Fall Travel – Baltimore Magazine

Seven Natural Wonders of the Mid-Atlantic You Should See This Fall

Aaron Hope — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 14:00:24 +0000

Travel & Outdoors

October 2025

TRAVELERS FANTASIZE ABOUT VISITING the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, an uber-ambitious bucket list beyond the reach of most mere mortals. (Who can endure, let alone afford, a trek up Mount Everest?) Even visiting Mother Nature’s U.S. marvels would have you pinballing between Alaska and Florida, Maine and California, and many points in-between.

Focus instead on the Mid-Atlantic. You’ll find a gorge nearly as grandiose as the Grand Canyon. You’ll discover deep, dark, old-growth forests that rival the West Coast’s towering redwoods. Not to mention a unique body of water—the Chesapeake Bay—that beats all the Great Lakes put together (although we may be a teensy bit biased).

These trips require no more than a long fall weekend. We’ve even included a day jaunt for the time-constrained and suggested local noshes for the road. So go ahead—indulge your natural wonderlust.

Above: Beach scene at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay.

DESPITE THE WATERWAY’S DIMINUTIVE DESIGNATION, Pine “Creek” was perfectly capable of carving a deep, 47-mile-long chasm through north-central Pennsylvania forestland some 10,000 years ago. Today, Pine Creek Gorge—aka the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania—is a marvel, whether you’re peering from picturesque parks on either rim or following a famous trail through the gorge itself.

On the canyon’s east rim, Leonard Harrison State Park has a newly enhanced visitor center with improved overlook access. Guided walks explore the watershed, astronomy, and the gorge’s spectacular fall colors. Hike the short Overlook Trail or the rigorous-but-beautiful Turkey Path Trail one mile to the gorge below (and back). The park has roadside overlooks, as well as viewfinders for colorblind visitors to appreciate fall foliage, too.

Misty mountaintop view of Pine Creek and the Pine Creek Rail Trail.

1800s log rafts.—Wikimedia Commons/The New York Public Library

On the west rim, rustic Colton Point State Parkwas built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, whose handiwork survives. With scant roadside parking, vistas here are best accessed on foot via four miles of trails like the Rim Trail or Colton Point’s Turkey Path Trail, another gorge descent. This one passes a 70-foot, cascading waterfall.

A Native American footpath-turned-timber- toting-railway-turned-recreational mecca, the 62-mile Pine Creek Rail Trail welcomes hikers, cyclists, and horseback riders. At peak color (through mid-October), admire the gorge’s forested flanks on a two-hour wagon ride with Western-garbed guides. You’ll learn about local history, and native flora and fauna. Watch for bald eagles.

In the 1800s, rafts laden with logs floated down Pine Creek to awaiting sawmills. Bob in history’s wake on a guided whitewater rafting trip along this official Pennsylvania Scenic River over Class II and III rapids. Feeling less adventurous? Tour the placid Upper Pine by kayak.

PINE CREEK GORGE,
PENNSYLVANIA

Here to There: 4 HRS

ROAD SNACK

Sugar Mama’s Sap Sucker maple lollipops.

SAVOR

The Roost, a Wellsboro pub with a rustic-chic vibe, offers eclectic fare from steaks and cedar-planked salmon to tikka masala. Fry Brothers’ Turkey Ranch began serving turkey dinners in 1939 atop Steam Valley Mountain. Its Thanksgiving-style dinners still come with dressing, gravy, and cranberry sauce, plus rainbow sherbet.

STAY

Bear Lodges, a trio of Wellsboro inns, present a Goldilocks-worthy choice of lodgings: an in-town location near shopping and dining; the Meadows Lodge with its panoramic canyon vistas; and the Mountain Lodge, which rail-trail cyclists deem “just right.”

COVERING MORE THAN four million acres and 15 counties, the Lumber Heritage Region honors northern Pennsylvania’s hardwood industry. Yet in this sea of harvestable timber, sacred spaces also exist—awe-inspiring virgin forests. Of the East’s original forests, fewer than one percent remain, according to Maryland ecologist Joan Maloof, founder of the Old-Growth Forest Network. And they’re well worth seeking out.

A National Natural Landmark, Cook Forest State Park's Forest Cathedral became the first forest enrolled in Maloof’s Old-Growth Network. Its stands of eastern hemlock and white pine—150 to 400 years old—are without rival in the Northeast, some soaring to nearly 200 feet. Take the Longfellow Trail (one of eight Cathedral paths) to explore this solemn, time-honored grove. One of the forest’s oldest trees, now fallen, is a 439-yearold cucumber magnolia. The park leaves them in the woods to decay naturally so visitors can still appreciate them—and even count their rings.

Cathedral path at Cook Forest State Park.

The Pennsylvania Lumber Museum.

Forty miles north of Cook Forest State Park,Hearts Content National Scenic Area in Allegheny National Forest has 120 acres of old-growth forest, including a 20-acre stand of white pine and eastern hemlock 300 to 400 years old. Spared by a lumber company in the 1800s, the area is a National Natural Landmark. A one-mile interpretive trail better acquaints visitors with these towering “ancients.”

The past, present, and future of Pennsylvania forests come to life at the not-to- be-missed Pennsylvania Lumber Museum in Ulysses. The visitor center’s main exhibit explores lumbering history, the devastation and revival of Pennsylvania forests, and current forestry management practices. The museum’s campus includes a re-created lumber camp, an operating sawmill, and an original Civilian Conservation Corps-built cabin. Ask about the self-guided lumber history tours for hikers.

LUMBER HERITAGE REGION,
PENNSYLVANIA

Here to There: 4.5 HRS

ROAD SNACK

Clarks (“Proudly Misshapen”) Donuts.

SAVOR

Begin a day of tree-peeping with cups of joe from Canyon Coffee Co., a friendly cafe in the college town of Clarion. Tucked among the trees near Cook Forest, The Forest Nook is a local favorite for rib-sticking dinners. Weekend reservations are a must.

STAY

Let the forest be with you at night, too. Gateway Lodge, a venerable nature-inspired retreat, offers luxury rooms and deluxe cabins in the middle of Cook Forest. Enjoy rainfall showers, fireplaces, jetted hot tubs, a restaurant, and roomdelivered breakfasts, among other amenities.

HIGH IN THE ALLEGHENY MOUNTAINS, just west of the Eastern Continental Divide, lie two of the region’s most picturesque waterfalls. Each is the tallest of its kind in its state. Both boast a trio of falls. Better yet, Maryland’s Muddy Creek Falls and West Virginia’s Blackwater Falls are virtually engulfed by colorful forests in the fall.

The Youghiogheny River courses through Swallow Falls State Park in Oakland, powering its distinctive falls: Muddy Creek, Maryland’s highest free-falling waterfall at 54 feet; Swallow, a two-tier, 16-foot cascade; and wee Tolliver, whose inviting pool and beach are worth visiting. A 1-mile-plus falls loop trail leads past the site where Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and Harvey Firestone camped more than a century ago. Don’t miss Youghiogheny Grove, a stand of virgin hemlock and white pine.

Blackwater Falls State Park waterfall.

Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and Harvey Firestone on an area camping trip. —COURTESY OF THE HENRY FORD MUSEUM

Tinted with hemlock and red spruce needles, the Blackwater River provides the highlight at Blackwater Falls State Park across state lines in West Virginia: its eponymous 57-foot cascade. While it’s one of the Mountain State’s most photographed spots, it’s not the only gem here. Elakala and Pendleton falls and the 3,000-foothigh Lindy Point overlooking Blackwater Canyon are Instagram-worthy, too. View Blackwater Falls from an overlook, descend 200 stairs to splash level, or hike 20 miles of trails. Don’t miss the Almost Heaven Swing, an oversized perch for scenic selfies.

Closer to home, the title of tallest Maryland waterfall goes to Cunningham Falls, a 78-foot cascading cataract in Cunningham Falls State Park near Thurmont. On your way to or from Swallow Falls, the park is a brief detour off I-70. Fed by a creek and small streams in the Catoctin Mountains, the falls can dwindle considerably in drier months. If so, you can also visit the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ Scales and Tales aviary here.

Elakala Falls at Blackwater Falls State Park.

Tolliver Falls at Swallow Falls State Park.

Catoctin cataract at Cunningham Falls State Park.

Swallow Falls at Swallow Falls State Park.

OAKLAND, MARYLAND & DAVIS, WEST VIRGINIA

Here to There: 3 HRS

ROAD SNACK

Pepperoni rolls, an Appalachian Trail hikers’ treat.

SAVOR

The outdoorsy Pawn Run Bar + Kitchen near Oakland serves small plates (crostini, street tacos, flatbreads) and craft beverages plus live music. Guests at the Purple Fiddle in Thomas, West Virginia, also get heaping helpings of foot-tapping acoustic music at this cafe-style bar four miles from Blackwater Falls.

STAY

In Maryland, the renovated Cove Creek Lodge (formerly the Inn at Deep Creek) has gone upscale with 29 remodeled rooms and suites, some dog-friendly. The lakeside hotel’s amenities include a guests-only cocktail lounge. The pooch-welcoming Lodge at Blackwater Falls offers 51 rooms (many with canyon views) and boasts a restaurant, and snack bar.

FLANKED BY MISTY MOUNTAIN RANGES, dotted with flourishing farms, orchards, vineyards, and historic towns, the Shenandoah Valley is plenty scenic. And trust us, its subterranean landscape is equally picturesque. Long ago, curious country boys stumbled upon astonishing limestone caverns here. Today, they’re a tourism mainstay.

A rare combination of seismic activity and underground rivers created Shenandoah Caverns in Quicksburg. Don’t miss the Grotto of the Gods, Diamond Cascade (a popular wedding venue), and a unique formation dubbed “cave bacon”—undulating, draped stalactites streaked with red and white. Up top, there’s elevator service and, oddly enough, a separate museum dedicated to parade floats.

Luray Caverns wishing well.

The valley’s most visited showpiece, Luray Caverns—a National Natural Landmark—boasts rooms the size of old-world cathedrals, pools that mirror their intricate surroundings, and limestone columns as tall as flagpoles. Tunes from its 3.5-acre Great Stalacpipe Organ echo eerily throughout the void. For the cave-averse, don’t miss the add-on of a vintage car museum above ground.

Nearly 150 years ago, two boys chasing a rabbit discovered an underground labyrinth whose terminus has yet to be found. New Market’s Endless Caverns feature nearly six miles of twisting passageways opening onto rooms filled with stalactites and flowstone. We have yet to probe its farthest reaches. (Maybe the bunnies have.) The caverns also boast an RV resort and rental cottages.

Another National Natural Landmark, Grand Caverns in Grottoes is the nation’s oldest continually operating show cave. Since 1806, visitors have marveled at Cathedral Hall, which rises multiple stories high. Specialty guided trips include candle-lit history tours, geology tours, and spelunking treks where visitors get to crawl, climb, and squeeze through an undeveloped cave.

SHENANDOAH VALLEY,
VIRGINIA

Here to There: 3 HRS

ROAD SNACK

Route 11 Potato Chips.

SAVOR

At Muse's river-adjacent vineyard near Woodstock, limestone soils and hillside terrain yield terrific terroir. Its delightful drive (through woods, over a narrow bridge) is as mood-mellowing as a glass of its award-winning Cabernet Franc. Also get to Fulks Run Grocery in tiny Fulks Run for the best fried-ham sandwich you’ll ever eat: sugar-cured, house-made, and piled high. This is Virginia, after all.

STAY

Cloister with nature at the Bally Brook Farm glamping retreat near Tom’s Brook. Its lone platform tent offers solitary luxe camping for one or two: queen-size bed, heated shower, farm-to-fireside meals, and stunning mountain views. You can even “ruff it” with your pooch.

THE NATION’S MOST DENSELY POPULATED STATE includes the largest open space on the eastern seaboard. Go figure. The Pine Barrens—aka the Pinelands National Reserve, part of the federal ecosystem protection program—comprise one million acres of precious South Jersey forest and marsh. Flora found nowhere else dwell here. As does, reportedly, the notorious “Jersey Devil,” a forest-dwelling creature of South Jersey folklore.

Batsto Village, the site of an 18th-century ironworks, makes a popular Pine Barrens entry point. The original ironworks are gone, but much of the village they spawned survived, including a mansion open for tours. Take a guided paddle here on the scenic Batsto River, which winds through the pinelands. The visitors center doubles as HQ for the surrounding 120,000-acre Wharton State Forest, home of the tiny, endangered Pine Barrens tree frog.

Aerial view of the “Blue Hole” in the New Jersey Pine Barrens.

Mulica River Delta marshland near the Atlantic Ocean.

If it’s rare species you seek, visit Franklin Parker Preserve in Chatsworth, whose 20 miles of marked hiking and multi-use trails cross an old cranberry farm. The preserve’s habitats—including pitch pine forest and cedar swamp—shelter more than 50 rare, threatened, or endangered species such as barred owls, orchids, carnivorous plants, and Pine Barren Gentian, whose delicate blue flowers begin blooming in the fall.

The 50-plus-mile Batona Trail (short for “back to nature”) allows day hikers and backpackers to explore vast portions of the Pine Barrens. Traversing three state forests and Parker Preserve, it not only reveals the area’s natural beauty but speaks to the pinelands’ past, passing ghost towns where, centuries ago, workers made iron, glass, bricks, paper, and lumber in small-but-thriving villages.

As aforementioned, the pinelands’ most famous apparition is the New Jersey Devil, a horsefaced, cloven-hoofed, long-tailed, winged creature. If you dare, search near Leeds Point, where the devil is said to have been born to an exasperated mother delivering (and cursing) her 13th child.

THE PINE BARRENS,
NEW JERSEY

Here to There: 2.5 HRS

ROAD SNACK

Atlantic City saltwater taffy.

SAVOR

Lucille's Luncheonette in Warren Grove serves all-day breakfast, sandwiches, and fresh-baked pies. The late chef Anthony Bourdain filmed an episode of Parts Unknown here, and the diner is now on Jersey’s Bourdain Food Trail. Locals love Riccardo's, a strip-mall Italian restaurant in Browns Mills that serves award-winning pizzas.

STAY

Jersey Devil Adventures, outfitters in Hammonton, partners with local businesses for camping, cabin, and bungalow rentals, including Riverview Lodges on the pinelands’ lovely Mullica River.

GRANTED, THE GREAT LAKES ARE BIG: five lakes; 10,000-plus miles of shoreline. But consider the Chesapeake Bay: five major river tributaries (and 45 or so lesser ones); more than 11,000 miles of shoreline. For every Great Lakes natural wonder—like Presque Isle’s forested headland, or laidback, carless Mackinac Island, or Sleeping Bear Dunes’ sandy shoreline—the Chesapeake can answer.

At the Bay’s tippy top, Elk Neck Peninsula thrusts like a bowsprit 100 feet above the headwaters of the nation’s largest estuary. Admire the breathtaking panorama from the lantern room of Turkey Point Lighthouse, one of the Chesapeake’s most historic beacons. Elk Neck State Park covers the peninsula’s mostly forested southern tip, a birding hotspot, particularly in the fall, when migrating raptors congregate.

Satellite view of the Chesapeake Bay basin. —Wikimedia Commons/NASA

On Smith Island, Maryland’s only inhabited offshore island, life’s pace is decidedly slower—for visitors anyway. Watermen depart early from the docks, but golf carts and bicycles are the only other “traffic.” (Smith is almost entirely car-free.) It’s a wonderful place to unplug and savor the Land of Pleasant Living: fresh seafood, charming villages, marshes rife with wildlife—and, natch, that delectable, multi-story dessert, Smith Island Cake.

Shhhh. Not many people visit Savage Neck Dunes near Cape Charles on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. But at the bottom of the Delmarva Peninsula, this almost-300-acre nature preserve contains Chesapeake Bay’s tallest sand dunes—rising up to 50 feet. A nearly mile-long trail leads from the small parking lot through maritime forest to the wild beach, where the rare northeastern beach tiger beetle scampers. In fall, watch for migrating songbirds, too.

Aerial view of Smith Island. —Photography by Jay Fleming

Savage Neck Dunes.

Turkey Point Lighthouse in autumn.

northeastern beach tiger beetle.

CHESAPEAKE BAY

Here to There: 1.5-4 HRS

ROAD SNACK

Old Bay-spiced-whatever (nuts, chips, cheese curls, ice cream).

SAVOR

If you make both Baltimore's “Classic Crab Houses” list and Martha Stewart’s Twitter feed, you’re the real deal. Woody’s Crab House in North East made the former in 2024 and the latter in 2015, when Martha herself visited. While down south on Smith Island, head to cake central: Smith Island Bakery in Ewell, which creates more than a dozen varieties of Maryland’s state dessert.

STAY

Embed yourself (literally) in Smith Island culture by staying there. Smith Island Inn, a relaxing bed-and- breakfast in Ewell, rents three inn rooms plus individual cottages to island visitors.

MAKE IT A DAY TRIP: THE BARRENS, BALTIMORE COUNTY

Here to There: 40 MINS

LONG AGO, the “Great Maryland Barrens,” land underlain with shallow serpentine soils inhospitable to plant life, covered wide parts of the state. Today, Maryland’s remaining barrens are concentrated at Owings Mills’ Soldiers Delight Natural Environment Area. Explore this 1,900-acre prairie of stunted trees, rare flowers, and unusual invertebrates, one of the largest remaining serpentine ecosystems in the eastern United States.

A native cardamine angustata flower.

A Soldier's Delight path.

A golden-crowned kinglet.

Source

Six Secluded Small Towns to Visit This Fall

Aaron Hope — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 19:35:38 +0000

Travel & Outdoors

Small Town Splendor

Skip the crowds at these six secluded getaways.

By Marty LeGrand

September 2024

FALL GIVES US SCORES OF REASONS to embrace it. The days are cooler and nights more cuddle-worthy. It’s a time for homecomings, pumpkin patches, and corn mazes. It’s when weekends beckon you to pick apples, visit vineyards, and take leisurely hikes through fiery-colored forests.

The only hitch, hon, is that you aren’t alone. An army of autumn lovers flocks to favorite destinations this time of year. One solution? Think small. As in tiny towns off well-beaten paths. Places celebrated for their singularity, friendliness, and reliably good eats while also possessing the creature comforts and amenities travelers crave.

We suggest six such teensy escape pods for your consideration, all within a few hours’ drive of Charm City and, hopefully, devoid of crowds. But shhhh—don’t overshare them on social media.

EVERYONE KNOWS STATE COLLEGE, Pennsylvania, home of Penn State University. Not everyone, however, knows about neighboring Bellefonte, a wellspring of industry, wealth, and political power since before the school even existed. Still the seat of Centre County government, overlooked Bellefonte is being rediscovered by those who love its revived downtown, Gilded Age grandeur, and wild mountain setting in the heart of “Happy Valley.”

