(I posted this over on the ADV forum, but thought I'd also share it here)
Old Rt 40 - National Road/National Pike (Maryland)
Old Rt 30 - Lincoln Highway (Pennsylvania)
Old Rt 40 - National Road/National Pike (Maryland)
Old Rt 30 - Lincoln Highway (Pennsylvania)
July 2014
With my wife out of town visiting family in Wisconsin for a few weeks, and with the house painting finished, I have found some time for a few short overnight rides. This week, I decided to ride out through Maryland eastbound on the Old Rt 40. This 2-land and sometimes divided 4-lane road used to connect northern West Virginia to Washington DC. Back in the 60s, it was an all-day trip. Now, it takes about 4 hours on the interstate - but what fun is that?
My destination was Franklin County, Pennsylvania (just west of Gettysburg) to search for some Historical Markers. For those of you not familiar with my interest in Historical Markers, I organized a group of riders who photographed all 835 Historical Markers in West Virginia from 2009-2012. CLICK HERE In addition to helping us discover our history, our photos and reports assisted the WV Dept of Archives & History to determine which markers needed to be repaired or replaced. It was a great opportunity to ride, discover new areas of West Virginia, and help the State Marker Program. Well, a guy in Pennsylvania saw what we did and started a page on the forum for Pennsylvania Markers, so I feel the need to go "find a few".
In Pennsylvania, Rt 30 (Lincoln Highway) was one of the major east-west roads starting back in the 1800s. On the return trip, I will pick up the road starting at Chambersburg PA and head west to Somerset County, just east of the Pittsburgh area.
My destination was Franklin County, Pennsylvania (just west of Gettysburg) to search for some Historical Markers. For those of you not familiar with my interest in Historical Markers, I organized a group of riders who photographed all 835 Historical Markers in West Virginia from 2009-2012. CLICK HERE In addition to helping us discover our history, our photos and reports assisted the WV Dept of Archives & History to determine which markers needed to be repaired or replaced. It was a great opportunity to ride, discover new areas of West Virginia, and help the State Marker Program. Well, a guy in Pennsylvania saw what we did and started a page on the forum for Pennsylvania Markers, so I feel the need to go "find a few".
In Pennsylvania, Rt 30 (Lincoln Highway) was one of the major east-west roads starting back in the 1800s. On the return trip, I will pick up the road starting at Chambersburg PA and head west to Somerset County, just east of the Pittsburgh area.
With this ride, I can combine all three - ride out Rt 40, search for markers, and return on Rt 30. The weather is looking great the next few days, so let's go!
PART 1 (of 9)
National Road / Cumberland Turnpike
Rt 40 From Keyser's Ridge east to Hagerstown
The National Road was opened from Cumberland on the Potomac River west and northwest into Pennsylvania,
and beyond to Wheeling WV on the Ohio River in the 1810s.
The turnpikes connecting Cumberland to Baltimore were:
Cumberland Turnpike (Cumberland to Conococheague)
Hagerstown and Conococheague Turnpike (Conococheague to Hagerstown)
Boonsborough Turnpike (Hagerstown to Boonsborough)
Baltimore and Frederick Turnpike (Boonsborough to Baltimore)
My trusty Suzuki Burgman 650.
At my first rest stop in Maryland. I wanted a state map, but there were none. Guess I'll have to navigate by the stars.
(And my Gazetteer mapbook)
At Exit 14, I got off I-68 eastbound and jumped north about 200 meters to get on Old Rt 40 at Keyser's Ridge.
This is how Rt 40 is listed at the intersection signs.
Another common sign along the route.
Western Maryland is a mix of hilly farmland and mountains.
***** Mountain is also listed on I-68.
Along Rt 40, there were many old buildings like this - probably an old gas station and grocery store.
Made of cast-iron, these obelisk markers were place every one mile and noted the distance to Cumberland and Wheeling and nearby towns.
All of these markers are present today, though not all are the originals.
Near Grantsville MD. Beautiful farmland.
East of Grantsville MD. Very peaceful riding.
PART 1 (of 9)
National Road / Cumberland Turnpike
Rt 40 From Keyser's Ridge east to Hagerstown
The National Road was opened from Cumberland on the Potomac River west and northwest into Pennsylvania,
and beyond to Wheeling WV on the Ohio River in the 1810s.
The turnpikes connecting Cumberland to Baltimore were:
Cumberland Turnpike (Cumberland to Conococheague)
Hagerstown and Conococheague Turnpike (Conococheague to Hagerstown)
Boonsborough Turnpike (Hagerstown to Boonsborough)
Baltimore and Frederick Turnpike (Boonsborough to Baltimore)
My trusty Suzuki Burgman 650.
At my first rest stop in Maryland. I wanted a state map, but there were none. Guess I'll have to navigate by the stars.
(And my Gazetteer mapbook)
At Exit 14, I got off I-68 eastbound and jumped north about 200 meters to get on Old Rt 40 at Keyser's Ridge.
This is how Rt 40 is listed at the intersection signs.
Another common sign along the route.
Western Maryland is a mix of hilly farmland and mountains.
***** Mountain is also listed on I-68.
Along Rt 40, there were many old buildings like this - probably an old gas station and grocery store.
Made of cast-iron, these obelisk markers were place every one mile and noted the distance to Cumberland and Wheeling and nearby towns.
All of these markers are present today, though not all are the originals.
Near Grantsville MD. Beautiful farmland.
East of Grantsville MD. Very peaceful riding.
You will see quite a few Amish and Mennonite families traveling
by horse and buggy along Rt 40.
As they were approaching, I pointed to the camera and asked if it was OK to photograph. The man said "yes" and the family of 7 waved.
They seemed to be pretty happy - as opposed to many other families I usually see traveling.
The horse probably wished the family would just get a
couple of Burgmans to ride on. This was a steep hill to pull a wagon and family of 7.
I just missed a great shot - the kids were waving out the back window.
The Hen House restaurant is an old family restaurant.
This is the new building. Great food - Meals $10-$20 each.
And next door is the old building.
Lots of chicken has been cooked on those grilles!
Getting closer to Frostburg heading eastbound.
You can see I-68 off the right ahead. The two roads parallel quite a bit.
Coming into downtown Frostburg eastbound.
t the east end of Frostburg is this Veterans' Memorial. Very nice!
Soldier and flag.
Plaque at the Veterans' Memorial.
TO BE CONTINUED
Next: Cumberland MD and Starting Point of National Road
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