As you might know if you read this blog, I love riding my bike, and I also love local history, so you can imagine my glee when E. asked if I’d like to help lead a bicycle tour of historic War of 1812 sites in Baltimore in September. Um, yes! My not-so-secret desire is to someday be a park ranger, so it seems like bicycle tour guide can only be good experience for a late-in-life career change. Continue reading
Fells Point
Brentwood Village Kid’s Zone at Chase & Forrest
Today’s ride took me down the hill to meet V. for a swim at the gym. I’m terrible at swimming, but I’m guessing that like most things, if I keep doing it, I’ll figure it out and get better at it, because my dad said that’s what practice does–it makes better. I meant to go to the grocery store and head home after, but then my bike just kept rolling east, through Fells Point, over past the new condo developments along the harbor near Canto (because gosh, we need more of those), and up through Canton on Fait Avenue. Continue reading
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
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
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
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
Ships From Brazil & Mexico Docked at the Inner Harbor For Sailabration

So it’s the bicentennial of the War of 1812, and Baltimore is pulling out all the stops to celebrate this war that nobody remembers. After finishing up my work at home, I hopped on the Surly and rolled down the hillfor a lovely lunch with V. before continuing my ride to the Inner Harbor to check out some ships. To be honest, I didn’t expect to be wowed by the ships, but I totally was; their sails just look lovely against the blue skies. You can board the ships for free, but Brazil closed early, and the line for Mexico was too bananas for me, so I got back on my bike and headed over to Fort McHenry. Being there on this particular Flag Day felt a little like that time I was at Jim Morrison’s gravesite on the 25th anniversary of his death–folks were having Emotional Experiences while I looked on. I traded facts about the war the exhibit doesn’t mention with a fellow visitor, his about the British freeing slave who then fought for their side, me about how we invaded Canada without proper preparations because we thought they’d welcome us as liberators. Oh, history. I toured the Fort, took some lovely photos of flags, and then dodged the crowd on my way back downtown, a quick stop for a haircut and some frozen yogurt, before meeting J. in Fells Point for dinner. Traffic’s a clusterf*k, so I hope he brings his bike. Yeah, I needed a day off like this one.
Makeshift Tower and Legg Mason Skyscraper From Bugs Charter School in Fells Point

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.
Public Comfort Station at Broadway & Aliceanna

Today’s ride first took me up the hill to Hampden for a haircut and a writing session before heading back home for more Fun With Laundry. The ride felt strained, and I wasn’t sure if that was because I was still sleepy or because I missed my morning coffee, but the afternoon ride taught me it was because my rear tire was low on air, and I felt the difference as I headed back to meet V. for a little shopping. Oh, a freshly pumped bike, a crispy red apple, and a stroll in the sun–summertime, hurry up! I don’t know, everything looked particularly full of color this afternoon, and that was true for my ride down the hill to Fells Point. I had to use the restroom, so I stopped at a bar for a beer and a snack, having no other choice. As I was locking my bike I noticed the Public Comfort Station across the street. I’m not sure if it’s open, but I hope so. We all have to pee, and yet our public spaces generally refuse to acknowledge that simple fact. And that makes things hard for lots and lots of people. Don’t even get me started on the trouble with sex-segregated toilets. I wish we could figure out a way to make basic facilities available to more people in more places, as did Baltimore, whenever they put in this place. The best part of being here right now, though, is that I get to ride my bike home, and there’s a dinner with friends on the way.
Protest Signs and Protesters at Baltimore’s Trayvon Martin Justice Rally at Pratt & Light
It was time to get back in the work saddle today, so I woke up early, did some reading, research, and writing, and then spent the afternoon on grading and class prep, most of which I did down in Fells Point after a blustery bike ride down the hill. I hate riding in the wind, even more than in rain. Those 25 MPH gusts feel downright scary when they poof you into traffic! But I wasn’t going to drive downtown, and I wanted to be there for Baltimore’s march against racism and for justice for Trayvon Martin, so I threw my hoodie in my bag for later (not because I am Trayvon Martin–my race privilege ensures I won’t be–but because I respect the rhetorical approach), and rode squint-eyed against the wind over to Patterson Park and then back down to Fells Point. Continue reading