10 Things I'm Going to Miss about Frederick

The past several days have been a whirlwind of moving preparations. Finishing up the house inspections, doing a few repairs, selling furniture, and finalizing our liveaboard boat arrangements. It's a process that is both frustrating, nerve-wracking, and incredibly exciting. I've hardly had any time to stop and think about actually leaving Frederick and Maryland. But today I wanted to celebrate a few things about this wonderful little city that we've called home for the past four years. 

10 Things I'm Going to (Terribly) Miss about Frederick:
Evening walks downtown -- After dinner, Mark and I usually take Solo for a quick walk around downtown. We know the best alley-ways and places to stroll. We've gotten to know the neighbors and at least are on friendly-waving-terms with most of them. It's a simple little ritual that I will miss. 
Lunches on the canal - One of Frederick's main attributes is the number of fantastic restaurants downtown. Several of them are situated on the Carroll Creek Canal. Eating Saturday lunches on the patios, listening to the ducks quack and birds twitter will be greatly missed. One of our favorites is Doner Bistro, a German restaurant with a bit of Greek and Turkish flair. You haven't lived until you've tasted bratwurst in curry sauce. 

Hearing the carillon bells from my patio -- On Sundays, Mark and I like to eat lunch on the patio, if the weather is good. Seated at our tiny bistro set, we can enjoy some warm sunshine and listen to the distant tolling of the Frederick church bells and sometimes, the carillon (bell tower) at Baker Park. Every time, I feel like I've been transported to some other country. 
Trail runs at Gambrill State Park -- Another great thing about Frederick: the mountains are about five minutes away. Gambrill State Park is one of our favorite places for an impromptu camping trip or a quick evening trail run. I'm sure we'll be coming back to go camping in the future! 

Drinks at our local brewpub -- The first restaurant we visited downtown was Brewer's Alley. They have the best food and drinks. Seriously, if you're ever in town, go to Brewer's Alley and order their fish tacos. Or if fish isn't your thing... Aloha pizza. I'm telling you, you won't regret it. 
Watching the ducks at Culler Lake -- Every spring and summer, there are little baby duckies at Culler Lake, one of my favorite spots in the city. I love to take their pictures; Solo loves to bark and chase them. 

All our favorite shops, especially this one -- Frederick has its fair share of adorable boutiques. Our favorite by far is Citizen Frederick, a men's clothing and grooming store where most of the good are handmade or American-made. There's even an old-school barber shop upstairs! It's worth visiting just to smell all the good smells. Sandalwood, cedar, leather-- yum! 
Impromptu milkshake treats from Frederick Fudge and Ice Cream -- Seriously, this place has the BEST peanut butter milkshakes ever. Although this little burger shack came in close second. But Frederick Fudge and Ice Cream is within walking distance of our house-- so it wins the milkshake duel. 

Knowing all the shortcuts and back alleys to avoid traffic -- I've lived here long enough now that if I see a traffic jam up ahead, I know the best alleys and shortcuts to get around it. I'm no longer married to my GPS while driving around town. I actually know my way around. I know I'll learn DC too, but the first months in a new city are always intimidating. 
Our favorite sandwich shop  -- When you drive into the industrial park that houses this sandwich shack, you find yourself thinking "Wait. Is the GPS right?" Or if you're following someone: "Wait... Is this the part where they kill me and hide the body in an abandoned warehouse?" Okay so maybe not that extreme... But AKA Friscos has the best sandwiches, salads, and oh-heaven-why-are-you-so-good-to-us exploded potatoes. I have seriously considered buying some to-go tins of those potatoes just to get me through the first week in DC. 
What are your favorite things about your hometown?

