I'm hoping that the folks down at Yelp don't decide to merge this with the State Park. The Memorial…read moreArch is its own thing and should remain separate as you can visit the memorial and not visit the park and vice-versa. The arch is 50 feet talll and was built and dedicated in 1896 and is claimed to be the only monument in the world dedicated to journalists killed in combat. As described by the man who built it, "In appearance the monument is quite odd. It is fifty feet high and forty feet broad. Above a Moorish arch sixteen feet high built of Hummelstown purple stone are super-imposed three Roman arches. These are flanked on one side with a square crenellated tower, producing a bizarre and picturesque effect. Niches in different places shelter the carving of two horses' heads, and symbolic terra cotta statuettes of Mercury, Electricity and Poetry." Unchanged for over a century, the arch had four names added in 2003: David Bloom, Michael Kelly, Elizabeth Neuffer, and Daniel Pearl. Hopefully, you recognize the names. On the face: SPEED - HEED Sept. 14 - 62 - 96 To the Army Correspondents and Artists 1861-65 Whose toils cheered the fireside Educated provinces of rustics into a bright nation of readers and gave incentive to narrate distant wars and explore dark lands. On the north side: O wondrous youth Through this grand ruth Runs my boy's life, its thread The General's fame, the battle's name The rolls of maimed and dead I bear with my thrilled soul astir And lonely thoughts and fears And am but history's courier To bind the conquering years A battle's ray, through ages gray To light to deeds sublime And flash the lustre of my day Down all the aisles of time War Correspondent Ballad - 1865 [Round number review 15600 overall - 645 in Maryland - 1104 of 2021.]

An absolute beautiful monument that sits right on the Appalachian Trail. There is a beautiful…read morepavilion, parking, bathrooms, water, and even campsites 1/2 Mike away along the AT. Gathland State Park is accessible from RT 67 and also RT 17 ( Burkittsville), and is of great historical significance during the Civil War as it was a gap in the ride held by the Confederates to delay the Union advance prior to the battle of Antietam. Beautiful area and a definite place to check out for history buffs or just a wonderful, quiet picnic, or a day hike. It is very clean and well shaded.

Pretty cool old steel bridge in a beautiful area. With views of the Potomac River down below, and…read morepretty vistas all around, you can enjoy Maryland and Virginia.

It's a beautiful bridge. This connects southern Maryland to Virginia. Have driven it quite a few…read moretimes, and also hiked/bikes underneath it on the C&O Canal. Crossing this part of the Potomac River is stunning. One thing I don't like, is there looks like a section to walk the bridge, but that would be a no. Barricades aren't in place, and it's a thin bit of sidewalk. Also when you drive across this it's two way two lane traffic. Definitely pay attention, as not much clearance. Yet the blue bridge is stunning. If you're lucky enough to be a passenger, the views of the Potomac are truly impressive. It's a fairly rural area, although rush hour can be frustrating. If there's a wreck on or near the bridge, you will not be moving anytime soon. My hope is this can continue being operational, but that Whites Ferry can return.

Super cool landmark…read more As per the plaque: Constructed in 1860, the Gatehouse was designed by the Baltimore firm of Thomas and James M. Dixon. Built in Tudor Revival Style, it provided for two living units, one on each side of the archway. The Gatehouse resembled a Swiss chalet and became a trademark of the Sheppard. The neighborhood children viewed it as the home of Hansel and Gretel. A tenant alwavs lived in the Gatehouse until 2005. The beautiful Rhododendron Drive was historically entered by driving through the Gatehouse. In 2002 the entire Charles Street entrance was reconstructed and cars no longer entered through the Archway.

Want to step into a time portal? Rent this place. Meet the ghosts. Escape modern life. If only…read morefor a weekend. Beautifully preserved pre-Civil War Lockhouse. Make sure you bring candles and/or lanterns because there is no electricity. Or running water. Bring that too. Forget charging your phone, if you're staying more than a night do yourself a favor and turn it off until you re-emerge into civilization. Maybe going 19th century it's not your cup of tea, and that's fine. But if you want to "primitive camp" with young children in your family this is a nice option because at least you won't get rained on. It's two stories, four walls, and roof, with beds for up to 8 people. Not to mention the rich history of the place. Very cool experience. If you're into this sort of thing, this is a great place for your family to stay over the weekend. Please note that it is about 3/4 of a mile from the closest parking lot on the C & O canal trail. Anything you want to bring with you (food, water, bedding, etc.), your best bet is to bring a wagon or two (Radio Flyers are ideal for this) to cart your stuff to and from. And don't worry, they have a modern port-a-pot on site, so you don't need to bring a shovel. Although importing your own TP isn't a bad idea since riders and hikers on the trail also have access to it. Seriously this place is a one-of-a-kind experience.

