Braddock Heights, MD Road Trips

The mysterious snallygaster, a dragon-like beast with sightings going back hundreds of years, supposedly dwells in the mountains of western Frederick County. Braddock Heights, an unincorporated community in the county, was the setting for a third-season episode of the TV series The X-Files, although it was filmed in Vancouver, Canada. See X-Files tourism.

Many attractions are located in Frederick, which has an attractive historic downtown area and several Civil War sites. Outside of Frederick, see the beautiful mountains in Catoctin Mountain Park and the exotic animals at Catoctin Wildlife Preserve & Zoo in Thurmont.

Frederick County has its own wine trail. Elk Run Vineyards, 15113 Liberty Rd, Mount Airy, ☏ +1 410-775-2513. Tu-Th 10AM-6PM, F 10AM-9PM, Sa 10AM-6PM, Su noon-6PM. Live music Friday evenings in the summer. Linganore Winecellars/Berrywine Plantation, 13601 Glissans Mill Rd, Mount Airy, ☏ +1 410-795-6432, +1 301-831-5889. Tasting: M-F 10AM-5PM, Sa 10AM-6PM, Su noon-6PM. Tours are noon, 2PM and 4PM. The Berrywine label is used for their fruit or honey wines; the Linganore label is for grape wines grown on the 230-acre estate. There is live music in the summer on Sunday afternoons, 2PM-5PM. Tasting is $5, or wine and food pairing for $10. Tours are free. Loew Vineyards, 14001 Liberty Rd, Mount Airy, ☏ +1 301-831-5464, [email protected]. F Su 1-5PM, Sa 10AM-5PM. A small family-operated winery.

Frederick is the center of Frederick County in every way—most of the transportation options will take you here. Interstate 70 (from points to the east and west) and Interstate 270 (from the south, including Washington, D.C.) are important highways. Maryland Transit Administration commuter buses 204 and 515 and Greyhound intercity buses serve Frederick. MARC provides commuter rail service to Brunswick, Frederick, and Point of Rocks, on the Brunswick Line, which originates at Union Station in Washington DC.