A Walk in the Park on a Not-So-Springy Day

Having a home on the market means finding creative things to do whenever you're banished from your home. Thankfully, since I'm writing a book, I can toss my Chromebook in my purse and take it anywhere-- coffee shop, park, my car if all else fails. A bigger challenge is finding places to go with a pup. There are only so many stores that allow pets and only so many restaurants with patios. Over the past few days, Solo and I have really gotten to know the good people of Home Depot, who always seem to have a stash of dog treats stashed in those orange aprons. 

Monday, we had to leave the house for one hour. Such a small time frame didn't really warrant driving out to a store or setting up shop at our favorite cafe Frederick Coffee Co. So, I hitched Solo's harness, and we pawed our way to nearby Baker Park, one of my absolute favorite spots in the city. It wasn't exactly a nice springy day--49 degrees and rainy-- but we bundled up and enjoyed a stroll around the park's perimeter. Hints of green coaxed me along when the chilly weather felt like too much. 

As we walked along--me, trying to restrain Solo as he eagerly eyeballed the ducks; Solo, trying to pull me into Carroll Creek-- I thought to myself that these forced excursions maybe be a good way to visit some of my favorite spots in Frederick before we move. Spots like this low waterfall beside the weeping willow. I've decided the we need to come have a picnic here when the weather turns nice. Enjoy some sandwiches and cream sodas, watching the busy ducks waddle along the creek banks. 

Here are a few more pictures of our rain-drizzled Monday evening walk. 

What are some of your favorite spots in your hometown?

Winter Walks

One thing I love about Frederick is how many great walking spaces this little city has. Every weekend, Mark and I love taking Solo for walks in nearby Baker Park, a 40 acre park about two blocks from our house. This past Sunday, the weather was sheer perfection. While still chilly, the sun was shining in full force. Overhead, the sky was not just blue but cerulean. And cloudless in every direction, as far as you could see. 

Every building and tree stood out in sharp relief, as if some cosmic photographer had turned up the sharpness while editing his image "Perfect Winter Day." Even though it was the beginning of January, Mark and I both remarked that it felt like an early spring day. Maybe a very early spring day, but a spring day nonetheless. 

Solo's main objective on these walks is to chase every squirrel and duck he sees. Poor thing is largely unsuccessful in this endeavor. But that doesn't prevent him from whining piteously or barking at the duck quacks. You just get the sense that he's thinking "One day, Mr. Squirrel, one day." 

What's your favorite place in your city?

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Around Town // Doner Bistro

It's been awhile since I shared an Around Town post. So today I thought I would share one of our favorite Frederick restaurants: Doner Bistro. With its eclectic environment and delicious food, Doner Bistro quickly became one of our favorite lunch spots almost as soon as it opened.  Located along Carroll Creek Park, the restaurant welcomes you with roasty, spicy scents and quirky decor. Crystal chandeliers tinkle over picnic tables and alongside disco balls. Delicious spiced meat slowly rotates behind the counter while an array of hearty German beers lines the bar. 

So what is Doner? We wondered the same thing. A whole lot of deliciousness that's what. It's a yummy cultural fusion of German and Turkish food. Take a traditional Turkish dish (usually a kebab) and, rather than serving it with rice, serve it with flatbread and German beer. At Doner Bistro, you get a crazy mix of flavors: bratwurst with curry, meat and potatoes with tzatziki sauce, falafel with sauerkraut. Yet somehow it's all delicious. Pair that with beautiful views of Carroll Creek, and you've got yourself a delicious, unique lunch experience. 

If you're ever in the Frederick area, definitely take a moment to check this place out. We recommend the Doner Box or the Currywurst.  Doner Bistro: 50 Carroll Creek Way, #110 Frederick, MD 21701 Facebook @ItsDoenerTime Follow

The Oldest House in Washington

Welcome to the Old Stone House. Rather perfunctorily named, don't you think? 

