The trail from Alexandria to Mount Vernon is really lovely. Most of it is shaded and fairly level. There are beautiful water views and the surrounding neighborhoods are all excellent. We parked the bikes when we arrived and ate in the dining room, which was surprisingly good. The gift shops and all the facilities at Mt. Vernon are top notch. After the tour we meandered down to the river and took the boat back to Alexandria where we had dinner. It was a perfect day.
Due to weather issues we had to move the ride to July 5th and the guys from Bike and Roll were terrific about helping us with that and giving us directions to get to the starting point in Old Town Alexandria. Beautiful bike trails and the Mount Vernon tour was really interesting.
The ride was beautiful but all bike rental places are not alike. I rode the first 4 miles struggling with the rear brake system. Took us longer than expected, missed the tour and barely had enough time to catch the boat back. Lesson learned...be sure to check your bike before you leave the shop!!