Star-Spangled Banner - Star-Spangled Banner 2018
Intersecting Trails: Extending Your Trip
2018-06-14 07:25:49
Byways, Gateways, Trails & Special Districts Enhance Your Enjoyment
While traveling the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail, look for intersecting routes that feature stunning settings, interesting entertainment offerings, amazing attractions, extraordinary recreational pursuits and nostalgic appeal.
MARYLAND SCENIC BYWAYS
visitmaryland.org/pages/byways.aspx
EIGHTEEN SCENIC BYWAYS FOLLOW MARKED driving routes into areas rich with beauty, history and culture. Themed tours crisscross a diverse landscape from the mountainous terrain of Western Maryland to Eastern Shore beaches jeweled with white sand, and from the river-laced land of Southern Maryland to the rolling countryside that hugs the Mason- Dixon Line, and yet is still within reach of bustling cities such as Baltimore, Annapolis and Frederick. The routes completely immerse travelers in a particular theme, such as Old Main Streets, the Civil War and “Horse Country.” They range in drive time from a couple of hours to a couple of days, especially if stops are made to participate in recreational side trips — everything from fishing, hiking, boating and biking to antiquing, touring a winery or seeing a show.
AMERICA’S BYWAYS®
SEVERAL MARYLAND SCENIC Byways have earned distinction as some of the most significant routes in the nation based on their scenery, culture, history, archaeology and recreational opportunities. These include the Historic National Road, Baltimore’s Historic Charles Street, Southern Maryland’s Religious Freedom Tour, Chesapeake Country and the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad national scenic byways.
CHESAPEAKE BAY GATEWAYS & WATERTRAILS NETWORK
MORE THAN 170 GATEWAYS AND watertrails provide easy access to the heritage and recreational bounty of America’s largest estuary. Visitors can explore waterfront parks, historic sailing ships, wildlife areas, maritime museums, historic ports and more.
Gateways found on the Chesapeake Bay’s western shore include the Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park, featuring a re-creation of the first African- American shipyard in North America, and Edgewater’s Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, with its self-guided walking trails and family-oriented activities near Annapolis. Among dozens of gateways on the Eastern Shore, Martinak State Park in Denton offers canoeing and camping, or visitors can watch traditional wooden boatbuilding take place in Cambridge. Equipped with map guides, boaters can also explore the history and natural beauty of the Sassafras River and Chester River watertrails.
Access to the Susquehanna River and northern Bay area is available from Havre de Grace by way of the Susquehanna State Park, which also features a gristmill and historic mansion. Another gateway is Historic St. Mary’s City, Maryland’s first capital.
A recent addition to the watertrails network is the Upper James River Blueway, which provides some of the finest canoeing and freshwater fishing in Virginia.
CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH CHESAPEAKE NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL
BOATERS AND PADDLERS can enjoy this 2,100-milelong water route that explores the Chesapeake Bay and its waterways in Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York and D.C. The trail highlights Captain John Smith’s explorations between 1607 and 1609, as well as the historic and contemporary life-ways and culture of American Indians.
A Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy System along the trail’s water route transmits historical information about John Smith’s explorations, the War of 1812 in the Chesapeake and near-real-time climate and environmental data that can be accessed via a toll-free phone number (1-877-BUOY-BAY), online (buoybay.noaa.gov) or a Smartbuoy app available on Android and iPhone smartphones.
MAIN STREET MARYLAND
TRADITIONAL DOWNTOWN BUSINESS DISTRICTS GET THE support they need to make them even more appealing and economically vital. Revitalized Main Streets promise a little nostalgia along with a host of shopping opportunities.
Mountain magic seeps into each Western Maryland small town, with quaint celebrations always on the calendar. Antiques shops and farmers’ markets are located a short drive from great golf courses and romantic vineyards just outside Washington, D.C. America’s proud past is preserved throughout many walkable neighborhoods in and around Annapolis and Baltimore. On the Eastern Shore, waterfront towns offer specialty shops near relaxing recreational options.
