Travels with Harry, MD

Meet Harry

No, Harry is not a physician - though he is in the medical management business. He's an experienced cyclist from Ft. Worth TX who rides the Baltimore & Annapolis Trail whenever he's in Annapolis. Maryland. MD. Get it?

 BikerBuck had just pulled in to the parking area near the B&A trail head when he spotted the NC-State attired cyclist mounting up for a ride. BB strode over to say howdy, hoping to get some help in locating the trailhead.  Introductions were exchanged - turns out we are both Texans - and we rode off together up the hill to the trail. About 1 hr. and 14 miles later we had managed to exchanged verbal dossiers and family lineage dating back to the Alamo. Or thereabouts. Harry had to head back for a meeting and BB went on to a connecting trail. Never actually shared our last names.  As my dad use to say, "You can always tell a Texan, but you can't tell him too much." (That expression has absolutely no connection with my ride with Harry, but I had to get it in there.) And the ride was fantastic...

BB's blog readers must be sick to death of his photos of bike trails. Do they ALL look alike? Well, maybe in the photo it's had to tell one from another. But the good trails - like the B&A - are well designed, carefully maintained and ridden respectfully. It shows. BB looks for the best in every state and indeed the good ones have a lot in common. But be aware, their uniqueness goes way beyond what's captured in a photo.

The trail's neighboring property owners have made raised bed gardens along the way.

Cafes, a bike shop, stores and other businesses thrive in their unique locations right on the trail.

Trailside art is an enriching and unexpected pleasure.

Rich details about the artist.

A touching memorial to a teenage cancer victim is beautifully presented.

On the adjoining BWI loop trail, that encircles the Baltimore Washington International airport, there is a kid's park and an aircraft viewing area.

 

      Aircraft are landing every few minutes...just a couple of hundred yards from the park.Thrilling!  

And the sensations that come from one of these babies taking off so close by is awesome.

A trailside mini-park is dedicated to Mr. Sun. In this sculpture, Old Man Sol is contending with a deflated bike inner tube that's been tossed onto one of the rings. Graffiti of a new and ugly kind.

But the lovely gardens and landscaping throughout the trails leaves a lasting impression of superb planning, design and upkeep for the B&A and BWI trails.  BB was impressed.

 Back to Harry for wrap up. BB drove back to the Courtyard after the ride, parked, and went to his room to clean up. When he came back to the car, a business card was stuck into the driver's side window seal. It was Harry's card and it had a nice little message written on it to Buck. Now Harry was not staying at the Courtyard - which is miles from the trail. And he didn't have my last name, so how could he have "found" me? Don't know, but it's a great ending to the story of a wonderful ride in BB's 45th state. Only a hand full left to go!

 Tomorrow is reserved for touring Jefferson's Monticello in Charlottesville VA. Catch you on the back side.