Horses, Courses, and Natural Resources — It’s Springtime in Maryland

As we wait for the Birds to fly north and Boog to fire up the grill, other rites of spring are well underway. Anchored by major events such as the Preakness and US Open, Maryland attracts many visitors who enjoy additional aspects of those sports and other outdoor activities.

For many fans and weekend athletes, this season is defined by horses, courses, and natural resources.  Maryland has them in abundance.

Since steeplechase season is well underway, we’ll start there.  It is a proud part of our history and heritage, and a recognized tourist attraction.

In 1894, the members of the Elkridge Fox Hunting Club challenged the members of Green Spring Valley Hounds to a timber race, which became the first Hunt Cup. Although the first race was limited to members of the two clubs, the next year the race was opened to all fox hunting clubs in Maryland, and in 1903, members from recognized clubs throughout the United States and Canada were invited to participate.

Timber racing – so called because the fenced hurdles are split rails – is a form of steeplechase or point to point racing.

The Maryland Hunt Cup is the grand dame of all Maryland Timber Races.  Along with the Grand National in England, it is considered to be among the most challenging in the world.

The season runs from March to May. While most races are staged on estates in Baltimore County, there are popular steeplechases in Harford, Anne Arundel, Howard, and Montgomery Counties. At the end of the season, outstanding performer are honored at the Governor’s Cup Awards Dinner.

A calendar of these events, along with directions and the history of the race, can be found at Maryland Steeplechasing.

One of the major spring steeplechase destinations is Fair Hill, the 5,600 acre former estate of William duPont, Jr. in Cecil County.  Fair Hill is the home of the national governing body of steeplechase racing.  It has also served as host of the nationally-televised Breeders’ Cup Steeplechase in 1986, 1987 and 1991.

Since 1934, the estate has been the venue for the Fair Hill Races, which annual draws 15,000 visitors to enjoy the only place in the country where there is para-mutuel betting on steeplechase.

The Fair Hill Races traditionally take place on the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend.  The 77th annual event is May 28th this year.  As befits this “gentleman’s sport,” the races benefit a local non-profit, the Union Hospital of Cecil County.

One needn’t be a master of the hunt to appreciate the beauty and festivity of these events. Much of the fun is experiencing a beautiful day in the country with family, friends, food and high spirits.  Nothing like placing a little wager on the action, too.  After all, that’s as much a Maryland tradition as crabs, beer, and the Baltimore O’s.

Next:  Hitting the Links

Celebrating (and Selling) History

If you live in Maryland, you’re probably aware of significant centennials on the horizon. If not, you soon will be because so many resources are assigned to market them. If there is one commodity Maryland enjoys in abundance, it’s history. Like sports, history and heritage are major producers in the Maryland visitor industry.

For the next few years, we will be observing the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War, (aka War Between the States, War of Northern Aggression, etc.,) much of which took place in our border state, and the Bicentennial of the War of 1812 and writing of the Star-Spangled Banner in 1814, which also brought action and acclaim to our shores.

Since the State of Maryland is celebrating these events and inviting visitors to join us, the Office of Sports Marketing is tagging every possible activity with historic significance. But sometimes these two realms intersect serendipitously. For one imaginative initiative, The Grand History Trail, we give a nod to our northern neighbors.

It began with the success and popularity of the North Central Rail Trail in the late1980′s, which caught our friends in York County by surprise. While the old train bed continued all the way to York, the trail ended at the Mason-Dixon line. There, the opportunity for increased commerce turned around and peddled away. So in 1990, York County created a Rail Trail Authority, incorporated by the Commonwealth, which had the ability to negotiate for property, easements and grant monies on behalf of the government.

This authority was comprised of volunteers, and their mandate was to bring the North Central trail all the way to York. By the turn of the century, they had done just that (no doubt taking a certain delight that their segment is a mile longer than Maryland’s.)

With this mission complete, the Rail Trail Authority turned the linear park over to Recreation and Parks for management, and cast around for other opportunities to build. They didn’t have to look far. Like Baltimore, York was a major railroad hub. Abandoned rightaways abound.

Recently they secured property from CSX to continue the Heritage trail an additional six miles to a public park near the Susquehanna. Some of their other projects include a Ma and Pa trail in Red Lion and the Hanover Trolley Trail between York and Hanover. They are also parceling together segments of an old trolley line that will connect Hanover to Gettysburg.