Dating from 1765, the Old Stone House has the claim to fame of being the "oldest building on its original foundation in our nation's capitol." Like most old homes, the Stone House changed hands and looks several times over the course of its 250 year history. Originally owned by the Layman familiy, the Stone House consisted of just one room and had absurdly thick walls. In 1775, a rather wealthier lady (Mrs. Cassandra Chew) purchased the building and added the second and third floors-- giving the house its present appearance. Apparently, Mrs. Chew lived in the home with fifteen slaves at one point. Why one earth one lady needed fifteen slaves, I don't know!

Our National Park Service purchased the house in the 1950s due to the number of local Georgetown residents clamoring to protect the site. When I read that the NPS protected the house, I was surprised. Whenever I think of our park service, I picture the National Mall, Glacier National Park, or Yellowstone-- some sweeping natural vista. Not a little stone house in the middle of a busy city. Yet people recognized that this little house represented something unique and special.

Its simple beauty juxtaposes the domineering national monuments elsewhere in D.C. The house is not a monument to some heroic deed, national figure, or historical war. Instead, the Old Stone House stands as a monument to everyday life in colonial Washington. A monument to cooking, sleeping, dining, and working. A monument to the reality of life for some of our nation's very first citizens. 

Overtime, the Old Stone House has gained some legends. According to the museum employees, most of the familial records about the property are limited. Things like property records, lists, deeds. The primary legend of the Old Stone House involves Washington's favorite hero: our first president, George Washington himself. 

In 1810, the Old Stone House housed a clock shop run by a man named John Suter, Jr. In fact, the grandfather clock pictured above? One of Suter's clocks, built in the house in the 1800s and returned when it became a national monument. Coincidentally, the Suter family also operated an inn where President George Washington and Pierre Charles L'Enfant stayed while the designed the federal district. Somehow, the legend became tangled, and local folklore named the Old Stone House as the location of Washington's headquarters. We may never know for sure if Washington visited the house, but due to its history, it stands to reason that he may have visited and certainly at least saw it, maybe even strolled past its front door. 

One of my favorite features of the Old Stone House is the lovely English-style garden located behind it. True to its design, the garden reminded me of William Wordsworth's beautiful garden at Dove Cottage in Grasmere, England. All windy paths, tangled hedges, and sun beams. I commented to Mark that I could just take a book and sit on one of its benches all afternoon.  If you're in the Georgetown area and haven't visited the Old Stone House, I highly recommend it. I love how our nation preserves these beautiful places for us to visit, explore, and enjoy. May as well take advantage of the opportunity! If nothing else you can pretend to be Elizabeth Bennett traipsing about your dining room and kitchen. And what woman hasn't considered that fantasy? More info about the Old Stone House: Official Park Brochure Facebook Website Follow

Around Town // Worthington Farm Hike

This transitional period between summer and fall is one of the best times of year to hike. The weather is balmy and cool, with a slight breeze that provokes the half-hearted consideration of a light jacket. The fields and trees still maintain their lush summer greenery, but a few maples have begun their slow transformation into gold and crimson. Here and there, scattered leaves punctuate the still-green lawns, a herald of the approaching torrent of color that will soon blanket the earth.

Last weekend, Mark and I revisited Monocacy Battlefield to hike the trails at Worthington Farm. This past spring, we walked around Thomas Farm and the battlefield welcome center, but we had not yet paid Worthington Farm anything more than a passing visit. In my opinion, this farm afforded walking trails more beautiful and secluded than Thomas Farm, resulting in one of the most enjoyable hikes I've had in a while. Mark and I agreed that the farm is hands-down one of the loveliest places we've found in Maryland. Around every corner, we stumbled upon some brace of trees, river bend, or harvested field that just took your breath away, as if nature had put more effort into this little spot.

I can only imagine how beautiful this place will be once autumn begins in earnest. Mark and I both think the river edge here is the perfect place to relax with a book. It's hard to imagine that land so beautiful was once someone's home.

Monocacy National Battlefield

Worthington Farm

4632 Araby Church Rd.

Frederick, MD 

Park Visitor Center

5201 Urbana Pike

Frederick, MD