Neon Nights - Route 1 between DC and Laurel

As a long time fan of roadside architecture and especially the road side signage that still exists in some abundance I'll catalogue some regional gems. To effectively find it lost in the urban sprawl and gentrification of the DC metro area the conniseur will best be rewarded by traveling the, what are now secondary highways, the older routes which existed prior to the interstate system.  Route 1 of course boasts the entire eastern seaboard and allows one to drive its full length from Maine to Florida if you don't 763,746 traffic lights along the way.  Of course now the route is replaced by Route 95 which is great in coveying travelers rapidly but offers little in the way of commercial eye candy.

Living in Takoma Park MD, I'm in close proximity to the stretch of road that goes through Hyttsville, College Park, Beltsville and Laurel MD.  In fact the following gems are some of my favorites.  Headed North from DC, the first stop has to be the recenlty revived Hyattsville.  I love the plethora of 40s and 50s architecture, from Lustines automotive neon sign (now thankfully saved as part of a gym), to the crumbling gas stations with their stylized lines and old advertising.  The first honey of a sign belongs to Vet's Liquors which is found in Beltsville on the left hand side.  This looks to me like post WWII era and the novelty of it is first rate, just enough mix between industrial and folk art.  I have to say, I've never seen a sign which utilizes light bulbs for eyes.

Next up on my favorite list is the Giant Food sign from the parking Lot in Laurel in which George Wallace was wounded in an assignation attempt while running for President.  The sign is magestic and according to local followers prone to humerous word arrangements when the bulbs go out.

Laurel is also home to an original Arby's giant hat sign - all dancing bulbs and enormous presence, you can't miss these - fast disappering from our landscape.

Port Tobacco - End Of Road -

The name itself conjures up a rough and tumble colonial port which in fact Port Tobacco once was. On a whim (or an excuse for a blog entry) I dropped in my friend's Maury and Deb for their hospitality and local knowledge. If we had bug spray it would have been all the better-

Port Tobacco had been the second largest river port in Maryland—St. Mary’s City was the largest at the start of the Colonial Era. Ships from Europe brought prized goods to the Port and left with the much coveted "evil weed" - tobacco. Over time, due to poor farm planning, or rather over farming, the harbor gradually silted up and the river trade declined. The final blow to Port Tobacco came with the burning of the courthouse in 1892 at which point the county seat was moved to nearby La Plata.



With the lure of the beautiful area homeowners gradually have brought some vibrancy back to the area and historic preservation efforts are strong.  Must see sites include St. Ignatious Chruch - the oldest Catholic parish in the US which commands the high ground overlooking the confluence of the Tobacco and Potomac Rivers - one of the best views in the state I have to add.  The orginal brick court house stands not far from a charming one room school house and tobacco barns dot the rolling landscape.

The most exciting visit for me personally was our trip to Thomas Stone National Historic Site just a few miles from Port Tobacco.  It was here that Thomas Stone had built a prosperous farm before becoming important enough on the polictical scene to be one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence - he literally wrote himself into American history.  We found ourselves alone on 322 acres of revolutionary history. The plantion is was named Haberdeventure by the Stones - a “dwelling place in the winds”. Purchased in 1770 by Thomas Stone, this restored plantation home has been open to the public as a National Historic Site since 1997. I found the out buildings especially pleasing - well kept but dating back to the mid-19th Century, they suited the landscape perfectly.  The house is modest in scale and well proportioned with a generous balcony to oversee the land. The family plot is nearby and seems a spledid resting place, Thomas Stone is buried here as well . The only horror story here was the mosquito's - we all managed to get countless bites, so bring along repellent!

We capped a perfect day with carry out from a local BBQ institution - Johnny Boys Ribs, located at 7540 Crain Hwy, La Plata, MD.  This place is well known locally and even regionally.  Don't let the modest roadside architecture prompt you pass this treat up. You will exprience family type finger licking good Bar B Que.  All of the salads are homemade and they have a secret BBQ receipe that pulls in hungry crowds who patiently que up for this treat.

You can reach Port Tobacco in about an hours time once you pick up Rte 5 right off the Beltway and turn on 301 south in the direction Upper Marlboro and La Plata. Unless you're headed here specifically there's really no reason to pass through because this is the end of the road in Charles County.

This is also the route to take if you're interested in the Assasination Plot of President Lincoln and Booths post assissination escape attempt. If you follow the roads mentioned above you'll pass turn offs for Surrats Tavern, Dr. Mudd's House, not to mention Port Tobacco itself where this nefarious scheme was hatched at a local hotel / inn.