OPENING IMAGE: RURAL COUNTRYSIDE IN CENTRE COUNTY, PA. ABOVE: TALLEYRAND PARK.—COURTESY OF GETTY IMAGES/ALEX POTEMKIN AND CARLA CIPRO, RESPECTIVELY.

BEST BETS: Bellefonte’s namesake “beautiful fountain.” An 1889 train station turned visitors’ center. A brick promenade, a scenic walking route, iconic monuments, and a sculpture garden. You’ll find them all in Talleyrand Park, the town’s lush, vibrant center. The clear, cool Spring Creek—a renowned trout stream— tumbles over a spillway and ripples through the park. Downstream at Sunnyside Paddling Park, watch kayakers train for competition on a specially designed slalom course.

Back on land, take Local Historia’s guided and self-guided tours to learn about Bellefonte’s 19th-century architecture, much of which has been preserved, plus the town’s iron-making heydays, its Underground Railroad connection, and famous citizens, including seven governors and one trail-blazing female architect. And don’t miss the Bellefonte Art Museum, which showcases and sells local artworks and features unique local history exhibits.

Also check out reborn ex-industrial sites. A former gristmill, Gamble Mill features a farm-to- table restaurant, craft cocktail bar, the boutique Inn at Gamble Mill, and the Speakeasy, a special events venue. At Titan Park, an old metal factory now houses a restaurant, market, and trio of spirits purveyors: Axemann Brewery, Mad McIntosh Cider, and Witches’ Hollow Winery.

LOCAL HISTORIA TOURS; BELLFONTE ART MUSEUM. —COURTESY OF LOCAL HISTORIA AND THE BELLEFONTE ART MUSEUM/LORI FISHER, RESPECTIVELY.

EAT: Get a breakfast bowl or overstuffed sub at Bonfatto’s Italian Market and Corner Café, a Bellefonte institution. Four Ways Pub & Eatery serves mighty tasty smashburgers along with comfort classics like grilled cheese sandwiches with house-made tomato soup.

EXPLORE: Fifteen minutes from town, Bald Eagle State Park offers excellent hiking, biking, and lodging at The Nature Inn, an ecolodge overlooking the lake. In late October, though, beware large airborne squash when Punkin’ Chunkin’ contestants launch pumpkins lakeward from medieval-esque catapults. Departing from Bellefonte Train Station at Talleyrand Park, the Bellefonte Historical Railroad Society’s vintage rail cars run fall foliage excursions and trips to Eagle Iron Works and Curtin Village, a 19th-century iron plantation.

STAY: Several of Bellefonte’s Gilded Age mansions welcome guests. Stay in splendor at Our Fair Lady B&B, whose owners named their inn—and several of its rooms—in honor of the famous Lerner and Loewe musical through which they met as high-school students.

IT’S BEEN 10 YEARS SINCE Budget Travel magazine crowned this charming Worcester County community “America’s Coolest Small Town.” More accolades followed, from Oprah to Esquire to Buzzfeed. Still, Berlin retains its homespun-ness— annual bathtub races and a peach festival are still big deals—while also welcoming a modern-hospitality business boom. Walkable and lovingly restored, the historic downtown offers scads of browsable boutiques, art galleries, and a Sunday farmers market through the end of the month. Later, sip a spell at a craft brewery or winery.

Greyhound Bookstore.—Courtesy of The Greyhound Bookstore.

BEST BETS: Shop Fathom & Co for fashionable women’s clothing, and Viking Tree for brawny menswear. Pick up a weekend read at The Greyhound, an indie bookstore named for the owners’ racetrack-rescued pet, or a potted plant from Eastern Woodland. Try primo olive oils at Una Bella Salute, plus house-made pickles and piquant hot sauces at Gilbert’s Provisions. Don’t miss The Globe, a former silent movie house turned gastropub and live performance hall, or the delightful Mermaid Museum in the repurposed Odd Fellows building. The latter explores the folklore of these mythic creatures, and even boasts one of P. T. Barnum’s taxidermied half-monkey, half-fish “Feejee Mermaids.”

From top: The Inn Berlin; Baked Dessert Cafe; Blacksmith Restaurant's delicious fare. —Courtesy of The Inn Berlin/Brandy Durst, Baked Dessert Cafe & Gallery, BLACKSMITH'S RESTAURANT/JUSTINE ZEGNA, respectively.

EAT: Sample irresistible confections like Baked Dessert Cafe’s peach dumplings (Berlin’s official dessert) or Mandala Pies’ “Old Farmers Almanac,” a three-pound apple pie with a cinnamon- roll crust. For lunch or dinner, Blacksmith serves farm-to-table fare with regional panache (Bánh mì with scrapple anyone?).

IMBIBE: It’s easy to sip your favorite tipple on this speck of the Eastern Shore. At Burley Oak Brewing Company, founded by Bryan Brushmiller of Essex, quaff a house IPA in the beer garden. The newest neighborhood brewer is Berlin Beer Company, scheduled to open around press time in a former feed store. Meanwhile, savor small-batch spirits at Forgotten 50 Distilling, with cocktails like the “Baltimore,” a Marylander’s Manhattan featuring Baltimore Spirits Company’s rye whiskey. Also enjoy one of The Buzz Meadery’s meads or mead-cider blends, fermented from local apples and pears. Or even relish an afternoon of wine and wildflowers at Windmill Creek Vineyard & Winery, a historic family farm in an incomparably pastoral setting.

STAY: The Inn Berlin, the town’s newest B&B, offers upscale amenities and hip décor in a historic farmhouse that’s an easy walk from town.

LEWES, AT THE MOUTH OF DELAWARE BAY, on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, has endured a tumultuous past: short-lived Dutch settlement, pirate hideout, 1813 British naval target, ship graveyard, World War II defense battery. Today, it’s a place of refuge where the shop-lined streets are tranquil and the resplendent harbor holds only harmless fishing boats, yachts, and a ferry that churns back and forth to New Jersey. It’s an ideal offseason base for exploring coastal Delaware’s lesser-known beaches and byways.

Cape Henlopen State Park Gordon Pond Trail; Breakwater Lighthouse. —Shutterstock

BEST BETS: Cape Henlopen State Park is the nexus for biking and hiking trails—the most scenic being Gordons Pond Trail, offering Instagram-worthy views of the Atlantic. Birders, take note: In fall, the park’s hawk watch tallies thousands of migrating raptors. And while there are both park and town beaches, be sure to seek out more secluded sands, too. Two lie to the north between Lewes and Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, another birders’ paradise, or the northern Beach Plum Island Nature Preserve. Better known but equally isolated, Broadkill Beach, a horseshoe crab sanctuary, offers miles of shoreline for beachcombing, fishing, and bonfires. Forgot bug spray or water? The Broadkill Store has you covered, plus breakfast and lunch.

From top: The Lightship Overfalls Museum; Prime Hook; Lewes Oyster House; The Vintage Underground. —Courtesy of Shutterstock, Lewes Oyster House/MEGHAN STEELE/HEARTBEAT BRANDING, and The Vintage Underground, respectively.

EAT: It’s fall, so make like a Marylander and go all in for oysters. At Lewes Oyster House, a classy nod to old seafood houses, eat them raw, roasted, and charbroiled. Also enjoy bivalves, burgers, and pumpkin ales at Big Oyster Brewery. Just outside of town, The Station on Kings has a bakery and café worth visiting for seasonal fare.

BROWSE: Lewes’ tiny downtown abounds with boutiques. Pamper your pets with gifts from P.U.P.S. of Lewes, where there’s often a friendly canine in residence. As a child, Michele Buckler, the owner of Sand N Stones gift and nature shop, loved to collect river rocks at her grandparents’ farm in Upperco; now, she sells her own wire-wrapped jewelry (including gems and sea glass), plus local field guides and holistic products. Shop for vintage vinyl at The Vintage Underground. Get a cup of joe at Notting Hill Coffee Roastery and try resisting house-baked goodies like their Ooey Gooeys. Don’t miss the regionally renowned Historic Lewes Farmers Market on Saturdays through November 23.

STAY: Based on your druthers, book overnight digs along the Lewes-Rehoboth canal. The boutique Hotel Blue is a lap of luxury with in-room fireplaces and an indoor sauna. The Dogfish Inn, a campy retro motel, offers e-bike rentals and bike tours led by beer-schlepping sherpas, all tied to the Dogfish Head Brewery, based just up the road.

The Zwaanendael Museum. —Courtesy of Wikimedia Commmons.

WITH MATCHLESS MOUNTAIN VIEWS, small Shenandoah Valley towns—such as Strasburg, Woodstock, Edinburg, New Market, and Mount Jackson, to name a few—are like potato chips to leaf peepers traveling Interstate 81 or U.S. 11. Meaning you can’t stop at just one. Consider Mount Jackson, especially, for Virginia’s longest covered bridge, a classic bowling alley (with duckpins, no less), apple orchards, vineyards, a double shot of convivial coffee houses, and one iconic snack factory.

The Shenandoah Valley at Shenandoah National Park. —SHUTTERSTOCK/JON BILOUS

BEST BETS: Rising above I-81, Mount Jackson’s water tower depicts a trompe-l’oeil basket of Shenandoah Valley apples and indicates the town exit. Seek out the Visitors Center, with its town museum that showcases Mount Jackson’s rich past. Meanwhile, partake in a living piece of local history at Shenandoah Bowling Lanes, a duckpin alley that opened in 1948. Aficionados of Charm City’s classic sport will love its six vintage lanes and 1950s vibe. South of town, drive across the historic, 200-foot-long Meems Bottom Covered Bridge, spanning the North Fork of the Shenandoah River. Then drive a little farther to an absolute must-stop, the Route 11 Potato Chips factory, where you can sample and purchase these crispy regional favorites. The town’s first-ever Tater Fest honored “Jacktown’s” beloved spud in September, featuring a French fry-eating contest, a Couch Potato 5K, and more tuber tributes.

From top: River Bluff Farm Bed and Breakfast; Apple orchard pickings; Meem's Bottom Bridge; Route 11 Potato Chips factory. —COURTESY OF RIVER BLUFF FARM B&B, Shutterstock, Wikimedia Commons, and ROUTE II POTATO CHIPS; APK, CC BY-SA 4, respectively.

EAT: Chat up locals at either of Main Street’s community-oriented coffee shops. Coffee to Grow preaches the gospel of pour-over brewing and hosts special teas, while Coffee & Cream serves fresh-brewed java and hand-dipped ice cream. Both sell yummy baked goods. Southern Kitchen, a diner in nearby New Market, has served quintessential Virginia dishes since 1955. Think fried chicken, stewed tomatoes, and even peanut soup.

GET FRUITY: Pick a big bag of apples at Showalter’s Orchard in Timberville and don’t leave without tasting their dreamy apple cider doughnuts. Its on-site cidery also serves hard and regular cider. Afterwards, follow a mini wine trail to three local vineyards: Cave Ridge, an award-winning winery hailed for its service; The Winery at Kindred Pointe, serving vino and hard ciders in its equestrianthemed tasting room; and Third Hill Winery at DeMello Vineyards, a family-run winery in a picturesque setting.

STAY: Eat breakfast on a deck overlooking the Shenandoah River’s North Fork at River Bluff Farm B&B, a secluded log-cabin inn in New Market. Mountainside rental lodgings near Bryce Resort in Bayse also include modern cabins, chalets, and even heated glamping tents. All offer splendid valley views.

LIKE ITS FRENCH NAMESAKE, THIS Paris is for lovers—of romance and nature. Only an hour from the nation’s capital but seemingly light years from civilization, this bucolic Blue Ridge foothills outpost is the teeniest of our small towns. Yet it’s easily accessible and well-situated. On the outskirts of Virginia horse country, it’s blessed with an uber-romantic country bed-and-breakfast, The Ashby Inn, and surrounded by award-winning wineries, as well as green spaces ideal for hiking, foliage viewing, and amorous stargazing.

Hunter’s Head Tavern. —COURTESY OF HUNTERS HEAD TAVERN

BEST BETS: Enjoy fall scenery along the miles of hiking, biking, and horseback-riding trails—including part of the Appalachian Trail—at Sky Meadows State Park, a nearly 2,000-acre gift to the Commonwealth by philanthropist Paul Mellon. Designated an International Dark Sky Park, Sky Meadows also admits visitors after dark to admire the heavens from its observation area. Consort with conifers, behold a bevy of boxwoods, and gawk at grandiose “champion trees” at the State Arboretum of Virginia in nearby Boyce. In late October, a 300-tree grove becomes a vibrant yellow bower during Ginkgo Fest.

Blandy Experimental Farm; The Ashby Inn. —Courtesy of Blandy Experimental Farm and The Ashby Inn, respectively.

EAT: The Ashby Inn’s farm-to-table restaurant boasts more dining honors than its tasting menu has courses: “most romantic,” “best scenic view,” “best brunch,” and numerous Wine Spectator awards. Reservations required. Enjoy more farm-to-fork dining at Hunter’s Head Tavern, a British-style spot in Upperville, owned by the certified organic Ayrshire Farm and featuring dishes like Ayrshire pork loin, seared and served with a blackberry-sage sauce. In nearby Marshall, Field & Main is another regionally sourced treat.

SAVOR: Seven miles south of Paris lies Delaplane, a cradle of fine Virginia winemaking. Oenophiles will love Lost Mountain (formerly RdV Vineyards), a world-class winery now in the hands of French vintners. It offers appointment-only tours of its grape-strewn grounds and wine caves followed by tastings. Meanwhile, family-run Delaplane Cellars affords glorious views of the countryside and an array of award-winning wines. At the 500- acre Valley View Farm, sip site-made wines and hard ciders, then shop for local jams, honeys, and fruit butters at its Locavore Farm Market.

STAY: The historic Ashby Inn is Paris’ primary claim to fame. It offers six romantic rooms (think four-poster beds and cozy quilts) in the 1829 main house, as well as four suites with soaking tubs and fireplaces in a converted 1893 schoolhouse. All come with sweeping views of the countryside, plus a gourmet country breakfast.

RESEARCH TELLS US THAT IMMERSING ONE’S senses in nature lowers our heart rate and blood pressure. If that’s so, Stroudsburg is a traveler’s answer to Xanax. Nestled in the Poconos, this lovely town is surrounded by parks, forests, creeks, nature preserves, the awe-inspiring Delaware Water Gap, and two Ice Age remnants deemed National Park Service Natural Landmarks. When not neck deep in nature, discover varied dining, a lively theater, and shops aplenty in town.

The Delaware Water Gap. —Shutterstock

BEST BETS: Straddling Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area follows 40 scenic miles of the Delaware River. If popular trails thwart your privacy, seek lesser-known paths to peaceful wilderness immersion, such as nearby Dingmans Ferry, where Hornbecks Creek Trail leads to Indian Ladders, a picturesque, sluicing waterfall. On the New Jersey side, hike Dunnfield Creek Trail past stately hemlocks to Sunfish Pond, a natural glacial lake and designated Natural Landmark. Pennsylvania has its own glacial-age Natural Landmark, the Tannersville Cranberry Bog. Book a guided walk with the Kettle Creek Environmental Education Center to admire the ancient peat bog’s native orchids, calla lillies, and carnivorous pitcher plants. Birders will enjoy Stroudsburg’s Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge. At this former golf course, old cart paths offer top-notch fall feather sightings. You might even score an eagle.

The Beef Wellington at Memento; Cafe Duet. COURTESY OF MEMENTO RESTAURANT and NATALIE DIXON, respectively.

EAT: Wake up with an espresso at Café Duet, then order a gourmet sandwich to-go for your picnic nosh. Corned beef and cabbage can also be savored at Siamsa, an authentic Irish pub. For fine dining, Momento is home to house-made pastas and other Italian specialties prepared by the restaurant’s European-trained chef.

WANDER: Reflecting varied 19th-century architectural styles, downtown buildings have been adapted for 21st-century uses. Shop for hiking gear at Dunkelberger’s, a beloved outfitter housed where Freemasons once met. Buy bath products, soy candles, and handmade jewelry at Pocono Soap, once the residence of a U.S. attorney general. A former five-and-dime has morphed into Main Street Jukebox, now a treasure trove of new and used vinyl and CDs. When the nearby Sherman Theater opened in 1929, Laurel and Hardy headlined, and today, the venue hosts concerts, musicals, comedians, speakers, and special events, like October’s EMO Night Halloween Party.

STAY: The Swiftwater—a 100-room, mountainside hotel—opened in June, offering guest coddling amenities: an indoor-outdoor pool, plunge-pool suites, a garden patio complete with fire pit, and a fine-dining restaurant.

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Trail Mix: Themed Road Trips to Explore Throughout the Mid-Atlantic This Fall

Aaron Hope — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 14:00:33 +0000

Travel & Outdoors

Trail Mix

An all-points guide to autumn road trips.

By Marty Legrand

Opening Spread: The Glasberg Inn in Fogelsville. COURTESY OF WALSH FAMILY WINE

September 2023

n search of inspiration for my family’s October road trip tradition, I found myself on the Pennsylvania Tourism Office’s website, where I quickly stumbled upon “Chopped: A Charcuterie Trail,” just one of many themed suggestions for visitors to the Keystone State. “Look no further for a three-day, non-stop, meat-inspired thrill ride,” the promo gushed. And honestly, who could resist?

I printed the itinerary and planned a swing through Pennsylvania Dutch Country that would take us to Old World-y meat markets, quirky roadside stands, delicatessens selling local goodies like shoofly pie, soft pretzels, and scrapple, and last but not least, to Lancaster’s iconic Central Market, the Grand Central Station of Amish sweet-and-savoriness.

Trails like this are trendy for tourists these days. In the beginning, there were wine trails, aka vineyard hops for oenophiles. Now, the options are boundless: barbecue, beer, ice cream, and oysters for foodies; outdoorsy itineraries for hikers, bikers, and paddlers; and routes for more esoteric tastes, from the agrarian art form of barn quilts to roots music and waterfalls.

With this in mind, we’ve assembled our own list of themed destinations throughout the Mid-Atlantic, all of which are ideal for sampling the sights, sounds, tastes, and invigoration of fall.

roduce stands dot Southeastern Pennsylvania country roads, where horse-drawn buggies and their, um, emissions indicate that you’re in Amish country. In town, centuries-old farmers markets offer a collective sensory feast. The oldest is Lancaster’s three-days-a-week Central Market, going strong since 1730. Among other foods and crafts, vendors purvey meats cured in the best German-influenced Pennsylvania traditions, among them S. Clyde Weaver, family-operated since 1920. At Long’s horseradish stand, you can watch them grind the humble root into eye-watering pungency.

