GREAT DRIVES WITH


capitalregionusa.org FROM SHOPPING AND FINE DINING TO ANTIQUES AND GO-KARTING


Here are some interesting diversions awaiting you along the Antietam Campaign Trail:


★ Visit Manassas, Virginia, where Second Manassas started Confederate General Robert E Lee on the path to Antietam. Stroll the narrow streets of Old Town, with charming turn-of-the- century architecture, and visit the Manassas Industrial School, founded c. 1852 by Jane Serepta Dean, a Prince William County slave.


★ Then pop into Leesburg Corner Premium Outlets, which features brand names such as Calvin Klein, Bass, Williams- Sonoma and Bose. While in Leesburg, tour the house and gardens at Dodona Manor, where General George C Marshall wrote the Marshall Plan. Follow the Loudoun Wine Trail to sample award-winning wines at more than 20 local wineries.


★ Nestled in the rolling hills of Comus, the award-winning, family-owned Sugarloaf Vineyard produces some of the fi nest Bordeaux-style wines. While in the area, sample the fruits of the land at a local farm, dine at a beautifully-restored country inn or visit one of the artists’ studios.


★ After visiting Monocacy National Battlefi eld, head to New Market, the ‘Antiques Capital of Maryland’ for a stroll down Main Street and, nearby, try your hand at miniature golf or go-karting.


★ Moving on to Frederick, be sure to scan the walls of its 50-block historic district for Angels in the Architecture and the painted bridge created by William Cochran, a well-known trompe l’oeil artist. Don’t miss a dining experience at Volt, the


1862, resulted in the bloodiest day of the war, with 10,700 Federal and Confederate soldiers killed, wounded or missing. A Civil War Trails driving tour takes visitors to key parts of the


battlefi eld, including the Dunker Church, the Mumma Farm, the Sunken Road and the Burnside Bridge. A National Cemetery holds the remains of more than 4,500 Union soldiers. At the visitor centre, park rangers off er interpretive talks and a 26-minute award-winning fi lm recreates the battle, as well as President Abraham Lincoln’s visit to Union Commander General George B McClellan. T ere is also a one-hour documentary about the battle narrated by actor James Earl Jones. Guided tours are available.


ON THE HUNT FOR AN ASSASSIN Follow this sign to sites along the John Wilkes Booth: Escape of an Assassin Trail


When President Abraham Lincoln was shot on April 14, 1865 in Ford’s T eatre, Washington, DC, he was


taken to the Peterson House across the street, where he died the following day. Visitors can explore both the theatre and the house on self-guided tours. T e assassin, John Wilkes Booth, who


broke his leg in a fall at the theatre, fl ed into Maryland and stopped at the Civil War Trails site at Surratt House and Tavern in Clinton with accomplice


Antietam National


Battlefi eld capitalregionusa.org


creation of Bryan Voltaggio, runner-up in Top Chef, America’s hugely-popular TV contest.


★ In Washington Monument State Park, there are amazing views of the landscape where, nearly 150 years ago, Civil War troops crossed the countryside. The fi rst monument to America’s fi rst president is also located there.


★ While on South Mountain, dine at the Old South Mountain Inn, a tavern that has been serving fi ne food and drinks since 1732. If a hike is in your plans, head either north or south on the Appalachian National Scenic Trail to get the true feel for the Civil War terrain.


★ In Boonsboro, the B&B called Inn BoonsBoro belongs to best-selling author Nora Roberts. Lovingly restored, it stands on a Main Street that remains virtually unchanged since Civil War times. The local creamery features wonderful home-made ice cream, while the Boonsborough Museum of History has a Civil War collection and a reconstructed old-time country store.


★ Nearby is Hagerstown, which houses the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, as well as Prime Outlets, with more than 100 designer and speciality stores, including Coach, kate spade and Brooks Brothers.


The clustered spires of Frederick


Checking the facts on the trail


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