All posts by Davida Breier

11 Unexpected Things About Ireland

February 10, 2015 Davida Breier 4 Comments

Ireland was really WPT’s trip. I had a few places I wanted to see, but it was really more about fulfilling a promise I made him several years ago. So expect more in-depth posts from him and some nonsense from me. Starting now…

1) DRIVING

I expected to drive on the left-side of narrow roads. I had driven on the left before, but that was 15 years ago. What I didn’t expect was to find the drivers in Ireland to be the most polite I’ve ever encountered. I’m used to driving in one of the most aggressive regions in the US. The drivers in Ireland were such a pleasant surprise. Slower cars and trucks pulled over to let faster traffic pass, people took turns merging, and there was friendly waving and a lack of beeping. I shed my East Coast skin of speed and rage and cautiously wound my way around the island.

Much like people ask, “Did that tattoo on your foot hurt?” and my response is generally, “Why, yes, it did. Quite a lot.” People similarly ask about driving in Ireland. The narrow, often dark and rainy, winding roads were very challenging. In fact, after driving all day I was completely spent. I was usually rewarded with scotch and a hot bath for my efforts. I should also mention the black ice. Yeah, that was unexpected. I deserved a badge of some kind for dealing with several miles of that shit and not a scratch on the car or any of us. Ultimately, after 1829km, I could hit a roundabout at speed and merge like a pro.

We brought several maps with us, but they were useless at times. Actual street names are something of a secret handshake known only to locals and postal carriers. They change block-to-block and I saw one instance where different sides of the same street were known by different names. WPT deserves a badge for navigating.

2) PORRIDGE

Oatmeal tastes better when you call it porridge.

3) SELFIE STICKS

People really use selfie sticks. This is weird. We saw one guy with a selfie stick and iPad at the Giant’s Causeway. He appeared to be having a great time with himself.

4) THIS DISPENSER IN A HOTEL TOILET

5) MY BRAIN EMPTIED

Those of you who know me in real life know that my attention is all over the place. I tend to have 2-3 trains of thought going at any given time. Not so in Ireland. I had to concentrate fully while driving. The usual din of brain chatter was quelled. I focused like I hadn’t focused in years (maybe decades). I was thrilled to see it was still possible. An odd side-effect was that my brain was empty and quiet at night. I actually slept. It was amazing.

6) THE QUIET MAN

In the village of Cong there’s not only a statue of John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara, there’s a museum and a gift shop devoted to The Quiet Man. You may want to take a moment and sit on the bench devoted to the movie and reflect on that.

7) EIGHT-YEAR-OLDS IN BARS

People are downright pleased to see an 8-year-old in a bar, requesting songs, at 10pm on a Tuesday night. The 8-year-old was ours.

I loved the child-friendly attitude and that people were so nice to our son.

8) JOHN DENVER

Based on live music we heard, John Denver is very popular in Ireland. Or maybe just the song Country Roads.

9) PICKLED ONION CRISPS

Simply undeniably delicious.

10) AIR

For unknown reasons I expected the air to be clean and smell of damp earth and the ocean. Instead it often smelled smoky from all of the wood and peat burning hearths. It was also colder than usual.

11) CONFLICT

There is a constant struggle between the permeating damp and dry heat. The greatest casualties in this war appear to be paint and hair.

Travel Tips

Random Travel Tips

January 15, 2015 Davida Breier Leave a comment

Probably my single biggest tip is the one I have the most trouble remembering. Travel is messy, unplanned, and you can’t control it. Those are reasons I love to travel, but also the reasons my nerves are rather bad at the moment. For all the planning, list-making, packing two weeks in advance, and generally obsessing, there’s nothing you can really do but roll with the punches when you get a staph infection, then a cold, then your kid gets an abscessed tooth, your beloved dog needs medical tests, then as you start to come out from under the cold your partner gets it. All of this a week before the biggest trip you’ve taken in 15 years. A trip you have planned for eight years. A trip that means more than a trip.

