Walking with the Walrus

BALTIMORE MD USA 10KM OKTOBERFEST VOLKSMARCH
OCTOBER 12, 1997

by Kevin Shaw
On the 10th anniversary of the Baltimore Walking Club, today's walk sponsor, the Oktoberfest Volksmarch in the city of Baltimore was a great one! Exceptionally beautiful weather typical of October helped out too. I met my friends Dan Hanson and Marty Brumback at the start point at the Fifth Regiment Armory at the corner of Howard and Preston Streets in Baltimore City in the early afternoon. Registration was outside the armory, and was quick and simple. Parking was a few blocks away, helped by the local Kiwanis club.
Some newly written directions, with a slightly different route in beginning, gave us a few anxious moments as we checked out the area around Penn Station, Baltimore's major AMTRAK rail station. Lacking a few street signs, we weren't quite sure where we were going at all times, but fellow volksmarchers helped us decide the right course of action, along with a willing on the street newspaper salesman. I never knew exactly where Penn Station was, and we checked inside briefly to see the new stained glass windows and how the inside compared to Union Station, the Washington DC station we were much more familiar with.
After Union Station, we headed south along St Paul Street towards downtown and the Inner Harbor. This took several blocks, and at times we had to stop to wait for red lights. We passed by Mercy Hospital, and on to Lexington and Gay streets, turning points along the way.
We crossed over Pratt Street into the Inner Harbor area. Lots of people out on this gorgeous day, with busloads of tourists being dropped off and picked up, and lots of interesting sites to see. We were walking along with our fellow walking friends, Sandy and Dennis Lynch, and trying to absorb all of what was going on.
We noted the relatively new Hard Rock Cafe over on the Power Plant, this rather large building just off the waterfront. The water glistened in the bright afternoon sun, with some boats going to and fro, including a few water taxis. A juggler was attracting quite a crowd in his customary spot between the food pavilion and the World Trade Center. Passed the Maryland Science Center, which has a large Star Trek exhibit running right now, and temporarily out of the Inner Harbor, crossing over Key Highway and approaching Federal Hill. Lots of steps up Federal Hill, the most significant uphill of the walk, but well worth the effort for the great views of the Inner Harbor and downtown Baltimore. What a great place for a checkpoint! We were ready for it, and visited a few minutes with the ladies there, getting water and candy while checking out the view.
Exiting Federal Hill, we walked through a few blocks of residential townhouses, then back down to Key Highway, and past the very unique Visionary Arts Museum, a place with very unusual art work all done by people not trained as artists. Entering back into the Inner Harbor area, we turned away from it before too long, just prior to reaching the food pavilion and the juggling act. We passed within a few blocks of Camden Yards, where the Orioles baseball team plays. Passed some of the major hotels where the ballplayers stay, including the Sheraton and Hyatt. Turning onto Charles, we headed north towards the Finish point.
Several blocks north we circled around the grand Washington Monument, Baltimore's tribute to the Country's first president. This marked the end of a gradual uphill climb. Then a few more blocks to Biddle Street, a final turn to the left and past Meyerhoff Symphony Hall to the finish point at the armory.
We picked up several brochures for upcoming walks, noted that had been about 250 walkers so far on the trail on this day (by the way, this 1+ rated trail had a 20 km option, where you would walk out to scenic Ft McHenry, but we did not select this option today), got our books stamped, thanked club volunteers at the finish table, particularly Lynette Reagan for hosting this great walk and then got the most important ticket of the day at that point- a ticket into the armory and the Oktoberfest inside.
Hundreds of people inside, unfortunately not that many volksmarchers at that point, but plenty of good German food, Oompah bands with live German music for dancing, and German and American beer in cups and buckets. Felt great to sit and enjoy the food and drink! The wurst was the best, and the Paulaner beer helped refresh us from our labors on the trail. Thanks again to the Baltimore Walking Club for putting on a great event, and to 10 great years of serving up great walks in and around the Baltimore area. The walk and fest continues on Sunday, so if you are in the area, try and check it out; you won't be disappointed!

Kevin Shaw

AVA Walking Clubs and Events
US National and State Parks

More Walking With the Walrus:

Kensington, Maryland April 12, 1997
St. Michaels, Maryland April 26, 1997
Rockville, Maryland, Gunston Hall Plantation, Virginia, May 3-4
Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge, May 10
Guy Mason Park, DC, May 24
Flower Valley/Rockville MD, May 31
Washington DC National Trail Day Walk, June 7
New Freedom, PA, June 15
Ft. Belvoir, VA July 4
Seneca Creek State Park, Gaithersburg, MD Sept. 13
Bolling Air Force Base GLOBAL Walk Sept. 21
West Laurel, MD Oct. 4
Baltimore Oktoberfest, MD Oct. 11
Annapolis Oktoberfest, MD Oct. 12
Louise F. Cosca Regional Park, Clinton, MD Nov. 2
Westminster, MD Nov. 9
Washington, DC Veterans Day Nov. 11 and Seneca Creek Park
Black Hills Regional Park, MD, Nov 22-23, 1997
Hershey Holiday Walkfest, PA, Nov 29, 1997
Alexandria Scottish Walk, VA, Dec. 7, 1997
Union Station Walk, DC, Dec. 20, 1997
Carderock, MD, Dec. 27 1997
Rockville, MD Jan. 10, 1998
Fairfax, VA Jan. 31, 1998
Rockville, MD Feb. 7, 1998
Washington, DC Feb. 22 and Thurmont Maryland Feb. 21, 1998
College Park, MD, March 7, 1998
George Mason University, Fairfax Virginia and Olney Maryland, March 14-15, 1998
Emmitsburg, Maryland, March 22, 1998
Jug Bay, Maryland, March 28, 1998
Roosevelt Island, Maryland, April 5, 1998
Roanoke, Virginia, April 11, 1998
Cedarville State Forest Maryland, April 26, 1998
Butlers Orchard Farm Market, Maryland, May 3, 1998
Union Mills Homestead, Westminster, MD June 15, 1998
Hagerstown, MD August 15, 1998.
Baltimore, MD 10/12/98
Patapsco State Park, MD 10/31/98
Seneca Creek State Park, MD 11/7/98
Kentlands and Gaithersburg, MD 1/9/99
Darnestown, MD 1/9/99
Calverton, MD 1/13/99
Kenwood (Bethesda) MD 4/10/99
C and O Canal Paw Paw Tunnel 4/17/99
Franklin Farm, Herndon, Virginia 4/24/99