Tracing an all-American road

This scenic byway twists and turns some 170 miles from downtown Baltimore westward through the mountains of Maryland.

After following the Historic National Road through Western Maryland, I enjoy a newfound respect for our pioneering forefathers.

Today's highways are so well maintained and our interstates so well planned that most of us never stop to imagine a world without roads. Yet, in the country's infancy, the great arteries of transportation and commerce had to be carved from the wilderness, foot by agonizing foot.

Such was the case with the Historic National Road, the country's first federally funded thoroughfare. It begins at Baltimore's Inner Harbor and pushes west, all the way to Vandalia, Illinois. Its place in American history is so significant that it was recently designated an All-American Road by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The Road Less Traveled

Like many wonderfully historic roads, this one has been shortcut to make way for the current interstate system. But with a good map and some determination, you can follow much of the original path to the west.

Don't let the names confuse you. From Baltimore to Cumberland, the road is known as the Historic National Pike. From Cumberland to Vandalia it is called the Cumberland Road or Historic National Road.

Road numbers change too. Depending on the stretch, it can be called State 144, U.S. 40, I-70, or 1-68. Still, the State of Maryland has marked the length of the road with signs covered in black-eyed Susans to help keep you on track.

Linger Longer

It's possible to travel the entire 170 miles in just a half-day or so, but it would be a shame not to stay awhile. You can hike, bike, or picnic at the state and national parks along the way. You can shop and dine in lovely towns such as Ellicott City (with its main street carved into a granite hill) or Frederick (the town Francis Scott Key called home).

You can stop, too, at places such as The Inn at Town Hill, located just outside the tiny hamlet of Little Orleans, east of Cumberland. From this popular lookout, three states can purportedly be spied-Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania.

"It really looks like a snapshot from the past," drawls Arlo Darby, explaining why he chose the Historic National Road for a Sunday drive. "That's my favorite part."

This statement, it seems to me, captures the beauty of traveling old roads. They reveal our past. If we take time to slow down and enjoy the journey, we'll have a greater appreciation for where we've been and where we're headed next.

CASSANDRA M. VANHOOSER

For more information: Contact the Maryland Office of Tourism Development at 1-800-719-5900, or visit www.byways.org.

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Oct 2003
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