Md. Urges Tourists to Leave the Interstates Behind

Guidebook Encourages Drivers to Take Little-Known Byways With Historic, Cultural Significance

Fred Tutman, Patuxent riverkeeper, goes out on the river early in the morning. The Patuxent is one of the attractions featured in the new guidebook. (By James A. Parcell -- The Washington Post)

The Maryland Office of Tourism has a suggestion for some of you travelers out there: Turn off the GPS, get a map and explore the roads less traveled.

And the state isn't suggesting just any old map.

The tourism office, along with the state and federal highway administrations, has put together a 176-page guidebook titled "Explore the Roads Less Traveled."

The book provides 19 byways covering 2,487 miles across the state that offer scenic, cultural and historic views that would be missed if you were sitting on a highway.

"The Maryland Scenic Byways Guidebook and Map is designed to steer you away from the interstates and highways to an exciting network of scenic byways just brimming with antique rows, early morning farmers' markets, wineries and a host of historic sites and attractions," Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) writes in an opening letter in the handbook.

His letter says the guidebook is chock-full of historical facts and maps that can lead you from the "mouth of the Patuxent River" to where "the red glare rockets cascaded over Fort McHenry."

"We really do have such a rich history in Maryland, and it's important for us to tell those stories," said Hannah Byron, assistant secretary for tourism, film and the arts. "It's compelling for our residents and our visitors."

The guide includes three state byways that are recognized by the U.S. Department of Transportation for their cultural, historical, scenic, archaeological or recreational significance.

The three routes will take you to Chesapeake country, or out to Western Maryland on the Historic National Road and through the Catoctin Mountains.

But the main thrust of the book is the 19 byways, which include such treks as Horses and Hounds, Booth's Escape and the Religious Freedom Tour.

"It gets people off the beaten path," said Chuck Gischlar, a spokesman for the state Highway Administration. "It not only alleviates congestion on the roads, but it helps to stimulate the economy of some of these smaller towns."

The Historic National Road is a 170-mile trek to the Pennsylvania line through the historic city of Baltimore, the cozy town of Frederick and the city of Cumberland.