But we made it to Boston for our six-hour layover before we head to Dublin. So in an effort to make the most of that time, I thought I would share a few travel tips.

WEBSITES:

Google maps – if you aren’t sure where you are going, use street view to get a sense of the place and to look for landmarks.

Kayak – when I am looking for flights I often start by plugging dates and cities into Kayak to see what pricing looks like. Often there are tips about better dates and times to travel. I usually end up booking direct to avoid fees, but Kayak is a good place to do research.

Atlas Obscura – like weird places? This website is nothing but weird places and maps and directions to find them.

APPS:

Roadside America – Like muffler men, giant balls of string, and other roadside attractions? Roadside America offers reviews and lets you know when you are near weird shit in the US.

Pinbox – this app lets you drop pins and information to create personalized maps. They can also be accessed offline.

Happy Cow – Looking for vegetarian food and health food stores when you travel? Happy cow lets you know what is near you, whether they are vegan, vegetarian, or veg-friendly, and offers user reviews.

MAKING LIFE EASIER (or maybe just justifying my compulsive behaviors):

Documents – Make a copy of your important travel documents and contents of your wallet and leave them in a safe place at home or with someone you trust, just in case. I lost my wallet while traveling a few years ago. I was frantic, trying to remember which cards were in there and what needed to be canceled.

Maps – I know people love their smart phones and GPS devices, but nothing beats a real map. 1) the map will not run out of batteries, 2) a map doesn’t need a signal, 3) the map doesn’t sass you when you make a wrong turn, 4) maps tell you where you could go, not just where you are going, and 5) how else will you learn about places like Knob Lick, Kentucky? I’m a huge fan of the National Geographic waterproof maps; they don’t tear and they offer points of interest that are actually interesting.

Budget – about 10 or so years ago I was standing in a line at LAX waiting to pick up a car. I was worried I would grow old in that line. People with magical powers seemed to walk in, bump to the head of another line, sign something, and get keys. I wanted to be in that line. So I signed up for Budget’s FastBreak program and now I am the asshole with magical car rental powers. It is free and makes renting much easier.

Food – it is pretty simple, bring a little bit of food with you. There’s nothing worse than being travel-tired and hungry. Nuts, bars, whatever, but something of substance that will keep you going when lying down in the middle of the street or concourse seems like a good idea.

Postcards – I like getting postcards, I like sending postcards. If you are traveling domestically, buy stamps before you leave. Seriously, you’ll never actually buy them while you are away, no matter how well-intentioned you are. Also, make mailing labels before you leave. This means you know who you sent a postcard to and who you didn’t. It also means you aren’t asking mailcarriers to read your wretched, hungover handwriting.

Lists – I mentioned lists in my last post, but they really are a lifesaver. I create a few separate lists – things I need to buy, bring, make, and do and mark them done as the weeks pass. I also add to them as I remember things, like chargers, bras, instant Cuban coffee, cough medicine, and more cough medicine. For certain places I reuse lists because not much changes.

Toiletries – I created a separate set of travel toiletries and keep them at the ready. It makes packing easier and the likelihood of forgetting stuff diminishes.

Ziploc bags – I love Ziploc bags. They are great for toiletries, and other items that could spill on the rest of your luggage, but they are even more ideal for the trip home. Wet bathing suit, muddy shoes, and filthy laundry – this is where traveling with three sizes of Ziploc bags seems like a completely reasonable eccentricity.

I’m sure I have more tips to share that are just as random. Perhaps in a future post…

Ireland, Travel Tips

The Ecstasy of Lists

December 24, 2014 Davida Breier 4 Comments

When I was about 19-20 I started a travel fund, saving $5-10 a week in my Tardis bank. I still save money from every paycheck to support daydreams of far-off places. When WPT and I planned our first trip together in 1999, he was unemployed and I was working for a non-profit. That trip happened because friends and friends of friends offered us places to sleep, we ate at gas stations, and we used my credit card. It took us a year to pay off that trip and it was worth every penny. Now, 15 years later, we are still planning trips, sometimes while we are already on one. Each November we find ourselves debating where to go in January, to mark the anniversary of that first trip. One change is that our son, Garnet, is now part of the adventure.

