Perfect weather, great company, and a fascinating journey through history made for a memorable morning on Alexandria’s Presidential History Bike Tour. Approximately 40 riders/historians met on a Sunday morning for Stephanie’s first ride as a member of BPAC and as a tour leader (with tremendous assistance from Josephine, Ken, and Nicole!). We traveled 13 miles through diverse neighborhoods and environments – link to route.

Photos credit: Josephine Liu

Over the course of nine stops, we explored the surprising connections between Alexandria and American presidents. We started in Del Ray, where President Obama famously stopped at Del Ray Pizzeria while Christmas shopping in 2011, inspiring a menu item that still bears his name. From there, we visited the former George Washington High School Stadium, where President Harry Truman attended a football game and John F. Kennedy held a campaign rally that drew 15,000 enthusiastic supporters in 1960. We paused near the George Washington Masonic Memorial to discuss Truman’s 1950 dedication of a George Washington statue before continuing to Crown View Drive, where Gerald Ford lived for nearly 20 years and from which he commuted to the White House during the first days of his presidency.

The ride continued through Alexandria’s more recent presidential connections. At Virginia Theological Seminary, we reflected on President Biden’s 2021 visit to a COVID-19 vaccination clinic focused on equitable vaccine distribution. At James K. Polk Elementary School, we discussed Alexandria’s retrocession from the District of Columbia back to Virginia, one of the most consequential political events in the city’s history. After an impromptu visit to a local lemonade stand, our riders enjoyed the story of Presto Valet owner Buddy Gritz, who, prompted by a late-night call, helped prepare Gerald Ford’s suit on the eve of Nixon’s resignation. We ended at The Dairy Godmother, where President Obama once treated daughters to frozen custard, and our riders enjoyed some well-deserved treats. It was a fitting conclusion to a ride that highlighted how presidential history is woven throughout Alexandria’s neighborhoods, schools, businesses, and public spaces.

Thank you and congratulations to everyone who joined the tour. Mark your calendars for August 22 social ride through the newly renovated Holland Lane with pizza and beer to follow!