3rd stop: Frederick, MD

When Eddie and Alison were younger, Frederick only meant one thing... Check E. Cheese's!!  Occasionally, we would also stop at the "big box stores" near to CEC.  I'm so glad we are past those days because there is so much more to see in Frederick!

Frederick is in western Maryland, about where US 340 meets US 15.  It is on the roadway known as "The Great National Road" (US 40 and 144).  My 4th great-grandfather Dominick Bradley resided in Frederick County before the American Revolution.  My ancestors must have traveled along the National Road when traveling from Harford and Frederick Counties (MD) to Fayette County PA in the late 1700's and early 1800s.   

Saturday, February 25, 2011:  We made our 3rd destination on the Hallowed Ground Tour:  Frederick MD.  Highlights included historic downtown, Monacacy Battleground, Triple T Diner and Great Stuff by Paul Antiques.

Always the history buffs, we went to the battleground first.  It is surprisingly close to those box stores I mentioned on Urbana Pike.  The fighting occurred on July 9, 1864.  Although this was a relatively small Civil War battle (is it ever small when lives are lost?), Monacacy has come to be known as the "battle that saved Washington".  The Union forces were outnumbered and lost to Jubal T. Early's Confederates.  Yet the one-day battle slowed the Confederates in their goal of attacking Washington DC, giving Union forces time to reinforce the borders of the capital city.  The Southern Army was foiled in their attempt to march on the capital city.

We went first to the Visitor Center, and the museum.  Afterwards, we took the short auto tour, only 6 nearby stops.  If you do this, be extremely careful.  Traffic moves fast on Rt 355 and visibility is poor when entering and leaving the stopping points.  It was an interesting visit, and not too long for Eddie and Alison.  I bought another souvenir pin for my battleground collection, this being the 10th.

Next, of course, was lunch.  We ate at the Triple T Diner, a 50's style place.  Breakfast is served all day and there is a large menu selection.  I had a delicious mushroom and spinach omelet with great home fries.

After lunch, we drove downtown.  Frederick has one of the most thriving downtown areas I have seen.  There are interesting shops, historic homes, and an atmosphere of culture.  Unlike some other downtowns we've seen, there were not many boarded-up storefronts.  Happily,  we saw a pervasive vibrancy in both the new and the older sections of towns.  I wanted to go into the Barbara Frietchie home, but we were out of season.  We did a drive-by, in honor of this cool 95-year-old lady who was not afraid to yell at the entire Southern army about respecting the flag.

                          " 'Shoot, if you must, this old gray head,
                           But spare your country's flag,' she said. "
(Click to read Whittier's poem)

Way downtown, there are many great antique places.  First we went to Great Stuff by Paul, an antique store which defies description.  His 2 stores could be destinations for a day trip!  The other store is on nearby Carroll Street.  We got a lot of brochures at the Visitor Center on East Street.  There are many events in Frederick throughout the year.

After having our fill of history and antiques, we went home.  Frederick is about 25 miles from us, so the entire day trip only used about 1/4 tank of gas.

     Great Stuff by Paul               
                                                                                                                     Monacacy Battlefield

   downtown Frederick