MARYLAND & NATIONAL HERITAGE AREAS
Maryland Heritage Areas:
mht.maryland.gov/heritageareas.shtml
National Heritage Areas:
THE MARYLAND HISTORICAL TRUST’S 12 certified Heritage Areas each showcase distinct historical, cultural and natural qualities:
Anacostia Trails: Attractions range from a century-old airport to an elegant performing-arts center. Horseback riding, nature viewing and fishing are favorite recreational pursuits. anacostiatrails.org
Baltimore: Within a three-mile radius of the beautiful Inner Harbor area, Baltimore’s charm is on display at world-renowned cultural outlets, museums and markets. explorebaltimore.org
Canal Place: The Cumberland area lures visitors with the romance of the rails and unbeatable hiking options along the C&O Canal. canalplace.org
Four Rivers: Annapolis – Maryland’s capital city and home of the U.S. Naval Academy – serves as a great base of operations for exploring pastoral landscapes, waterfront villages and historic sites nearby. fourriversheritage.org
Heart of Chesapeake Country: A rich Native American, Colonial, Underground Railroad and maritime heritage mingles with the natural beauty of pristine Eastern Shore waterways. tourchesapeakecountry.com
Heart of the Civil War: Time is stopped in the 1860s at destinations such as Antietam National Battlefield in Sharpsburg and museums, historic sites and battlefields around Frederick. heartofthecivilwar.org
Lower Eastern Shore: Parks, water trails, museums and discovery centers dot a warm and inviting area between the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay. lowershoreheritage.org
Lower Susquehanna Heritage Greenway: Straddling the Susquehanna River, the Greenway incorporates the Conowingo Dam Fishing Park as well as the towns of Havre de Grace, Perryville and Port Deposit. hitourtrails.com
Maryland Mountain Gateway to the West: Travel the Historic National Road, get a taste of Appalachian culture and explore the great outdoors. garrettheritage.com
Montgomery County: Nineteenth- and early-20th-century history can be discovered down rural roads inside a 93,000-acre agricultural reserve. heritagemontgomery.org
Patapsco Valley: The Patapsco River Valley, with 19th-century mill towns in a scenic river gorge, served as the cradle of the Industrial Revolution in Maryland. Much of the valley is protected today as Maryland’s first state park. patapsco.org
Southern Maryland: Let the present day slip away amid fossil-filled shores, ample fishing spots and the landing site for early English settlers. destinationsouthernmaryland.com
Stories of the Chesapeake: Celebrate maritime traditions in small towns surrounded by the natural beauty of the Chesapeake Bay. storiesofthechesapeake.org
Two heritage areas in Maryland have received Congressional recognition for their significance in the national arena. Visitors to the Baltimore National Heritage Area can experience history dating back to the Revolutionary War, with emphasis on the War of 1812 and African-American heritage, while the Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area and Byway extends from the Civil War battlefield in Gettysburg, Pa., to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello in Charlottesville, Va.
MARYLAND WINE TRAILS
THE STATE’S BURGEONING WINE SCENE HAS MUCH TO OFFER visitors who’d like to drink in the bucolic beauty of local vineyards. Six trails follow the journey “from grape to bottle” at 60 Maryland wineries.
More than half of Maryland’s wine production comes from vineyards found along the Frederick Wine Trail, the central focus of which is a cluster of four wineries covering hundreds of scenic acres on the outskirts of Mount Airy.
Just beyond Baltimore’s northern border, a Piedmont Wine Trail winds past horse farms and quaint country towns toward Maryland’s oldest winery ( Boordy Vineyard, established in 1945) and other nationally recognized wine operations.
A Carroll Wine Trail bumps up against the Pennsylvania line as it links wineries located down the road from the state’s oldest wine festival, held each September at the Carroll County Farm Museum.
The Patuxent Wine Trail includes seven wineries bounded by the Chesapeake Bay and the Patuxent and Potomac rivers, meaning pastoral splendor and outdoor adventures are always nearby.
Other wine trails are found near Civil War battlefields in the Antietam Highlands and down the Eastern Shore on the way to oceanside beaches or bayside villages.
Along with wine trails, a “Toast Our Coast” Delmarva Wine and Ale Trail links Eastern Shore wineries to breweries around Ocean City and elsewhere.
MARYLAND HISTORIC DISTRICTS
VISITORS TO MARYLAND MUST KNOW how fortunate they are that so many well-preserved heritage sites remain vital attractions throughout the state. Significant landmarks still exist with ties to Colonial times, the Revolutionary War era and yes, the War of 1812. This is thanks in part to a host of historic preservation commissions found everywhere from Frostburg to Snow Hill.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICTS
TWENTY-TWO ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Districts are certified by the Maryland State Arts Council as hubs of culture and creativity. In these areas, exceptional theater, art, music, dining and shopping options provide entertainment.
Time-honored traditions have grown up around the Appalachian Mountains, where visitors can interact with local crafters, purchase produce at seasonal farmers’ markets and enjoy bluegrass and blues music festivals. Meanwhile, historic Downtown Frederick delivers performing arts ranging from Shakespeare to improv.
Wheaton, Bethesda and Silver Spring, renowned for their beautiful gardens, lively theater and dynamic nightlife, are a trio of A&E Districts in Maryland’s Capital Region (so named for its proximity to Washington, D.C.). Leonardtown is among the newest A&E Districts, having earned its designation in September 2013, and it is the first in Southern Maryland.
Maryland’s capital city of Annapolis mingles music, dance, food and visual arts, while Baltimore City is big enough for three A&E Districts that feature intimate theaters, galleries and an urban landscape enhanced by murals and sculptures.
The waterfront town of Havre de Grace has antiques shops and arts festivals, and along the Eastern Shore are charming A&E Districts that include Berlin, Cambridge, Denton, Elkton, Salisbury and Snow Hill. Collectively, they offer everything from fiddling to fine crafts and wine to woodcarving.
MARYLAND CIVIL WAR TRAILS
FIVE CIVIL WAR DRIVING TOURS TAKE TRAVELERS BEYOND THE BATTLEFIELDS of Antietam, South Mountain and Monocacy to trace troop movements during the Antietam and Gettysburg campaigns, the Baltimore Pratt Street Riot and the Attack on Washington. Another trail follows John Wilkes Booth’s escape route after the assassination of President Lincoln.
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