I forgot I hadn’t added last weekend’s Coffeeneuring ride until I went to copy the details for this week’s. So you get both rides for the price of one!

Ride #7: Saturday, Nov. 16, evening
Friendship Café (2434 18th St., N.W.)

I decided that while I wanted to get ride #7 in, I also didn’t want to go especially far. I’ve been curious for a while about Friendship Café, which is located on the main drag in Adams Morgan, across the street from the bar where I sometimes go after one of my volleyball league’s games. (more…)

This week’s cold snap brought an unusual turn of events:

The gingko trees, which seem to shed their foliage all at once in a single exhausted sigh, dropped their leaves, still somewhat green, rather than their usual late autumnal gold.

The maples, however?

Still going strong.

Rudi comes home from Salt Lake, where he’s been visiting his mom, tomorrow night. I’m really looking forward to seeing him. Besides his return, here’s what I’m thinking this weekend should hold:

• Cook the quince that I promised Rudi would not still be hanging around when he returned home. If they’re on the stove when he gets back, that counts, right?
• Do laundry, since I did none while he was away and I’ll be traveling for work most of this coming week.
• Hang up the fairy lights around the living room, because we didn’t do that before Rudi left and it’s definitely easier with two people because of the way the furniture is arranged.
• Go to the library, where some new holds have come in.
• Ride bikes. Maybe separately. Maybe together. Mine will involve riding to hot beverages. Rudi’s may involve hills.
• Finish those last rows on my shawl so I can consider blocking it while I’m at my folks’ place for Thanksgiving.
• Put away ten things. Because my living room looks like it’s been a homeless encampment for the past year, and even my dead grandmother could put away a mere ten items.
• Find a pair of jeans. Yes, I should have just ordered some online so I’d have a decent pair to travel with. But I didn’t.
• Pull together my Virtual Advent Tour announcement.
• Soak up some sunshine on Saturday, because Sunday’s forecast looks overcast.

Man, my weekend looks like I’m going to be way more productive than my life suggests I’ve been otherwise lately. Fingers crossed that I get through at least half of this list…

What are you looking forward to this weekend?

Ride #6: Sunday, Nov. 10, evening
Pluma (391 Morse St., N.E.)

I sort of procrastinated in figuring out where my next Coffeeneuring ride was until choices started dropping off my list due to it being Sunday and later in the afternoon.

After ruling out a different NoMa business after I arrived because I wasn’t feeling their menu that particular day, I pulled out my phone to see if I could track down an alternative.

Enter Pluma.

Pluma is the storefront for Bluebird Bakery and is located on a side street near Union Market. Their signage is minimal, and despite the fact that I’ve been over there a bunch of times (including the day before), I’d never noticed they were there.

This was a delicious oversight.

I opted for hot cider and a pear-ginger-hazelnut muffin. The muffin may look all healthy and bran-like there in its beigeness, but it is just trying to fool you. This is one of the best muffins I have ever had. The combination of flavors was mind-blowing. And the apple cider made the perfect crisply sweet counterbalance.

You’d better believe I’ll be back.

In terms of bikability, there are racks across the street next to Blue Bottle Coffee. And the nearest Bikeshare dock is on the other side of Union Market two blocks away.

It got dark (and a little chilly) while I was sitting inside. Because I was wearing dark clothes and my helmet’s light has gone out, I decided to take Metro home instead of biking back.

Total mileage: 3.85 miles

Ride #5: Saturday, Nov. 9, afternoon
Altani Gelato and Coffee (202 M St., S.E.)

Because they were holding a book-themed event, I decided to bike over to Canal Park near the ballpark Saturday afternoon. I took the bike trail that runs from Rock Creek Park and along the Potomac and then dumps you unceremoniously into the street at the Wharf Part II construction zone. (Honestly, a sign announcing “sidewalk ends” located on the far side of an intersection and 15 feet from a fence is pointless.) The day was brisk, with a breeze, but not unseasonable for November, and the sun had peeked through the clouds. A sweatshirt, puffy vest, and cowl were sufficient; I can’t actually remember if I was biking with my mittens on or not.

Anyway, I got to Canal Park in time to do a little shopping, but not in time to enjoy the fire pits or s’mores (alas!).

The skating rink at the park was doing good business on its first day of the season, but the line was not long at either the pizza place or the gelateria/coffeeshop inside.

While the gelato flavors looked exciting, I opted for the more traditional baked good and hot drink option. Cocoa would have been my preferred drink, but it was priced as if it were located next to a kids’ attraction, so I opted for a cup of Earl Grey instead. And at the barista’s suggestion, I opted for a pistachio croissant over a ginger puff.

Both were excellent choices, perfect for sitting outside. The croissant was filled the old fashioned way — sliced down its length and slathered with pistachio butter. This guaranteed there weren’t any empty spots! And Earl Grey is always a nice choice on a day with a bit of a chill in the air.

I watched folks skate for a while, as I perused my purchases. I thought about renting a pair of skates for a few minutes, but decided to save that for another day. But it was tempting.

There is a Bikeshare station across the street (and several others in close proximity), and a decent amount of bike parking at the park.

With the sun waning, it was time to move on. Because I didn’t want to miss an art opening (or arrive at it gasping and sweaty), I opted to catch metro to the rest of the day’s adventures. But it was a good stop, and I’ll be back in the warmer months to sample the gelato.

Total mileage: 5.28 miles

Ride #4: Sunday, Nov. 3, evening
Fresh Baguette (1737 Wisconsin Ave., N.W.)

After spending some time at the garden Sunday afternoon, I biked over to upper Georgetown to take care of some errands, with the hopes that Fresh Baguette might be a destination for coffeeneuring.

It was and they had a full selection of tasty things to try, including their namesake item — freshly baked baguettes, which are produced every two hours. While I did buy and tear into a baguette before I left, I also opted for a hot cocoa and pumpkin croissant. Look how pretty that croissant is.

As this was the first day of the return to Standard Time, sunset came awfully early, so I opted to eat at one of their handful of tables, rather than taking my snack outside. As Fresh Baguette doesn’t have any outdoor seating, I would have had to walk over to the nearby rec center, so it seemed reasonable to stay.

Everything I had was delicious.

Because this is in Georgetown, bike parking is horrible. There are definitely no racks outside and even skinny street signs are decidedly lacking in the immediate vicinity. There is bike parking at Safeway up a block, and also probably at the rec center, and back down a block at the library. And there’s a Cabi rack another block past Safeway, so that’s not an unreasonable walk for those of us who use that option.

I consumed my tasty treat, walked over to do my grocery shopping, and then took bike share home, arriving back in Dupont by 6, but still totally in the dark.

Total mileage: 2.48 miles.