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Patuxent Wildlife Research Refuge - Birds, Forests, Wetlands and a Tram

Looking for a weekend day trip with the kids that transports you but you don't have to transport yourself far?Then set the controls for Patuxent Wildlife Research Refuge - just check this sucker on the map - it gobbles a huge amount of acreage.  Whether or not the weather is right get over to this bird paradise soon.  Careful though, the gates close at 4:30 - not cool for the afternoon tourist.

As you may have read in previous entries of mine, I've been chasing the elusive Scarlet Tanager for two years running - might this be my lucky day?

I had both kids in tow and my intention was to walk the grounds (some of the refuge is open, much closed to human intrusion), drop by the best wildlife visitors center (ever) - it makes the one in Rock Creek Park look like a gentleman's study.  They have a great wolf display that my daughter loves and this weekend I was treated to the portion that shows a pack greedily devouring a deer, complete with super ick visuals!

The great news we found out upon arrival was that we were just in time for the 3 p.m. tram ride that takes visitors to portions of the park normally off limits to visitation.  You can be treated to wide array of birds, either on the lake or in the tree canopy.  When I spoke with a naturalist as we waited on the tram I asked about the possibility of spotting my elusive Scarlet Tanager. She gave a wry smile and said, "why we have a trail call Tanager Loop" and she cheerily went on to detail all the places I might see them (my heart was a little green toad of envy!). The Tanager has a bright  orange/reddish plumage, black wings and, outside the Oriole, in my esteem, the most handsome local bird.

The tram ride was honestly a bit disappointing during our time slot in terms of wildlife spotted - sorry, deer at 100 yards don't cut it anymore, but it's been great in the past - lots of beavers, amphibians, birds and various flora.

Post tram ride, we hit the meadowland trails adjacent the visitors center as this has always been the spot for Indigo Buntings, Finches, and other birds that dwell in the canopy but  like the meadow menu.  I was dumbstruck when my quarry passed over head - I was incapable of wielding my camera.  I stood with mouth agape as this good looking bird sailed by....I have to see one stationary to compete and verify this odyssey but I feel blessed just having a fly by....


Established in 1936 by executive order of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Patuxent Research Refuge is the Nation's only National Wildlife Refuge established to support wildlife research.
With land surrounding the Patuxent and Little Patuxent Rivers between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, MD, the Refuge has grown from the original 2,670 acres to its present size of 12,841 acres.  Throughout decades of change, Patuxent's mission of conserving and protecting the nation's wildlife and habitat through research and wildlife management techniques has remained virtually unchanged.


Patuxent Research Refuge is one of over 540 refuges in the National Wildlife Refuge System administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The National Wildlife Refuge System is the world’s largest network of lands and waters dedicated to protecting wildlife and their habitat.


Getting Here - In the heart of the Baltimore - Washington corridor, the National Wildlife Visitor Center is located off of Powder Mill Road, 2 miles east of the Baltimore /Washington Parkway, just south of Laurel, Maryland. map

Find out about upcoming events at Patuxent over email! To subscribe, send a message to patuxent@fws.gov and enter 'subscribe' into the subject field. 
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I recommend the Tram Tours


Wildlife Conservation Tram Tours
Mid-March through Mid-November
Weekend Schedule: 11:30AM, 1:00PM, 2:00PM & 3:00PMWeekday Schedule: (Summer Only - Late June thru Mid-August)
11:30AM, 1:00PM, 2:30PM

Route 55 - Misty Mountain Hop - Western Virginia

I suppose the fact I live in Maryland and am still in the midst of a love affair with the state of Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Western Maryland, means I just don't spend enough time in Virginia. Oh sure, you can find me in Middleburg any given weekend but I always think of this part of Va. as a having a one trick wonder destination - Skyline Drive. Don't get me wrong, but I'd rather have a road less traveled. Besides, hiking Skyline means you're either trying not to run faster than your legs want on the descent, or having to scamper your way back up - a lot of work.

Last weekend, unencumbered by the kids, I loaded the jeep with all the gear I needed and covered a portion of Virginia I now need to visit more often. I had driven to and through this part of the state many times - usually making my way to West Va. Again, my intention was to dive into West Virginia on Route 55 and hit Seneca Rock and Dolly Sods. (look them both up - will cover those sites soon).

