By Ovetta Wiggins
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, July 26, 2007; T03
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.
The route begins at the Inner Harbor in Baltimore, where the road is known as the Baltimore National Pike.
Along the way, travelers will pass the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum, the site of the oldest railroad station in the country.
After you leave Baltimore, but before crossing the Patapsco River, is the small town of Oella, which is filled with stone and brick houses where textile and paper mill workers once lived. So did African American mathematician Benjamin Banneker, who helped survey the District.
In Frederick, you can visit Francis Scott Key's law office and the National Museum of Civil War Medicine.
Then you make your way into Hagerstown, which was given the nickname "Hub City" because so many railroad companies were linked there.
Booth's Escape encompasses a 66-mile journey from the District to Popes Creek on the edge of Charles County. A little farther north, you can pick up the Religious Freedom Tour at Port Tobacco and follow it 189 miles to Point Lookout on Southern Maryland's southern tip.
According to the guidebook, Booth's Escape provides travelers with "familiar and lesser known Civil War stories."
After assassinating President Abraham Lincoln, Booth escaped Washington, coming out Old Branch Avenue and Brandywine Road to a tavern operated by Mary Surratt. Booth would later head south into Waldorf and Port Tobacco before making his way into Virginia.
Byron said it was time to update the guidebook to include such byways not included in a 2000 printing.
In addition to Booth's Escape, the state added three other nationally significant themes: Star-Spangled Banner, Antietam Campaign, and the Mason and Dixon byways.
Anyone interested in ordering a copy of the free guidebook should call 877-MD-BYWAY. You can also go to http://www.visitmaryland.org or http://www.marylandroads.com to place an order.
Post a Comment
Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.