Today’s ride took me up through Druid Hill park and over to Mondawmin Mall for a little shopping. The ride was just beautiful–under gray skies but through lush green and around a silvery reservoir to the Jones Falls Trail and its twists up and over to the conservatory and the zoo. I rode to the side of the conservatory to check out the giant agave plant’s flower. Continue reading
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A Curve in the Jones Falls Trail From Druid Hill Park to Woodberry
I woke up well rested this morning, a rather rare occurrence lately. I’m having this problem where I’m in such a lovely mood that I am trying to stay awake long enough to not miss it. Thing is, I need sleep, and I got a good lot of it last night, which meant I was pretty much immediately ready to hop out of bed and take a nice bike ride around town. I headed over to Druid Hill Park where the neighborhood was doing laps–walking, jogging, high-stepping, and bicycling. It was a bit crowded, so I took the left off the reservoir path and onto the Jones Falls Trail, under tree canopies and around the arboretum, dodging zoo traffic and disc golfers, and then I was headed down the hill to Woodberry. I snapped this picture at one of the switchbacks on this prettiest part of the trail. It was all green and blue skies and a rare whisper of a cloud, and it felt so good, so at home, to be rolling down to another neighborhood for brunch. I ended up eschewing the newer, fancier choice for an old favorite, but that meant a ride along Clipper Mill Road in all its lushness for a short climb back to Hampden. And then I took the bike back toward Waverly for a stop in a garden to peek in on a beehive before spinning home. It was a perfect sunny Saturday morning, made inestimably better by traveling by bike.
View From a Shaded Bench in Middle Branch Park
Today’s ride took me down the hill to the Inner Harbor and around to Federal Hill to join A. for a work date at a Federal Hill coffee shop. We gossiped–her about writing, me about not writing–and then worked in 20 minute intervals, because sometimes that’s how you have to do it, especially when outside is all sun and blue skies and bicycles. After finishing up I had a few hours before I had to be anywhere or doing anything, so I rode around Federal Hill and then headed east to see where it would take me. Continue reading
View From the Fort McHenry Bike Path in Locust Point
Oh, I needed today. I woke up late and lazed about in bed with cats, gathering that vacation day vibe. I had a lovely long lunch with R. and O., eating dosa and talking about the layers of history and memory everywhere, the messages sent by trees about where matters and who doesn’t, and arranging our next meetings–why not have a meeting tubing on a river, O. asked? Sometimes you find the right people, and oh, it feels lucky. Afterward it was finally time to take the bike out for a ride. I zipped down the hill, fast as could be, and then up and around and up and down and up again to Fort McHenry. Continue reading
Safety Cone Overlooking Northwest Baltimore From Druid Hill Park
N. and I were getting ready to head to Druid Hill Park for a second day of Pride festivities. She was driving, but I’d have to head home first. “Why don’t you toss Brompty in the trunk?” Great idea. I folded up the bike, grabbed my helmet, and we were off. Continue reading
Train Stalled at the Crossing at Warner & W. Ostend
As soon as I slung my leg over my bike and clipped into my right pedal I felt like myself again, and I couldn’t help but dodge back and forth in the lane, doing that little dance of welcome home. Oh, it was good to get on the bike and race down the hill and up again, for the sweet treat of coffee and talk with two of my favorite nerds, E. and R. Afterwards R. and I lingered to talk about bikes and girls and things, and then I was off toward downtown and the Gwynns Falls Trail. Continue reading
Remains of a Demolished Building at Druid Park Lake Drive & Brookfield
Summer arrived today, and along with the heat and humidity it brought summer school with it, so most of today was spent prepping for class and then holding it in a chilled room on the ground floor of an otherwise empty building up on campus. I got home tired and feeling lazy, but I hadn’t been on the bike since Sunday; that just won’t do. I changed into my favorite summer riding skirt and a tank top, tossed my personal music player in my bag, and clipped in for a ride over to Druid Hill Park, because tonight all I wanted to do was listen to songs and pedal mindlessly with all the other folks out enjoying the turn of the seasons. Continue reading
Pedestrian Bridge in Patapsco State Park in Ellicott City
A. asked if I wanted to go for a bike ride this weekend, and surprise, surprise, I did! Today’s ride took us from my neighborhood to Ellicott City and back, by way of the Gwynns Falls Trail, Patapsco Valley State Park, the Trolley Trail, and the Gwynns Falls Trail again, and oh, was it lovely. It was 0ddly a little chilly with whirling winds, so we kept our jackets on as we pedaled down the hill, around the harbor, and up through Federal Hill to pick up the Gwynns Falls Trail and a route I remember from our ride back into town a couple weeks ago. Continue reading
Trash, Geese, and Goslings on a Pier on the Gwynns Falls Trail Near Broening Park
The weather report promised rain all week, including all day today, threatening to wash out R.’s birthday bike ride. But then it was just kind of gray in the morning, and then the sun came out, so what the hell, we said, let’s through caution to the wind and ride our bikes, predictions be damned! We are risk takers, what. After loading up on carbs at the local coffee shoppe, we headed down the hill and around the stadiums to the start of the Gwynns Falls Trail behind BARCS for another ride around the harbor. Continue reading
View From a Pier Along the Gwynns Falls Trail Near Harbor Hospital
Today’s ride started early early, up with the sun in anticipation for the short ride to Waverly to meet J., C., and our new beehive! I spent a goodly portion of my childhood wanting to be a beekeeper, so when they asked if I wanted to go in on a hive together, well, that was a no brainer. We spent an hour and a half moving the combs from the home hive to our new one and then staring at the hive, wondering if the bees were ok, if the bees that were in the box would find their way home to the new hive, if there was a queen in there even though we didn’t see her, and just generally being excited about the appearance of bees on the scene. Continue reading
What I Saw Riding My Bike Around Today 