Lacrosse Town

Baltimore is certainly known for Lacrosse and this wekkend our hometown featured the best the country has to offer. M&T Bank stadium in downtown Baltimore hosted the NCAA lacrosse tournament this weekend. Fans turned out to see the Division I semi-finals on Saturday with a double header featuring Duke versus Virginia and Notre Dame versus Cornell. Sunday Featured the Division II finals with C.W. Post winning over Le Moyne and Tufts beating out the local team, Salisbury for the Division III championship.

Monday's game was the big one however. Duke edged out Notre Dame in sudden death overtime to win 6-5.

The whole weekend had the downtown area packed with fans from all over the country trying to stay cool on the summer like Memorial Day weekend.

The championships will be in town again next year, even if you are not a lacrosse fan it is well worth the trip downtown to see the action.

Baltimore Bomb

Last Thursday night we had the nicest evening in Bawlmer. Our plan was to run from Tide Point to Fells Point then hop on the Harbor Connector (similar to the water taxi but a free version for city commuters) back to Tide Point for a picnic on the pier. When we got over to Fells Point we had missed the last Harbor Connector, which we now knows leaves at 6:55 on the dot!

The water taxi that we missed!

Tide Point Pier


Enjoying our picnic

This meant a longer run than we had expected but also meant that with the extra calories burned we could splurge on Baltimore Bomb Pie from Dangerously Delicious Pies! Once we got back to Tide Point we had great picnic with the sun setting over the harbor. Tide Point, home of Baltimore's own Under Armour, is a beautiful place for a picnic any time of day. They even have several groups of Adirondack chairs which make picnicing even more fun.

A gorgeous Bawlmer sunset.

After the sun set Michelle and I headed into Federal Hill for our first ever Baltimore Bomb Pie. This decedent pie is made from Baltimore's favorite cookie, the Berger cookie, which is melted down swirled into sweet vanilla chess filling. The Baltimore Bomb has quickly become Dangerously Delicious Pie's number one selling variety. Dangerously Delicious served both sweet and savory pies and although the steep price tag, $6 a slice, is worth every penny. Be sure to catch Dangerously Delicious owner, Rodney Henry on the June 16th episode of Food Network's Throw Down with Bobby Flay. Bobby will be challenging Rodney to a quiche-throw down with his famous Cowboy Quiche.

Preakness

The third Saturday in May is a big day in Baltimore. Some of us get out our best dresses and biggest hats, others get sunscreen and clothes that can get muddy and we head to Pimlico for the 2nd leg of the Triple Crown: the 135th running of the Preakness.

Preakness has been raced in Baltimore since 1873. And it has been run at Pimlico consistently since 1909. While the popularity of horse racing has waned somewhat in the area in recent years, the Preakness is still a highlight of spring for many of us.

This year featured 12 contenders including the Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver. A close race ended with one of the other favorites, Looking At Lucky, crossing the finish line first.

The weather cooperated with sun and perfect temperatures. The ever changing scene at the infield featured bands OAR and the Zac Brown Band which brought a bigger crowd than last year. Although you still are not able to bring your own beer (this tradition was ended with much regret last year) they did offer a "mug club" for $20 all you can drink. The long lines did not deter the infield crowds from "getting their Preak on."

Black-Eyed Susan Day

Everyone knows about the Preakness but how many of you have experienced the day before the big day? Every year, the Friday before Preakness is a big drawl at Pimlico race track. This is the day to shine for the girl horses. The Black-Eyed Susan is like the Preakness but for three year old fillies.

It is a great chance to see Pimlico the way it is without 95,000 people cramed into every possible seat. This year the day was a fund-raiser for the Susan G Komen for the Cure foundation and featured 86 breast cancer survivors in the winners circle after the big race.

Next year, beat the crowd and head out to Preakness a day early for a great experience that will show you what the races are like every other day of the year.

Crab Derby

Preakness week is officially under way with lots of fun traditions taking place all week long. These include the Pee-Wee Preakness, 5k race, balloon launch, crab derby, Preakness parade, Black Eyed Susan Races and of course the day we have all been waiting for- Preakness.

I was able to stop by Lexington Market today at lunch time to catch some of the action at the Preakness Crab Derby. Although not quite as exciting as I imagine the horse races will be on Saturday, the crab derby was certainly entertaining! Folks lined up to watch local celebrities try to entice their Maryland Blue Crabs to take a few steps and cross their own finish line. With squirt bottles in hand, lively music and a fun emcee the crab derby was definitely a sight to be seen. Here are a few of my photos!