For me, the planning is part of the fun. The two months leading up to the trip I research places to visit, foods to eat, pour over maps, and create lists. So many lists. Things I need to remember to bring, to do, to look up, and to buy. I obsess. I fret. I worry. And I love every minute.

This year we are going to Ireland. This is the trip we started talking about when WPT got sick in 2007. We could have gone once he was well, but we wanted to wait until our son was old enough to go and it not be seven tortuous days for all involved. This is Garnet’s first international trip and our first cold-weather winter destination in over a decade. He is a great traveler, but all-day travel and no sleep can test even the most airport-hardened soul. I’m more worried about cold, damp feet, so socks have appeared and reappeared on my lists. I think about socks more than I should.

As I obsess I will try and distill the useful bits and offer some travel tips in the coming weeks. I will also attempt to justify packing 2-3 weeks before we leave, but this year I promise to remember Garnet’s underwear (it was just that one time I forgot, I swear!).

Culture, Music, Video

Slim Bone Head Volt feat. Vincent D’Onofrio and Dana Lyn

December 22, 2014 Davida Breier 1 Comment

Culture, Food & Drink, Music, New York, Potatoes

Vincent D’Onofrio is the Answer

December 21, 2014 Davida Breier Leave a comment

Sometimes Vincent D’Onofrio is the answer.

Slim Bone Head Volt, feat. Vincent D'Onofrio and Dana Lyn — Slim Bone Head Volt, feat. Vincent D’Onofrio and Dana Lyn

I find that my mood darkens with the shorter days and often by December I’m rather unpleasant to be around. I’ve learned ways to fight it, which are usually only semi-successful. This year I had not only the lack of light to contend with, but also new triggers brought about by events that happened this time last year and a workload that has been more stressful than usual.

Then last week I saw that Vincent D’Onofrio will be releasing a spoken word punk album in the spring. I fell down one of those internet rabbit holes and learned that he would be performing in NYC in a few days and that tickets were just $20. I’ve had a long-standing fascination with Vincent D’Onofrio. I’m pretty sure I watched every episode of Law and Order: Criminal Intent when I was pregnant and, more recently, I was so disturbed after watching Chained that I couldn’t sleep. His monologues in The Pawn Shop Chronicles made the movie. He completely inhabits the characters he plays and exudes an intense undercurrent that is compelling to watch.

I mentioned the performance to my family who encouraged me to go. I hemmed and hawed because of the expense. I wondered about my sanity in wanting to go to NYC for a matter of hours to see Vincent D’Onofrio perform spoken-word punk. And then I remembered that my sanity was already questionable and said, fuck it, and ordered tickets and reserved two seats on Megabus.

View of the Susquehanna River from I-95, on the Megabus

So on Saturday morning WPT and I headed to White Marsh to catch the bus to NYC. We learned that if there is space you can switch buses for a nominal fee, so we boarded an earlier bus and were on our way north.

We were early and decided to walk from the bus stop (at 28^th) up to Russian Samovar (52^nd) where were we meeting a friend. Along the way we stopped at Sushi Osaka because they have one of my favorite rolls ever – avocado and peanut. This was wise, as the rest of the day would only offer vodka, olives, and fried potato products. I’ve written about the Russian Samovar previously and for many reasons it is my favorite bar. My friend arrived and we graduated from shots to carafes of horseradish vodka.

Somewhere around 6pm we stumbled into a cab. We assume this is where WPT lost his hat. I’ve learned that any trip to NYC takes a little something. At least this time it wasn’t a phone screen or wallet. We arrived at Joe’s Pub and found our seats. Yet more fried potato products were consumed.

Sitting in the dimly lit theater I realized how light my mood was. A spontaneous trip to NYC with WPT, getting to see a good friend, and now listening Vincent D’Onofrio talk about his imaginary friend and describe a hamster’s world view was exactly what I needed to get past the hump of the darkest days of the year. It wasn’t the answer I expected to find.

