CAPITAL REGION PHOTO: PETER FELLOWS Public House National Harbor, Oxon Hill Local Brews All Around at the Beer Fest Frederick has become the state’s beer mecca, and each May it hosts Maryland Craft Beer Festival—a party in celebration of the explosive growth of locally brewed artisan ales. In 2018, more than 40 Maryland breweries poured over 180 different types of beer as live music played and revelers enjoyed the lively downtown scene. Spotlight Civil War Sites for History Buffs Cities & Towns Make National Harbor Your Oasis Situated across the Potomac River from Alexandria and easily accessible from D.C., National Harbor is an oasis for those looking to relax. Try stand-up paddleboarding, take in films or games on the outdoor jumbotron or catch a boat upriver to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom every spring. Monocacy National Battlefield, Frederick Any trip to Maryland’s Civil War battlefields should start at Monocacy, where Union troops thwarted the Confederacy’s bold plan to seize D.C. and disrupt the election of 1864. Download the audio tour available on the National Park Service website to learn more. Trace an important Union victory just west of Frederick. Visitors interested in the history of the fight for South Mountain can start at Washington Monument State Park, where guides help you navigate the scattered battle sites. Located on the Gettysburg Campaign Trail, Frederick’s National Museum of Civil War Medicine makes for a fascinating side trip, as immersive exhibits detail the valiant work done by caregivers tasked with healing. The reconstructed Barbara Fritchie House can be seen a few blocks over at the site of one of the war’s most unique heroine’s homes: Fritchie, then age 95, was said to have waved a Union flag defiantly at departing Confederate troops in 1862. DESTINATION MARYLAND ✥ 71
Maryland Official Visitors Guide 2019 Maryland Official Visitors Guide: Page 71
