Druid Hill Park Disc Golf, Baltimore, MD

My son here in Maryland got me started playing disc golf a number of years ago and I'm so glad he did.

It not only brings me enjoyment playing at disc golf courses around the country and keeps me physically active, it's also something we can and do together.

Today was another wonderfully warm day in Baltimore and my son had some errands there, so we spent the late afternoon and evening together in Baltimore.

We first headed to Druid Hill Park to play 18 holes.  One of my son's friends who lives nearby came and played 10 holes with us.

This year's travels have provided me the opportunity to become more consistent with my game and do a lot of experimenting so now I can curve the same disc to the right and left based on how I throw it.  This is very helpful with any course.  I also have a disc that I have figured out to fly it mostly straight.

I am no way a great player but I can hold my own with the average player.

Having this opportunity to spend time with my son is just a wonderful thing and along with spending time with my other son on the west coast,  they are the best part of my travels.

Brent

macaloney@hotmail.com

Patapsco State Park Hike - Trash Free Park

On this nice sunny warm day (one of a couple warm days while in MD) I decided to hike Patapsco State Park in Elkridge, where my oldest son lives.

On the bathrooms where I park I saw this Trash-Free Parks sign that got my interest.

What it means is is that there are no rubbish cans and they have this dispenser for a trash bag for you to use for your trash and then drive home or some other place to leave your trash there.

I don't live here and although staying with my son, I stopped at a Subway Restaurant for lunch and dropped off my trash there.

I did pay to get in the park and people can pay to rent picnic area pavilion, but still no rubbish cans.

See below what happens during my hike.

This is a nice well used park in a steep valley making a hike with elevation possible for a great workout.

Here is my hike of 6.4 miles with over 600 ft of elevation change to get my cardio going.

Near the end of my hike is this brook and many waterfalls.  I make my way to the valley floor with the road and main river.

Back to trash free;  when I got to the main road I stopped to look around before hiking the road back to my car.

I hear a conversation between a man and woman about what to do with they dogs poo the woman had picked up in her hand with a plastic bag.  She was looking for a rubbish can and found a similar trash free sign.  The man says in a sense of frustration other to take it into the woman's bathroom and toss it in the toilet.  She said no and a short conversation occurred and ended with her carrying the poo with her.

Although I did not see a lot of trash on the ground, I don't think having a park for recreation that you pay to get in or pay for a pavilion should pass on the trash to others where the trash was generated.

I'm sure that I am not the only person to leave my trash at some other business after leaving this park.  All that happened was to have the trash removal get passed on to others.

I get the impression that they are using the concept of pack-in, pack-out used for hiking to the whole park.  

Could you imagine a roadside rest area with no trash cans?  In my opinion managing a park comes with dealing with trash.

Brent

macaloney@hotmail.com

Kekionga Park Disc Golf, Decatur, IN

On Wednesday, 4/20/16 (Day 108) I was on my way east passing through rural Indianna and it was time for a break along my way on US Highways.

It was mid afternoon and I was coming into Decatur, IN and saw they had a park in town along a river with a 9 hole disc golf course calling me to get out of my Prius and get some exercise.

I use this course as an example.  It's in a park and although it is a generally open course with few challenges, it provided 45 minutes of needed exercise outside the car.

I often play two discs per hole in these 9 hole courses and get twice the exercise.  I also use the open course to experiment with new discs and practice my backhand and forehand with each disc.

When traveling across the country I just pick a course from my disc golf app and enjoy my game.  Although today didn't have anyone else in the course, I do get to meet people from time to time to enjoy someone else's company and learn about life in the local area.

The best part is that it is free.

Brent

macaloney@hotmail.com

Demoing Park Disc Golf - Terre Haute, IN

On Sunday 4/17/16 (Day 105) on the second leg of my drive to McHenry, IL from the GTG I stopped in Terre Haute to play disc golf in the park.

It was Sunday so I figured the course would be crowded.  When I arrived mid-day I parked in a pull-out on the park road mid course and started playing at that point as there was no other players.

The course is mostly open with a few mature trees to add some limited difficulty.  In one direction you play with woods to your left.  On the way back the park drive, in the picture above, marks the left side out of bounds.