After the show was over we had a bit of time before we needed to head over to 34^th and 11^th to catch the bus back to Baltimore. Our first stop was the Little Lebowski Shop (I needed a new t-shirt; five isn’t enough apparently), then onto Generation Records. We boarded a little before 10:30pm and were soon fast asleep, lulled by the road noise and the fulfillment of a perfect, ridiculous quest.

Culture, Music, Pennsylvania, Video

Los Straitjackets and Deke Dickerson at World Cafe Live, Philadelphia (11/2/14)

December 16, 2014 Davida Breier Leave a comment

For a quarter-century, the masked men of Los Straitjackets have cemented their self-proclaimed title as the “world’s leading practitioners of the guitar instrumental” through frequent worldwide touring and more than a dozen albums.

While the band arguably led the surf instro-revival that followed director Quentin Tarantino’s PULP FICTION (1994), what has always set Los Straitjackets apart from the pack (beside many killer original tunes) is their eclectic taste and ingenuity. In short, Los Straitjackets are not merely a “surf” band, but rather guitar-driven curators of pop culture in the grand tradition of the Ventures. Indeed, Danny Amis, Eddie Angel, Pete Curry, Chris “Sugarballs” Sprague, and Greg Townson can turn Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” (the love theme from the 1997 movie TITANIC) into a sparkling, “Telstar”-inspired opus as adeptly as they hammer forth classic surf tunes such as “Squad Car”.

On occasion, the band has teamed up with various singers (including Exene Cervenka, Nick Lowe, and El Vez) on a track-by-track basis. However, their latest album, Los Straitjackets: Deke Dickerson Sings the Great Instrumental Hits, is the band’s most comprehensive vocal effort to date. Backing surf/garage/hotrod kingpin Dickerson (whose own efforts include the primal garage band Untamed Youth), Los Straitjackets summon hitherto wordless classics like “Walk, Don’t Run”, “Pipeline”, and “Apache”, superimposed by Dickerson’s own self-styled lyrics. The results are remarkably enjoyable for an effort that could have easily sunk to novelty status.

On November 2, 2014, both band and singer stopped by Philadelphia’s World Café Live as part of a tour in support of the new record. Neither disappointed. Moreover, Los Straitjackets and Deke Dickerson mined a few garage gems and one-hit wonders that I never thought I’d hear live – the Sonics’ “Have Love, Will Travel”, the Swingin’ Medallions “Double Shot”, and “Red River Rock” by Johnny and the Hurricanes, to name a few – their vitality reflecting the perennial quality of the best rock ‘n’ roll. Dickerson, in top form, delivered a bouncy, ska-lounge rendition of Phyllis Dillon’ cover of “Perfidia”, as well as an amazingly spot-on tribute to the late Steve Wahrer’s 50-grit vocals on the Trashmen’s landmark “Surfin’ Bird”.

Both Dickerson and Los Straitjackets also stuck around after the show, to sign autographs and mingle with concert-goers, suggesting a deeply-rooted appreciation of their fans only paralleled by that for the music.

More photos here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/leekinginc/sets/72157649241257901/

Books & Writers, Culture

Zines About Travel and Place

November 30, 2014 Davida Breier 1 Comment

We here at Next Exit Travel have several other projects in addition to this blog. Among them is Xerography Debt, a zine review zine. (If you’re not sure what a zine is, go here). In the last two issues I’ve reviewed several zines that focuse on travel and/or place and thought perhaps readers of our blog might enjoy learning about these zines.

Watch the Closing Doors #64

Fred Argoff
Penthouse L, 1170 Ocean Pkwy., Brooklyn, NY 11230
Price: $10 for a 4 issue subscription
Size: 5.5” x 8.5”
Page count: 24

WtCD #64 primarily focuses on Chicago’s CTA system. I think we all know that people are more distracted than ever before and Fred shows how that plays out within NYC’s subway system with an increase in missed stops (although I once missed a school bus because I was too busy reading). Did you know that the city of Paris gifted an Art Nouveau style station to Chicago? I didn’t and now I want to see it! The final photo of Chicago’s Blue Line O’Hare station was especially timely given the recent accident and word that the station’s future is uncertain.

