “Taste of Rockville” and listening to/watching the many fine performers scheduled on various stages around town. The Memorial Day Parade will cap off the weekend. Truly something for everybody!

What do you like to do outdoors in Rockville? Share your favorites in the comment box…

POTD: Not Too Far Away

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This lovely photograph is by Rockville Central reader Janet Brown. Of it, she says:

“It’s a picture of one of my most favorite places in Rockville - the wrap-around porch of The Argyle House. . . . I come from a coastal town called Barry in Wales, UK. It has about the same population as Rockville, but is different in many ways. We don’t have these pretty houses like The Argyle House and we don’t have porches like this. Barry has fresh sea breezes all year that can blast you and this west coast area of the UK rarely has balmy summer evenings. So I really enjoy sitting out on this porch when the weather is warmer. This spring picture of bright morning sunshine tells me that summer is not too far way.”

Do you have a favorite place in Rockville? Let us know where — and why — and we may feature it! (It helps if you have a photo, but not required.)