I decided to get off of 66 onto 55 somewhere west of Manassas. 55 runs parallel to 66 but has so much more character and different rhythm. What did this mean for my timetable? Diaster - I never made the WV state line but I became so enamoured of the road and the visual treats it didn't matter! That's the real idea about hitting the road in my fashion. I let it guide me. I saw Front Royal as the early tourists would have - all the vintage motels with intact signage made me think of Route 66 as I rolled through town on 55. If you're after that vibe, head out this way!

Next in line was Strasburg - I had never bothered to drive around this town either. My highlight here was finding a vintage hotel sign downtown, which I followed and found the hotel is still running - some 140 years plus. I continued west out of town, the WV border just 18 miles away when I saw a sign indicating a turn for Elizabeth Furnace. The best furnace vestige I've seen yet is in Lanaconing Maryland, so I wanted to see what this one was about. Suddenly I found myself driving into the George Washington National Forest, along a shaded mountain stream, with rocky outcroppings casting late afternoon shadows. This was simply called the Elizabeth Furnace part of the park (never did find the furnace itself). I decided to try the climb up towards the summit of Lookout Mountain - used by the Confederates in the Civil War to monitor Union troop movements. With the sun rapidly going down, I made my way back down the switchback to the waiting Jeep.

Take this road, you'll appreciate the contours of the land, better understand settlement patterns and enjoy the vintage roadside architecture, either as ruins or still hanging on (hotsheet motels will always be around I suppose). You'll see stately manors, horses in the fore, with misty purple green mountains seemingly moving behind them. By deciding to take old Route 55, I cut off any chance of getting into West Virginia that evening but I was able to rediscover one of the the best "road trip" roads that the visitor or resident of Washington can get out and enjoy.

Romantic Ruins, Haunted Site or Birdwatching Paradise? You Decide - but no trespassing!

After poking around the Greenbelt area one recent weekend, I decided to finally visit the legendary Glenn Dale Hospital, located in Glenn Dale Maryland, not far from Greenbelt itself and close to the NASA complex. I alighted out expecting to see something interesting, but what I found floored me. This site is worthy for it's legendary lore in the growing art of "urban archeology", whereby the brave explorers, out of a mixture of curiosity and adrenaline rush, explore abandoned buildings, often trespassing. Being a responsible grown up now, I wasn't in for a tangle with the police and so far I've abstained from actually entering a building.

The grounds are not far from DC, you just have to navigate the uninspiring subdivisions that straddle this piece of land. This is not your average run of the mill urban hospital but rather an entire campus with some grand architecture, now chocked in vines and overgrowth and victimized by vandals.

The extensive damage done by vandals and the fact somebody needs to keep an eye on this site is the reason a park police sub-station is on the grounds. Patrol cars run a regular route through the grounds so I wouldn't considering walking around too much, stick to the perimeter. Plenty can be seen from the road, and it's worth it...

Halloween is apparently the night to go, and I can only say I'm glad I didn't grow up around here, because I would have gone in as a teen. The thing that makes this place so spooky is the network of underground tunnels which connect the various buildings. Apparently there's morgue (makes sense in hospital right?) and creepy stuff below ground. One story has it that it later housed the criminally insane and when the hospital closed and they were released, many returned to live out their lives in the various hospital buildings - a subterranean existence....waiting...

My favorite view has to be the one looking in from the north approach. There's a surprisingly tall water, with a perfect patina, consisting of a mixture of rusted metal and remaining institutional green paint. It's height and colors are unusual in such an rural setting and the proportions pleasing.

Next to the tower stand a large smokestack - long (incorrectly) rumored to be a crematorium. Here, there's a small pull off and ample room to park, stretch your legs and look in at this forbidden city.

One afternoon, I noticed a great variety of tough to see birds not normally spotted (by me anyway) that have found this site offers a great habitat. I saw groups of finches, orioles and what I think was a Scarlet Tanager, but could have been a Red Winged Blackbird in flight.

Directions and history follows.

Glenn Dale Hospital was a tuberculosis sanitarium in Glenn Dale, Maryland in the United States. It is a large facility, consisting of 23 buildings on 216 acres (0.87 km2), that was built in 1934 and closed in 1982 due to asbestos. Though it is now closed and will be eventuallydemolished, for decades it was an important public health institution near Washington, D.C. Park Police patrol the hospital grounds regularly.
The hospital grounds consist of the following buildings:

