And some days you are pretty much just going through the motions, but fortunately, going through the motions for me means I get to ride my bike, which I did, down to Harbor East for a quick swim and then over to the Inner Harbor piers for lunch. I walked my bike to lunch so I could give my legs a different stretch, and I heard what sounded like a xylophone coming from over there. It’s Pierce’s Park, and it was all wavy lines and dulcet tones and children running around and climbing things like they do at every park. It was seriously a class act. Continue reading
personal
Pedestrian Bridge Welcome to the Eastern Deciduous Forest at Oregon Ridge State Park
Today I got to ride a brand new kind of ride for me. J. was leading a training ride up to Oregon Ridge State Park, and I have to admit, I was kinda a-skeered to join her because of all the hills. I ride up the hill and down the hill all the time in Baltimore, but this was going to be different, all rolling hills, and I didn’t know what they’d be like AND WHAT IF I HAD TO GET OFF MY BIKE AND PUSH IT UP THE HILL. Continue reading
Mural on a Building at Guilford & Lanvale
It was cold and rainy yesterday and dark and cloudy this morning, but by the time I got on the Surly the sun was out, the sky was blue, and it felt like springtime. I zoomed down the hill and around the side of downtown Baltimore for a quick swim in the pool before heading the other way and up to Locust Point for some treats. It had been almost a week since I did this typical ride and it felt like home, the same row houses and red lights and intersections where cars tend to just run right on through the crosswalks so you have to be extra careful, even when you’ve got the green. It’s nice to get to know a place, but it’s also nice to just know one, and Baltimore’s a good one. Continue reading
Bicyclists Speed Limit Sign in the Trees Along the B&A Trail Near Pasadena
A long ride was on my calendar today, so even though I really just wanted to laze on my couch and watch college basketball and looking at cats, I strapped the Surly onto my car and drove us out to BWI for a ride around the airport and off toward Annapolis. I’ve already figured out that 2-3 hours on the bicycle’s a teensy bit boring, especially when you’re treading the same ground you did three days ago, so I put some podcasts on my portable listening box to take along with me. Continue reading
Pier Into the Bay at Middle Branch Park
Oh yes, it’s spring break, and I need it, badly. I have a zillion things to get done this week, but this weekend I am going to take a much needed actual vacation, and it started with a bike ride on a relatively warm day, in and out of the wind. I hopped on the Surly and headed down the hill, a quick stop for bike gloves and and then for a sandwich, and I was on my way to the Gwynns Falls Trail and a ride over to Middle Branch Park. I took my time, pedaling slowly into the wind–every direction was a headwind today, it seemed–and enjoying the sights. Continue reading
End of Horse Route at the B&A Trail & Boulter’s Way
I had to go to campus today for a meeting and then another meeting, and my strong desire to not go to campus meant I had to bribe myself, so I popped the Surly on the back of the car and drove us there with the promise that we could ride the trail out to Annapolis after work. Rather than park at the airport, I drove to the start of the B&A Trail, taking the long way because I didn’t plan my route beyond “drive toward the airport.” Continue reading
View Down the Herring Run Park Trail Near Parkside & Harford Road
Today was just the perfect Sunday. I woke up early, did a little reading, and then took the Brompton to S.’s for a ride over to Patterson Park where we met friends for a walk. There were dogs, guys practicing football, loud noises coming from the ice rink, a trip down the slide, swinging, a round of knee-slap (S. invented this excellent game–ask her for a demo next time you see her), and then we found a basketball and discovered that C. is a good shot and S. can get significant air. Continue reading
Club Orpheus Sign at Pratt & Exeter
Saturday’s ride took me down the hill against the Baltimore wind machines for a dip in the pool. I do this ride so often that it just feels like home, like that old ride from the Garden District up to Tulane when I lived in New Orleans–same streets, same houses, same potholes and traffic patterns every day, but every day it is a little bit different in the ride. This day’s ride was frustrated by surprising traffic–where’s everybody going on a Saturday, man? Get off my downtown streets! Continue reading
Lunch Table at the Women’s Industrial Exchange Restaurant at Charles & Pleasant
Today’s ride was a quick one, just down the hill to meet J. for lunch and a chat about bicycling, one of my most favorite topics. I woke up to rain, but it was just a bare mist when I headed out, and besides, what am I going to do? Drive downtown and park? Please. I took Maryland Avenue, which is a speedy ride and takes me over the freeway. Continue reading
Blue Skies, Trees, and Naked Poles at E. Lafayette & S. President
I woke up to snowy skies and yesterday’s wind, but I was pretty much dedicated to riding my bike to the gym to go for a swim in an attempt to get back on a schedule, so that’s what I did after some reading and writing. I layered up, put on my hat and gloves, and pulled the bike out. And the wind. Wow, it was cold, and there was a thin layer of ice everywhere in the shade. I carried my bike down the stairs, put a foot on an icy spot, almost slipped, and reconsidered my dedication to taking a bike ride. I am, however, quite stubborn, so I hopped on, tried not to brake, and was on my way. Continue reading
What I Saw Riding My Bike Around Today 