Uncover the secrets of colonial America and the intricate German craftsmanship at this historic house, where every beam and brick tells a story of perseverance and ingenuity
Frederick
Why’s a Mysterious Mansion on the Frederick Barnstorming Tour?
Delightful surprises awaited us on the 2021 Frederick County Barnstormers Tour — read about what awaited us at the Hamilton Willard Shafer Farm!
Grand Old Barns on the Frederick County Landmarks Barnstorming Tour
Join us to explore Frederick County’s agricultural heritage (part 1)!
Spending a Delightful Afternoon at Spinners Pinball Arcade
This isn’t my typical daytrip, but it makes a very fun one — and it’s a great way to spend some time with family on a rainy day or super hot summer day! Spinners Pinball Arcade has more than 100 pinball machines, classic gaming consoles, skeeball, air hockey, foosball, golden tee, virtual pinball, and more. […]
13 Great Ghost Tours: A Spooky Tour Through the Mid-Atlantic States
August, September and October are the season most folks check out ghost walks and ghost tours — one of my favorite activities! Ghost tours are always intriguing — they’re a little bit of sight-seeing, a little bit of ghost story, and usually a lot of history. Ghost tours are a good way to get to […]
A Wintery Regatta Lights Up Frederick’s Carrol Creek All Winter!
Every year, a wintery flotilla sails through the solstice on Frederick’s Carroll Creek. This year, 18 boats, ranging from a viking boat to other brightly lit ketches, yawls, and even a three mast schooner adorn Carroll Creek between Market Street and Carroll Street. The boats were “launched” on November 23. Over the years, the regatta […]
Shop Local and Support Artists at the Central Maryland Fiber Art Studio Tour
These amazing colors were among the skeins offered at Avalon Springs Farm. For the past three years on the first weekend in June, a number of indie dye fiber artists have opened their homes and studios to yarn and fiber arts enthusiasts. Knitters, weavers, and other fiber crafts enthusiasts travel around the rolling hills of […]
Sugarloaf Mountain Winter Hike
Sugarloaf Mountain is a small mountain and park about 10 miles south of Frederick, MD. The peak of this relatively low mountain is approximately 800 feet higher than the surrounding farmland. The blue trail, also known as the Northern Peaks Trail, travels approximately 5.9 miles to several peaks and along the ridge of Sugarloaf Mountain. […]
A Hike Through Snow and Ice to Chimney Rock
Nothing compares to the crisp, clean air of winter and the magnificent view of a snowy landscape — sometimes offering quite a nice surprise from the scenes you are more used to. We were looking for a strenuous hike, so we decided upon the Chimney Rock – Wolf Rock Loop, frequently called the best hike […]
Winter Hike in Catoctin Mountain National Park
Catoctin Mountain Park, located in north-central Maryland, is part of the forested Catoctin Mountain ridge−range that forms the northeastern rampart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, in the Appalachian Mountains System. Despite the federal government shutdown, the sunny, 50-degree day was too nice — especially in January — not to go hiking. This national park has […]
Color on Carroll Creek on Frederick’s Frosty Friday
Every year, a wintery flotilla sails through the solstice on Frederick’s Carroll Creek. This year, nine boats, ranging from a viking boat to other brightly lit ketches, yawls, and even a three mast schooner silent sail along the creek, raising money for five charities through your votes! Whether by daylight or at night, the boats […]
The Battle That Saved D.C.
True confession: Not only had I grown up in Frederick, MD, without ever going to see the Monocacy National Battlefield Park, which is a scant 9 miles south of Frederick, but I’d grown up without even knowing it had taken place. To be fair to the local school system, I’m an Army brat, and had […]
Art in the Park: Frederick’s Festival of the Arts
Celebrating 23 years, the Frederick Festival of the Arts, presented by the Frederick Arts Council, is held along Carroll Creek Linear Park in the heart of Historic downtown Frederick, MD. The artists at the arts festival showed in a variety of mediums, including wood, fiber, metal, clay, and leather, and featured an elegant mix of […]
The Covered Bridges of Frederick County
My 16-year-old son needed more driving hours, so we headed out one Saturday afternoon last summer on an impromptu and entirely unplanned “day trip.” We ended up checking out the three covered bridges of Frederick County: Roddy Road Bridge, Utica Mills Bridge, and Loys Station Bridge. It was a win-win. He got some highway experience, […]
Accidental Tourist: How Playing a Game Brought Me to New Places
My husband and I recently discovered Ingress, a game we can play on our phones, either during a day trip or as the goal of a day trip. We first started it while biking along the C&O Canal. For those of you not familiar with Ingress, it’s an augmented reality massively multiplayer online role playing […]