Should you miss market days, get your bologna fix at Stoltzfus Meats, a popular market and cafe in the town of Intercourse, 10 miles east of Lancaster. Its aisles of gleaming cases are amply stocked with meats, cheeses, baked goods, snacks, and spices. Nearby, the farming community of Ronks offers a glimpse of the “Plain” lifestyle via farm tours, petting zoos, quilt shops, and—if your timing is right—a taste of homemade root beer. We arrived too late to sample the “minty, spicy, and not-too-sweet” brew at Olde Heritage. A hand-lettered road sign promised Cold Home Made Root Beer, but all we saw at the end of the farm lane was what appeared to be a late-afternoon convocation of buggy owners. (The place is closed Sundays and “all Christian holidays.”)

But Dutch Country isn’t solely the province of smoked ham and sweet bologna. Here, chocolate lovers will find two capitals of cocoa: Hershey and Lititz, about a 40- and 20-minute drive from Lancaster, respectively. The latter is home to Wilbur Chocolate Company and its beloved Wilbur Buds, wrapped chocolate morsels that greatly resemble (but actually predate) their confectionary cousins, Hershey’s Kisses. When we were last in Lititz, this century-old factory was still in working, Willy-Wonkaesque order, but it’s closed now, replaced by a refurbished version housing an upscale Hilton hotel, condos, and retail space. Fear not, Wilbur devotees: Buds and other products are available at the company store across the street.

If you want the multi-sensory Wonka treatment, visit Hershey’s Chocolate World, the legendary candymaker’s full immersion family attraction celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. To mark the occasion, Hershey has added another highlight to its already popular transit ride through the chocolate- making process and its create-a-candy-bar experience. The Great Candy Expedition, a train-themed cinematic adventure, lets visitors explore Reese’s Ridge, Jolly Rancher Junction, and other candy lands of their choosing.

Another intriguing trail cuts through Pennsylvania Dutch Country. “Pickled: A Fermented Trail”celebrates local brews, wines, kombucha, kimchi, and, yes, pickles. We sampled the spicy Korean side dish at Kimchee Girl, a local vendor at the Fresh Market in Hershey Towne Square, a modern farmers market housed in what was once a meat-processing facility. Their three tongue-tingling concoctions—Napa cabbage, cucumber, Korean radish—derive from family recipes.

Clockwise: The Glasberg Inn in Fogelsville —COURTESY OF GLASBERG INN. A pumpkin patch in Ronks; the Lancaster Central Market; the Wilbur Chocolate Co.

BEST BETS: LANCASTER COUNTY FARM MARKETS

ENORMITY: Green Dragon Farmers Market, Ephrata
Over 400 vendors, 30-plus acres of free parking, three auctions.

COMBO FARMERS/FLEA MARKET: Root’s, Manheim
Country market and flea market on opposite sides of the street. A Tuesday tradition.

PICK-YOUR-OWN: Cherry Hill Orchards, Lancaster
PYO apples (September and October) and pumpkins (October), with hayrides to the pumpkin patch on Saturdays in October.

Stay

Chocoholics can indulge themselves at The Wilbur Lititz in its charming downtown namesake. One of Hilton’s Tapestry Collection hotels, this repurposed chocolate-making plant reflects its history with exposed original brick walls and a cozy, factorychic ambiance for dining and lounging. West of Allentown, Glasbern Inn also offers a country getaway on a former working farm in Fogelsville. Carrying the Historic Hotels of America designation, the property boasts rustically luxurious rooms and cottages, numerous trails to meander, and farm-to-table fine dining.

rom Annapolis to Southern Maryland, the Chesapeake Bay’s western shoreline closely guards its secrets. The state’s first (St. Mary’s City) and current (Annapolis) capitals yield new archaeological discoveries every year, it seems. And between these two small cities, the spectacular, ever-eroding Calvert Cliffs reveal fossilized evidence of creatures that lived here upward of 20 million years ago: sharks, whales, crocodiles, even seabirds the size of Cessnas.

All that to say, Williamsburg, Shmilliamsburg—and if you’re into architecture, two of the nation’s most ornate colonial homes can be found in Annapolis. Preservationists helped save the William Paca House and the James Brice House, both grand Georgian manors and National Historic Landmarks. The former is open for guided glimpses into lifestyles of the 18th-century sociopolitical elite. Currently getting a facelift, the latter yields surprising finds, including caches of African-American spiritual artifacts hidden beneath one wing’s floor. View these and other archaeological treasures at the Museum of Historic Annapolis. The crown jewel of artifacts is a piece of type, the “death’s head” stamp, used by an Annapolis printer to defy Britain’s 1765 Stamp Act. While you’re in town, get your ration of grog at Pusser’s Caribbean Grille along the waterfront. The landmark dock bar takes its name from the Royal Navy’s traditional rum, used in the Grille’s signature concoction, the Painkiller.

If you dig archaeology, about an hour south, the Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum in St. Leonard is your kind of unstuffy museum: over 500 strollable, riverfront acres filled with scores of archaeological sites interpreting 9,000 years of local history in Calvert County. After a stop at the informative Visitor Center, take the Layers of Time Trail past a recreated Woodland Indian village, a tobacco plantation site, and the scenic Patuxent River. The onsite Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory hosts tours on Thursdays.

Just down the road, the Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons is best known for its historic wooden workboats and handsomely restored Drum Point Lighthouse. Lesser known is the museum’s paleontology gallery, which boasts an impressive collection of Miocene fossils unearthed at the nearby Calvert Cliffs. The star of the show is a 35-foot skeletal rendering of a megalodon, aka an extinct (thankfully) giant white shark with gaping, jagged-toothed jaws—it appears to be auditioning for Jurassic Park. The museum also hosts fossil-hunting field trips and First Fossil Fridays where paleontologists identify amateur fossil hunters’ finds.

Conclude your Southern Maryland trek at the tip of the peninsula in Historic St. Mary’s City, where Europeans first landed at St. Clements Island in 1634 and established Maryland’s first capital. Today, a reconstructed chapel, state house, town center, working farm, and replica wooden tall ship, the Maryland Dove, demonstrate how the colonists lived and worshipped. Theirs is not the only story this living history museum tells; exhibits and demonstrations honor the area’s Native Americans and enslaved Africans brought here to labor on plantations.

Clockwise: The William Paca House; The Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons —COURTESY OF THE CALVERT MARINE MUSEUM; the Quarters at Pier450 in Ridge —COURTESY OF THE QUARTERS AT PIER 450; The Museum of Historic Annapolis’ historic stamp —COURTESY OF HISTORIC ANNAPOLIS.

BEST BETS: FOSSIL HUNTING

GUIDED TRIPS: Chesapeake Heritage and Paleontology Tours, St. Leonard
Passionate, knowledgeable collector leads hunts on private beach.

BEACHCOMBING: Flag Ponds Nature Park, Lusby
Shorter hike, larger beach for fossil hunting compared to the nearby state park.

YOUNG HUNTERS: Discovery Room, Calvert Marine Museum, Solomons
“Fossil Fun” sand box lets kids find and identify fossils themselves.

Stay

Up north, Historic Inns of Annapolis operates three storied inns, including the stately Governor Calvert House. Book a king room and you’ll be slumbering in the original Calvert family room. But don’t miss the inn’s archaeological oddity: a hypocaust, or sub-floor heating system first popularized in Ancient Rome. On the southern end, The Quarters at Pier450 in Ridge draws loyal guests who love its sublime sunsets, city-caliber dining, and charming, retro aesthetic. This former fishing camp’s renovated rooms now pay exuberant tribute to everything from Texas longhorns to pioneering 20thcentury interior decorator Dorothy Draper.

ravelers who belong to the flat-earth society—in other words, cyclists—can’t go wrong bringing bikes to explore the billiards-table-level land known as the Delmarva Peninsula. Miles and miles of broad-bermed highways lined with farm fields, forests, and fascinating local history stretch from the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay to the sandy beaches of the Atlantic Ocean.

Let Route 50 traffic zoom by as you take Kent Island’s 6.5- mile Cross Island Trail for a leisurely, two-wheeled look at the Chesapeake’s largest island. This nature-park-to-nature-park northern route passes through forests and over wooden bridges that span marshes and creeks alive with herons and waterfowl. Meanwhile, the seven-mile South Island Trail parallels smaller, quieter Route 8 through woods and open areas, ending at Romancoke Fishing Pier.

Whether your tastes are protein- or plant-based, find postcycling sustenance at a local favorite, Frix’s Fire Grill, tucked into a Route 50 strip mall in Chester. Its Brazilian-influenced menu includes meats (try the lamb chops) grilled over “lava rocks” as well as flatbreads, salads, and small plates.

A cyclists’ dream, Talbot County offers numerous scenic trails, including a perennial favorite of regional and even national renown, the St. Michaels-Oxford-Easton Loop. Beginning in the tidewater town of St. Michaels, with its maritime museum, gift shops, and restaurants, the nearly 30-mile backroads trail encircles the Tred Avon River, linking a necklace of charming hamlets. To reach Oxford, a village of boatyards and boundless history, you’ll cross the river at Bellevue via the local ferry service that’s been running since Charles Calvert was governor (340 years ago).

For maximum waterfront scenery, tackle the Chesapeake Views Trail, a 28-mile peninsular route that affords some of cycling’s best open-water vistas of the estuary. Beginning in tiny Claiborne, the site of an old ferry landing and just down the road from St. Michaels, you’ll tool south through agricultural and fishing villages to the southern tip of Tilghman Island, catching glimpses of Sharps Island Lighthouse and even, on a clear day, the Chesapeake’s western shore.

On the Delmarva’s eastern side, the Delaware seashore beckons with rail trails and other sea-breezy routes. The six-mile Junction and Breakwater Trail links the towns of Lewes and Rehoboth Beach, providing a nature lover’s escape from busy boardwalks and the congested Coastal Highway. The trail hugs the western edge of Cape Henlopen State Park, winding past pine forests, farm fields, and coastal salt marshes, and crossing an 80-foot-long historic wooden bridge. President Biden and the first lady enjoy biking the park’s similarly scenic 5.2-mile Gordons Pond Trail when they visit their Rehoboth home. (POTUS also took a famous tumble while cycling here in 2022; we’re glad he was okay.)

Clockwise: Rehoboth Beach overlooking the Atlantic Ocean; The Wildset Hotel in St. Michaels —COURTESY OF THE WILDSET HOTEL; Cape Henlopen State Park near Lewes, Delaware; the Cross Island Trail in Kent Island.

BEST BETS: SHORE CYCLING

BIKING & BIRDING: School Days Trail, Easton
A 28-mile Talbot trail that passes the 450-acre Pickering Creek Audubon sanctuary for a perfect picnic stop.

BIKING & BEERING: Beer Sherpa E-Bike Adventures, Lewes, DE
A cooler-toting “beer sherpa” guides Dogfish Inn’s electric bike tours to Dogfish Brewing and other area pubs.

BIKING THE BOARDWALK: Rehoboth Beach, DE
When summer ends, the resort lifts its morning-only cycling curfew on the mile-long boardwalk.

Stay

The Wildset Hotel in downtown St. Michaels offers the kind of amenities cyclists crave at day’s end: comfy beds, soaking tubs, a nice meal, and fire pits for group or family gatherings. Three historic buildings updated with modern comforts house 34 rooms. Reflecting its stylish vibe, the Wildset’s restaurant and oyster bar, Ruse, highlights fresh seafood. Across the Maryland line, you can book lodging with Southern Delaware Tourism’s “Bike & Stay Package” to receive dining, drinking, and other discounts, plus an interactive trail map. Cyclists must stay at a participating hotel, such as the delightfully retro Dogfish Inn on the canal in Lewes.

he Shenandoah Valley and its northern gateway were much contested during the Civil War. Union and Confederate forces struggled for supremacy in border towns such as Harpers Ferry, Front Royal, and Leesburg, which changed hands with dizzying frequency. A century and a half later, this fertile valley, stretching from Maryland into West Virginia and Virginia, affords peace and plenty for all—especially if you love wine.

Frederick County’s wine trail touts 14 “vintage destinations” for wineries and cideries. Nestled in farm country, multiple-medal- winning Elk Run Vineyards of Mt. Airy has been making vino for four decades. Sample its Liberty Tavern Cabernet Sauvignon, a White House favorite in the Netflix series House of Cards. While you’re in town, Black Ankle Vineyards is another worthy stop, with all the grapes it uses grown on their own farms.

South of the city of Frederick, Monocacy National Battlefield preserves about 1,500 acres near the Monocacy River, where Union forces crucially slowed the advance of General Jubal Early’s Confederate troops bound for the nation’s capital. Although a Southern victory, history remembers the 1864 conflict as “The Battle That Saved Washington.” Nearby, the Monocacy Crossing restaurant has an extensive wine list and also discounts bottles on Thursday nights and Sundays.

Just down the road, wedged between cliffs and two rivers (the Shenandoah and Potomac), Harpers Ferry isn’t vineyard territory, but it was the toast of both sides during the Civil War, thanks to its strategic location. Today, most of this West Virginia town operates as a National Historical Park, drawing visitors to John Brown’s Fort, the U.S. Arsenal Ruins, and other history-altering locales. The Black Heritage Walking Tour highlights its little-known but pioneering role in the Civil Rights movement.

Farther south into Virginia, Winchesteralso vied for the Civil War’s most-contested title, at least partially changing hands more than 70 times, and Stonewall Jackson’s headquarters survives as a museum in the city. One of the South’s great triumphs occurred 20 miles south in Front Royal, where a driving tour retraces the Battle of Front Royal, including the site where teenage Confederate spy Belle Boyd informed General Jackson of Union troop movements.

Head northeast to Loudoun County and Leesburg, the county seat. Sitting just south of the Potomac River (the war’s North- South border), the town claims that it was the most fought-over, changing hands over 150 times. Its military legacy is the Battle of Ball’s Bluff, an embarrassing defeat for Union troops on a reconnaissance- mission-gone-wrong. Ball’s Bluff Battlefield Regional Park preserves the site along with a small national cemetery.

About 200 square miles of Loudoun and neighboring Fauquier counties are designated the Middleburg American Viticultural Area, home to dozens of vineyards in a state boasting hundreds. The area’s hilly terrain produces wonderful wines at hilltop vineyards with breathtaking views. The Wine Kitchen in Leesburg features select local vintages among dozens on a list helpfully subdivided into playful categories like “Pinot Envy.” Enjoy them with a house-made pasta or catch-of-the-day seafood.

Clockwise: The Blue Door in Flint Hill —COURTESY OF THE BLUE DOOR; John Brown’s Fort in Harpers Ferry; RdV Vineyards in Delaplane —COURTESY OF RDV VINEYARDS; Downtown Leesburg.

BEST BETS: NORTHERN VIRGINIA WINERIES

TOURS DE FORCE: RdV Vineyards, Delaplane
Elaborate guided tasting tours featuring sublime, high-rated wines atop Lost Mountain.

CUTTING EDGE: Walsh Family Wine, Purcellville
Wine Enthusiast praises its terroir wines, hip house-party vibe, and winemaking mentorship.

STYLISH: Boxwood Winery, Middleburg
Bordeaux-style vinos at a horse-country winery designed by acclaimed architect Hugh Newell Jacobsen.

Stay

Snow White would have a field day at Hillbrook Inn and Spa in Charles Town, West Virginia, where five buildings (including the century-old Tudor-style manor) provide 19 rooms and suites for just-right snoozing. The inn also offers fine dining and chauffeur-driven winery tours. The Blue Door, a country inn and restaurant in Flint Hill, Virginia, offers both respite and sophisticated Italian cuisine, whose ingredients the chef sources from local farms. Weather permitting, enjoy outdoor dining beside the historic estate’s lovely gardens.

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Wild Wonders

Aaron Hope — Mon, 02 Sep 2019 08:30:00 +0000

Six stunning places to experience the East Coast’s greatest great outdoors this fall.

By Lydia Woolever

Travel & Outdoors

Wild Wonders

Six stunning places to experience the East Coast’s greatest great outdoors this fall.

By Lydia Woolever.

Pristine beaches. Towering cliffs. Cascading waterfalls. Big, blue-hued mountains as far as the eye can see. Baltimore is a stone’s throw from some of the East Coast’s greatest great outdoors, many of which happen to be located inside state and national parks. This fall, pack up the car, put away your cell phone, and consider yourself a good Samaritan for getting outside and supporting these natural treasures. Your mind, body, and spirit will thank you, too.

maryland

Hop on the highway and drive east as far as Maryland will take you, and hopefully you’ll end up on the white sandy beaches of Assateague Island. It’s hard to believe that the national seashore and coastal barrier island is in our state, especially in fall, when the cool winds off the Atlantic Ocean contrast the almost desert-like landscape and both the seaside goldenrod wildflowers and salt bush shrubs are in bloom along the dunes. The protected terrain is perfect for biking, beach-combing, surfing, and spotting the island’s wild horses, which are said to have first arrived in the region after a Spanish shipwreck in the 1600s. If you’re lucky, you might see a newborn foal, but be careful if you’re camping—the ponies have been known to bite, break into coolers, and cause a general ruckus. Still, we highly recommend bringing your own tent. With campfires allowed on the beach, there are few better ways to toast some marshmallows and see the stars.

SISTER CITY

If you keep walking south down the beach, or take the hour-long detour drive, you can find yourself in Chincoteague on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, where the wild ponies also roam, and the Pico Taqueria offers an unexpectedly delicious array of gourmet tacos.

WILD THINGS

In addition to the wild ponies, Assateague is home to a host of flora and fauna.

Ghost Crab: These swift-footed crustaceans blend in with the sand but can commonly be spotted scurrying sideways down the beach.

Prickly Pear: This eastern cactus is a native succulent to these seaside sands, with bright yellow blooms lasting until late summer and edible fruit appearing in the fall.

Dolphins: From May through October, bottlenose dolphins are often spotted swimming in pods in the open water before heading south for winter.

maryland

On the wide-open waters of the Chesapeake Bay, it can be easy to forget that our state estuary is actually the outpouring of the great Susquehanna River. Running from New York through Pennsylvania to Maryland, this ancient waterway was created at the end of the last Ice Age as the earth warmed and melting glaciers carved out the majestic river valley. Eventually, the Susquehannock Native Americans would call these waters home, with some evidence of their existence still surviving on the rocks of the riverbed. The best way to experience the Chesapeake headwaters, which provide nearly half of the brackish bay’s fresh water, is to launch a kayak, canoe, or boat from Susquehanna State Park in nearby Havre de Grace and explore the shorelines and multiple uninhabited islands, said to have once been visited by Captain John Smith. Back on the mainland, quiet trails also offer a respite in the deep woods, with popular mountain biking paths and scenic river views.

Go Fish With a state fishing license, anglers can catch a bounty of fins here come fall, from rockfish and catfish to carp and perch.

NATIVE LAND

Not long ago, the Susquehanna River was riddled with Native American petroglyphs, most of which have been archeologically preserved in museum collections or submerged by the river’s multiple dams. But across the Pennsylvania line into Lancaster County, one series of nationally protected examples still exists in the wild at the Big and Little Indian Rocks in Conestoga. Take the extra hour’s drive with a water vessel to witness this prehistoric art for yourself.