This very active board has achieved wonders in the twenty years it has been in operation. But undoubtedly one of their best ideas (which ironically engages Maryland more than Pennsylvania) is the designation of the Grand History Trail.

The Grand History Trail is a 300 mile loop of off-road trails and pathways which connects the cities of Baltimore and Washington with such historic destinations as Frederick, Annapolis, York, Hanover and Gettysburg. The pathways themselves, such as the C&O Canal, have historic significance. Some of them follow troop movements and historic commercial routes. Others travel through battlefields, along rivers and through the countryside.

Much of the Grand History Trail was in place or design when the concept first surfaced in 2005. Other segments were being developed independently by local governments. Some were incorporated in other trail networks, such as the East Coast Greenway, Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail and Great Allegheny Passage. But credit for the overall vision goes to this volunteer authority.

Prompted by the York County Rail Trail Authority, the Commonwealth engaged the national Rails to Trails Conservancy to map the route, indicating where trails were complete, planned, or possible. They also provided alternate paths to follow between completed segments.

(Yes, the eternally stalled South Shore Trail is part of the Washington to Annapolis leg. You’ll have to detour in Bowie, where the WB&A stops short of Anne Arundel County.)

While the State of Maryland has supported construction of many of the connecting trails, there is no one statewide entity pushing for the completion of the loop, as there has been in Pennsylvania. We can only hope that as focus on our history intensifies in the next few years, this novel approach to visiting them will be realized. Maryland has its own activists and volunteers who see the value in this historic theme connecting popular recreational facilities.

So as we continue to follow Maryland’s trail blazing efforts, we’ll remind you of the historic significance of each and how it relates to our various celebrations. Maybe by the time the centennial celebrations close at Appomattox, we will have created a new chapter with the completion of Maryland’s portion of the Grand History Trail. (And if we can’t meet that deadline, can we please finish our portion ahead of Pennsylvania?)

Here are the segments identified in the Grand History Trail Loop:

York County Heritage Rail Trail (New Freedom to York)

Torrey C. Brown Rail Trail (Cockeysville to New Freedom)

Jones Falls Trail (Baltimore to Mt. Washington)

Inner Harbor Promenade (Gwynns Falls to Jones Falls)

Gwynns Falls Trail (Harbor Hospital to Inner Harbor)

BWI Trail (Airport to Light Rail Trail)

Baltimore and Annapolis Trail (Annapolis to BWI)

Washington, Baltimore & Annapolis Trail (Prince George’s County)

Capital Crescent Trail

Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historic Park

Metropolitan Branch Trail

Anacostia Tributary Trail (Washington to Prince George’s County)

H&F Trolley Trail (Frederick to Thurmont)

Hanover to Gettysburg Trail (Gettysburg to Hanover)

Hanover Trolley Trail (Hanover to York)

Individually, each of these trails has a story. Together, they share some of the most significant aspects of the American experience.  Learn and enjoy while taking this trip through time.

Maryland State Parks — Sports, Recreation, Quality of Life and $$$$$$

Governor O’Malley and top administration officials journeyed to Western Maryland this week to talk about job creation. It was a good time to unveil results from a year long survey of Maryland State Parks users, because Western Maryland is the state’s playground and site of many of its most beautiful (and productive) assets. 

Just as we tout the benefits of sports events on the economy, our friends at DNR have been chanting the same refrain about state parks. Now they have impressive evidence to validate the claim. Bottom line — Maryland State Parks conserve valuable historic and environmental treasures, make them available for public enjoyment, and generate substantial revenue for the state and local businesses in the process.

These are among the most impressive findings:

• Maryland State Park visitors directly spend more than $567 million during their trips to State Parks, producing a total economic impact of more than $650 million annually.
• State park visitor spending supported more than 10,000 full-time jobs and generated morethan $39 million in state and local retail, gasoline, hotel, and income taxes.
• 70 percent of spending and employment impacts are concentrated within 20 minutes of State Parks in local, “gateway communities,” often in rural settings.

• 49 percent of overnight visitors and 29 percent of day visitors are from out-of-state.

