Nik Wallenda Wire Walking Over the Inner Harbor

I’ve got that end-of-the-year cold that I’d been putting off since January, so S. offered to drive me down to the Inner Harbor, but please–you don’t drive to see a guy walk on a tightrope 300 feet over the Inner Harbor. We hopped on our bikes and sped down the hill under gray skies until we found the crowd gathering to watch the wire walk (after finally finding a bike rack–c’mon, Inner Harbor, get with the program!). Continue reading

Looking Up the Railroad Tracks on Bush, Just After Severn

Today’s ride took me over to campus for the program’s end-of-the-year picnic, this time with dogs. I took my regular route down the hill, but I decided to stay on Dolphin, just to see where it would take me. The city isn’t in the kind of grid I’m used to, so I’m not always sure which streets are running which directions, but I had a hunch that if I stayed where I was, I might end up on Harlem Ave., which seemed increasingly likely as I crossed Eutaw and Druid Hill and Pennsylvania. Continue reading

View of the Inner Harbor From the World Trade Center

I woke up early, as per usual, and spent my morning reading for pleasure until I remembered that the farmer’s market was running, and although I know I’m supposed to be in it for the produce–which I am–but what got me out of bed were the mini donuts. I hopped on the bike and flew down the hill, got my mini bag of donuts, and did a tour of the place, picking up a little of this and a little of that. Continue reading

Makeshift Tower and Legg Mason Skyscraper From Bugs Charter School in Fells Point

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It was a sunny Saturday in Baltimore, and there were about a trillion things going on, from the Ciclovia between Druid Hill and Roland Parks, the American Visionary Arts Museum’s Kinetic Sculpture Race, the Flower Mart in Mt. Vernon, a Cinco de Mayo street fair on Broadway in Upper Fells Point, the Maryland Film Festival, and a speak out about the Baltimore Development Corporation downtown. I’m feeling under the weather, but it was the kind of day I’ve been waiting for, so I sucked it up and took my bike on a tour of some of those things before I lost my steam and the afternoon rains came down. I saw and heard so many things on my bike ride today, from a giant pink poodle powered by bicycles to a carpet of flowering plants around the Washington Monument, from the inside of that old Methodist church on that Mt. Vernon corner to salsa dancers in the street. It was such a lovely day. I snapped this picture at an unexpected side trip to the student-organized and run farm stand and market at Bugs charter school. They were selling tomato and pepper starts, homemade candles, and lunch alongside facepainting and carnival games. I looked up and saw the cool structure I’m guessing kids helped build, framed by the Legg Mason building further toward the harbor. That’s one of those big development firms, the kind that runs through our tax dollars as they are funneled to and fro amongst scam artists at the many levels of “development” in Baltimore. Just think what a world we might live in if we let these kids do a thing or two with our cash instead. I pedaled all over today and tonight and had such a nice day doing it. I can’t wait to see how days will feel when I no longer have this sickly frog in my throat.

Tree Growing From a Building at Lafayette & Charles

Today’s ride took me up to Hampden for another bikram yoga class where I’m trying to stretch out my tight bicycling hips. Yeah, I’ve got a ways to go with that. After a quick stop at home for a shower and lunch, I took my writing project with me and flew down the hill to meet V. for a coffee and work date. These are just the kind of small errands that are done much more quickly on bike than in a car; the last thing I want to do is spend time and money parking my car in Hampden or Station North. Continue reading