Yeah, I'm not a huge fan of being on the beltway either. Given my commute, I've found that probably 80% of the time, it's the fastest way to go. I live in the the city by Union Station and work out in the White Oak area of Silver Spring. So I'm generally heading in the opposite direction as the rest of the traffic.
When my work moved out here (used to be in Rockville) I spend a fair amount of time reading maps and have a number of more (much more) enjoyable routes figured out. For my riding in the winter, I'm more concerned with arriving in a relativily unfrozen state and arriving quickly is a priority.
What I could really use is someone who has a good knowledge of the more "recreational" roads in the area. I've been exploring, but a occasional riding partner in the summer would be fab.
dave