In reviewing the study, we noted how many of the parks surveyed are among our sports venues, and sites for large events. Consider Fair Hill, the magnificent 5,613 acre property in the northeast corner of the state. It hosts several large equestrian events every year, as well as a number of mountain bike and cyclocross challenges.

Same with 982 acre Rosaryville State Park in Prince George’s County, a favorite of steeplechasers and fox hunters.

Rosaryville is the backdrop for the Marlborough Horse Trials cross-country course, which ranks with the best equestrian triathlon courses in the country. Like Fair Hill, it is also a competition grounds for cyclocross and mountain biking.

786 acre Sandy Point, where the Chesapeake Bay Swim originates and the Polar Bear Plunge is staged, has been a State Park since 1952.  That’s the same year the Bay Bridge (seen in the background) opened, replacing the ferry line that operated between Sandy Point and the Eastern Shore.

There’s picturesque Gathland State Park in Frederick County, part of the JFK UltraMarathon. The 23 mile Western Maryland and 21 mile Torrey Brown rail trails, used daily for exercise and team training.

That’s only a partial list, of course. Many of these parks have yet to realize their potential for hosting local, regional and national events. (Believe us — Terry is working on that.) This study is a valuable tool in educating folks inside and out of government as to what kind of treasures we have in Maryland and how they can produce for us.

One more noteworthy factor in the study — the overwhelming degree of satisfaction visitors to the park expressed. We couldn’t agree more — Maryland is blessed with abundant natural resources. We applaud the visionaries whose efforts to preserve them and make them accessible to visitors has paid this handsome dividend. It hasn’t always been an easy sell. This report shows why it is a wise investment.

Now we look forward to developing an event (or events) that can showcase these facilities and the beauty of Maryland to an even wider audience while stoking the economic engine even more.

Trail Tale Trilogy, III (continued) — The Activists

OK, trilogies are supposed to have only three parts, but Terry isn’t happy being stranded on the sidetrack of the South Shore.

Therefore, we’re ending our adventure along the WB&A on a more upbeat note, where the trail has already been developed and there are activists and municipal officials who appreciate the economic development to be had in trail towns and are doing something about it. 

Our story takes us back to Prince George’s County, where trains from Washington carried passengers through Glenn Dale to the popular race track at Bowie before continuing across the Patuxent into Anne Arundel County and on to Baltimore.  Right now, the trail stops at the river. (The crossing is on Governor O’Malley’s “to do” list, though.)

The Prince George’s segment is a popular recreational attraction because of the interesting landmarks and the proximity to neighborhoods and the Bowie State University nearby.  The trail even takes you under Race Track Road.

Where it doesn’t take you, however, is into the Historic District of Bowie.  And that is what the residents of Old Town Bowie want to correct with a 1,200-foot stretch of new trail to carry visitors to the Bowie Train Station Museum and the center of town.

This spur would not only link their neighborhoods but also boost local small businesses by further capitalizing on the area’s history.  

Bowie was once a major railroad junction in the 1800s, and vestiges of that heritage remain at the old depot, now a railroad museum (note caboose next to the tower.) This is where people can learn about the area’s history while also watching today’s trains run along the Amtrak and MARC lines to Washington, D.C., and the CSX line that carries freight up and down the East Coast.

Connecting this to the trail would bring more people to the antique shops, restaurants, and other stores in Old Town.  It would also create a safe pedestrian underpass under the Route 564 bridge, which bisects Old Bowie.

So it is encouraging this citizen-based initiative received a $40,500 engineering study from the Bowie City Council to study the design in time to apply for an SHA grant that could pay for half the cost of construction.

Hopefully historic Bowie will be joining the ranks of “Trail Towns” who benefit from visitors as well as locals using this transportation mode.

Speaking of our good friends from State Highway, they bestowed a $30,000 grant upon the City of Frederick to help provide a critical link in their trail system.

You can see the existing trail along the Carroll Creek in downtown Baker Park.  The City envisions carrying this popular pathway to a historic landmark, the 1758 Schifferstadt Architectural Museum, and eventually under US 15, which divides the eastern and western sides of Frederick, where it will connect with another existing trail.
 

This project, which includes historic markers, is scheduled to begin this spring and be completed by summer.
 