Quote: describing a photo “Above, take off your pants and head for the subway! The No Pants Subway Ride becomes a tradition in Chicago, too. Inaugurated a decade ago in New York by the comedy group Improv Everywhere, it seems that people in cities with subways the world over have embraced the idea – and participate enthusiastically.”

Brooklyn! #83

Fred Argoff
Penthouse L, 1170 Ocean Pkwy., Brooklyn, NY 11230
Price: $10 for a 4 issue subscription
Size: 5.5” x 8.5”
Page count: 24

As with all issues of BROOKLYN!, Fred shows the depth of his knowledge and love for the diverse borough. You want to know the difference between Ocean Parkway and Ocean Avenue? Ask Fred. This issue runs the gamut from urban wildlife to repurposed boardwalk planks to the finest tree-lines streets in Victorian Flatbush.

Quote: “kapeesh? – You understand? Okay, so maybe you spell it ‘capisci’ in Italian. But we’re not in Italy here, and besides, you hardly ever see it in writing. It is usually only spoken, Kapeesh?”

Chorrada and Chorrada #1

Kris Mininger
Calvo Sotelo 13b, 4b, Plasencia 10600, Cáceres, Spain
Email: kmininger@gmail.com
Price: trade, donation, mix tape, the usual
Size: 3.5” x 4.75”; 8.5” x 11”
Page count: 8

Kris returns with a mini zine, explaining the name Chorrada, and then a travelogue zine, also titled Chorrada#1. “Chorrada” translates to a little, insignificant thing. This mini rambles as much as an 8-page mini-zine can, and I mean that in a good way.

#1 is essentially a travel zine, instigated by Kris’s parents visit to Spain. The focus is their trip to Ciudad Rodrigo and discovery of a museum devoted to chamber pots. As a lover of off-the-beaten-path spots and museums, I was suddenly inspired to go to Spain. An enjoyable read.

Quote: “There were posters on the walls informing us of the various important moments in chamber pot history: ‘¡Agua va!’ used to be a common warning in Spanish streets when someone was getting ready to empty the contents of a chamber pot out a window.”

Bookstores and Baseball, 6th Inning

David LaBounty
P.O. Box 250382, Plano, TX 75025-0382
david@thefirstline.com
http://www.davidlabounty.com/bookstores_and_baseball.htm
$4-5? US
trades: unknown
size: 8” x 8”
page count: 52

Initially I questioned if I should be the person to review this zine. I have never actually seen a sporting event. The closest I’ve come was half-watching a basketball game at a bar in San Antonio with my boss. That said, I was charmed by this zine and David and his son Gabe explained their devotion to baseball in a way that gave me more insight into why people love the game. David is a publisher of both books and zines and this series of zines highlights his family’s travels around the US as they visit, well, bookstores and baseball. Gabe, his son, is on a quest to visit all the state capitols and he also contributes to the zine. In this issue they visit Kaboom Books, Domy, Houston Indie Book Festival, Steve’s Books and Magazines, Left Bank Books, Boxcar Books, The Book Loft, Amazing Books, Atomic Books, Kramerbooks, One Stop News, and Burke’s Books. He remarks on the health (or unhealth) of the stores and in that the state of bookselling these days. He also takes in games with The Frisco Roughriders (AA), The Houston Astros, The Springfield Cardinals (AA), The Pittsburgh Pirates, The Baltimore Orioles, The Memphis Redbirds (AAA), and The Texas Rangers. If it charmed someone who basically hates sports, imagine how much someone who likes baseball will enjoy this!