WORTH A DAM

There’s plenty not to like about the Conowingo Dam, especially after the recent releases following heavy rainfall that have forced Pennsylvania’s trash into the Chesapeake Bay. But we can forgive them their sins this time of year, when the dam’s overlook affords some awesome views of bald eagles swooping down to catch southbound fish.

Go Fish With a state fishing license, anglers can catch a bounty of fins here come fall, from rockfish and catfish to carp and perch.

CAMPING 101

A few tips and tricks for first-timers at arguably the best campground in Maryland.

Go online to reserve an ocean-side site within the National Seashore.
Prepare for cold showers. No hot water in the rustic stalls.

Pack away your food at night. The ponies are not above foraging.
Turn off your cell phone and try to find the Big and Little Dippers.

west virginia

WATCH OUT! Watch where you’re walking, as venomous timber rattlesnakes have been spotted in the Dolly Sods. They typically don’t strike unless provoked.

“Life is old there, older than the trees . . .” John Denver had West Virginia pegged when he wrote his 1970s hit, “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” an ode that in recent years has been adopted as the Mountain State’s official song. It is a wild and ancient place—especially the 17,000-acre Dolly Sods Wilderness, an undulating sea of green along the Allegheny Mountains in the heart of Appalachia. Located within the massive Monongahela National Forest, which spans the entire eastern border of West Virginia, this distinctive landscape is studded with 47 miles of nature trails through dense forest and meadowed plains, over mossy bogs and up craggy, boulder-strewn mountains that climb upwards of 4,700 feet. At the start, Blackwater Falls is a must, with accessible and awe-inspiring cascades located just outside the old coal mining town of Davis, whereas longer hikes, like the nine-mile round-trip Rohrbaugh and Blackbird Knob trails, offer a more adventurous, in-the-sticks trek. If possible, bring a four-wheel-drive vehicle for the narrow switchback roads and get comfortable with little-to-no cell service. From way up there, embrace the unplug and take a deep breath of fresh mountain air. “Almost heaven,” indeed.

FALL FOLIAGE

Because of its elevation, the climate and plant life of the Dolly Sods is more similar to Northern Canada than Maryland or Virginia. This time of year, thousands of acres of wild heath will blanket the region in red, while yellow birch, beech, and black cherry trees turn the rolling hills orange and gold.

DOWNHOME DIGS

If you’re looking for a comfortable bed after a day in the wild, the recently renovated Billy Motel in Davis is a fun, funky place to put your feet up. It’s also a five-minute drive to the Purple Fiddle, a true-blue pitstop for old-time Appalachian music.

WATCH OUT! Watch where you’re walking, as venomous timber rattlesnakes have been spotted in the Dolly Sods. They typically don’t strike unless provoked.

SWIM OR SCALE

Forty minutes south of Davis through backcountry roads, Seneca Rocks is one of the most beloved natural landmarks of West Virginia, with a jagged crag of sandstone shooting nearly 900 feet above the nearby North Fork of the South Branch of the Potomac River. It’s a favorite for rock-climbing fanatics, while down below, a secluded swimming hole offers an icy, idyllic dip.

maryland

One of the state’s best hidden gems is these massive, ancient cliffs along the edge of the Chesapeake Bay in Calvert County. Dating back 10 to 20 million years, when the Southern Maryland region was covered by a warm, shallow sea, these rust-colored bluffs were created over the eons by glacial melt and erosion and today run roughly 24 miles down the Western Shore as a treasure trove of prehistoric history. Walking along the shoreline in the shadow of the cliffs, you can stumble across and collect shark’s teeth, whale bones, sea shells, and other fossils from before the time of man. Just arrive early, as expert treasure hunters often walk the sands at sunrise for the best finds. Bring the kids for extra hands and a day at the beach, or your dog (on leash) for an invigorating traverse over some 13 miles of the state park’s hiking trails.

pit stop

The Frying Pan Restaurant in Lusby is a no-frills, old-school, worth-its-salt greasy spoon that’s been serving locals home-style cooking (silver dollar pancakes, scrapple, fried oysters, chicken fried steaks) for the past 50 years.

ROCKY ROAD

This should be obvious, but don’t dig into or walk directly beneath the cliffs. Landslides do occur due to active erosion.

Living History

If you don’t find your own fossils, the nearby Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons is home to a stellar collection found along the cliffs, as well as historic Chesapeake boats and lighthouses.

maryland

Prepare for your jaw to drop upon entering this national wildlife refuge in Dorchester County on the lower Eastern Shore. For as far as the eye can see, an expanse of forest and marsh unfurl toward what feels like the ends of the earth, with dark shallow pools of water and golden switchgrass blending with the horizon. Considered one of the “last great places” by The Nature Conservancy and known by some as the “Everglades of the North,” these 28,000-plus acres are home to one third of the state’s tidal wetlands and lie in a critical path for migratory birds, making it an ecological treasure of the East Coast. Get lost on an epic fall drive down the labyrinthine backroads, bike the myriad wildlife trails, or carry your kayak to explore the waterfowl sanctuary via the inky water itself.

BLACK MAGIC

The name “blackwater” comes from the local river waters that darken in color from rich tannins in the marsh soils.

GUIDING LIGHT

Before the park entrance, the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center is a must-visit for moving museum exhibits and a scenic rest stop in the land where its legendary namesake abolitionist once lived and later returned to free other slaves.

FOWL FRIENDS

Bring your binoculars for bird sightings throughout the fall.

Bald Eagles: Expect to see these noble birds of prey in big numbers, as Blackwater has one of the largest populations of breeding bald eagles on the East Coast.

Geese: Starting in October, both Canada and snow geese arrive in the thousands for a winter break on their way down south.

Tundra Swans: Usually appearing in early November, these regal beauties make a statement in the sky and on land with their great white feathers and haunting call.

virginia

WATCH OUT! Black bears are common in these parts. Talk as you hike to make the animals aware of your presence, and if you have a run-in, keep your distance and walk away slowly without turning your back to them.

To put it simply, the Shenandoah National Park is something to behold, and the dramatic landscape, with 200,000-acres of protected land along the soaring Blue Ridge Mountains, will surely take your breath away. It’s an outdoor enthusiast’s Shangri-La, from the 105-mile stretch of mountaintop that is Skyline Drive, with its some 76 overlook pull-offs for taking in the magnificent vistas, to an abundance of trout streams fit for fly fishing, to tumbling waterfalls and easy detours for an afternoon of spelunking in natural caves. Of course, Shenandoah is also in the heart of the Appalachian Trail, with dozens of access points throughout the park, plus plenty of other hikes worth hoofing, like Hawksbill, a moderate climb to the park’s highest peak, and the ever-popular yet challenging ascent up to the boulders of Old Rag.

ROCK OF AGES

You may have flashbacks to middle school field trips to Luray Caverns, but even for adults, these subterranean caves, the largest of their kind in the eastern U.S, are still a spectacle, from the Salvador Dalí-esque rock formations of Giant’s Hall, to the optical illusion of Dream Lake, to the musical masterpiece of the Great Stalacpipe Organ.

WORTH THE DETOUR

The Seven Bends of the Shenandoah River technically abut the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, but take the short drive to Woodstock to climb the town’s observation tower. From 2,000 feet up, take in a bird’s-eye view of this serpentine, riverine wonder.

WATCH OUT! Black bears are common in these parts. Talk as you hike to make the animals aware of your presence, and if you have a run-in, keep your distance and walk away slowly without turning your back to them.

SACK OUT

From camping to glamping and luxury lodging, feel comfortable putting your feet up in any of these mountain digs.

Big Meadows: This sprawling campground in the northern part of the park affords picturesque views, proximity to popular trails, and plenty of fire pit grills for roasting weenies in the woods.

Getaway House: These millennial-approved cabins offer a tiny-home experience with some modern amenities and Instagram-approved beds in the Stanardsville foothills of Shenandoah.

The Clifton: For the closest thing to a bed of roses, this historic estate features chic sleeps in former carriage houses just minutes from Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello in Charlottesville.

Source

Country Road Trips

Jess Mayhugh — Fri, 02 Sep 2016 09:00:00 +0000

Photo by David Colwell

Hitting the highway this fall, but can’t
agree on an itinerary? We’ve picked three scenic getaways with stops to
suit just about anyone’s agenda, whether you’re a nature nut, a history
buff, a comfort seeker, a chronic shopper—or maybe a little bit of each.
Mix and match these highlights to create the perfect autumn road trip. Now all you have to do is decide who’s driving.

Shutterstock

Meander the Mountains

Head west on Interstate 70 and Alternate U.S. 40 through the foothills into dark Appalachian forests. Picnic beneath
the pines or hike the Appalachian Trail as it shimmies along ridges
offering unbeatable views of three states. When you’re ready, pick a
country road and meander past silent Civil War battlefields to the
Potomac River. Then tramp the steep streets of Harpers Ferry, WV, where
the past, present, and two scenic rivers converge.

Nature

Before there were Washington Monuments in Baltimore or D.C., citizens
of tiny Boonsboro marched up South Mountain on July 4, 1827, to erect a
stone mini-memorial to the first President. Today, visitors can drive
the slope to Washington Monument State Park
(301-791-4767) and walk to this rustic lookout (rebuilt in the 1930s).
Bring a camera; the 360-degree views are spectacular and you may spy
migrating hawks. Next, travel west to Williamsport to enjoy foliage
along the C&O Canal Towpath. The National Historical Park’s Visitor Center
(301-582-0813) has maps of a 1.5-mile route leading to a surviving lock
house and a stately stone aqueduct. Or bring bicycles and cruise south
to Falling Waters, where Confederate troops once escaped across the
Potomac. Too pooped to pedal? Spread a blanket at Williamsport’s
Riverbottom Park and watch fallen leaves float by like fragile toy
barges.

History

Don’t miss Washington Monument State Park’s
(301-791-4767) new museum. Exhibits include an amusingly detailed
account of the monument’s construction and a narrated diorama depicting
the Battle of South Mountain, a prelude to the Battle of Antietam in
nearby Sharpsburg. Even 150 years later, it’s profoundly moving to think
of the 23,000 soldiers killed, wounded, or missing at solemn, bucolic Antietam National Battlefield
(301-432-5124). Self-guided auto tours will deepen your empathy.
Conclude your tour in Harpers Ferry, WV, where the National Park Service
has turned the city and neighboring Bolivar Heights into a living
museum honoring the community’s industrial, cultural, and violent past.
Only have two hours? Spend them in Lower Town, the historic district
comprising two-dozen attractions, including museums devoted to John
Brown and the Civil War.

Comfort

Value, fresh ingredients, and haute home cooking, here are three food finds along your route. For lunch, try Cannonball Deli
in Harpers Ferry (304-535-1762), popular with hikers and locals for its
sandwiches and sociability. Order a lamb or chicken gyro and admire the
intricate walking sticks the owner carves. (They’re also for sale.)
Those white vans with black spots you see roaming rural roads? Follow
one home to South Mountain Creamery in Middletown
(301-371-8565) and buy bottled (yes!) milk, eggs, farm-churned butter,
and luscious homemade ice cream. You could bypass Frederick, but don’t
if it’s breakfast, lunch, or dinnertime. Family Meal
(301-378-2895), chef Bryan Voltaggio’s homage to mom-cooked meals,
elevates comfort food. Think fries cooked in duck fat with yummy dipping
sauces (smoked ketchup, salsa verde) and chicken pot pies miniaturized
as creamy, veggie-stuffed fritters.

Shopping

Before his big hike, explorer Meriwether Lewis stocked up on weapons
and tools in Harpers Ferry. Today, you can buy essentials and luxuries
in Lower Town. Appalachian Trail trekkers love The Outfitter at Harpers Ferry
(888-535-2087) for hiking, cycling, and other outdoor equipment. It
sells tenderfoot gear, too, like “I hiked the width of the Appalachian
Trail” T-shirts. (Fill your water bottles at its bamboo spigot.) At Tenfold Fair Trade Collection,
a global gift shop (304-579-8525), make purchases with a peaceful
conscience from stock that includes colorful Ikat shoulder bags from
Nepal, rustic birdhouses from the Philippines, and fused-glass earrings
from Chile. Don’t miss the National Park Bookshop
(304-535-6881), a not- at-all-musty trove of local history and culture,
from brick-thick Civil War tomes and soldiers’ caps for the kids to
Appalachian cookbooks and music CDs by West Virginia’s fiddle-playing
senator, the late Robert Byrd.

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Water, Water Everywhere

Summer dictates you reach the Eastern Shore via the Bay Bridge.

But in fall, take I-95 north instead (U.S. 40 if you’re ambling) to
explore the woodsy and watery nooks of the upper Chesapeake Bay. Count
hawks as they soar above a bluff or pretend you’re a raptor as you
zip-line over a Delaware pond. Stop to eat, shop, and be awestruck by
ship traffic in Chesapeake City, whose historic canal still means (big)
business.

Nature

Abandon I-95 at MD 272 and head north, stopping at North East Creek
to photograph Gilpin’s Falls Covered Bridge. The road ends to the south
at Elk Neck State Park (410-287-5333), 2,100 acres of
wooded beauty wedged between two rivers. At Turkey Point, join local
birders as they count migrating hawks. Drive north, past Elkton, to Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area
(410-398-1246), ex-galloping grounds of the du Pont family. Ramble
miles of scenic trails made for hiking, cycling, or (appropriately)
horseback riding. Rent a steed from Fair Hill Stables (410-620-3883) and mosey over Foxcatcher Farm Covered Bridge. Type A’s, are we? Swing through the foliage at Lums Pond State Park in nearby Bear, DE, (302-368-6989), home of Delaware’s first (brand-new) zip-line course Go Ape Treetop Adventure
(800-971-8271). This is leaf-zooming: five lines (four crossing the
200-acre pond) plus rope ladders, a trapeze, and Tarzan swings.

History

In Elk Neck State Park, enjoy commanding views of the Chesapeake from Turkey Point Lighthouse
(410-287-8170) perched on a 100-foot-high bluff. Turkey Point had more
women keepers than any of the other lighthouses on the bay. Hear their
stories of hardship and vigilance during weekend tours. Automated now,
Turkey Point Lighthouse guides ships transiting the nation’s busiest
canal, the Chesapeake & Delaware, which opened in 1829. Loop around
the Elk River to Chesapeake City (twin towns bisected by the canal). At
the C&D Canal Museum (410-885-5622) in South
Chesapeake City, you’ll learn how long it took to hand dig this 14-mile
shortcut to the port of Baltimore (26 years) and see the workers’ humble
earthmovers (wooden buckets) plus a giant waterwheel used when the
canal had locks.

Comfort

Chesapeake City’s “main street” is 450 feet wide, and traffic watching is wildly popular. Grab a front-row seat on the deck at Schaefer’s Canal House
(410-885-7200), a north shore institution that reopened last fall after
years in renovation limbo. Order something frosty, anything crab, and
admire the parade of jumbo ships and jaunty speedboats. Booking an
upper-floor room at the Ship Watch Inn (410-885-5300), a genteel South
Chesapeake City B&B, is like having a skybox for the canalcade—only
closer to the action. Find a rocking chair and prepare to feel
Lilliputian as a 600-foot ship stuffed with Toyotas passes your balcony.
Prefer less activity? Elk Forge Bed & Breakfast
outside Elkton (410-392-9007) offers 14 exquisitely decorated rooms and
suites and a day spa on five acres of woods and gardens. Fireplaces,
couples’ whirlpools, and sunset walks spell romance to us.

Shopping

Stop at North East’s Day Basket Factory
(410-287-6100), where they’ve been hand weaving handsome split-oak
baskets for over 130 years. A picnic basket or market basket makes a
handy fall travel accessory. Just sayin’. Get inspiration and
ingredients for a lush yard at Terra Joy Edible Landscapes
in North East (443-480-5417). This nursery/gift shop preaches that
landscaping with herbs, fruit trees, and berry bushes makes your
backyard look and taste great. Beats mowing, too. Shop South Chesapeake
City’s Bohemia Avenue for these and other treasures: boomer-vintage
playthings at Toys from the Attic & More (410-885-2554), accessories for garden-lovers at Thyme in the Garden (410-885-2647), vintage stoneware at Katydids (410-960-0855), handcrafted silver, pewter, and turquoise jewelry at My Jewelry Place (410-885-2005), and women’s fashions at Chick’s (410-885-3933).

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Through Fields & Forests

Take the Northwest Passage, MD 140,

to Westminster, then head for south-central Pennsylvania, a land of
apple orchards, limestone streams, fall festivals, and deep forests. Buy
apples and fresh cider at a fruit stand. (They’re everywhere.) Tour
Gettysburg National Military Park’s 150th anniversary exhibits. Explore
mountain trails on foot or fat tires. When it’s time to slow down, visit
the idyllic village of Boiling Springs, PA, for a leisurely meal and
some holiday shopping.

Nature

From Gettysburg, take U.S. 30 west into Michaux State Forest
(717-352-2211), 85,000 acres of mountainous woodlands laced with trails
for hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians. Ramble scenic gravel
roads on two or four wheels, hugging ridges and plunging through pine
and hardwood forests dotted with lakes and streams. Drive Michaux’s
super-scenic north-south thoroughfare, PA 233, which links three state
parks nestled within the forest, (south to north) Mont Alto (717-352-2161), Caledonia (717-352-2161), and Pine Grove Furnace
(717-486-7174). Nosh lunch at Mont Alto’s vintage picnic pavilion.
Wander an ancient pine and hemlock forest in Caledonia. Climb a mountain
trail at Pine Grove Furnace for knockout views from Pole Steeple Vista.
Don boots and backpacks to tackle the other super-scenic path through
this enchanting forest: the Appalachian Trail, 37 miles of which transit
Michaux.

History

If the movie moved you, imagine how you’ll feel walking where Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address 150 years ago. Gettysburg National Military Park
(717-334-1124) deserves a day’s visit. Don’t miss the themed galleries
and evocative, ginormous cyclorama, or The Soldiers’ National Cemetery
where Lincoln gave his haunting speech. Then head west on Lincoln
Highway (U.S. 30) to visit Thaddeus Stevens Blacksmith Shop in Caledonia
State Park, where the fiery abolitionist owned an iron works. At the Appalachian Trail Museum
(717-486-8126) in Pine Grove Furnace park, learn about the trail’s
pioneers and hikers, including a Keds-wearing grandmother. Ask a park
ranger about the bizarre legend of a quarryman who drowned trying to
save his lunch-pail dessert, a slice of pumpkin pie. His hairy hand
reputedly haunts the quarry (now Fuller Lake), where glowing
jack-o’-lanterns are set adrift in tribute around Halloween.

