Today’s ride took me down the hill to Harbor East for a stop at the gym. I went swimming wearing my new goggles that came with vision correction. They aren’t my prescription, but wow, they made a huge difference, and I could see underwater for the first time in my memory. It was fantastic and magical and I just loved it. Now I if I can just teach myself how to swim properly… Continue reading
parks
Pocket Park on S. Duncan Between Pratt & Lombard
Today’s ride took me back downtown, over that rat at 25th & Guilford that is now flat as a back-to-school notebook (except for the tail poking up in high relief), through the parking lot that’s been made part of the bike path, down the hill, a left on Center, right on Fallsway, and through Little Italy to Harbor East for a stop at the gym before joining V. for lunch in Fells Point–yep, it’s the waning days of summer, and I’m enjoying them. Continue reading
Fluid Movement’s Water Ballet at Patterson Park Pool at Linwood & Pratt
Today’s ride took me down the hill and to the left to Patterson Park to meet friends for this year’s water ballet from Fluid Movement. I moved to Baltimore a week after the water ballet last year, and B. & G. were so sorry I was going to miss it, but now it’s this year, and I live in Baltimore now, so this time around I went to the water ballet. Nice. Continue reading
Overgrown Pier Next to Bond Street Wharf at Thames & Bond Street
If I’m being totally honest, I didn’t really feel like going out for a bike ride. I felt like lazing about in my pajamas watching the Olympics, courtesy of this $15 antennae I picked up yesterday. I sighed myself up, put on my shoes, and headed out the door, promising myself that after an hour I could go back inside and watch other people do athletic things to my heart’s content. Continue reading
Corner House at Mayfield & Kenly
Today’s ride took me over to Lake Montebello for an easy couple of laps around before heading to the frozen yogurt place. I was feeling rather out of sorts, and it took awhile for the ride to put me back in. Near the end of the first lap I got off the path and rode around the surrounding neighborhoods a bit. Continue reading
Oil and Navy Ships From Canton Waterfront Park
I’m off on a walking and hiking vacation next week, so this Saturday found me busy as a bee, tying up loose ends before heading west. After writing a little of this and a little of that it was time to run Brompty down to the bike shoppe for her much-overdue one month check up. Continue reading
View From the East Side of Lake Montebello
I had a super long day at work, including a frustrating last hour and a half–it’s hard to advise students who haven’t been given the space to develop discernible interests–and the last thing I had the energy for was a bicycle ride. I had some errands I had to do, though, and they were all within a 2 mile radius, so there I was, on the bike–it’s just faster that way. Continue reading
Litter Pooling in the Tiny Lake in Patterson Park
As the guy stopped next to me at the light on 25th & Guilford said, 15 degrees cooler makes it almost fun to ride our bikes again, and it did. I headed out to run an errand and then just kept riding, enjoying the feel of a regular summer day. I zipped down the hill and over through Little Italy and Fells Point, through Patterson Park and over through Canton to Brewer’s Hill for some iced tea with my writing. Continue reading
View of a Creek off Guyton & Bottom in Gunpowder Falls State Park
My dear friend S. has been in town visiting from New Orleans, which means everything feels like home, even though I’m not riding my bicycle (though this might be a good reason to get a tandem). We’ve spent time driving and walking, and today we did a little of both. S. drove us out to Gunpowder Falls State Park for some easy hiking and a session sitting ourselves in the cold waters of a creek that I swear is flowing the wrong way. Continue reading
People Standing in the Sprinkler in Front of the Lincoln Memorial
Oh, man, it was hot today, and I was travelling by bike in a city I don’t know well. By the time I righted all my wrong turns from Columbia Heights to Georgetown to meet H. for brunch, I was a sweaty, frazzled mess. I folded down the Brompton and went into the air conditioning to wait. The bike tucks so neatly under a table, and I think I’m finally over my nerves that folks won’t let me bring her inside. After we parted ways I headed down to the alleged bike/ped path along the old C&O Canal, but I just wasn’t up to dodging rocks on the unpaved trail or hopping upended bricks on the other side. The heat was already geting to me, so rather than try to follow the googleymap, I just gon on Pennsylvania Avenue and pedaled until I got a nice breeze going. Eventually I saw a sign directing traffic to the Lincoln Memorial, so I took the soft right until I was in the well-signed tourist area. The place was summer-crowded with school tours in matching t-shirts, so I got off and walked until I found myself on the right side of the memorial~the side with the sprinkler. Oh, thank you, National Park Service! I snapped this picture before getting myself sprinkled, and then I was back on my way, past the Korean War Memorial, around the Washington Monument, and past museum after museum after museum until I reached the Capitol Building. Union Station’s right behind there, so I took a right, pedaled up the hill, dodged cars and pedestrians in the roundabout, and was finally back in air conditioning. I sucked down a couple bottles of water befoere boarding a delayed MARC train back to Halethorpe for a quick pedal to my car that I left on campus yesterday. And now I’m home, rehydrating, and looking at maps of DC for my next trip, hopefully after the heat wave has waned a bit.
What I Saw Riding My Bike Around Today 