Chorrada, #2, #3

Kris & Lola
Calvo Sotelo 13B, 4B, Plasencia, 10600 Caceres Spain
$ Donation, letter, mix tape
trades: yes
size: 8.25” × 11.75”
page count: 8

I’ve always been partial to per-zines that offer a glimpse into lives outside of my experience. Kris is an ex-pat living in Spain with his wife Lola. In #2, Kris writes an essay about shoes that is really about his various jobs, life in Spain, and his very large feet. This was a great article. In #3, Kris meets an eccentric ex-pat who lives in a cave. He also has a weekend away in a terrible hotel. As an avid traveler, I loved the descriptions.

Piltdownlad: Behind the Wheel, #10

Kelly Dessaint
PO BOX 22974, Oakland, California 94609
piltdownlad@gmail.com
http://www.kellydessaint.com/piltdownlad
$3 US
trades: maybe
size: 8.5 “ x 11”
page count: 60

Behind the Wheel is very different from Kelly’s other zines, this one taking place present-day, in a time and place that is undergoing economic and technological changes. In most of Kelly’s other zines he is what is changing; in Behind the Wheel, San Francisco is what is changing. Kelly moves from LA to the Bay area and quickly finds that the SF he knew has disappeared. He begins working for Lyft, a social media ride sharing business. He documents his life as a modern day cab driver and those he shuttles around the city he can’t afford to live in. Tech companies are one of the reasons SF has changed and yet Lyft is one of those companies. Kelly recognizes the inherent conflict and the potential for being part of the problem. I noticed similar issues when I went to Seattle this summer. This zine very much captures a time and place and shows changes technology and social media have created.

Amusements & Arcades, New Jersey

Silverball Arcade Museum

November 18, 2014 Davida Breier 2 Comments

As we indicated in a previous post about Timeline Arcade, we here at Next Exit Travel are big fans of arcades. It isn’t about nostalgia, our inner 12-year-olds just never died. We were in New Jersey for a family event and as we got in the car, WPT mentioned we were only a short drive away from Asbury Park – home to the Silver Ball Arcade Museum. Suddenly, we were detouring to the Jersey Shore.

The pinball machines were amazing – some over 60 years old and in perfect working condition. The variety of machines was impressive – from mechanical relics to Elvira offering sexy come ons to Charlie’s Angels. Galaga was my game back when I had to seek it out at mini-marts and game rooms and I probably played one of my best games in a decade on their machine. They also have Pong, Tetris, and an air basketball game that was a lot of fun. Most games have information about the manufacture and history of the machine, so it is a museum. A museum of fun where you can touch every exhibit.

The admission is time-based, so you can try a ton of games without worrying about running out of quarters. We only had an hour before we needed to hit the road, but it was enough to get a taste and want to go back.

Silver Ball Arcade Museum
1000 Ocean Ave, Asbury Park, NJ 07712
Phone: 732-774-4994
Website: http://silverballmuseum.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SilverballMuseumArcade
Admission: 1/2 Hour $7.50, 1 hour $10, all day $20
Off-Season Hours: Monday – Thursday: 11 AM – 9 PM, Friday: 11 AM – 1 AM, Saturday: 10 AM – 1 AM, Sunday: 10 AM – 10 PM

Culture, Music, Pennsylvania

Fleshtones at World Cafe Live, Philadelphia (11/2/14)

November 12, 2014 Davida Breier 1 Comment

The Fleshtones at World Cafe Live (11/2/14)

You won’t find the Fleshtones working the oldies circuit for Bic-toting Boomers looking to rekindle, if just for that moment, the fire of their youth. That’s because “America’s garage band”, contemporaries of the likes of the Cramps and the Ramones, have never stopped going since guitarist Keith Streng struck the band’s first power chord in 1976 New York. Indeed, amidst their endless touring around the world, the Fleshtones – comprised of Streng, drummer Bill Milhizer, bassist Ken Fox, and frontman Peter Zaremba – released their 22^nd album, WHEEL OF TALENT, in early 2014.