I stopped by the Brunswick Heritage Museum when I was exploring town a couple of weekends ago. The…read morehighlight of the museum is - without a doubt - on the third floor: a huge HO-scale model railroad layout of the B&O Railroad's Metropolitan Subdivision from DC to the Brunswick Railyard (in the 1950s). The museum is free to visit (although they appreciate donations and make it easy to do so - you can leave cash or make a donation via PayPal), so it's worth stopping in even if you only have a few minutes to see the model. It's pretty incredible - definitely the largest I've seen. It's winds and just keeps going! They have staff on the third floor that who can answer questions about the model and who were just as friendly as the staff downstairs that I spoke to when I walked in. The museum has two other floors with different exhibits and displays (including one on the C&O Canal on the first floor), but the highlight is definitely that railroad model! Stop in if you have the time. It's a great way to learn a little about Brunswick and the region.

I found out about this place through the most bizarre fashion. One day, driving home from work, I…read moreheard a commercial on the radio from a car company that said something like, "One-day road trip idea #347: Visit the Model Railroad Museum in Brunswick, Maryland." I said to myself, "Self, I didn't know there was a model railroad museum in Brunswick." For that matter, I didn't really know where Brunswick was. I had to go look it up on a map. I was pleased to find that it wasn't far away - just across the Point of Rocks bridge and over a bit, only like 30 minutes from my house. My 7 and 4 year old boys have always loved trains, and we've always gone out of our way to visit railroad museums. So today we went for a trip to the Brunswick Model Railroad Museum. It doesn't look like much from the outside, but there are actually four floors of stuff inside. Admission was like $6 per adult and $3 per kid (check the web site to be sure), and I though it was worth the price of admission. On the first floor, there is a National Park Service small museum about the history of Brunswick and the railroad and canal traffic that built the town. Plus there is a gift shop and very nice, clean restrooms. Down in the basement, they had a special setup of a G Scale model railroad for the holidays. I'm not sure what they put in there when the holiday train isn't up. On the second floor are static displays of what life was like during the Victorian Age. Right as you walk in the door from the stairs, there are three colored sheets of questions you can ask your kids to help them think about and learn from the exhibits. I thought they were very useful and got us to appreciate the modern conveniences we have in our lives today. On the third floor was a very large model railroad layout that started in Washington, DC, and followed the train through Silver Spring and Point of Rocks out past Brunswick. There were some small red buttons for kids to push that made sound effects along the way. It was a nicely done setup, and the boys and I enjoyed walking back and forth checking out the scenery and watching the model trains go by. Given the choice between going to the Northern Virginia Model Railroad Museum in Vienna and coming here to Brunswick, I think this one was better. There was a lot more to see here. The down side is that you'll save some money at the Vienna museum because they don't charge admission (but they're only open one Saturday per month), and they don't have a gift shop, so your kids won't be whining asking you to buy them $50 model train sets.

This is an art center in PG county where they have periodic art exhibitions and area for artists to…read morecreate art. We were here for the Twelfth Annual Artists on the Rise: Juried Teen Exhibition. There's a garden and the exhibition was on the first floor and could be accessed using a boardwalk. The gardens look nice for a walk. The facility is very neat and well maintained.

I have driven past the sign for Montpelier Mansion numerous times and finally decided to explore…read morethis historical landmark. The grounds are beautiful, with a lovely garden filled with wildflowers. I visited the ironworks exhibit, the carriage house, and the main office/gift shop. The staff are friendly, and there is plenty of parking.