Comfort

Need a retreat from Gettysburg’s anniversary hubbub? Here are two
lodging options less than an hour away. Reserve one of six beautifully
decorated rooms and suites at Sheppard Mansion
(717-633-8075), a luxurious Select Registry B&B in downtown Hanover,
PA, another battle-proud town. “The Picket,” a bronze statue in the
town square, honors the 1863 Battle of Hanover. Or rest at Allenberry Resort Inn and Playhouse
(717-258-3211), a rambling country inn and theater on a noted
fly-fishing stream in Boiling Springs. Choose from 61 guestrooms in
three lodges and a stone mansion or four private cottages. For
sustenance, dig into Allenberry’s hearty Pennsylvania Dutch buffets or
opt for lighter fare like salads and paninis. Whether you dine Dutch or a
la carte, do try Allenberry’s iconic sticky buns.

Shopping

This is farm country: Stock up on local bounty. Buy Nittany apples,
Niagra grapes, plump pumpkins, fresh cheeses, and other locally sourced
foods at Hanover’s Carriage House Market
(717-633-8075). The market, run by the owners of Sheppard Mansion, also
sells fine kitchen accessories. Get a jump on holiday shopping in
Boiling Springs. Tucked on a side street, The Village Artisan Gallery
(717-258-3256) sells distinctive, handcrafted-in-America gifts,
including Pennsylvania crafts like Shaker boxes and scherenschnitte, an
intricate paper-cutting technique. Watch the in-house carver as she
details her whimsical folk-art figures. Don’t know a woolly bugger from a
woolly mammoth? No matter. Stop by Yellow Breeches Outfitters
(717-258-6752), a fly-fishing mecca named for the local trout stream.
Besides waders, tackle, and hand-tied flies (e.g. woolly buggers), the
shop sells Orvis clothing and local gifts next to a picturesque lake

Source

Great Fall Road Trips

Jess Mayhugh — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 09:00:00 +0000

You’re rambling down a country road admiring the fiery-hued foliage
when it hits you: You’re hungry and only one food will do—pie, perhaps
the quintessential fall fare. A warm wedge of apple à la mode would fit
the bill nicely, or a slice of lofty lemon meringue. Chances are the
next small town will have just the dining spot you’re looking for: large
parking lot (promising), lots of cars with in-state plates (better
yet), a neon sign of a certain vintage (bonus points), and customers
leaving with telltale pie boxes (bingo!). We all crave comfort food,
especially when traveling. Fresh-baked pies, homemade soup, and anything
slathered in gravy represent a piece of home on terra incognita and a
sample of the local cuisine, all rolled into one. Here are four fall
getaways sure to satisfy your tastes in leaf looking, apple picking, and
local flavor.

The Maryland Countryside

Why: Farm bounty and fall glory
Plan: A full day

What can top the autumn scenery along Falls Road? Okay, maybe the
scenery from above Falls Road if you’re in one of those hot-air balloons
lifting off from Oregon Ridge Park. Make the most of your day in the
countryside; rise early like the balloonists and get rolling before the
morning dew dries. Let whim be your GPS. You could detour to
Reisterstown for a breakfast pizza piled with scrambled eggs and cheese
at Martha & Mary’s, a popular downtown gathering spot (75 Main St.,
410-833-3336). Or simply stick with Falls Road all the way to Alesia. As
you pass century-old stone houses, stream-laced valleys, and rolling
farmland, you’ll see why the highway, officially Route 25, is designated
a Maryland scenic byway.

From Manchester (about three miles west of Alesia), follow MD 27
south to Westminster, home of McDaniel College, the Carroll County Farm
Museum, and an apple empire that dates to the Roosevelt era (Teddy, that
is). Pick a peck of apples or the perfect pumpkin at Baugher’s, a
pick-your-own orchard with a busy restaurant and market that has been in
the apple biz since 1904. All of the pies—over a dozen varieties,
including four types of apple—are baked in-house. Order a slice à la
mode, and you can sample Baugher’s luscious homemade ice cream, too.
Other Baugher’s attractions: wagon rides, a petting zoo, and a
maniacally grinning mascot, “Apple Man.” (Farm: 1236 Baugher Rd.,
410-848-5541; pick-your-own hotline, 410-857-0111; restaurant, 289 W.
Main St., 410-848-7413.)

Walk off one of Baugher’s home-style meals by hiking the trails at
Sugarloaf Mountain, a mounded promontory rising 800 feet above the farms
that surround it. Take MD 27 south to the town of Mt. Airy. Follow back
roads southwest to Comus Road and the entrance to the Sugarloaf
recreation area. Sugarloaf has no mountainous neighbors, so you’ll enjoy
unobstructed views from overlooks located near the east and west
parking lots. If you’re feeling ambitious—or crowd-shy—hike the
five-mile Northern Peaks Trail for spectacular views from White Rocks
overlook. The trail is a favorite of local hikers (7901 Comus Rd.,
Dickerson, 301-874-2024). As the afternoon sun paints the fields in
gold, savor a glass of Merlot at Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard, whose 92
acres abut the Sugarloaf Mountain property (18125 Comus Rd., Dickerson,
301-605-0130).

Plot a route home by way of Eldersburg and order a few gooey-good BCT
(bacon, cheddar, and tomato) sandwiches to go at Grilled Cheese &
Co.—or eat in if you’re too famished to wait (in Johnsville Center, 577
Johnsville Rd., Eldersburg, 410-920-3238).

THE DETAILS: Must-Try Pie: Anything seasonal, like apple crumb or
pumpkin, at Baugher’s in Westminster. Don’t Miss: Fall festivals at the
Carroll County Farm Museum: The Maryland Wine Festival takes place
Sept. 17 and 18, and the Fall Harvest Days Jamboree, featuring
scarecrow-making, tractor pulls, threshing demonstrations, and bluegrass
music, is Oct. 1 and 2 (500 S. Center St., Westminster, 410-386-3880).
Don’t Forget: Binoculars for Sugarloaf’s summit, where you can spy the
Potomac River, Catoctin Mountain, and hawks soaring above a patchwork of
farm fields and brilliant fall foliage. Bring Home: A plump pumpkin
suitable for “scary” cosmetic surgery.

Maryland and West Virginia Mountains

Why: Vistas and mineral springs
Plan: A weekend

Glaciers move faster than Friday night traffic on I-70 West, but
persevere; once you’ve passed Frederick, your mountain getaway has
begun.

Reward yourself with comfort chow at Barbara Fritchie Restaurant,
whose giant candy-cane sign has lured motorists off U.S. 40 for decades.
All-day breakfast, hot turkey sandwiches, liver and onions, mac and
cheese, homemade pies, root-beer floats—Fritchie’s serves nearly all the
feel-good food groups. And in an age of retro-’50s diners, the
restaurant’s Formica counters and Sputnik-like chandeliers are the real
deal (1513 W. Patrick St., Frederick, 301-662-2500).

From the restaurant, use Bletinger Road to access Alternate 40 and
continue west. At Braddock Heights, gaze from atop Braddock Mountain at
Frederick’s poetic “clustered spires.” In Middletown, the kids will
insist you stop at South Mountain Creamery. This dairy farm, which
offers glass-bottle milk delivery in metro Baltimore, has a store
selling yummy ice cream and dairy goods a stone’s throw from the herds
that produced them. The kids can even help feed the calves (8305 Bolivar
Rd., 301-371-8565).

Plot a day’s trip to Berkeley Springs, WV, the spa town where George
Washington famously soaked. To bypass downtown Hagerstown, where
Alternate 40 ends, follow MD 68 west to hit U.S. 40 at Clear Spring.
Stop to take photos at Devil’s Backbone Park, where a historic stone
bridge and a waterfall span Antietam Creek northwest of Boonsboro, and
at the C&O Canal in Hancock, where the poignant remains of the
Tonoloway Creek Aqueduct are a short walk from the new visitor center.
Before taking U.S. 522 to Berkeley Springs, grab a rib-sticking lunch at
Park-N-Dine, a roadside fixture in Hancock since 1946 (189 E. Main St.,
301-678-5242).

A lot has changed, obviously, since the Father of our Country “took
the waters” in the mountain town he christened Bath (still Berkeley
Springs’s official name), the latest being a $2-million modernization
last year of Berkeley Springs State Park’s historic bathhouse. Book in
advance, if you can, to reserve a soak in the soothing mineral waters of
the retiled Roman baths or the updated whirlpool tubs. Thirty-minute or
one-hour massage packages (bath, shower, full-body rub) are your best
value (304-258-2711 or www.berkeleyspringssp.com).
Top off your relaxing day by dining at Lot 12 Public House, where chef
Damian Heath creates slow-cooked stews (rabbit ragoût), seasonal
desserts (pumpkin cheesecake), and other “upscale comfort cuisine” (117
Warren St., Berkeley Springs, 304-258-6264).

Make your homeward passage via MD 64 and MD 77 over the Catoctin
Mountains. You’ll wind through Catoctin Mountain Park, where 25 miles of
hiking trails lead to stunning vistas of the Monocacy Valley and the
town of Thurmont. Post hike, wind down with a pint of ale and a surf or
turf dinner at Shamrock Restaurant, a favorite Sunday dinner destination
for generations of Marylanders (7701 Fitzgerald Rd., Thurmont,
301-271-2912).

THE DETAILS: Sleep: The brainchild of novelist Nora Roberts, Inn
BoonsBoro is part B&B, part Euro-hotel, and pure romance. Its eight
rooms bear the names and period décor of beloved literary couples, from
Deco for Nick and Nora’s chamber to English country for Jane and
Rochester’s. Rooms have luxury bedding, opulent baths, and customized
bath fragrances (heather, naturally, for Charlotte Brontë’s moor-crossed
lovers). Packages available (1 N. Main St., 301-432-1188). Must-Try
Pie: Pecan in puff pastry with caramel sauce and vanilla whipped cream
at Lot 12 Public House, Berkeley Springs. Don’t Miss: Gathland State
Park and its curious mountaintop monument to Civil War journalists. Once
the home of Civil War correspondent George Alfred Townsend, the park
encompasses several buildings and a 50-foot-high stone arch in the
outline of a castle, which Townsend dedicated to his colleagues. You can
gawk, picnic, and hike the Appalachian Trail (on Arnoldstown Road, one
mile east of MD 67, in Burkittsville, 301-791-4767). Don’t Forget:
Bicycles to ride the C&O Canal towpath and, if you’re demur, a
bathing suit for the mineral baths; birthday suits are fine otherwise
(cover-up towels provided). Bring Home: Pound cake (apple spice,
blueberry, orange, cream cheese, or banana nut) from Catoctin Mountain
Orchard’s farm market (15036 N. Franklinville Rd., Thurmont,
301-271-2737).

Lancaster County, PA

Why: Antiques and shoofly pie
Plan: At least a weekend

Escape to Pennsylvania on the road most traveled (historically
anyway). The East’s oldest highway, Route 1 was serving Maryland
motorists long before it earned “U.S.” status 85 years ago. As the
Mother Road crosses the Susquehanna River atop Conowingo Dam, watch for
bald eagles soaring above the spillway hunting fish.

Turn west onto U.S. 222 and cross into a slower, simpler world where
horses—real ones—often provide vehicular power and farm fields unfurl
over seemingly endless hills. PA 272 offers a slightly more scenic ride
than 222, but either route carries you into the heart of Amish country
in Lancaster County. Miller’s Smorgasbord and its Route 30 emporium are
über-touristy, but they offer one-stop immersion into Pennsylvania Dutch
food and folkways. For half the price of a porterhouse in the city,
stuff yourself on chicken corn soup, chow-chow, roast turkey, baked ham,
fried chicken, buttered noodles, and shoofly (molasses) pie (2811
Lincoln Hwy. East, Ronks, 717-687-6621).

Reserve a full day to explore the county’s northern tier on PA 272
and 772. Chock-a-block with antiques shops and markets, Adamstown on 272
is the place to hunt for indigenous folk art (quilts, coverlets,
primitive furniture, rugs, pottery, and tin ware) as well as fine
antiques. Visit on Sundays, when Renninger’s holds its indoor/outdoor
market, one of the largest around (7:30 a.m.-4 p.m., 2500 N. Reading
Rd., 717-336-2177), and Stoudt’s Black Angus Antiques Mall opens its
outdoor pavilion and German-style beer garden at 5:30 a.m., two hours
before its more than 300-dealer indoor market commences. Post-antiquing,
dine at the microbrewery’s restaurant/pub surrounded by its collection
of political memorabilia and vintage beer trays (2800 N. Reading Rd.,
717-484-4386).

Follow 772 west through the small towns of Ephrata and Lititz,
formerly German-speaking religious communities. Today, only a state
museum, the Ephrata Cloister, survives to tell of the town’s founding by
would-be hermit Conrad Beissel. You can tour several of the original
buildings in which Beissel and his followers led their monastic lives
and buy local handicrafts—including replicas of the “pillows,” actually
blocks of wood, used by the brothers and sisters—at the Cloister Museum
Shop (632 W. Main St., 717-733-6600).

By contrast, the Moravian Church remains active in Lititz, where its
congregation dates to 1749. But modern pilgrims journey to this lovely
burg for another reason: chocolate. Buy it fresh at the irresistibly
aromatic Wilbur Chocolate Factory Store on the site where the confection
has been made for over a century (48 N. Broad St., 888-294-5287). At
Café Chocolate, owner Selina Man preaches the virtues of cocoa solids
and fair-trade coffee. Stop by for a Turbo (organic hot chocolate with
an espresso shot), and you might see MSNBC anchor and Lititz weekender
Mika Brzezinski sipping her morning joe (40 E. Main St., 717-626-0123).

Finally, return home along the Susquehanna’s east shore, stopping in
Columbia, PA, for a bite of the Bayou at Prudhomme’s Lost Cajun Kitchen.
Yes, that Prudhomme family. Chef Paul’s nephew, David, and his wife,
Sharon, serve authentic gumbo, red beans and rice, crawfish étouffé, and
other Cajun fare in an old hotel with a colorful past (50 Lancaster
Ave., 717-684-1706).

THE DETAILS: Sleep: Cradled by rolling farmland, The Inn at Twin
Linden offers eight rooms—including two private-entrance suites—that
feature canopy and feather beds, spa tubs, fireplaces, and stunning
views. Guests get preference for reservations for the inn’s four-course,
prix-fixe dinners on Saturday nights (2092 Main St., Churchtown,
717-445-7619). Must-Try Pies: Shoofly and whoopee (really an overgrown
chocolate cookie) anywhere. Don’t Miss: Oktoberfest in Stoudt’s beer
garden, featuring German music, dancing, and food (Sept. 24-25 and every
Sunday in October). Don’t Forget: Your furnishings’ wish list; in
addition to Adamstown antiquing, there’s a Shaker furniture shop in
Lititz. Bring Home: Fresh-baked fruit and cream pies from Wilson’s Farm
Market, which grows its own fruit and uses locally sourced ingredients.
Call ahead to reserve your favorites (2826 Conowingo Rd., Bel Air,
410-836-8980).

Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley

Why: Valley views and apples
Plan: A long weekend

From Baltimore, make haste westward on I-70, then plot a slower
course via Routes 340 and 15 to Leesburg, VA, crossing the Potomac at
craggy Point of Rocks. Your reward is nearby.

Housed in a handsomely renovated brick bank, Lightfoot Restaurant
showcases historic Leesburg’s demi-Dixie sensibilities. For lunch, order
shrimp and andouille gumbo or a GCOTD (grilled cheese of the day)
sandwich, oozing melted Havarti and pumpkin butter (11 N. King St.,
703-771-2233).

Route 7, a gentle roller coaster of a road, leads west to Winchester,
VA, the heart of apple country and the beginning of your Shenandoah
Valley exploration. From there, U.S. 11 slices southward between
mountains, linking small towns with solid Civil War pedigrees.

Wander down side roads and take your pick (literally) of apples and
pumpkins at local orchards and farm markets. You’ll find a diverse
choice of comfort cuisine in the valley, from house-made gnocchi at
family-run Violino Ristorante (181 N. Loudoun St., Winchester,
540-667-8006) and fair-trade coffee and fresh-fruit pies at folksy
Cristina’s Café (219 W. King St., Strasburg, 540-465-2311) to creamy
peanut soup with country ham at the neon-lit, road-foodie favorite,
Southern Kitchen (9576 S. Congress St., New Market, 540-740-3514).

On day two, head south and east to Front Royal, gateway to the Blue
Ridge Mountains and a 75-year-old treasure, Shenandoah National Park.
Whether you plan to drive, hike, pedal, or saddle up to see the
mountains’ colorful canopy, fill your tummy first. Try a curry chicken
wrap with mango coulis at Soul Mountain Restaurant, whose eclectic menu
is peppered with pulled pork, jerk chicken wings, Cajun fried catfish,
and other pleasingly piquant lunch and dinner dishes (300 E. Main St.,
540-636-0070). If Skyline Drive, the park’s illustrious highway, is too
congested, take a lesser-known, nearly-as-scenic western route through
sparsely settled Fort Valley. From Front Royal, take Route 55 west to
Waterlick, turn left and follow VA 678 as it winds south through a
national forest and acres of farm fields and pastures.

Detour onto VA 758 to visit Woodstock Tower, a National Forest
Service landmark perched on one of the highest peaks around. Climb the
tower to spy the seven bends of the Shenandoah River along with the
occasional hang-glider riding the ridge drafts below. Continue on VA 758
west to U.S. 11. Stop in Middletown for a hearty supper of corned beef
and cabbage at the refreshingly authentic Irish Isle Restaurant and Pub
(7843 Main St., 540-868-9877). Dine upstairs to hear live folk music,
but do sneak a peak at the leprechaun-sized basement bar.

On day three, pick your way home along Routes 55 and 50 through
Virginia’s vineyard and horse-farm territory. In Linden, don’t miss The
Apple House, a farm market/restaurant/gift shop (4675 John Marshall
Hwy., 540-636-6329). The pork barbecue is good (a porcine-shaped smoker
outside attests to its authenticity), but the house treat is apple
doughnuts. Order at least a dozen of these kinda-teeny-but-very-tasty
treats to go. In tweedy Middleburg, scour the Middleburg Humane
Foundation’s thrift store for hunting jackets, vintage riding boots,
original artwork, and other lightly used finds (Second Chance Thrift
Shop, 6 W. Washington St., 540-364-3272). At Aldie, follow the historic
“Carolina Road” (U.S. 15) northward back to Point of Rocks.

THE DETAILS: Sleep: Nestled in the countryside, yet less than a
mile off U.S. 11, the ultra-romantic Inn at Vaucluse Springs has six
comfortable guesthouses clustered around a limestone spring and its
millpond. On Saturday nights, guests gather in the hilltop manor house
for a five-course candlelight dinner (reservations required) specially
prepared by the chef de la maison (231 Vaucluse Spring Ln., Stephens
City, 540-869-0200, vauclusespring.com). Must-Try Pie: Coconut cream or
coconut custard at Southern Kitchen, New Market. Don’t Miss: A ride
(nighttime is more romantic) on the Gen. Jubal A. Early, the lone
survivor in a long tradition of Potomac River ferryboats (White’s Ferry,
24801 Whites Ferry Rd., Dickerson, MD, 301-349-5200). Don’t Forget:
Hiking shoes for Shenandoah Park. Bring Home: A Shenandoah Valley
favorite, Rinker Orchards’s fresh-pressed apple cider, sold at the
orchard (1156 Marlboro Rd., Stephens City, 540-869-1499) and local
stores.