The band still fires on all cylinders, as demonstrated during a November 2, 2014, performance at World Café Live in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Fleshtones mined their nearly four-decade-old catalog, turning out crowd-riling gems like “Pretty Pretty Pretty” and “Girl from Baltimore,” but they also played recent songs, such as last year’s “Haunted Hipster” from the Halloween compilation MONDO ZOMBIE BOOGALOO. Fox and Streng, their lean frames poured into impossibly fitted jeans, are as restless onstage as ever, while Milhizer’s ace beats and Zaremba’s signature Farfisa organ and enthusiastic vocals pry loose even the most inert audience member. But perhaps as satisfying as the band’s seemingly boundless energy is their resilient and evident enthusiasm for their craft.

Prior to the show, my 8-year-old son and I spied Zaremba lingering about the bar at the back of the venue. We promptly picked up a copy of the band’s 2003 disc, DO YOU SWING?, at their merch table. I handed it to my son.

“Go for it, kiddo,” I said.

We headed back toward the bar, where my son waited for a break in conversation to approach Zaremba, who graciously signed the disc for the boy.

“I’m happy to sign any one of our albums,” Zaremba announced, “and do you know why? Because I’m proud of every one of them.” He then turned and handed the disc to a man at the bar. It was Milhizer, who also signed the CD.

My son, elated, thanked them both. Milhizer smiled.

“Thank you for having us here,” he said.

More photos at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/leekinginc/sets/72157649241257901/

Books & Writers, Culture, History, Maryland

Bookish History in Baltimore

October 28, 2014 Davida Breier 1 Comment

Geo-Poe

Tomorrow night, Next Edit Travel’s editors will be reading their Edgar Allan Poe-inspired stories as part of Geo-Poe, a “literary geo-caching adventure.” Fourteen well-known local authors will read at Westminster Hall, a spot that has been called the spookiest place in Baltimore, and the site of Poe’s grave.

It is a free event as part of Free Fall Baltimore and in partnership with Poe Baltimore, you just need to register.

Where: Westminster Hall, 519 W. Fayette Street, Baltimore, MD 21201
When: Wednesday, October 29, 7:00 p.m.
Website: http://citylitproject.org/index.cfm?page=news&newsid=150

If you are in the city to visit Poe’s grave and other literary landmarks, there are many additional bookish spots worthy of your attention. Here are a few:

Kelmscott Books

Baltimore’s largest antiquarian bookseller is located at 34 W. 25^th Street (near Charles and 25^th Streets) on what was once “Bookstore Row.” The name of the store is a nod to William Morris and it specializes in Arts and Crafts-related books, including books about books. With 30,000 books in inventory – from the 1600s to present – the shop offers many temptations for the bibliophile. I found an affordable signed mystery just last week. The store also has genuine bookstore cats who provide security and greet customers.

Hours: Monday-Friday, 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m., Saturday by appointment only.
Website: http://www.kelmscottbookshop.com/

The Enoch Pratt Free Library

The Enoch Pratt Free Library began serving the citizens of Baltimore in 1886, making it one of the oldest free public library systems in the U.S. The Central Library, located at 400 Cathedral Street (near Cathedral and Mulberry Streets), is also Maryland’s State Library Resource Center. It is a beautiful building with an open floor plan in the entryway that extends to galleries on the second floor. They offer patrons a children’s room, exhibits (Maurice Sendak is up now), classes for kids and adults, author events, and special collections. The library also hosts the annual City Lit Festival in April. Next time you are in there, explore the building.

Hours: Monday-Friday 10:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m., Saturday 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Sun. 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (October-May)
Website: http://www.prattlibrary.org/

The Peabody Library

The Peabody Library is near the Washington Monument in Mount Vernon (17 East Mount Vernon Place). Started in 1860, a few decades before the Enoch Pratt Library, the Peabody’s collection of more than 300,000 books is mostly from the 18^th and 19^th century with a focus on the humanities, as well as maps. Much of their collection is online, including the library’s printed catalog, Catalog of the Library of the Peabody Institute, from 1883 and 1896. If you like books, this is an incredibly beautiful space.

Hours: Tuesday -Thursday: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Friday: 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Website: http://guides.library.jhu.edu/content.php?pid=205178&sid=1712833

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