2025-07-04 39 -77

Location

In an alley in Wheaton.

Participants

Plans

About three (suburban) blocks from the Wheaton metro. Another easy public transit geohash. Would tick off: Montgomery County and the 8th congressional for the graticule. - Adam (talk) 14:43, 3 July 2025 (UTC)

Expedition

The lingering memory of the unbearable heat earlier in the week caused me to drag my heels, but I was out the door and on the metro by 1:30pm. Celebrations for Fourth of July looked (predictably) pretty muted this year as the red line train cut through the first crust of suburbs. I hopped off at Wheaton and spent a little time trying to figure out which one of the platforms (northbound or southbound) was featured on the front page of Wikipedia. I then decided that both of them were far less impressive than the record-breaking escalator, and chose the latter as the subject for today's Sightseeing snap.

I walked lazily through the small streets just to the east of the Metro. More places were open than I expected, and on the way I made a mental note of an Irish pub where I'd later drink a yuengling and scarf down some fish and chips. I got into the 'back' of the housing development where the hash sat and did my best to look non-threatening as I hooked around to the rear of the edge townhouse. While my finicky GPS was yet again getting finicky, the hash was very clearly landmarked by the back corner of the small parking area behind 11368, and I found my spot without much trouble.

After the aforementioned stop at the pub, I got back on the metro and returned home full, a little tipsy, and accomplished.

The next day, I got food poisoning.

Photos

A picture from the inside of the metro after arrival - for the Public Transport achievement.
The Uncertain Stupid Grin of someone who's right on top of the hash but quite get their GPS to lock on.
As good as the GPS got in the abyssal vinyl-sided canyons of Townhouse Suburbia.
A sobered, distanced look at the hash from a few meters away.
The Wheaton Metro escalators; longest single span in the Western hemisphere!
The architecturally-distinct studios of WTOP, just across the road.