Baltimore, Maryland
By Robin Tierney
Events include parades featuring Fifi the Poodle and other grand hand-crafted foot-powered vehicles.
Once again, dogs rule.
Parade spectators cheer as a 15-foot-tall pink poodle chugs steadily up Federal Hill, a historic landmark and park boasting views of Baltimore’s skyline and Inner Harbor. This bark-worthy contraption has outpaced other pedal-powered vehicles that look straight out of a fantasy movie.
What are these feats of engineering? Competitors in the American Visionary Art Museum’s annual Kinetic Sculpture Race this past May. This unique, challenging and joy-filled annual race delights the crowd, which includes canines, with monumental hand-built works of art.
Completely human-powered and all-terrain, they continue traveling a 15-mile course on streets flat and hilly, and on segments of sand and water. Besides Federal Hill, the route includes iconic neighborhoods such as Fells Point and Patterson Park.
There's plenty to explore with Fido besides parades. Take a rousing walk anytime up, up, up to Federal Hill Park, a picnic-perfect locals' spot for city and water views. Allot several hours at Patterson Park, home to a wonderful dog park with fenced-in areas, an observatory, ice rink and boat lake.
