For as long as I can remember I’ve always gone for long drives when my mind suffered unrest. The calm of the road is something that’s always soothed me. It’s a place where my thoughts are free and my mind can be clear. On one particular evening during a difficult transitional time in my life, I rode along in the dark hours of the night. As the world slept, I wove between the mountains endlessly. Pondering my course and the decisions before me, in my high beams I saw this shadow dart across the road. I began to slow down as it ran back and forth, bobbing in and out of the grass. I came closer and I saw it, in the passenger side view mirror, run behind my car. I slowed down as not to hit whatever it was and look to see what I could see. Over to my left, it came around the rear of my vehicle and to my surprise I saw a beautiful red fox running along side me. He looked up, right at me, and our eyes met. I kept looking away to keep my eyes on the road but each time I looked down there he was, looking directly into my eyes. He ran with me for what seemed like forever, running and playing, before he darted of into the night.
He was beautiful. Stunning. The fox has always been one of my favorite creatures. I feel like he came to bless me and remind me that all was not lost and the road I traveled was full of coming surpises and delights.
My life has certainly been full of surprises and delights.
Among the many reasons to visit Baltimore, one of the specific draws to the area for me, other than the rich history and culture, is the literary significance it holds amongst Early American authors.
Edgar Allen Poe, known for the mysterious and macabre short stories and poems he penned during early 19th century, though born on Boston, Massachusetts, adopted the Maryland town of Baltimore as his own in his early adult years. Taking residence in what is now the downtown district of Baltimore, Poe could frequently be found wandering the streets of Fell’s Point where he gathered inspirational from the seedier scene of the day.
The Fell’s Point Historic District of Baltimore housed a shorepoint was just far enough from the busy inner harbor yet convenient enough for large trade ships to navigate that it became a bustling port early on. Founded by William Fell, a Quaker who had aspirations of building a wholesome port town, the hook shaped peninsula drew a very diffrent type of character.
The port became a popular stop for pirates and kingsmen doing what most would refer to as the “dirty work” of the crown. Profiteers and merchants did daily business and with the influx of people hailing far and wide, it found itself a sort of lawlessness. As the men flowed in from the sea a business distrect was built around the many needs of the sailors.
Boarding houses and inns were erected as well and trading posts and depots. The sea weary men would come ashore in search of a hot meal, warm bed and even warmer company. Brothels were a staple in Fell’s Point and the oldest profession could be found on every corner and in every establishment.
Part of the charm of Fell’s Point is that as you make your way through town, legends and lore surround you with tales of ghostly barkeeps, pirates, bootleggers and privateers seem to be found around every corner. From the unfortunate souls pressganged onto ships and forlorned hearts longing for the return if their love, the romantic tales of the town captivate the spirit.
It’s easy to see why a creative and artist such as Poe would have been drawn to the tiny port town. Contrary to what many believed due to a lengthy smear campaign against the author by a man named Rufas Griswold, Poe was an introvert. Griswold defamed his rival poet claiming Poe was a drunk amongst other things. His efforts continued long after Poe’s death and were, unfortunately, successful to some degree. Rufas Griswold positioned himself as to enable himself to take possession of the rights to Poe’s work making himself a small fortune off of the dead poets words.
There are many things about Poe’s death that have left questions lingering in the hearts and minds of those touched by his musings. Not long before his death he made claim that he was leaving for Massachusetts to visit family only to be found wandering the streets of Baltimore a few days later, delerious and incoherent. Though Rufas Griswold insisted in his campaign that Poe had been deliriously drunk, Poe was known to be a bit of a lightweight where consumption was concerned. Many hypothesis have been posed but the cause of death remains a unknown. Speculation has included delirium tremens, heart disease, epilepsy, syphilis, meningeal inflammation, cholera, carbon monoxide poisoning, and even rabies.
When Poe was found wandering the streets of Baltimore just before his death he pled with others for help. In his delerium he was said to have repeated the name Reynolds but was not able to articulate the significance of the name. Those with him as he passed claim that the final words our beloved Poe muttered before his passing were a plea…
“Lord, help my poor soul”.
