Destination: Zombie Central

The current episode of "The Walking Dead" on AMC has our hairy band of heroes trying to settle down in Alexandria, Virginia--the ultimate destination for the Puget2Potomac Ride. As you might imagine, my geek-brain is in overdrive.

My brother-in-law recently snapped this photo
of my old house. That's my paint job and
landscaping still in great shape.

I lived nearly half my life in and around Alexandria. First, growing up outside the city in Fairfax County. Then returning in the mid-90s to live in the city proper for a few years before moving south outside the city limits again.

It's a beautiful city with a rich history that touches on the American Revolution and the Civil War. The first house I ever bought is a sweet little townhouse on South Columbus Street. It was 60-years old at purchase and the bricks used in its construction came from the dismantled British Embassy in DC years before that.

So while I'm watching "The Walking Dead" in full knowledge that the producers did not shoot any of the footage anywhere near DC (Atlanta to be exact), I'm enjoying the possibilities of where, in one of the most congested cities in the US, would an off-the-grid housing development be situated?

• South of the city limits. Fairfax County directly south of Alexandria is an established community of brick and split-level homes. Not a good fit.
• Duke Street and Cameron Station. This area saw a lot of new development mixed in with the old when I was living in Virginia. The new development didn't always seem tied to the architectural heritage of the area, which would suit the homes in the show.
• Del Ray. The cottages and bungalows of this area sell at a premium. Maybe a new development could find its way in with an aggressive developer who had the money for mass teardowns.

Truth be told, the homes in the show are better suited for the outskirts of DC, say in Ashburn. But all this idle thinking has me looking forward to the ride east--to which--I'm revisiting the route.

The start and end of the trip are still the same--leave Seattle and ride east on I-90 to Montana and eventually dip my tire at the Bellehaven Marina in Alexandria--it's the in-between that needs improvement.

With the side trips planned for Beartooth Highway, Devil's Tower, and Mt Rushmore combined with the long stretch of road in South Dakota and Iowa, I need better planning on the in-between part. Nine hours on a bike will be tiring for one day, not to mention doing it a couple days in a row. So I'm mapping out stop-along spots. It looks like Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is now a night stop as might be Davenport, Iowa. The tent will be packed so stopping before exhaustion hits will be an option.