And sometimes you take three days off of bicycling because your dear sister is in town, and she’s a runner, so you happily walk and take the bus and hope N. will pick you both up and drive you around town. Today, though, what I really needed was to get back on the bike. I didn’t get a chance to ride around until the evening, when I hopped on the bike and headed down to Mount Vernon for a meeting. In a shocking turn of events, especially for a Monday, the meeting ran short, so I had plenty of time to ride around town. I headed down to the main post office because I’ve never been inside that behemoth of Brutalist architecture, plus also I wanted to put a letter in the mail. Continue reading
parks
View of Baltimore Looking East From Druid Hill Park Reservoir
And then sometimes you just want to put some music in your ears and ride around in circles feeling happy to be alive, so that’s what I did on Thursday, heading to Druid Hill Park for a ride around the reservoir. I slowed way down once I got to the park, partly because I’m the slowest hill-rider in town, but also to watch the kid on the diving board in the pool. He was standing on the springboard facing away from the water, bouncing every once in awhile as other kids and an instructor looked on. There’s no way out but to jump off that board, but oh, that’s a scary jump. Continue reading
Patient Goats at the Maryland Zoo in Druid Hill Park
I’m writing this blog the day after this particular ride. Here’s what I remember: I got on my bike earlier than I thought I would, but N. takes L. & J. out to play early, before naptime, and she invited me to join them all at the zoo. I hopped on and pedaled quickly, enjoying that flying turn onto Remington Avenue, pedaling hard up the hill and flying back down, a left into the park where kids were pouring into the pool. I continued on to the reservoir path, going the wrong way, saying my how-you-doin’s to speedwalkers, bicyclists, and that guy with his dog. Continue reading
Fluid Movement’s Water Ballet at Druid Hill Park Pool
As N. and I rolled back into town from our epic journey to Rosedale, Maryland, she asked, “So, are you going to take a bike ride?” Maybe, I said, maybe not. I went ahead and took a ride–a short one–up to Druid Hill Park to check out Fluid Movement‘s water ballet inspired by Moby Dick. I took the street into the park to avoid what was sure to be a parking hassle. There were volunteers directing cars down and up a safety-coned street and others directing drivers straight up the hill. I went ahead and grabbed a parking spot right in front, smug bicyclist that I am, and got my ticket for the show. My favorite part of the show was just the fact that so many grown people would decide to devote this much time and energy to put on a water ballet. And also the youth diving team doing their show to this song. I grabbed a seat, read every single word and name in the program, and then enjoyed the conceit, the dances, the swimming, and the music. It’s just joy and that’s it, this show. A quick hour later and I was back on the bike, speeding the downhills home as the clouds rolled in. What a great weekend, eh?
The Pacific Ocean From the Pacific Coast Bike Trail in Fort Bragg, California
E. and S. know me well, even if it has been a decade since we lived in the same place, so of course they offered up a bike ride this morning, first by the post office so I could run an errand–my favorite sort of bike ride–and then to the town’s bike trail. In this town, the bike trail skirts the Pacific ocean, and at the risk of sounding melodramatic, it took my breath away. I know, my breath seems pretty easy to take, but c’mon, we’re talking about Yosemite and the Pacific here. It is all just spectacular. We pedaled along, smelling the ocean air and dodging the gaps and holes in asphalt that gets routinely washed out, saying our good mornings to other walkers, joggers, cyclists, and guys with fishing poles heading down the beach. I could get used to this breathtaking business, for sure, but then it was time to turn around and head home, promises of more rides tomorrow. It is all fog and cool breezes out here, and I wish I had my Surly with me to do some of Highway 1. Patience, patience, try to enjoy what’s here now and not just what you wish could be, I thought to myself as the ride ended too soon–a helpful reminder in general, I think.
View of Vernal Falls From the Lower Bridge in Yosemite
S. and E. said we could rent bikes and ride around Yosemite (I was in YOSEMITE!!! ZOMG!!!), or we could go on a hike. Ordinarily I’m all for bikes, but today I wanted the slowness of the walk so I could stare, because this place is so marvelous I just wanted to look up, wide eyes that I feared would never open wide enough to get it all in. I mean, these are the biggest granite monolith rock formations in the world–I’m not going to speed by them on a bicycle. Instead we joined many of the other 20,000 visitors at the park today on the Mist Trail straight up the hill toward Vernal Falls. As we crossed the first bridge the scene took my breath away, and then S. urged me a bit more to the right, saying, “It’s over here.” And then this view, which I couldn’t actually capture with my cell phone camera, that made my skin tremble and my eyes get weepy. Oh, John Muir, you were right. We walked almost to the top, every direction too much to handle, and then we tripped back down before getting back in the car for a long and winding drive to the coast. We got a 45 degree temperature change today, and tomorrow, the ocean. Vacation, you are ridiculous, and I approve. Now somebody lend me a bike.
Clouds Rolling In and Out at the Druid Hill Park Reservoir
Today I just wanted to ride my bike without negotiating traffic or pedestrians or anything, just to feel the warm air on my skin, skirt flapping in the breeze, music in my ears, so rather than explore, I headed to Druid Hill Park for some easy laps around the reservoir. The sky was gray and promised rain, but oh my goodness, I needed a bike ride, so off I went. The promised storm meant the pool was cleared out as kids waited impatiently for the all-clear and I everybody could have the chance to swim in the rain, a terrific pleasure. And then I did my laps as the gray sky gave way to this one, just three laps in, and everyone was back in the pool. A couple more and it was time to head home to meet N. and R. for a walk down to see a movie. The walk back was under that same gray sky from earlier, like the weather can’t make up its mind about what to give us. What I do know, though, is that summer is for bicycling, and it was good to get out for a short ride tonight. More tomorrow, please.
View of Canton From Fort McHenry
It was the last day of this much-needed vacation weekend, and oh, it was lovely weekend. I finished it up with a coast down the hill to pick up R. for a ride out to Fort McHenry on the promise of froyo at the end. I snapped this picture looking out toward Canton across the bay. Fort McHenry was behind us, all nostalgia for the great days of the War of 1812, that mostly-forgotten second revolutionary war. Continue reading
View of the Hanover Street Bridge From a Pier on the Gwynns Falls Trail
I woke up late after a most perfect late night out and my first thought was: bicycle! I hopped out of bed and onto the Surly for a ride over to the Waverly farmer’s market and breakfast at the corner diner. I rode back home for a quick stop before meeting M. for a ride out to Middle Branch Park. She is new in town and hasn’t been on that section of the Gwynns Falls Trail, so I was happy to join her for a ride. Continue reading
Looking Up From Mount Vernon Square
Summer school classes were finished and it was the Fourth of July and we all had the day off and the weather was hot and the sky was blue. The morning started with a walk and a bus ride and a walk with N., who clearly needs a bicycle. Then again, if you aren’t in a hurry–and we most assuredly were not–why not amble, wait, ride, and amble? Continue reading
What I Saw Riding My Bike Around Today 