It was another beautiful sunny fall day in Baltimore, and it felt so, so good to head out on the bike to enjoy the weather and brunch and then a ride with no destination. I decided to check out the Edgar Allan Poe house, because word on the street is it may not be around long. Some historical sites don’t seem to be affected at all by pesky details like the economic crash. I mean, check out the majesty of Fort McHenry–that place is ridonkulous. I know, I know, maybe it has more national meaning than Poe’s house, but if we had any sense of equity, the Poe House would be open more than a few days a week from 12:00-3:00. Anyway, I followed my googleymap directions down Eutaw and over on Saratoga, a left on Amity. I was saying my how you doin’s to the folks sitting outside enjoying the weather, and one guy pointed down the block: it’s the house at the end with the green stairs. I’m pretty sure he’s used to sending all the white people who pass his house to the Poe House. I managed to miss the house anyway, ended up over on Poppleton (how great a name is that?), and circled back, ISO green stairs. I found it, but it was closed–d’oh! I read about the neighborhood in Poe’s time, made a mental note to come back before the place closes for the season in December, or for good. I rode over to the B&O Railroad Museum, Celebrating the Birth of American Railroading, but it was closing in a 30 minutes, and I knew I was going to need more time than that, so I circled the trains in the parking lot, made a mental note to return, and then continued on my way, down Pratt Street, through the harbor, and over to a coffee shop for a little grading. I headed back to McKeldin Square for a little time at Occupy Baltimore and a talk from Max Rameau from the Take Back the Land movement. So many good things to say, and I’m so glad I went. Coalition building, don’t succumb to the demand to settle on demands, if everyone’s a leader they can’t knock out the movement by eliminating “leaders.” Oh, and Whose land? OUR LAND! I headed back up the hill to home, a lovely end to the weekend.