(One man’s continuing search for the journey rather than the destination . . .)

Route: 40 east from Penn Alps, MD through Frostburg and Cumberland to 51 to 9 to 29 to 51 to 127 to 522 to 37 north (then brief stint on I-81S) to Rt. 7 to 340 N. To Rt. 9 East and home.

Time: App. 2.5 hours, about 30 minutes SHORTER than the interstate. Yes, believe it or not, the scenic route took less time then the Interstate normally does.

The Experience: Penn Alps is pretty close to halfway between our house and my wife’s family in Ohio, so we met them at the restaurant to celebrate Thanksgiving. My wife and I then stayed overnight next door at the Stonebow Inn, a truly delightful place. Cathy and Julyen were excellent hosts, the inn and rooms were gorgeous, and the breakfast in the morning was exquisite. The drive home was beautiful, passing through the Green River State Forest and beside the C & O Canal so there are plenty of places to stop and get a view of history and ecology. I was actually surprised at how easy it was to traverse Frostburg and Cumberland especially, which always feels pretty squeezed. All in all a great experience and as mentioned above, it actually took less time than the interstate.

Possible Changes: I accidently tried to go through Winchester on 522 and that is not a good idea. Stick with the 37 north route and avoid the conglomeration of roads in Winchester.