The course is nice although I did have to wait on a few throws until people walking in the park passed.

I had just enough time to get the 18 holes in in order to get on the road and be in McHenry by 5:00 pm.

I was pleased to get 18 holes in both Saturday and Sunday.

Brent

macaloney@hotmail.com

Grantsville, MD to Elkridge, MD

My last day of travel for the next week is today, Friday, 4/22/16 (Day 110). Today I will arrive in Elkridge, MD to spend a week with my oldest son and family.

A week from today, Friday, 4/29/16 (Day 117) I will drive the 430 miles home to Massachusetts.

The next week in MD will be devoted to spending my time with the family and going a few places that I will write about.

I have had the weather front, that left 4 ft of snow near Denver,  to my back since I left McHenry, IL.

The rain catches up with me at night and I drive east to get out of it.  It has been one of the slowest weather fronts to cross the USA this year, leaving me without severe weather and some warm temperatures this week, that I so enjoy.

Brent

macaloney@hotmail.com

Dayton, OH to Grantsville, MD

On Thursday, 4/21/16 (Day109) I left Dayton, OH continuing my US Highway travels through small town USA.  I thought I would get to Morgantown, WV for the night.

My trip is taking me to the Baltimore area tomorrow (Friday) but my trip today will take me south to the Ohio River along the Kentucky border and then branch off to Charleston, WV.

I have never been to Charleston, WV and I wanted to see the city. 

I first stopped in WV in South Charleston as there is an interesting mound of dirt along side the main road that is a park. It turns out that it's an Indian burial mound right in the city. There are many Asian restaurants in the immediate area, but I made my lunch In the park from what I was carrying.

Charleston is over the river from South Charlestown.  I drove through Charleston to get an idea on the city.  The housing in the city just outside the downton area seem to have built all about the same time with some run down.  As I enter the downtown area there are tall city buildings.

I see a long line on of people on the sidewalk leading to a building.  As I drive along the line of people I see it is leading to Jimmy Johns. Then I remember it was the day that Jimmy Johns offered sandwiches for a dollar.

My short term destination just northeast of the city to a park to play disc golf, but as I transgress the downtown area I see a ball field so I pull over is see if there was a game this afternoon.  The team West Virginia Power Team was outbid town playing Lexington, KY

Had the team been in town I may have stayed to watch it.  I continued on to play disc golf.  See separate post on the disc golf course.

After Disc Golf I again continue on US routed highways north towards Morgantown, but the road gets boring and towns all look the same so I head over to the interstate to change the scenery.

I finally stop for dinner just off the highway at Cracker Barrel and a nice catfish meal before looking for a place for the night.

I stop at a truck stop and get gas and it's only 7:00 pm and a bit early to stop for the night so I head on for another hour into western Maryland to another truck stop for the night.

Brent

macaloney@hotmail.com

Mc Henry, IL to Dayton, OH

On Wednesday 3/20/16 (Day 108) I drove from my aunt's house in McHenry, IL to Dayton, OH in to trip segments.

I always get around Chicago by taking interstate highways, but whenever possible I like to take US Highways or even state or county roads.

My goal in taking rosds other than interstates is to drive through cities and towns that interstates pass by and I just love the scenery.

I love the farmland and the little things I see in the spring with farmers preparing their fields for spring planting.

After getting through the Chicago area I set my sights on Fort Wayne, IN.  I had to override my GPS many times today to stay on roads that brought me through towns.

Fort Wayne was just that situation where the GPS kept telling me to go around on bypass routes and I kept going through the town and the GPS scolding me.

The next leg of my trip ended up being Dayton, OH but could have been anywhere in OH.  I checked a rest area and they are posted for 3 hours max and no overnight parking so I opted for a truck stop in Dayton to overnight park, getting there about 8:00 pm, 12 hours after I left my aunt's in Illinois.

On the way to Dayton I stopped in Decatur, IN to play a 9 hole disc golf course to break up my drive.  I will post a blog on this course separately.

Later I stopped in St Marys, OH for dinner at Beer Barrel

It was a good restaurant with good service and a nice verity of food offerings.

Brent

macaloney@hotmail.com