The former Union Sewer Pipe Company

The former Union Sewer Pipe Company
Originally uploaded by sjoberg_sara

I woke up bright and early this Saturday morning to drive out past McKeesport, PA for a trail clean-up volunteer activity along the Youghiogheny River. The conservation area, Dead Man's Hollow, used to be an industrial center. When the factory closed down in the late 1920s, the land was reclaimed by Nature. It became protected in 1994, and volunteers have been trying to clean up 440 acres of former dumping grounds ever since.

We spent about 3 hours wandering the trails and picking up garage, old bottles and cans, scrap metal, etc. No one bothered with the millions of pieces of broken ceramics littered all around the area of the ruins; you could never clean it all up. It's being covered by dirt and decomposing matter and will be completely buried in a few more decades.

After the clean-up, the Lincoln Fire & Rescue department treated us to a lunch of grilled hot dogs and hamburgers at the Municipal Park ball field. Then, I drove home and crashed asleep on my couch for two hours, exhausted. What a great day!

Noshing at Cross Street Market

Saturday afternoon (April 18) I was joined by five of my fellow road-tripping Pittsburgh Meeps and Maureen R. from MiNY for lunch at Cross Street Market and wandering around the Federal Hill neighborhood. The great thing about the Cross Street Market area is that there is so much variety; there is literally something everyone can enjoy. I just wish Pittsburgh still had city markets like Philly, Cleveland and Baltimore. That is probably the only time you'll ever hear me wish to be anything at all like Cleveland.

Jenn I. (who grew up part of her childhood in Philly) quickly ventured off on her own and found a Philly Eagles bar, complete with greasy Philly food. She was in Heaven. Pete B, Ruth M, Maureen R and I started off at Ryleigh’s Oyster, where we were drawn in by the promise of $5 make-your-own Bloody Marys and $2 craft beer pints. $2 pints of craft beer??? We HAVE to go back there sometime. Pete actually stayed on at Ryleigh’s to feast on oysters. Maureen, Ruth and I wandered back into the market, along with Victoria M and Michelle S (who joined us after their morning bike ride), for different eats. We loaded up on crab soup from Nick’s, fresh limeade and pretzel dogs from The Pretzel Twist, and just about the best fish tacos I have ever had from Pop Tacos.

After noshing, we found we still had room for a few slices of damn fine pie at Dangerously Delicious Pies just around the corner.

Satiated with yummy food and drink, we walked over to Federal Hill Park, where we admired a view of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor on a gorgeous Spring day that was absolutely fantastic.

This was my first chance in five visits to Baltimore to really explore the Federal Hill neighborhood, and it was definitely worth it. There were many more places that looked interesting, so I can’t wait to get back!