Flower Mart

For many Baltimoreans Flowermart signifies the official rite of spring. The annual event held in the heart of Mt. Vernon began in 1911 and was one of America's first Flowermarts. Originally created to supply city residents with easy access to gardening supplies and plants, the Flowermart still offers plenty of supplies to create the perfect city garden. Amidst the pots of geraniums, orchids and petunias you will also find booths offering a variety of food as well as arts and crafts for sale.

If you were at last weekend's Flowermart you are sure to have seen at least a few of the traditions that make this such a special weekend in Baltimore. Whether you got to see Bryn Mawr School students doing the traditional maypole dance or had a taste of the famous lemon sticks it was bound to be a great way to spend the first weekend in May!

Although Michelle and I were not able to make it to the event this year (we were in Sanibel Island, Florida!), it seems like Flowermart was a huge success once again. Mark your calendars now and be sure not to miss the 100th Anniversary year next May!

Kinetic Sculpture Race

If you found yourself driving through Baltimore City on Saturday next to a 14-foot high pink poodle on wheels, you might just have been caught in the midst of the 12th annual Kinetic Sculpture Race. Kinetic Sculptures are amphibious, human powered works of art custom built for this one of a kind race which traverses 15 miles throughout Baltimore City- through sand, mud, water and pavement. Each May, the American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM) hosts the East Coast Kinetic Sculpture Race Championship right here on the shore of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.

I caught a glimpse of the action at the Canton Waterfront Park. I am not sure what stage of the race i witnessed, but there was plenty of action!

Here are a few pictures of my favorite sculptures:

People’s Choice and Pilot’s Choice: Go Ask Alice

2010 Grand Mediocre East Coast Champion: Candy Haus

The Spectators!

A sample of the official race rules:

A No.1. HOBART’S LAW OF KINETICS

Sculptures

must be human-powered! No pulling, pushing, paddling, or other propulsive method is allowed except by Official Pit Crew and Pilots (sometimes called Kinetinauts). Stored energy is allowed for non-propulsive purposes only. It is legal to get assistance from the natural power of water, wind, sun, and gravity and friendly extraterrestrials.

2D or not 2D. MOM’S HIGH ANXIETY RULE

Make sure you can get out of your Sculpture in an emergency. Each Pilot must have a quick exit path. In addition, life jackets must be worn while on the water! You will not be allowed to begin a water crossing unless you are wearing a life jacket.

8ball. 8%TOTAL BODY WETNESS RULE

Pilots are only allowed 8% total area of body/clothes wetness. The point here is to stay out of the Harbor waters. Therefore every effort should be made to keep bodies above the Harbor water line. Wear a good anti-perspirant. (penalty: 30 minutes)

Pickles and O's...the perfect combination

This weekend was a great one to be an O's fan! With a successful sweep of the Boston Red Sox these three wins were just what Baltimore needed to regain their hope in the Orioles. The weather worked in the O's favor as well, we could not have asked for better weather to be at Camden Yards.

In case you missed it on Twitter, I had the chance to meet Adam Jones at Friday's Druid Hill Y Family Center Revitalization and Block Party. I think meeting him and wearing my signed number 10 shirt might be what led to the 3 game wining streak! After meeting Adam, I put on my shirt and headed to Pickles for some pre-game fun. Friday evening games always bring out a huge crowd and this Friday at Pickles was no different. There is no better place to go for a pre-O's game Natty Boh than Pickles Pub!

Spoons for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or just coffee.

Whether you want to relax over a coffee and a muffin or are looking for a belly filling brunch Spoons is don't miss stop in Federal Hill. The iced coffee and iced chai tea are delicious and affordable for those of us who are accustomed to paying Starbucks prices. If you are in the mood for breakfast they have a wide selection from breakfast burritos to french toast. We had a breakfast sandwich, breakfast potatoes and a bagel with veggie cream cheese and recommend them all! There were also sandwiches and salads if you decide to stop in for lunch. Make a morning of it and stop in all the great shops in federal hill, we got some good deals at the little boutiques on cross street when we were done eating!

A great way to spend a Sunday morning

So today marked the first day of the Farmers Market under the JFX in Baltimore. While the fruit and veggies aren't really in yet there were still lots of great stands to check out. Potted plants, hanging baskets and herbs that are ready to go in the garden were available at many stands. There were a wide variety of crafts for sale as well. Just about every kind of food imaginable can be purchased from kettle corn to fresh seafood. There was also live music playing to keep you entertained while you ate or browsed the offerings. One of the most interesting stops is the smoothie stand where you get 50 cents off if you pedal a bike to make your own electricity to charge the blender. In the coming weeks there will be lots of farm fresh produce available so be sure to get down to the farmers market on a Sunday morning soon!