Early-ish January lunchy get-together
in this 250th anniversary year of US Independence
at the usual Wednesday time and place :)
It's January in NoVA. Are you freezing yet? Whether you are or not, 2026 is the 250th anniversary of US independence in 1776 so that'll be the theme for this year. Get together in the warmth and talk about your winter holiday/New Year's fun and your caching plans for what's often the coldest month around here (I still remember the January we had a ton of ice storms*). Hoping this isn't one of those. The event will be ON unless the roads are impassible.
New cachers and the caching-curious, family, friends, etc. are welcome. All ages. Bring any trackables you'd like to have discovered - or removed from your possession.
CO can often stick around for a while after the official end time, so if you're running late PM the host.
We will be only be OUTSIDE if it's reasonably pleasant (50s-ish or warmer).
If we end up inside, grab that high, long table in the middle if it's available or else the banquette seating near there.
If we are indeed outside, the tables closest to the outside corner. Doggos are welcome outside but not inside.
There are multiple options for sustenance in this center if we are outside and you'd like get yourself a drink or additional edibles elsewhere. Please don't bring outside food/drinks in if we're inside.
No purchase required and no obligation to eat/drink.
Facilities:
Plenty of free parking, with space enough for RVs/trucks. Restrooms inside the corner food place, at least one other food place, and the grocery store. There are public bus stops within a few blocks, along Route 50. Gas station near the traffic light. Hotel across the street.
Meeting place has been happy to have us. Their info in case you need it:
Corner Bakery
3903B Fair Ridge Dr
(703) 934-8703
As usual, please don't attend if you have or might be coming down with COVID, the flu, etc. or if you're feeling sick in general. We'd rather see you when you're feeling well. Distancing is easy when we're outside; inside, not as much.
background image generated with AI Gemini
* My memory has it as 17 ice storms that winter; weather site says closer to a dozen:
https://www.weather.gov/lwx/winter_DC-Winters
January-February, 1994: These two months saw an unusual assault of ice storms on the Washington area. It began in mid January with an arctic blast that sent temperatures below zero over northern Virginia and western and central Maryland for a couple of mornings. The sudden cold wave shot up the use of electricity and natural gas. The effect was over such a large portion of the Eastern US that the power companies went into rolling black outs so as not to lose the grid entirely and requested people to conserve energy.
Between mid January and mid February, about a dozen storms hit dropping snow, sleet, and freezing rain. The most devastating storm struck February 10-11 leaving a coat of ice, one to three inches thick, from freezing rain and sleet! The hardest hit was an area from near Fredericksburg across southern Maryland and Annapolis. Some counties lost 10 percent of their trees from the heavy ice. Roads were blocked and impassable. Electric and phone lines were down with as much as 90 percent of the area's people without power. Even with help from out-of-state utility companies, many people were without power for a week. A presidential disaster declaration was given. Damages were estimated at near 100 million dollars for the region. There were numerous injuries from automobile accidents and people falling on ice. It was likely the iciest winter the Washington area has ever seen.