Apple Orchards

Where to find the best fruit for picking and eating.

Butler’s Orchard: Butler’s is the place to go for
fall fun, with pick-your-own apples starting in early September. They
also have a Pumpkin Festival every weekend in October, which includes
hayrides, giant slides, and a straw maze! 22200 Davis Mill Rd.,
Germantown. 301-972-3299. www.butlersorchard.com

Larriland Farm: This impressive Woodbine farm has a
terrific selection of apples come fall. Check the pick-your-own harvest
calendar online for a detailed guide of when to expect what type of
apple—from Galas in early September to Pink Ladies in November. 2415
Woodbine Rd., Woodbine. Tues.-Fri. 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Sat.-Sun. 9 a.m.-5
p.m., (Open Mon. in October). 410-422-2605. www.pickyourown.com

Milburn Orchards: Milburn’s apple season starts
Labor Day weekend. Be sure to try their country-fresh pies, apple-cider
donuts, and caramel apples, all made fresh in their Bake Shoppe. 1495
Appleton Rd., Elkton. Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m.-7 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
410-398-1349. www.milburnorchards.com

Weber’s Cider Mill Farm: Kicking off with their
Johnny Appleseed Festival the weekend of September 17, apple season at
Weber’s Cider Mill Farm offers a great selection. Also, try their
fresh-pressed apple cider. Weber’s is the oldest Maryland cider mill in
continuous use, so they’re sure to get it right. 2526 Proctor Ln.,
Parkville. Sept.: 9 a.m.-7 p.m., Oct: 9 a.m.-8 p.m. 410-668-4488. www.weberscidermillfarm.com

—Emily Graham

Leaf Peeping

Nestled in the mountains right where the Shenandoah and Potomac
Rivers meet, beautiful, historic Harpers Ferry, WV, is a great place to
spend a fall day, whether you stay in the picturesque town or hike
through the surrounding woods and battlefields. Also, since it’s located
right over the Maryland/West Virginia line, the drive is just over an
hour. www.historicharpersferry.com

Although the bloodiest battle of the Civil War was fought there,
historic Gettysburg, PA, is now a quaint and peaceful town. Just over an
hour from Baltimore, you can easily spend a day driving through the
rolling hills that surround the town, taking in breathtaking foliage,
and stopping every once in a while for a professional or self-guided
history lesson. www.gettysburg.travel

Located off of Route 77 in the Catoctin Mountains, 78-foot high
Cunningham Falls is the largest cascading waterfall in Maryland and is
simply stunning. Cunningham Falls State Park also has a huge selection
of hiking trails, fishing, and camping sites, so you can spend as much
time as you’d like in this beautiful park. 14039 Catoctin Hollow Rd.,
Thurmont. dnr.state.md.us

The Appalachian Trail stretches 2,180 miles from Georgia to Maine.
Maryland has 40.9 of those miles (among the easiest to hike!) located
out in Western Maryland between Frederick and Hagerstown, offering
numerous scenic vistas. Many entrances including South Mountain State
Park, 21843 National Pike, Boonsboro. www.appalachiantrail.org

The Patapsco Valley State Park has miles of trails that are, for many
of us in Baltimore and Howard Counties, literally in our backyards. The
Avalon/Glen Artney/Orange Grove area in particular includes the Grist
Mill Trail, complete with a paved path along the river and access to the
Swinging Bridge, as well as the Buzzards Rock Trail offering
breathtaking cliff-top views. 5120 South St. dnr.state.md.us

The Gunpowder River is beautiful all year long, but is at its most
picturesque in autumn. One of the best ways to appreciate its watery
splendor is by hiking, biking, or horseback riding the Torrey C. Brown
Rail Trail, a 21-mile path that runs along the river, and includes a
museum at the restored Monkton Train Station. Several entrances
including Monkton Station, 1820 Monkton Rd. dnr.state.md.us

Pumpkin Patches

For baking or carving, there’s a great gourd for you.

Glade Link Farms: Glade Link’s fall season starts on
September 15, bringing pick-your-own pumpkins, green beans, winter
squash, and more! 12270 Woodsboro Pike, Keymar. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Closed
Tues. and Thurs. 301-898-7131. gladelink.com.

Homestead Farm: Homestead has a huge selection of
apples and pumpkins in the fall, with hayrides out to the pumpkin
patches on weekends in October. 15604 Sugarland Rd., Poolesville.
Mon.-Sun. 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. 301-977-3761. homestead-farm.net.

Jumbo’s Pumpkin Patch: With 15 acres of pumpkins to
choose from, hayrides, a petting zoo, and a corn maze, Jumbo’s offers
tons of family fun. 6521 Holter Rd., Middletown. 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
301-371-6874. jumbos.org.

Rodgers’ Farms at North Run Farm: In addition to
pick-your-own pumpkins, the farm has one of the most impressive corn
mazes around. Opens September 17. 1818 Greenspring Valley Rd.,
Stevenson. Fri. 12-6 p.m., Sat.-Sun. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. 410-241-3392. northrunfarm.com.

Sharp’s at Waterford Farm: On weekends, this Howard
County farm offers free hayrides to their pumpkin patches. 4003 Jennings
Chapel Rd., Brookeville. Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Sat.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5
p.m. 410-489-2572. sharpfarm.com.

Summers Farm: Starting September 24, this farm
offers more than a pumpkin patch, with fun activities like pig races and
pony rides. 5614 Butterfly Ln., Frederick. Times vary. 301-620-9316. summersfarm.com.

Source

Autumn Glory

Jess Mayhugh — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 08:00:00 +0000

Autumn Glory

It's the most wonderful time of the year for wine gatherings, birding events, and other fall festivals.

By Marty LeGrand

Crowning Glory

A Maryland Ren Fest fan meets—and marries—a king.

Twenty-five years ago, Sascha Nelson attended her first renaissance fair, a small gathering of revelers in Ohio. But it wasn’t until she attended the Maryland Renaissance Festival in Crownsville that she was truly hooked. “Maryland has one of the top fairs in the country,” says Nelson, “and the first time I attended, I was blown away. It wasn’t like anything I’d ever seen.”

Ever since, Nelson has become a devotee of the so-called “Ren Fest,” and she now attends every weekend, late August through October, when the fair is in full swing. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that last fall, she married Fred Nelson, who plays King Henry VIII. After meeting him at the fair in 2008, the two friended each other on Facebook. “We had an Internet friendship first,” explains Nelson, “but when we talked face-to-face, we realized that there was a real spark. I remember feeling like, ‘Wow, I found my other half.’” Married life in Columbia seems to suit them well. At the end of her husband’s day of donning a 40-pound gem-encrusted coat in the sweltering sun, Sascha says, “I take him home and rub his feet.” And Fred, an award-winning videographer by day, returns her loving kindness. “I get treated like beyond a queen,” Sascha says. “He brings me coffee in bed every morning.” And he always gives her the royal treatment. “I collect aprons and he bought me one that says, ‘Queen of Everything,’” Sascha says. “He’s the king of Maryland Renaissance Festival, but I rule the house.” Quips Fred, “I never have to fear losing myself in the role. I know who’s in charge at home.”—Jane Marion

LEAF OUT Autumn Leaf Festival September 26-October 4 Downtown Clarion, PA

The 411: Watch a mega-parade, tap your toes to talented fiddlers and flat pickers, and join 300,000 foliage worshippers in a small college town that becomes the Pasadena of Pennsylvania for nine days. Bows and fingers fly September 26 at the Pennsylvania State Old Time Fiddlers’ Contest. Grab a choice spot along Main Street for the festival’s centerpiece, the 62-year-old Tournament of Leaves Parade (October 3), featuring 100-plus bands, drill teams, and floats. In addition, enjoy the renowned crafters/farmers’ market, carnival rides, dancing, and delectable dishes. Better Shop Around: Shop the crafters show for handmade home furnishings. Down Right Primitives (625 Oakridge Rd., New Bethlehem, PA, 814-221-5968) sells mirrors, benches, and other furniture cleverly repurposed from old doors, windows, shutters, and headboards. Good Taste: Join the throngs at Daddy’s Main Street ( 513 Main St., Clarion, PA, 814-223-4687) for grass-fed-beef burgers, fresh-cut shoestring fries, and wings (mild to “Demon’s Breath”). Take a Load Off: Book a Jacuzzi suite or stylishly rustic cabin at Gateway Lodge (14870 Route 36, Cooksburg, PA, 814-744-8017), a wood-beamed B&B nestled in an old-growth forest 20 minutes from Clarion. Hike the famous Cook Forest. Soothe sore quads at The Woods Spa, and then dine on game grub (venison strip loin with juniper rub) at the lodge restaurant/wine bar.

HOW ’BOUT THEM APPLES? National Apple Harvest Festival October 3-4 and 10-11 South Mountain Fairgrounds, Biglerville, PA

The 411: Journey to the heart of orchard country for this two-weekend extravaganza celebrating all “apple-achian” traditions. Indulge your appetite for homemade applesauce, dumplings, pancakes, pies, even apple pizza, as you wander past kettles of bubbling apple butter and an old-fashioned cider press. Bid on prize-winning pies at the baking auction. Watch antique John Deeres do-si-do at the tractor square dances. Other offerings include live traditional music and a steam-powered shingle mill. Tickets cost $9-10, including parking and shuttle service, plus orchard tours. Drink to this: Need we remind you you’re in Appleland? Take home a bag or two and a jug of cider from festival vendors. Take a Load Off: Savor the country comforts of a weekend at Hickory Bridge Farm B&B (96 Hickory Bridge Rd., Orrtanna, PA, 717-642-5261), an 18th-century farmhouse-turned-inn famous for its rib-sticking, family-style dinners. Secure a cozy creek-side cottage, a deluxe farmhouse room, or ensconce the whole family in a farmhouse suite.

Making music at the Autumn Glory Festival. – Courtesy Garrett County Chamber of Commerce

SEASON'S GREETINGS Autumn Glory Festival October 7-11 Oakland and Garrett County

The 411: The auburn slopes of the Alleghenies provide the color for this five-day event, featuring parades, crafts, quilt shows, and antiques sales, as well as turkey dinners, mountain music, clogging, marching bands, classic cars, and a kind of pumpkin X Games. Cheer on numbered, rapids-running pumpkins in a race for prize money at the Great Pumpkin Festival. Don’t miss the state banjo and fiddle championships or a concert on the Great Highland Pipes. And for an extra indulgence, download maps (visitdeepcreek.com) for 25- and 60-mile self-guided foliage driving tours. Better Shop Around: Shop for hand-made quilts, Amish-built furniture, Longaberger baskets, and vintage jewelry at the weekend shows in and around Oakland, the festival’s hub. Good Taste: Dine on New York strip in a peppercorn-cognac demi-glace at Cornish Manor (830 Memorial Dr., Oakland, 301-334-6499), a hillside Victorian restaurant boasting sensational views and memorable desserts. (Tuck into the bread pudding with caramel-walnut sauce.) Take a Load Off: Pamper yourself at Lake Pointe Inn (174 Lake Pointe Dr., McHenry, 301-387-0111), a luxury arts-and-crafts-style B&B perched on a quiet cove of Deep Creek Lake. The romantic, treetop level Savage Room, overlooking the lake, is a guest favorite.

Bavarian folk dancers perform at the Richmond Oktoberfest. – Courtesy Oktoberfest of Richmond

SUDS UP Richmond Oktoberfest October 16-17 Richmond International Raceway, Richmond, VA

The 411: Visit Bavaria by way of I-95 South to attend Richmond Oktoberfest, the Old Dominion’s homage to Munich’s 200-year-old bier-palooza. Find a seat at the communal tables in the cavernous indoor beer garden and sample German and domestic lagers, pilsners, and seasonal brews, along with bratwurst, roast pork, sauerkraut, potato pancakes, and Bavarian pastries. Polka, waltz, and shake your hintern to The Continentals, an award-winning polka band. Then rest a spell and watch the Bavarian folk dancers—all for a mere $15 a day. Drink to This: Spring $12 for the commemorative Oktoberfest beer stein. This year’s model depicts the handsome medieval Eltz Castle. Good Taste: You’ll be carbo-loading all evening, so grab brunch and you’ll be good to go ’til then. Tame your morning hunger with the Mallorca, a grilled, powdered sugar-dusted sandwich with cheddar cheese, country ham, and a fried egg at Saison Market (23 W. Marshall St., Richmond, VA, 804-269-3982), the casual counterpart to a Latin-influenced gastropub. Take a Load Off: Walk to the Thomas Jefferson-designed state capitol, Tobacco Row restaurants, Canal Walk, and other downtown attractions from The Berkeley Hotel (1200 E. Cary St., Richmond, VA, 804-780-1300), boutique lodgings in the city’s historic Shockoe Slip district.

Facing off at the National Oyster Shucking Championship. – Courtesy Rotary Club of Lexington Park

A REAL PEARL St. Mary’s County Oyster Festival October 17-18 St. Mary’s County Fairgrounds, Leonardtown

The 411: After every round of the National Oyster Shucking Championship—the marquee event of this singular celebration—scores of bivalves must be disposed of. That’s where you come in. As each shuck-off ends, spectators line up to devour the spoils. In addition to giveaways, you can buy the oysters raw, grilled, scalded, stewed, deep-fried, beer-chased, or po’ boyed. And if oysters don’t float your boat, consider another St. Mary’s specialty—ham stuffed with spiced greens, and then rolled into a savory, sliceable treat. The festival’s $5 entrance fee is a total bargain. Take a Load Off: Inspired by all that showy shucking? Invest in a stylish oyster knife. Carolina Shuckers, a festival vendor, sells elegant, hand-forged knives fashioned from reclaimed railroad spikes. Good Taste: Chow down on rockfish dinners and house-made desserts like a local at Kevin’s Corner Kafe ( 41565 Park Ave., Leonardtown, 301-997-1260), an out-of-the-way, order-at-the-counter eatery run by a former waterman. Take a Load Off: About 30 minutes southeast of the festival—and a world away—find comfort and Colonial grandeur at Woodlawn (16040 Woodlawn Dr., Ridge, 301-872-0555), a 1798 Potomac River manor house turned B&B. Set on 180 acres, the historic house and five cottages offer luxury and nature aplenty.

EYE ON THE BIRDIE Cape May Fall Festival October 23-25 Cape May, NJ

The 411: Lifelong birders and curious novices flock to southern Jersey in the fall to see migrating hawks, eagles, seabirds, and scarcer species like the fork-tailed flycatchers sighted here last year. Join trained observers as they count raptors—sometimes thousands a day—at the Cape May Hawk Watch. Festival admission includes guided walks at birding hot spots, indoor workshops (bird identification, avian photography), and talks by top ornithologists and authors. Cost is $65 per day for the festival ($35 additional for field trips by bus and boat); admission is free to the concurrent Bird Show (Cape May Convention Hall, 714 Beach Ave., Cape May, NJ, 609-884-9563). Better Shop Around: Consider upgrading your gear. Bird Show vendors offer binoculars, spotting scopes, and other equipment. Good Taste: Whatever’s in season—bluefish, butternut squash, Swiss chard—you’ll find on the chalkboard menu at Louisa’s (104 Jackson St., Cape May, NJ, 609-884-5882), a farm-to-table cafe known for fresh fish dishes. Its new chocolate shop speaks to dessert possibilities. Take a Load Off: An upscale motel in a refurbished cottage, The Star (29 Perry St., Cape May, NJ, 800-297-3779) is as cheery inside as its goldfinch-yellow exterior. Choose from standard rooms, efficiencies, or carriage house suites, all decorated in a retro-motel-meets-beach-resort style.

Flying broomsticks at the Sea Witch Halloween & Fiddlers’ Festival. – Courtesy Rehoboth Beach- Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce

ALL DRESSED UP Sea Witch Halloween & Fiddlers’Festival October 23-25 Downtown Rehoboth Beach, DE

The 411: Think the beach is boring after Labor Day? Think again. This spirited festival is a shoulder-season romp rife with Potteresque imagination and kooky contests. The hijinks include competitive broom tossing, a dress-up 5K, and two- and four-legged best-costume parades (past canine entries included pooches dressed as flying monkeys and “Boston Tea Party,” a large, Boston terrier-filled teacup). Watch a parade down Rehoboth Avenue led by the huge Sea Witch balloon while deciphering clues on a “witch hunt” for this hidden harpy. Also enjoy musical acts, including swing, indie-rock, and tribute bands at the bandstand, plus fiddlers and bluegrass groups at the state fiddlers’ festival (Convention Hall). Good Taste: Rehoboth restaurant folks adore Halloween, but none more than those at Blue Moon ( 35 Baltimore Ave., Rehoboth Beach, DE, 302-227-6515). A local institution, Blue Moon blends acclaimed cuisine with outrageous entertainment. On Saturday nights, impersonators evoke Elton, Aretha, and other legendary crooners. Take a Load Off: Register, park, stay put. Book a cushy room at The Bellmoor Inn & Spa (6 Christian St., Rehoboth Beach, DE, 302-227-5800) and you’re blocks from Sea Witch events. Rates include daily hot breakfast buffet, free parking, and the quietude of a charming brick-paved courtyard.

Source

Fall Travel: Apple Orchards, Pumpkin Patches and Leaf-Peeping

Jess Mayhugh — Tue, 03 Sep 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Apple Orchards

Where to find the best fruit for picking and eating.

Butler’s Orchard: Butler’s is the place to go for fall fun, with
pick-your-own apples starting in late August. They also have a Pumpkin
Festival every weekend in October, which includes hayrides, giant
slides, and a straw maze! 22200 Davis Mill Rd., Germantown.
301-972-3299. butlersorchard.com.

Larriland Farm: This impressive Woodbine farm has a terrific
selection of apples come fall. Check the pick-your-own harvest calendar
online for a detailed guide of when to expect what type of apple—from
Galas in late August to mid-September to Pink Ladies in late October to
early November. 2415 Woodbine Rd., Woodbine. Tues.-Fri. 9 a.m.-6 p.m.,
Sat.-Sun. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. 410-422-2605. pickyourown.com.

Milburn Orchards: Milburn’s apple season starts Labor Day weekend. Be
sure to try their country-fresh pies, apple-cider donuts, and caramel
apples, all made fresh in their Bake Shoppe. 1495 Appleton Rd., Elkton.
Market hours: Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m.-7 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. You-pick
hours: Sat.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 410-398-1349. milburnorchards.com.