An important historical place in Harper Ferry's, and America's, History…read more This fort is one of the most important and well-known buildings in Harpers Ferry. At first glance it looks like a simple brick firehouse with arched doors that were open when we visited. It had a closed office that a tour guide told us led to a small second floor, but it holds a major place in American history. This is the site of John Brown's raid in 1859. He and his group of abolitionists tried to seize the federal arsenal and start a movement against slavery. The raid failed and Brown was captured, but the event pushed the country closer to the Civil War and made the fort a symbol of both freedom and conflict. The fort has been moved several times over the years, but now sits in the lower town area of Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, not far from the confluence of the rivers and the other historic buildings. There are signs nearby that explain its background and the story of the raid. Anybody can walk right up to the structure and walk and look inside. Admission is included with the entry fee for Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, which covers parking and the shuttle bus system, so there is no separate charge to see the fort itself. The site does not have a tour guide or park ranger, but the informational signs and a decent google search will provide you information on the site. If you are going to visit the city, this is a must see site for you. The visit may seem simple on the surface because it is just a small brick building, but understanding its history gives you a true sense of how one short event helped shape the nation's history. It is a place that makes you stop, think, and remember the struggles that led to freedom and the change that made our country what it is today.

The history of John Brown's raid is fascinating. Unfortunately, the "Fort" leaves a lot to be…read moredesired. The building is started out as a storage area for the local fire engine, but was taken over by John Brown during his attempt to capture the nearby U.S. Armory. The insurrectionist took cover in this building until COL Robert E. Lee (yes, THAT Lee) lead an attack which captured Brown and his men. The building has been dismantled and rebuilt several times, so it isn't even all that original. It's not even on its original spot. Inside, all you see are a few plaques and a historic fire engine. That's all, folks. If you're interested in the history of the place, your best bet is to visit the NPS station nearby, and look for a tour. Visiting here should take no more than a few minutes.

The Joseph D. Baker Bell Tower, a centerpiece of Baker Park in Frederick, is one of those things…read morethat I think about when I think of Downtown Frederick. It's 70 feet high and is totally iconic of the Downtown corridor (Second to the clustered spires of course). The tower currently has 49 separate bells and to my knowledge, I believe they're still functioning. Not a huge surprise, the same Baker that the park is named after is also the Baker that the bell tower is named after. Unfortunately, the tower is also a memorial to the late Baker who donated a large sum of money to have the land set aside for the park to be built on. They also decorate it with a large lighted star for the holidays :)! Worth a stop if you're exploring Downtown Frederick and want to take a stroll through beautiful Baker Park. ************************** 1 hour later After doing some additional research on the bell tower, I can tell you that the bells are indeed functioning, and the whole bell tower is actually a Carillon. A Carillon is a large instrument; so the bells are hooked up to wires that are hooked up to what almost looks like an organ type set up. There are pedals and handles that are moved to ring each of the 49 bells. Supposedly there are 2 performances a month at the Baker Park Bell Tower... I'm unable to find when they take place though. Good to know that the bell tower carillon still is in working condition!

I am not sure if there is a park around this. I went to the exact spot and only saw what looked…read morelike the Bell Tower under construction. Probably pretty when fully visible.

This is my favorite area in Patapsco state park, I've brought many friends and family here over the…read moreyears. It's beautiful, you can find the ruins of an old mining camp and religious boarding school here. There's even a decent spot to jump off the train tracks into the water below, although take care because the water can be shallow in spots.

Probably one of the more interesting hikes that I have done in awhile. The hike will be quite…read moreshort, but you got hills and steps to get your work out on. I think the feel of the place is supposed to be spooky, unfortunately, I picked a spring break day to do it and there were enough teenagers running around here like savages (just kidding, they were all really sweet) it doesn't really have a scary feel to it at all. To explain the ruins, it was Roman Catholic school in Ilchester, Maryland. The ruins are near Ilchester and Bonnie Branch roads (so the Yelp location is pretty straight on). It was called hell house in the 70s after it was abandoned and vandalized and rumors have it a strange cult started living there. It also had an over zealous caretaker who had a gun and some dogs and would assault vandals. He was displaced after the school was set ablaze by arsonists. Hell House altar structure that most people take pictures of is at the top of a very steep hill, about a mile in. It used to have a large metal cross, and it is a very unique place for a photoshoot. For easy access, park in the lot for patapsco state park (right past the train tracks) where the trailhead is and start coming up to the left of the train tracks.