ALCO Visitor Guide 2025 Paperturn - Flipbook - Page 35
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MORNING
MORNING
Begin with a visit to Riverside Park, located within the Canal
Place Heritage Park, to see the National Road Monument,
which marks Mile “0” for the National Road. While you’re
there, visit George Washington’s Headquarters, a historic
log cabin twice occupied by George Washington during his
time in Cumberland.
Start your day at Princess Restaurant in downtown
Frostburg, an historic diner serving the community for
over 80 years. Be sure to ask for the “Truman Booth,”
where President Harry Truman and his wife, Bess, dined
while passing through on the National Road in 1953.
Next visit the Allegany Museum, a USA Today 10Best “Best
Small Town Museum” presenting the cultural, geographic, and
commercial history of Appalachian Maryland and nearby
states. The “Crossroads of America” exhibit tells the story of
how Allegany County developed as the gateway to the west.
Get a unique view of history with Maryland’s only
rail bike operator, Tracks and Yaks. Pedal leisurely
on the Queen City Excursion, a 15-mile, Frostburgto-Cumberland excursion along the historic
Western Maryland Railway line.
AFTERNOON
AFTERNOON
Grab lunch at Curtis’ Coney Island Famous Weiners, a
deep-seated Mountain Maryland food tradition serving the
community for over 100 years. Be sure to order your hot dogs
“with,” which will get you the full setup of bun, weiner, spicy
brown mustard, chili sauce, and onions.
Stop into Puccini Restaurant, famous for its wood-fired
pizzas and its hometown friendliness. The restaurant is
located in the historic 1818 Hinkle House, which served
as a Civil War hospital during the Battle at Folck’s Mill.
Be sure to ask your server for a tour of the attic, where
you will see sketches and etchings by soldiers who were
patients during that time.
After lunch, explore the LaVale Toll Gate House, the first
structure erected along the National Road and the last
standing toll gate in Maryland. Interpretive signage outlines
the fees for wagons, animals, and pedestrians to use
the road at that time, and you can peek into the historic
structure for a look into nearly two centuries past.
Stop for a relaxing afternoon at Rocky Gap State Park.
Take a leisurely hike on the Canyon Overlook Trail – a
short, one-quarter-mile-long trail with a scenic view, or
rent a kayak or canoe to paddle around Lake Habeeb
for a scenic tour from the water.
EVENING
EVENING
Continue up the road through the heart of downtown
Frostburg, which owes its humble beginnings to the
construction of the National Road. Stop to see the Braddock
Stone, one of America’s oldest road signs, dating back to
the mid-1700s when General Braddock marched through
Western Maryland. Or, pop into the Hotel Gunter, once a
popular resting place along the National Road, and grab a
relaxing beverage in their basement speakeasy, which was
used as a true speakeasy during the Prohibition era.
Take a scenic drive through Mountain Maryland’s
countryside that ends with quite a view at Town Hill
Overlook. Enjoy the extensive views of the eastern
slopes of Green Ridge State Forest, and in the spring
and fall migration season, this is a popular site to spot
Golden Eagles. Pop across the street to Town Hill Bed
and Breakfast, which was the first tourist hotel in the
state to accommodate the automobile traveler, due to its
convenient location along the National Road.
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