1626 Thames Street was the local Fell’s Point watering hole known as a favorite to the writer. He was said to have frequented the establishment, keeping to himself in a quite corner watching stories unfold before him. Today the location is still open for business and is known as The Horse You Came In On. Visitors say that on quiet nights, in quiet corners, a tall slender figure appears in the shaddows or in the corner of the eye. They claim that sometimes, on still nights, the saloon style doors will swing wide open with a cold blast of air to reveal nothing but a whisper.
Nevermore.
You can find the National Edgar Allen Poe Memorial at Westminster Hall at the corner of North Greene Streen and West Fayette Street. INFO HERE
Tours of the Edgar Allen Poe Museum and Home are available several blocks away on North Amity Street. You can make reservations below.
The historic region known as Lancaster County Pennsylvania is home to an almost never ending stream of interesting landmarks, cultural attractions, historical sites and tourist destinations. With its rich native history and dutch settlments, the tapestry known as Amish Country is as colorful and interesting as the quilts they’re known for. One interesting gem located at the corner of North Market and Frank Street in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania hadn’t even been on my radar until it was brought to my attention as a must see location. Bube’s Brewery certinly did not disappoint my thirst for local culture and history.
As lager swept the United States in the mid 19th century, winning favor amongst americans for it’s brite crisp flavor and longer shelf life, a German immigrant named Aloise Bube saw an opportunity to seize his piece of the American pie with his own family’s lager recipe. By the end of the 1870’s Bube’s Brewery of Mount Joy, Pennsylvania was in full swing producing some of America’s favorite lagers.
In time when secret recipes were the bread and butter of these young enterprising companies, Aloise Bube began his brewing process in private. The Brewery, specifically the small fermentation room on the second floor, was built to Aloise’s very particular specifications, just large enough to hold 6 custom made 310 gallon fermentation barrels standing approximately over 6ft wide and 10ft tall. His custom designed system would filter the finished product from from these barrels down to the ground floor bottling room or the underground caves which would store the product until it was needed.
The natural caves underground, referred to as the catacombs, remain a steady 54° and are ideal for storing the German style lager. The caves were eventually expanded to hold thousands of gallons of lager. The beer was then lockered away in more enormous barrels made by Bube’s personal barrel maker by the name of Cooper, who’s name is still adorns the upstairs dining room that was once his workshop. A custom dumb waiter designed for bringing keg sized barrels of beer from thr caves to the main floor still resides just off of the reception area in the Bottle Works casual dining area adding amazing interest and is a highlight of tours.
Fermentation RoomThe Cooper ShedThe CatecombsDumbwaiter
Today Bube’s Brewery is home to the Bube’s Microbrewery. Sadly, as it was in those days, Aloise’s famous recipes died with him, but the Bube’s Bottleworks American Pub and the Catacombs continues to offer a top quality variety of beer as well as fine dining and specialty events such as medieval feasts, pirate uprisings and other unique occasions. The lounges in the Victorian hotel host private parties and murder mysteries. The winter of 2022 Bube’s saw the reopening of the Bube’s art gallery where local artists are hosted on monthly basis. Fall brings haunted ghost tours, elaborate halloween events and sideshows. With an imporessive full schedule of events, there’s always something extraordinary going on at Bube’s Brewery.
My personal take: if youre looking for a flavorless run of the mill dining experience Bube’s Brewery is not for you. If you want an experience full of color, design, history, flavor, stories, sights and sounds then they’re a definite must on the itinerary. There’s enough to see to make it a full evening or even a long weekend should you stay in one of their uniquely themed hotel rooms.
For a full list of events, tours, menue and showtimes visit their website here.
Also visit me, Amy Dee, on June 25th, 2022 from 6-9pm, when I will be Bube’s Gallery Artist of the Month showcasing a variety of pieces from my travels and sharing stories from the road.
