ROAD TRIPS & DRIVING TOURS Clockwise: Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge on the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway, Cambridge; Casselman River Bridge on the Historic National Road Byway; Biking along the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, Cumberland Take in the clustered spires of Frederick, where hip meets historic with shops, restaurants and breweries on its charming downtown streets. You’ll pass through Boonsboro, home of the brand-new National Road Museum, opening in 2018. The charming Inn BoonsBoro, owned by author Nora Roberts, always makes for a perfect overnight stay. Back on the road, Sideling Hill, where modern-day Highway 168 cuts through the mountains, lets you see millions of years of geology against a panoramic backdrop of the Allegheny Mountains. If you choose, you can park your car in downtown Cumberland and try on a set of steel wheels with a ride on the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad. This epic trip through the mountains west to Frostburg makes for memories at every turn of the track. To add a little flair to your getaway, book a Murder Mystery Train and add some sleuthing to your road trip. If you’re continuing your driving tour, take in the panorama at Casselman Bridge near Grantsville. This remarkable 354-foot-long stone marvel was an engineering tour-de-force when completed in 1814. Now its graceful arch spans the Casselman River, surrounded by lush, rolling forest—it’s the kind of view that lets hours slip by unnoticed and unmissed. Just a short walk from the bridge, meet the artists and craftspeople of the Spruce Forest Artisan Village. The village is home to a collection of buildings saved from throughout the Appalachians that make perfect workshops for these classic artisans. Pause for a bite at Cornucopia Cafe, or the Penn Alps Restaurant, famous for its classic, home-style buffet. traditional Chesapeake art and artistry. And of course, get your shop on at the Queenstown Premium Outlets, because it’s really not a road trip if you don’t come home with some vacation loot! Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway Chesapeake Country Byway For something a little different, saunter through the nooks and crannies of North America’s largest estuary. The 419-mile Chesapeake Country Byway may seem daunting at first. But it branches and reconnects, much like the rivers that define this magical place, allowing you to pick and choose your route, so each year’s Eastern Shore adventure on the way to O.C. is unlike the last. Visit the stunning Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, just a few miles off Highway 50. This “Everglades of the North” is the centerpiece of the Great Atlantic Flyway, where open water vistas are capped with soaring eagles. Make time for the Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art in Salisbury— home of the National Folk Festival—and experience thousands of years of PHOTO: HELEN NORMAN Discover the shore’s history with detours along the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway. The 125-mile route immerses you in the country and culture of one of freedom’s greatest heroes. The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center, carved from the countryside where Tubman herself led people to freedom along the Underground Railroad, provides a soul-stirring look at the woman and her great work. From the center, it’s just a short trip to the Bucktown Village Store, the place where a young Tubman, still just a child, made her first brave stand for freedom. Cape to Cape Byway Even if you’ve already made it to the beach, it’s not too late for a road trip. The Cape to Cape Byway starts in Ocean City and winds 79 miles along Maryland’s Atlantic coast. Meet the wild horses of Assateague Island National Seashore, explore the salt-blown Pocomoke State Forest, paddle the primeval Nassawango Creek Preserve—one of the last true wildernesses on the East Coast—and take in charming small towns like Berlin and Snow Hill. Plan ahead, or just turn a rainy beach day into an unforgettable getaway! ✥ DESTINATION MARYLAND ✥ 37
Maryland Official Visitors Guide 2018 Maryland Official Visitors Guide: Page 37
