Driving Tours

If you're planning a trip to Frederick or a drive through the Civil War sites and on to Gettysburg, reserve a day for the treasures of Route 15, now designated the Catoctin Mountain National Scenic Byway. Though it's a high-speed, four-lane highway with too many trucks, many delightful sites await as you drive between the orchards and farms. The two major towns, Thurmont and Emmitsburg, are charming little places. Thurmont is notable for its two main parks, while Emmitsburg was the home of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and is still the home of Mount St. Mary's University, where a replica of the Grotto of Lourdes is located. These are great places for a weekend getaway or a day trip; both are only about 90 minutes from Baltimore.

What to See & Do

Catoctin Mountain Park (tel. 301/663-9343; www.nps.gov/cato), a national park, has several good trails and is the home of presidential retreat Camp David -- whose precise location is top secret. The park's entrance is on Route 77 west of Route 15. Admission is free. Tent camping here is $20 a night; cabin rentals are $35 to $140.

Cunningham Falls State Park (tel. 301/271-7574; www.dnr.maryland.gov) has as its centerpiece a 78-foot high waterfall, set in a canopy of 100-year-old oaks and hickories. Stay for a few minutes or the rest of the day. The park is also the site of 43-acre Hunting Creek Lake, which offers swimming, canoe rentals, and picnic areas. Get a guide to the many park trails at the Manor Area visitor center, off Route 15, or at Park Central, on Route 77. Four short trails will take you to the base of Cunningham Falls. Three are in the William Houck Area, off Route 77. They range from moderate to strenuous and from .5 to 2.8 miles. The fourth trail is accessible, with a handicapped-only parking lot right on Route 77 and a .3-mile boardwalk that goes all the way to the falls on mostly flat terrain. Another trail ends at the Catoctin Iron Furnace, the remains of a Revolutionary War-era iron-making complex. The park is open daily from 8am to sunset. In peak season, fees run $3 to $4 per person; at other times it's $3 to $4 per car. Campsites are available for $25 a night, $30 with electric hookup; cabins are $50.

If you want to get off the beaten track -- off Route 15 and onto Route 550 North -- for a breathtaking mountain view, go to Pen Mar Park, 14600 Pen Mar High Rock Rd., Cascade (tel. 240/313-2700). The view is worth the short drive past Fort Ritchie and up Pen Mar Road. A dance hall and observation deck, built right on the edge of the mountain, overlook the Blue Ridge Mountains. From mid-May to mid-October, free big-band concerts are held in the dance hall on Sundays at 2pm. Hikers can head onto the Appalachian Trail from here: It's 920 miles to Georgia and 1,080 miles to Maine. Call ahead for directions and a concert schedule.

Shopping

Don't miss the orchard stands along your drive. There are several, all selling fruits and vegetables grown right in these foothills.

Catoctin Mountain Orchard, 15036 N. Franklinville Rd. (Rte. 15), Thurmont (tel. 301/271-2737; www.catoctinmountainorchard.com), has locally baked pastries and McCutcheon's preserves, as well as fresh fruit. Pick your own berries in June and July, pumpkins and apples (Cameo, Pink Lady, and Honey Crisp) in fall. Open January through March, Friday through Sunday from 9am to 5pm, and June through December, daily from 9am to 5pm.

Gateway Farm Market and Candyland, 14802 N. Franklinville Rd. (Rte. 15), Thurmont (tel. 301/271-2322), has not only produce and fresh cider in season, but also long tables filled with boxes of penny candy. Pick out your own and fill a bag -- a pound was $3.50 at press time. (Once your kids learn of this place, you can never pass it again without stopping.) Open Monday through Thursday from 8am to 9pm, Friday and Saturday from 8am to 10pm, and Sunday from 10am to 7pm.

Scenic View Orchards, 16239 Sabillasville Rd. (Rte. 550), Sabillasville (tel. 301/271-2149), truly deserves its name. Seven generations of farmers have grown the fruits, vegetables, and flowers on the farm here. It's open daily from 10am to 5pm, June through Thanksgiving, beginning with strawberries and ending with pumpkins and cider.