ericgorton.com

ericgorton.com

Frederick, Maryland (2)

The internationally-known “Community Bridge,” a trompe l’oeil mural, was conceived by Frederick artist William Cochran in 1993 as an alternative to the original plan of using artificial stone cladding to adorn the bridge over Carroll Creek.

We went back to Frederick on Aug. 20-21 to celebrate my 58th birthday and visit some sites and restaurants we missed on our first visit.

Places visited this time:

Schifferstadt Architectural Museum

Schifferstadt is one of the oldetst homes in Frederick County and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2017. It is known as one of the best examples of early German architecture in the U.S. and features two-foot-thick stone walls and a tightly winding staircase to the second floor. Guides lead tours of the four-bedroom house, which also features a huge kitchen with a sink that drains outdoors. The house also has a barrel-vaulted cellar that served as the refrigerator of the 18th century. Our guide did a nice job telling the story of the house, the people who lived there and pointing out the features. More information is available on the Schifferstadt Architectural Museum website.

A walk in the rain

Before leaving, Linda and I did one more walk. The original forecast was for rain to start around 1 p.m. and go for several hours. Then the forecast changed and pushed back the start time to about 4 p.m. That was perfect. We started our walk a little after noon under partly cloudy skies that didn’t look particularly threatening. Things changed pretty quickly and without umbrellas or any other rain protection, we got soaked. Fortunately, we found a place to change clothes before heading back to Harrisonburg.

The covered bridge in Baker Park, built in 1965 by the city of Frederick to cross Carroll Creek.

Also:

We spent the night at the Hampton Inn at 1565 Opossumtown Pike. It was a little more expensive than the Hampton Inn on Buckeystown, Pike, but worth it. Much quieter for one. Our room did not face a major highway. Like the Buckeystown Pike hotel, this room was a bit humid, but not as bad. The towels were dry as was the carpet.