There are still more segments to complete and more money to compete for before Frederick’s dream will finally be realized.  But it is citizen activists, city planners, and a willing council that keep it moving along — benefiting the visitor industry, creating recreational opportunities, and providing healthy transportation options for residents.

Trail Tale Trilogy

Recently, I read two stories, seemingly unrelated, which intersect with many of the subjects we Marylanders celebrate – our history, love of sports, wonderful recreation facilities, and appreciation for quality of life amenities.

This prompted the Trail Tale Trilogy – a look at Maryland’s ambitious efforts to develop linear parks that not only provide recreational opportunities and sports venues, but also connect them to our homes, schools, and other destinations.  These initiatives have supporters from the Governor’s office and Capitol Hill to local bicycle advocates and homeowners associations. Working together, they are incorporating these trails into our communities.

I.  THE COMMUTER:

A recent story in the Baltimore Sun confirmed what many of us already know – The average Marylander has the longest daily commute in the country. The article goes on to contrast those who spend up to four hours in their cars a day to others (like me) who move to within walking or cycling distance to be spared the agony.

That made me think of my grandmother, born in 1901 near Burtonsville. After graduating high school at the age of 16, she went to work at the US Treasury Department. Her commute consisted of riding her horse into Laurel, stabling it near the depot on Main Street, and catching a trolley into downtown Washington. At the end of the work day, she caught the trolley back, retrieved the horse, and trotted home.

Pretty exciting stuff for a teenage girl during those heady, WWI days.

Her journey took her through Riverdale and Hyattsville, after passing the campus of what was then known as Maryland Agricultural, a land-grant school with a military curriculum requirement. Still regarded as somewhat a cow college on a large farm, Maryland was about to undergo a tremendous change in the post war era. The vanguard for that transformation was a former football star, now coach and athletic director, the legendary Harry Clifton “Curley” Byrd.

Even before he led the merger of the farm campus with the professional schools in Baltimore, creating the University of Maryland, Byrd was building an empire around sports, beginning with the construction of the first football stadium to bear his name.

Among other things, this son of an Eastern Shore waterman named the school newspaper and later the athletic teams after a Maryland delicacy – Diamondback Terrapins.

Now, of course, University of Maryland enjoys great recognition for its athletic program as well as its academic credentials. With 27 varsity sports, and some of the best facilities in the country, they are a big player in efforts to attract events and activities here. But when my grandmother looked out the window of the trolley, probably the only thing she could see were some brick buildings around a dairy farm because most of the campus burned down in 1912.
 
Which brings me to the second story. Always on the lookout for trail tales, I saw a blog entry about bicycle activists in Prince George’s County and their efforts to expand a popular 2.6 mile trail within College Park. Known as the “Trolley Trail” this route connects two Metro stations, the Maryland campus, commercial centers throughout College Park and parts of the regional trail system.
 

Hard to believe, but true. The same route my grandmother traveled in the post WWI days now serves more people than the trolley ever did.   Now they’re on foot, bikes, or in strollers. And they aren’t content to merely use the sliver of trail that passes through College Park.  The grass roots activists who enjoy the success of the paved path serving the campus want it to be the backbone of a regional, multi-purpose trail system.  And they have allies who can help them.

In 2007, Governor O’Malley announced funding for the fourth segment of the trail, which will carry it to Paint Branch Road when completed this year.  This is particularly significant because that provides another connector to the Anacostia Tributary Trail system, a 24 mile network of stream valley pathways developed by the county in partnership with the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission that can be seen here.  (You have to love the Feds.  Their pockets are so much deeper than ours.)
 
Local trail enthusiasts envision the day when this connects to an off-road paved trail from Laurel to Bladensburg. When the missing link between Bladensburg Park and the National Arboretum is complete, there will be direct bicycle access from College Park all the way to Anacostia Park, the Navy Yard, and the bicycle-friendly National’s Park.

[Editorial comment:  Camden Yards is just as bicycle-friendly at both our stadiums.  We just don't have these fancy customized racks.  But plenty of folks cycle to our games via the Gwynns Falls Trail.]

So College Park, the University of Maryland community, and Greater Prince George’s County have all benefited from the integration of this old trolley bed with new development, public transportation routes, and federal, state, and local parks.  The commuter route my grandmother once travelled now provides even greater purpose to the people who live, work, and visit this area.