1. Children's Nurses' Home
2. Children's Hospital Building
3. Residence "D" Dormitory
4. Building "C" Nurses' Home
5. Building "F" Duplex House
6. Building "D" Doctor's House
7. Building "G" Duplex House (Superintendent's Residence)
8. Building "E" Doctor's House
9. Adult Hospital Building
10. Warehouse and Garage
11. Heating Plant
12. Sludge Bed Enclosure
13. Sedimentation and Control Building
14. Water Softener House
15. Pump House
16. Employee Building
17. Laundry
18. Residence "C" Dormitory
19. Hot House
20. Four Apartment Building No. 1
21. Four Apartment Building No. 2
22. Paint Shop
23. Incinerator

Greenbelt Maryland, Lakes, Woods and the very active remnants of a workers near paradise community. US Socialist History

Greenbelt Maryland is an important historic site just outside the Beltway that best preserves and showcases an experiment in socialist living (the good kind). A tidy and very livable, planned worker community dating to Roosevelt's New Deal, WPA era. The community center and homes are well preserved and cherished by those who live there now. The highlight is the Art Deco meets Bauhaus style movie theater which still shows films.

The authentic coffee shop(s), grocery and other businesses are all interconnected by covered walkways, sparingly built but showcasing vibrant architecture. My favorite feature is the passageways which cross under roads, affording pedestrians a greater sense of safety and ease of movement. Something we should show more of today. Today's modern developments seem to give the important role to the car only.

If you're entering town from the West, be sure to pull off in Buddy Attick Park which has an extensive playground (but lousy parking I have to say). There's a great children's playground as well as a jewel of a small lake, reminiscent of a Minnesota beer commercial (Think Hamms @ 1973). The lake is surrounded by a very walkable sidewalk and trails which, if you wisely choose to circumnavigate, allows one to soak in some great woodland /wetland scenery and wildlife. It also boasts some of the best sunset views around town. A perfect place for a lovers stroll, or parents with the kids.

Construction on the Greenbelt project began with this lake on October 12, 1935. Originally a heavily wooded 23-acre valley cut by a stream, the lake required one year and over two hundred men to complete it. Because the federal government was interested in putting as many unemployed laborers to work as possible, much of the land was cleared by hand. Men hired by the federal government's Resettlement Administration pulled the trees out by their root, cleared the brush, and built a 22-foot dam on the east side of the lake. The dam now forms the eastern link of the path that encircles the lake.

The original plans for the lake included a bathhouse and boathouse. The boathouse was to include a dock with a boat rental and launch, sand beach, and changing facilities for bathers. The federal government never built the boathouse and other structures in the original plans due to budget constraints. In addition, health officials soon discovered that the lake contained bacteria that made the water unsafe for swimming. The lake has been closed to swimmers since July 1938. In former times local residents rented boats on the lake.

The park surrounding the lake is named after Albert "Buddy" Attick who helped to build Greenbelt and then became a lifelong employee of the city, serving as Director of Public Works for 23 years.

Greenbelt geographically lies both within and without the Beltway and is bisected by the Baltimore/Washington Parkway and the Beltway itself. Picture yourself a few miles due North and East of College Park Maryland.

Not only are the two attractions discussed a bit above worth checking out, but one can get even more wild in Greenbelt Regional Park, which is technically part of the National Park system and allows the DC visitor wishing to camp, the closet truly rustic camp site within the Beltway. The park has numerous small and large looping trails which are fairly well marked but in which I have nearly gotten lost jogging at sunset - not fun in the gloaming. I felt like the little girl in the ham suit from to Kill a Mockingbird...Anyway, visit this park in daylight and you'll enjoy comfortable but stimulating topography changes, gurgling streams and a variety of woodland - both pine and deciduous trees thrive on this reclaimed farm land.

Another nearby attraction is a haunted (supposedly) sanatorium/hospital which I've not checked out. OK, I'm a bit like Shaggy from Scooby Doo - I'm like, super chicken Scoobes! Besides, trespassing on the site is not allowed but the overgrown ruins are visible from the road. A NASA education is nearby too (haven't been).

Coming soon - a travel to the end of the road - The Old National Road, from DC to Brownsville PA - roadside and history heaven.....

Montpelier Laurel MD Stately Plantation Home

Montpelier is the best known home of the Snowden Family who were economic drivers of the Laurel Maryland economy for almost two centuries. The home has been a favorite destination for my friends and family for many years because it offers so much, from the perfectly proportioned Georgian style built in 1783, to ample grounds and a functioning arts center, located in a barn on the grounds that hosts local artists and their creations.

When I talk friends or colleagues from the Laurel area most have never heard of this many faceted attraction. The home is still filled with Snowden family treasures, hidden stairways, art and period furniture. The best approach to the site is via the Baltimore Washington Parkway.