Weber’s Cider Mill Farm: Kicking off with their Johnny Appleseed
Festival the weekend of September 22, apple season at Weber’s Cider Mill
Farm offers a great selection. Also, try their fresh-pressed apple
cider. Weber’s is the oldest Maryland cider mill in continuous use, so
they’re sure to get it right. 2526 Proctor Ln., Parkville. Sept.: 9
a.m.-7 p.m., Oct.: 9 a.m.-8 p.m. 410-668-4488. weberscidermillfarm.com.

Pumpkin Patches

For baking or carving, there’s a great gourd for you.

Glade Link Farms: Glade Link’s fall season starts on September 15
with pick-your-own pumpkins, green beans, winter squash, and more. 12270
Woodsboro Pike, Keymar. 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. Closed Tues. and Thurs.
301-898-7131. gladelink.com.

Homestead Farm: Homestead has a huge selection of apples and pumpkins
in the fall, with hayrides to the pumpkin patches on weekends in
October. 15604 Sugarland Rd., Poolesville. Mon.-Sun. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
301-977-3761.homestead-farm.net.

Jumbo’s Pumpkin Patch: With 15 acres of pumpkins, hayrides, a petting
zoo, and a corn maze, Jumbo’s offers tons of family fun. 6521 Holter
Rd., Middletown. Pick-your-own pumpkins and hayrides: Fri.-Sun. 10
a.m.-6 p.m. 301-371-6874. jumbos.org.

Rodgers’ Farms at North Run Farm: In addition to pick-your-own
pumpkins, the farm has one of the most impressive corn mazes around.
Opens the third week in September. 1818 Greenspring Valley Rd.,
Stevenson. Fri. 12-6 p.m., Sat.-Sun. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. 410-241-3392. northrunfarm.com.

Sharp’s at Waterford Farm: On weekends, this Howard County farm
offers free hayrides to their pumpkin patches. 4003 Jennings Chapel Rd.,
Brookeville. Mon.-Fri., beginning Oct. 4, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sat.-Sun.,
beginning Sept. 29, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 410-489-2572. sharpfarm.com.

Summers Farm: Starting September 21, this farm offers more than a
pumpkin patch, with fun activities like pig races. 5620 Butterfly Ln.,
Frederick. Times vary. 301-620-9316. summersfarm.com.

Leaf Peeping

Here are some great places to view the brilliance of fall.

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park: Covering the intersection of
Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, this historic community offers
hiking trails through former battlefields, museum exhibits, and much
more. 171 Shoreline Dr., Harpers Ferry, WV, 304-535-6029. nps.gov/hafe.

George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate, Museum, & Gardens:
George Washington’s former home is host to four separate gardens spread
over six acres of land, each serving a different purpose, from producing
fruits and vegetables to growing flowers. 3200 Mt. Vernon Memorial
Hwy., Mt. Vernon, VA, 703-780-2000. mountvernon.org.

Patapsco Valley State Park: Come see the vibrant fall foliage,
including oaks and red maple leaves, along the state park’s many hiking
trails. 8020 Baltimore National Pike, Ellicott City. 410-461-5005. dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/central/patapsco.asp.

Shenandoah National Park: With 200,000 acres of protected lands and
75 overlooks, one is sure to see the colors of autumn here. 3655 Hwy.
211 East, Luray, VA, 540-999-3500. nps.gov/shen.

Strasburg Rail Road: Take the train across acres of Amish farmland in
Lancaster County, PA, during the fall harvest. Rt. 741 East, Strasburg,
PA. 717-687-7522. strasburgrailroad.com.

Sugarloaf Mountain: See the leaves change colors from 1,282 feet
above sea level. In addition to the spectacular view, Sugarloaf offers
miles of trails, where visitors can hike or ride horses. 7901 Comus Rd.,
Dickerson. 301-874-2024. sugarloafmd.com.

Source

Fall Into Adventure

Jess Mayhugh — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 09:00:00 +0000

Not too hot, not too cold, and not too far. Fall is the perfect
season for off-the-beaten-path adventures in the Mid-Atlantic, whether
it’s pedaling along a grand canyon, focusing on nature in the mountains,
or finding treasure at the end of the trail.

Pennslyvania’s Cycling Grand Canyon

Pine Creek Gorge, “The Grand Canyon of
Pennsylvania,” keeps a lower profile than its famous namesake. But this
natural landmark in the Keystone State’s central northern mountains
claims something that the Colorado River canyon can’t: a welcoming
boulevard for sightseeing cyclists. The 67-mile Pine Creek Trail, an old
freight-rail bed through the glacially cut gorge, passes spectacular
scenery and peaceful villages left behind by the lumber boom. It’s free
of cars and the only way to see the valley floor. With no hills to climb
and a crushed-stone path suitable for road or mountain bikes, it’s easy
riding amid sheer cliffs, waterfalls, and peaks ablaze with color.

Northern Trail
Nearly 23 access areas dot Pine Creek Trail,
which beckons bikers and hikers. Most cyclists push off at Ansonia and
pedal south 17 miles to Blackwell through the most breathtaking section,
about a leisurely three-hour ride round trip. The “creek” (a whitewater
river in wet weather) bends sharply southward near Ansonia, where it
joins the trail and passes through an 800-foot-steep gorge. Waterfalls
plunge on either side, accessed by mountain trails leading to a pair of
parks overlooking the canyon, Leonard Harrison State Park on the canyon’s east rim and rustic Colton Point State Park on the west rim. If you’re too pooped to pedal back to Ansonia, local outfitters provide shuttle service.

Southern Trail
South of Blackwell, the trail
follows the gorge more than 30 miles before ending where Pine Creek
spills into the Susquehanna River, about a five-hour ride. The landscape
is more open—a mix of forest, fields, and stream crossings—with lots of
shady rest areas, comfort stations, tent-camping sites, and trailside
villages (Cedar Run, Slate Run, and Waterville), where you can stock up
at a general store or find a room for the night. The creek makes several
turns, bending in a big horseshoe near Ramsey as it squeezes past a
large mountain. Trail users may see the neighbors out and about, too;
deer, wild turkeys, eagles, river otters, and black bears are frequently
sighted.

Mountain Trails
If you prefer a more
teeth-rattling ride, mountain biking is first-rate on the forest roads,
old logging routes, and narrow mountain trails in surrounding Tioga State Forest. North of Ansonia, the forest’s Asaph section hosts the Laurel Classic Mountain Bike Challenge
every fall. Asaph’s narrow (single track) trails can be daunting if not
dangerous for all but seasoned riders. Instead, try the super-scenic Wild Apple to Bake Oven Trail
on the canyon’s west rim, a not-too-taxing 11-mile ride with
eye-popping vistas of Pine Creek Gorge. (For more trails, visit
pinecreekbikerides.com.)

Field Guidance
Pine Creek Outfitters,
located one mile from the bike trail (Route 6, Wellsboro,
570-724-3003), can rent you a bicycle, offer trail tips, and provide a
lift back to your four-wheeled vehicle once you’ve cycled as far as you
want. Their shuttle makes regular pickups at Blackwell, but other
locations can be arranged, too. Just be sure to schedule before you hit
the trail; Pine Creek Gorge is where cell-phone signals go to die.

Forage
Grab a hearty pancake breakfast at a local institution, the 1930s-era Wellsboro Diner
(19 Main St., 570-724-3992), 10 miles east of Ansonia. Open at 6 a.m.,
this classic diner serves breakfast all day. Don’t forget picnic
provisions. Pag-Omar Farms Market at Wellsboro Junction
(222 Butler Rd., 570-724-3333), the trail’s northern terminus, sells
fresh fruit, deli meats, and other goodies. Northbound cyclists treat
themselves here with an ice-cream cone or sundae.

Shelter
Guests at Bear Mountain Lodge
(Route 6, Wellsboro, 570-724-2428) can roll out of their big log beds
and practically end up on Pine Creek Trail, which is half a mile away.
Each of the woodsy lodge’s three rooms and one suite is equipped with a
flat-screen TV, whirlpool or hot tub, Wi-Fi, and a fridge for bottled
water, power drinks, and your favorite trail aperitif.

Apple Orchards

Where to find the best fruit for picking and eating.

Butler’s Orchard
Butler’s is
the place to go for fall fun, with pick-your-own apples starting in late
August. They also have a Pumpkin Festival every weekend in October,
which includes hayrides, giant slides, and a straw maze! 22200 Davis
Mill Rd., Germantown. 301-972-3299. butlersorchard.com.

Larriland Farm
This impressive Woodbine farm has
a terrific selection of apples come fall. Check the pick-your-own
harvest calendar online for a detailed guide of when to expect what type
of apple—from Galas in late August to mid-September to Pink Ladies in
late October to early November. 2415 Woodbine Rd., Woodbine. Tues.-Fri. 9
a.m.-6 p.m., Sat.-Sun. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. 410-422-2605. pickyourown.com.

Milburn Orchards
Milburn’s
apple season starts Labor Day weekend. Be sure to try their
country-fresh pies, apple-cider donuts, and caramel apples, all made
fresh in their Bake Shoppe. 1495 Appleton Rd., Elkton. Market hours:
Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m.-7 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. You-pick hours: Sat.-Sun.
10 a.m.-5 p.m. 410-398-1349. milburnorchards.com.

Weber’s Cider Mill Farm
Kicking off with their Johnny Appleseed Festival the weekend of September 22, apple season at Weber’s Cider Mill Farm
offers a great selection. Also, try their fresh-pressed apple cider.
Weber’s is the oldest Maryland cider mill in continuous use, so they’re
sure to get it right. 2526 Proctor Ln., Parkville. Sept.: 9 a.m.-7 p.m.,
Oct.: 9 a.m.-8 p.m. 410-668-4488. weberscidermillfarm.com.

Stalking Nature in Western Maryland

Boasting Maryland’s tallest free-falling waterfall, ancient forests
of hemlock and spruce, misty bogs filled with rare plants and animals,
and peak upon peak of autumn-hued Appalachian wilderness with a honkin’
big lake in the middle, Garrett County is a nature photographer’s
playground in the fall. Tear yourself away from the county’s vacation
vortex, Deep Creek Lake, and the rental cabins, sports resort, marinas,
pubs, and pizzerias in its whirlwind. From the lake, strike out in
virtually any direction, and you’ll discover a landscape of infinite
photo opportunities, some well-known, some obscure, but all strikingly
beautiful.

Swallow Falls State Park
Even before the need for hydroelectricity created manmade Deep Creek Lake
in the 1920s, outdoorsmen would hike through the deep, silent forest
east of the Youghiogheny River to camp beside Muddy Creek as it rushed
toward a 53-foot waterfall that today lures multitudes of visitors. The
state’s tallest, Muddy Creek Falls is but one of four
waterfalls that cascade through this 257-acre park. They skip down rocks
smoothed over centuries, collecting in deep pools that can be reached
via footpaths and stairways. (Don’t forget a tripod for time-exposure
shots of the tumbling water.) Towering old-growth hemlocks help to frame
this setting worthy of Ansel Adams. (Info: 301-387-6938.)

Cranesville Swamp Nature Preserve
This
sub-arctic “frost pocket,” a peat bog that hoards cold air and moisture,
is an at-risk environmental anomaly left behind by the last ice age.
Sharp-eyed shutterbugs can train their lenses on flora and fauna more
familiar to Canadians than to most neighbors of this nearly 2,000-acre
Nature Conservancy-protected sanctuary straddling the Maryland/West
Virginia border. Look close as you hike any of five trails, and you may
spot a carnivorous sundew plant noshing on a moth. Bring your telephoto
lens; ravens often soar overhead. And that odd evergreen with the
spindly yellow needles isn’t sick; it’s a tamarack (better known to
arborists and Monty Python fans as a larch), a northern species that
sheds needles in the fall. Cranesville isn’t the only primordial peat
lands hereabouts: The lesser-known, 326-acre Finzel Swamp in northeastern Garrett County is home to cranberry plants, wild calla lilies, and secretive sedge wrens.

Field Guidance
Professional photographer and eco-tour guide Crede Calhoun
knows these lands and waters like the settings on his trusty Nikon. On
nature photography workshops, he leads amateurs and aspiring pros alike
into his favorite sites for a full or half day of hike-and-learn
instruction. That “automatic” setting on your camera? Fugetaboutit.
Calhoun will quickly have you experimenting with exposure, composition,
focus, and depth of field while training your eye to see the sublime in
even a mundane patch of soggy leaves. (Info: 800-446-7554; for a list of
workshops, deepcreeklakefamilyactivities.com.)

Forage
Archie’s, the barbecue emporium known for a pigout called the Mountain Man Food Challenge,
also serves luscious leaner cuts like smoked-turkey sandwiches and
wraps (25259 Garrett Hwy., McHenry, 301-387-7400). You can’t beat the
views or the brews at Mountain State Brewing Company’s
hilltop restaurant/pub (6690 Sang Run Rd., McHenry, 301-387-3360). Try
their Seneca Indian Pale Ale, a hoppy indigenous IPA. Before you head
home, hit FireFly Farms market for some of the organic
merchant’s award-winning, locally sourced goat cheeses (107 S. Main St.,
Accident, 301-746-8188).

Shelter
Perched on a hillside in the midst of a state forest, Savage River Lodge
(1600 Mt. Aetna Rd., Frostburg, 301-689-3200) is the kind of rustically
chic retreat your cool uncle might build for himself—and a couple dozen
friends. With 18 private cabins and a main lodge that houses a gourmet
restaurant, it hits all the right notes: comfy country accommodations,
porches, hiking trails, a native trout stream, and room for Fido, too.

Pumpkin Patches

For baking or carving, there’s a great gourd for you.

Glade Link Farms
Glade Link’s
fall season starts on September 15, bringing pick-your-own pumpkins,
green beans, winter squash, and more! 12270 Woodsboro Pike, Keymar. 9
a.m.- 5 p.m. Closed Tues. and Thurs. 301-898-7131. gladelink.com.

Homestead Farm
Homestead has a
huge selection of apples and pumpkins in the fall, with hayrides out to
the pumpkin patches on weekends in October. 15604 Sugarland Rd.,
Poolesville. Mon.-Sun. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. 301-977-3761. homestead-farm.net.

Jumbo’s Pumpkin Patch
With 15 acres of pumpkins to choose from, hayrides, a petting zoo, and a corn maze, Jumbo’s
offers tons of family fun. 6521 Holter Rd., Middletown. Pick-your-own
pumpkins and hayrides: Fri.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5:45 p.m. 301-371-6874. jumbos.org.

Rodgers’ Farms at North Run Farm
In addition to
pick-your-own pumpkins, the farm has one of the most impressive corn
mazes around. Opens the third week in September. 1818 Greenspring Valley
Rd., Stevenson. Fri. 12-6 p.m., Sat.-Sun. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. 410-241-3392. northrunfarm.com.

Sharp’s at Waterford Farm
On weekends, this
Howard County farm offers free hayrides to their pumpkin patches. 4003
Jennings Chapel Rd., Brookeville. Mon.-Fri., beginning Oct. 5, 10 a.m.-4
p.m., Sat.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 410-489-2572. sharpfarm.com.

Summers Farm
Starting September 22, this farm
offers more than a pumpkin patch, with fun activities like pig races.
5614 Butterfly Ln., Frederick. Times vary. 301-620-9316. summersfarm.com.

Hunt For A Treasure In West Virginia
Combine satellite technology with the thrill of a treasure hunt and what do you get? Geocaching.
Created 12 years ago by GPS-infatuated techies, the sport (hobby?
obsession? you decide) has soared in popularity. Armed with a handheld
GPS unit or a GPS-enabled smartphone, participants use coordinates
obtained online to find “caches,” cleverly hidden, weatherproof
containers holding trinkets for trading and a logbook for recording your
name. If that sounds like techno fun, there’s no better place for
newbies (called “muggles”) to try their handhelds than along the trails
of West Virginia’s parks and forests. Think of it as hiking with prizes.

Cacapon Resort State Park
This 6,000-acre park,
nine miles south of Berkeley Springs, has the largest collection of
caches among all state parks in West Virginia, a dozen at last count. To
find every one of them, visitors literally must search high and low,
from the summit of 2,300-foot Cacapon Mountain to the swimming beach on Cacapon Lake.
Bring a GPS unit; cellphone service is spotty in the park. Practice by
finding close-by caches near the parking lot and the beach, then take
your treasure hunting to the next level. Drive or hike up the mountain
for dazzling views of the countryside and a series of challenging caches
tucked along the summit’s fire road. (Info: 304-258-1022.)

Lost River State Park
Sixty miles farther south,
this 3,700-acre park features its own geological game of hide-and-seek.
Built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps (whose handiwork
survives in more than a dozen rustic rental cabins), the park is named
for what are actually the headwaters of the Cacapon River.
As it flows northeast, Lost River disappears into a channel beneath
Sandy Ridge only to reappear on the other side of the mountain as the
Cacapon River. Finding Lost River Park’s Cranny Crow Overlook
cache entails a 3.5-mile hike, but the rewards are so worth it. The
overlook atop Big Ridge (elevation 3,200 feet) offers a vista of
mountains and valleys stretching across two states. (Info:
304-897-5372.)

Field Guidance
Treasure seekers can obtain trail
maps at the respective state park offices, but before hitting the
trail, be sure to consult the go-to source for all things geocaching: geocaching.com.
The website offers coordinates, clues, and site information for
locating geocaches in West Virginia and other states. It’s also where
triumphant geocachers register their discoveries, vying for the coveted
title FTF (First to Find).

Forage
At Panorama at the Peak
(3299 Cacapon Rd., Berkeley Springs, 304-258-0050) enjoy views of three
states, two rivers, and the provenance of the organic produce, beef, and
poultry on which you’re dining. Save room for fresh-fruit cobbler with a
scoop of local Homestead Creamery vanilla ice cream. A foodie find in rural Hardy County, Lost River Brewing Company
(155 W. Main St., Wardensville, 304-874-4455) serves comfort food like
applewood-smoked pork, bison meatloaf, and crab cakes. Try their pale
ale paired with shucked oysters straight from Virginia’s Northern Neck,
where the brewery owner’s brother runs Nate’s Trick Dog Cafe, an acclaimed restaurant in Irvington.

Shelter
A mountain lodge with urban comforts, The Guesthouse
(288 Settlers Valley Way, Lost River, 304-897-5707) nestles on a
forested hillside. The spacious main lodge and five separate buildings,
including two cottages, hold 18 luxury guest rooms. There’s also a gym
and spa, where guests can work out to views of George Washington National Forest; a farmhouse-style, fine-dining restaurant; and lots of space to lounge, read, or relax in a rocking chair.

Leaf Peeping

Here are some great places to view the brilliance of fall.

Harpers Ferry National
Historical Park Covering
the intersection of Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, this
historic community offers hiking trails through former battlefields,
museum exhibits, and much more. 171 Shoreline Dr., Harpers Ferry,
WV. 304-535-6029. nps.gov/hafe.

George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate, Museum, & Gardens
George Washington’s former home is host to four separate gardens spread
over six acres of land, each serving a different purpose, from
producing fruits and vegetables to growing flowers. 3200 Mount Vernon
Memorial Hwy., Alexandria, VA. 703-780-2000. mountvernon.org.

Patapsco Valley State Park
Come see the vibrant
fall foliage, including oaks and red maple leaves, along the state
park’s many hiking trails. 8020 Baltimore National Pike, Ellicott City.
410-461-5005. dnr.state.md.us/publiclands.

Shenandoah National Park
With 200,000 acres of
protected lands and 75 overlooks, one is sure to see the colors of
autumn here. 3655 Hwy. 211 East, Luray, VA. 540-999-3500. nps.gov/shen.

Strasburg Rail Road
Take the train across acres
of Amish farmland in Lancaster County, PA, during the fall harvest. Rt.
741 East, Strasburg, PA. 717-687-7522. strasburgrailroad.com.

Sugarloaf Mountain
See the leaves change colors
from 1,282 feet above sea level. In addition to the spectacular view,
Sugarloaf offers miles of trails, where visitors can hike or ride
horses. 7901 Comus Rd., Dickerson. 301-874-2024. sugarloafmd.com.

Source

The Un-Poconos

Web Intern — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

In the northern ranges of the Pocono Mountains are provinces stubbornly referred to as the Delaware Highlands and Lake Wallenpaupack. They are sans crowds and mercifully without the kitschy, old-time, family-style resorts, thus sustaining their natural beauty and exclusivity. It is here that you will find three getaway retreats only four hours from Baltimore. Their innkeepers have just one request: Please don’t mention the word “Poconos.”

The Lodge at Woodloch

The kids are away. My husband wants to play. “Isn’t there a camp for us?” he’s wondering aloud.

Well, envision an upscale, adult-only, lakeside retreat in pristine mountain woodlands. With great digs. And extreme activities. Intense workouts and gourmet food. Soulful leisure pursuits. And the dreamiest spa on the East Coast. Yeah, where?

“Welcome!” The guard in the gatehouse of The Lodge at Woodloch, just outside of Hawley, Pennsylvania, greets us with a smile through her sliding window. She points toward a compound that more resembles a progressive nature retreat than the tony spa resort we are anticipating. “You’ll drop your car with the attendant at the front door,” she gestures, “and the place is yours.”

Ahead of us, the sprawling Lodge, constructed of indigenous stone, camouflaged timber beams, and large windowed spaces, suits its mostly undisturbed rural surroundings: white pine forest, natural lakefront, and assorted, rambling native undergrowth.

As promised, two valets rush toward our approaching car. They greet us with smiles and inquiries about our trip. One swiftly collects the car and our bags. The second escorts us inside. The natural light pouring into the foyer from the mammoth windows and skylights lends credence to the distinctive green-and-taupe hues so prevalent throughout the region. The glorious outdoor environment of the northern Pocono Mountains has been extended indoors and enhanced with climate controls.

We are introduced to the receptionist, who has clearly been expecting us. She presents us with customized activity packets. Each one includes an itinerary, class schedule, and a guide that details Woodloch’s programs and spa services. Unexpectedly, she abandons the reception desk to escort us to our room via a personal tour of the Lodge.

Woodloch’s on-site owners and developers, Ginny and John Lopis, were consultants to top destination spa resorts around the country, including Canyon Ranch, before masterminding their own place. They deem Woodloch “the new generation” in destination spas. One innovation is their reservation process, which assists guests in pre-booking their treatments and classes so that they can jump right into the scheme upon arrival.

We spot guests everywhere, donning nothing more than workout clothing or a spa robe, even in the dining room. Someone is even sprawled out on a sofa reading a book. Soon we are in our room, where our bags are waiting. Though the quarters are beautiful—a king bed with Egyptian cotton linens, a marble shower with a rain-head spigot, flat-screen TV, and a patio overlooking the lake—we don’t want to lose one moment from our activities. First on my itinerary is aqua toning (water aerobics), and my husband is scheduled for bicycling. We walk to the spa together, and with 30 minutes to spare, we agree to meet up in the co-ed aqua garden.

The Woodloch spa is the resort’s nucleus, the site for most classes and treatments. Arguably, its most spectacular spot is the aqua garden. It houses a heated pool for laps, volleyball, and water aerobics in a glassed-domed gazebo room. There is also an outdoor horizon-edge whirlpool with a radiant-heat deck inviting year-round use. But I have my eye on the bi-level soaking pools with hydro-massaging waterfalls. I stand under the falls and nod at my husband. He presses the switch and races to join me. Waves of pulsating ecstasy cascade over our heads, shoulders, and backs. Heaven.

Limbered up, we part for our individual locker rooms for juice before our classes, and plan to meet for lunch. The men’s and women’s areas both have saunas, steam rooms, indoor and outdoor hot tubs, and fireplace lounges with tea bars. The floor below has 27 treatment rooms, 14 massage rooms, and six facial rooms. Upstairs are mind/body studios for yoga, aerobics, and mat classes, a dedicated Pilates training area, and a fully equipped cardio-weight studio.

That afternoon, I scheduled Woodloch’s signature “Awakening the Senses Body Treatment.” It involved selecting a scent (lilac) and a light filter (yellow for sunshine, but it didn’t matter, my eyes were covered with a mask). Then, I was buffed with sea salt and masked twice (the second time wrapped in cellophane), and showered before a final lotion application. While I was definitely “awakened,” I found the multistep process too distracting to relax, plus the sea-salt body rub was rough on my skin. Next time, I’d opt for a simpler massage or an herbal facial.

There are a range of resort activities: On-premise choices include kayaking, row boating, fishing, and hiking. Championship golf and tennis can be arranged at a private club across the street. Excursions for hikes, tubing, and rafting are available at an additional cost. Woodloch has its own art studio offering drawing and painting classes. Often in the evening, there are speakers, a fire circle for storytelling, and a drum circle.

The Lopises’ approach to cuisine is progressive-minded. Diverging from traditional “calorie counting,” they focus on a gourmet dining experience that is healthful and organic. Accentuated is moderation in portion size, though guests may request additional servings. Superfoods—like berries, melons, squashes, salmon, and soy—are incorporated within meals that include red meats, chicken, fish, and vegetarian choices. There is even an international organic fine wine and beer list.

Breakfast and lunch include a variety of choices from a menu, or, for dinner, from a tapas bar. Our lunch entrées included chicken with raisin curry, tomato eggplant and mozzarella, salmon with coconut lime sauce, and turkey sesame wasabi wraps. Desserts and natural sodas are also offered. Every afternoon, there is high tea with, yes, healthy cookies. In the evening, there are bedside chocolates at turndown.

If you go: Take Interstate 83 north to 81N to 380S to 84E to Exit 30, Blooming Grove. Make a left onto Route 402N and follow to the end. Make a left onto Route 6W, then a right on Route 590E; follow 6.5 miles to the entrance of The Lodge at Woodloch, 866-953-8500, thelodgeatwoodloch.com.

Digs: Packages include room, three meals a day, gym access, classes, and a $115 daily spa allowance for $450 to $1,085 per person per night. Additional spa treatments are available a la carte.

Hotel Fauchère

High above my head, Andy Warhol is kissing John Lennon. I quickly check my vital signs and then pinch myself. Nope, I am not in heaven (or the alternative), and I am not dreaming. I’m in Bar Louis, the highbrow bistro in the basement of Hotel Fauchère in Milford, Pennsylvania. The place feels at once cosmopolitan and artsy.

The mesmerizing photograph of Warhol and Lennon is one of only three in the world, a gift from the photographer to Sean Straub, current owner of the hotel. It hangs on the exotic anigre wood wall behind the bar and monopolizes the ‘scape and conversation of every patron. Just then, our waiter places chef Michael Glatz’s sushi pizza—ahi tuna and spicy tobiko sauce on a crunchy tempura rice crust—in front of us. Once again, I’m thinking that I might possibly be in heaven.

Straub didn’t intend to go into the hotel business. A onetime successful publisher of specialty trade magazines, he and his business partner Richard Snyder were on a personal mission, restoring the town of Milford to its heyday of the early 1900’s, environmentally, economically, and culturally. In 2001, they learned that the historic 1880 Italianate hotel was at risk of being torn down and decided to take on the project. The result is a carefully renovated Hotel Fauchère.

Hotel Fauchère was founded by Louis Fauchère, the Swiss-born master chef of the original Delmonico’s in New York City. In the 1860’s, he brought his wife and daughter, his cooking mastery, and famous recipes (like lobster Newberg, baked Alaska, and eggs Benedict) to the Delaware River Highlands and launched a restaurant called The Delmonico Room inside his new hotel. Over the years, it attracted socialites and celebs such as Charlie Chaplin, the Rockefellers, Robert Frost, and the Carnegies. The hotel and restaurant remained a family operation until superhighways and major rail routes bypassed the town, inspiring easier access to other destinations. The establishment was abandoned in 1975.

Straub’s restorations of the traditional and classic 19th-century motif in the common areas are impressive. He insisted upon preserving the original bead-board ceiling, chestnut floors, and the magnificent mahogany and walnut banister. Lining the walls throughout the hotel is Straub’s ever-growing personal collection of Hudson River School artwork. The exception is Fauchère’s original pub in the basement, which Straub renovated into an urban, chic milieu for casual dining.

The number of guest rooms has been reduced from the original 30 to 16 to accommodate new, colossal bathrooms. They offer amenities like radiant heat in the Pennsylvania bluestone bathroom floors, heated towel racks, Bose docking stations, flat-screen TVs, and lilac-scented Frette linens. Think you’ve heard it all? Straub insists that the bed sheets are ironed by hand so that guests have a pampered getaway experience. He and partner Snyder wanted to eliminate experiences that they themselves detest at hotels, namely “being nickel and dimed.” That means Fauchère guests can count on not “being sold” anything in the room and receiving complementary local telephone calls, fine chocolates, a bottle of wine, and Wi-Fi access.

In the Zagat-rated Delmonico Room, chef Glatz has refined some of Fauchère’s Delmonico recipes with adventurous ingredients and herbs and added an international wine list. Breakfast includes homemade granola, fresh-baked pastries, and locally roasted coffee.

In 2009, the Victorian house next door will be renovated into a spa and reception rooms for weddings and events.

Straub encourages his guests to venture around Milford, an adorable town filled with antiques, or he will arrange for private trout or fly-fishing and llama treks on his property. Within five to 10 miles are a slew of breathtaking, protected natural waterfalls, and establishments that provide rafting, canoeing, and tubing expeditions.

If you go: Take Interstate 83 north to 81N to 84E to 380 to Route 6 directly into Milford. Turn left on Broad Street. Fauchère is at 401 Broad St., 570-409-1212, hotelfauchere.com.

Digs: Rooms are $275 to $350. You won’t need much more than your toothbrush—rooms are chock full of amenities. Hint: Some may prefer a room with a marble shower rather than a claw-footed tub.

You will need to: Make dinner reservations at The Delmonico Room or Bar Louis in advance of arrival.

Don’t miss: Forest Hall Antiques—in a 1907 French Normandy-style building filled with fine antique furnishings and artwork (214 Broad St., 570-296-4299, foresthallantiques.com); The Columns, the county historical museum, where the blood-stained flag that was placed under Abe Lincoln’s head after his assassination is on display (608 Broad St., 570-296-8126,pikehistory.org); Raymondskill Falls, just 10 minutes from town and spectacular—only four feet shorter than Niagara Falls.

The French Manor

A fairytale castle appears perched atop Mount Huckleberry in Sterling, Pennsylvania. But following the winding driveway, it becomes clear that this is a copy of a French château, constructed of local fieldstones, an imported Spanish slate roof, and a Romanesque-arched entryway by craftsmen and artisans of German and Italian descent.

Inside, the décor doesn’t disappoint. Mining magnate Joseph Hirshhorn created this private retreat, modeled after a château in the south of France, so he could enjoy the solitude of the mountains and the serenity of Mother Nature. It was privately purchased and revamped into a B&B in 1984, retaining the original character and intrinsic features that Hirshhorn designed. It was sold again in 1990 to Ron and Mary Kay Logan, who also kept its architectural charms. Each room is unique, dressed in French provincial finery. Beds are triple-sheeted, and there are plush and frilly seating areas.

Still, there are modern creature amenities like DVD players and Wi-Fi. Most rooms have working fireplaces, two-person Jacuzzi tubs, and unobstructed balcony views of 20 miles of mountain forestry. A bottle of sherry and a plate of fruit and French cheese await guests. Godiva bits are left pillowside at turndown, and French pastries are served at teatime in the dining room.

The French Manor’s restaurant currently holds the only AAA four-diamond rating in the Delaware Highlands. Plan to dress for dinner; jackets are usually required for men. The dining room, daunting with its 40-foot vaulted ceiling and two massive fireplaces, exudes the ambiance of a winery in the French Alps. The menu is classical and nouvelle French cuisine with an impressive international wine list.

One spectacular signature dish is filet mignon Napoleon, a char-broiled filet layered with sautéed lobster, mushrooms, and a pastry crouton, and napped with a cognac lobster cream.

The French Manor’s staff is known for its flair in customizing afternoon excursions and weekend packages involving golf, hiking, horseback riding, tennis, lakeside swimming, tubing, and kayaking. There is also antiquing, historic sites, and restored towns and villages within a short drive. The kitchen will even prepare a gourmet picnic lunch for the journey.

If you go: Take Interstate 83 north to 81N to 80E to 380N to Exit 8, Tobyhanna. Take right onto 423N to 191N. Turn left onto Huckleberry Road. Driveway to The French Manor is at the top of the hill. 570-676-3244, thefrenchmanor.com.

Digs: The basic bed-and-breakfast rate for The Carriage Room House ranges from $165 to $340, but ask about the customized packages, many of which include dinner.

You will need to: Make dinner reservations in advance.

Source

Fall Travel – Baltimore Magazine

Seven Natural Wonders of the Mid-Atlantic You Should See This Fall

Travel & Outdoors

October 2025

Above: Beach scene at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay.

Misty mountaintop view of Pine Creek and the Pine Creek Rail Trail.

1800s log rafts.—Wikimedia Commons/The New York Public Library

PINE CREEK GORGE, PENNSYLVANIA

Here to There: 4 HRS

ROAD SNACK

SAVOR

STAY

Cathedral path at Cook Forest State Park.

The Pennsylvania Lumber Museum.

LUMBER HERITAGE REGION, PENNSYLVANIA

Here to There: 4.5 HRS

ROAD SNACK

SAVOR

STAY

Blackwater Falls State Park waterfall.

Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and Harvey Firestone on an area camping trip. —COURTESY OF THE HENRY FORD MUSEUM

Elakala Falls at Blackwater Falls State Park.

Tolliver Falls at Swallow Falls State Park.

Catoctin cataract at Cunningham Falls State Park.

Swallow Falls at Swallow Falls State Park.

OAKLAND, MARYLAND & DAVIS, WEST VIRGINIA

Here to There: 3 HRS

ROAD SNACK

SAVOR

STAY

Luray Caverns wishing well.

SHENANDOAH VALLEY, VIRGINIA

Here to There: 3 HRS

ROAD SNACK

SAVOR

STAY

Aerial view of the “Blue Hole” in the New Jersey Pine Barrens.

Mulica River Delta marshland near the Atlantic Ocean.

THE PINE BARRENS, NEW JERSEY

Here to There: 2.5 HRS

ROAD SNACK

SAVOR

STAY

Satellite view of the Chesapeake Bay basin. —Wikimedia Commons/NASA

Aerial view of Smith Island. —Photography by Jay Fleming

Savage Neck Dunes.

Turkey Point Lighthouse in autumn.

northeastern beach tiger beetle.

CHESAPEAKE BAY

Here to There: 1.5-4 HRS

ROAD SNACK

SAVOR

STAY

MAKE IT A DAY TRIP: THE BARRENS, BALTIMORE COUNTY

Here to There: 40 MINS

A native cardamine angustata flower.

A Soldier's Delight path.

A golden-crowned kinglet.

Six Secluded Small Towns to Visit This Fall

Travel & Outdoors

Small Town Splendor

Skip the crowds at these six secluded getaways.

September 2024

OPENING IMAGE: RURAL COUNTRYSIDE IN CENTRE COUNTY, PA. ABOVE: TALLEYRAND PARK.—COURTESY OF GETTY IMAGES/ALEX POTEMKIN AND CARLA CIPRO, RESPECTIVELY.

LOCAL HISTORIA TOURS; BELLFONTE ART MUSEUM. —COURTESY OF LOCAL HISTORIA AND THE BELLEFONTE ART MUSEUM/LORI FISHER, RESPECTIVELY.

Greyhound Bookstore.—Courtesy of The Greyhound Bookstore.

From top: The Inn Berlin; Baked Dessert Cafe; Blacksmith Restaurant's delicious fare. —Courtesy of The Inn Berlin/Brandy Durst, Baked Dessert Cafe & Gallery, BLACKSMITH'S RESTAURANT/JUSTINE ZEGNA, respectively.

Cape Henlopen State Park Gordon Pond Trail; Breakwater Lighthouse. —Shutterstock

From top: The Lightship Overfalls Museum; Prime Hook; Lewes Oyster House; The Vintage Underground. —Courtesy of Shutterstock, Lewes Oyster House/MEGHAN STEELE/HEARTBEAT BRANDING, and The Vintage Underground, respectively.

The Zwaanendael Museum. —Courtesy of Wikimedia Commmons.

The Shenandoah Valley at Shenandoah National Park. —SHUTTERSTOCK/JON BILOUS

From top: River Bluff Farm Bed and Breakfast; Apple orchard pickings; Meem's Bottom Bridge; Route 11 Potato Chips factory. —COURTESY OF RIVER BLUFF FARM B&B, Shutterstock, Wikimedia Commons, and ROUTE II POTATO CHIPS; APK, CC BY-SA 4, respectively.

Hunter’s Head Tavern. —COURTESY OF HUNTERS HEAD TAVERN

Blandy Experimental Farm; The Ashby Inn. —Courtesy of Blandy Experimental Farm and The Ashby Inn, respectively.

The Delaware Water Gap. —Shutterstock

The Beef Wellington at Memento; Cafe Duet. COURTESY OF MEMENTO RESTAURANT and NATALIE DIXON, respectively.

Trail Mix: Themed Road Trips to Explore Throughout the Mid-Atlantic This Fall

Travel & Outdoors

Trail Mix

An all-points guide to autumn road trips.

PINE CREEK GORGE,
PENNSYLVANIA

LUMBER HERITAGE REGION,
PENNSYLVANIA

SHENANDOAH VALLEY,
VIRGINIA

THE PINE BARRENS,
NEW JERSEY