Day 68 - Baltimore Road

Grace Trinity

It feels like spring outside this afternoon.  The sky is blue and the air is mild.  The only thing that would have made it better, for a photographer, is to have a few white puffy clouds in the sky -- but, overall, it is a great Friday for November.  And the weather promises to be even better this weekend.

Stonecutter's Error?

Those of you who have been reading my blog daily know that I am quite interested in the mile markers that were placed along the National Road from Baltimore to Cumberland.  I mentioned mile markers in my walks at the Old National Pike District Park on October 3 and again when I was walking down a closed section of Rt. 144 at the Monocacy River bridge on October 23.  My walk on the 23rd did not result in finding one of the old markers, but I have not given up.

Today I decided to walk on a portion of road that parallels modern day Rt. 144 in the Spring Ridge area.  That old section of road has a couple of businesses, a restaurant, some houses, and a couple of churches.  So I parked my car at the restaurant and took off down the stretch of road that was clearly the original National Pike.

Mt. Carmel Cemetery

One of several tire dumps.

This section of road has not been treated well.  In fact, portions of it seem to be a dumping grounds for old tires and if I had had a plastic trash bag with me, I could have filled it with a hundred plastic bottles and aluminum beer cans in no time.

The two churches are Mt. Carmel United Methodist and Grace Trinity.  Both were built in the 1850's, and each is still in operation today.  Mt. Carmel has undergone extensive renovation, but Grace Trinity looks much the same as it must have when it was first built.  Each church has a graveyard, and my Internet research showed me that some who died at the Battle of the Monocacy are buried in the graveyard at Mt. Carmel.

The mile marker at
Jordan Preserves
along Rt. 144.  Someone
has obviously darkened
the "39 M to B"
lettering.

National Pike Mile Marker
along Baltimore Road.

Last, but not least, my walk today paid off in finding one of the mile markers I have been looking for.  It did not appear to have any carving on it, like the ones at the Old National Pike District Park and the one at Jordan Preserves, which I walked a few days ago.  I have included that photo here today for comparison; I did not include it on Monday's post, because that is the day I was photographing red, and the mile marker is not red!








Hurricane Sandy Relief:  Donate to the Red Cross, and I will mail you a 5 x 7 print from any of the photos I have posted on my blog OR any photo on my website.

Forward to me via email a receipt for donating to the Red Cross.  Tell me whether the photo is from the blog or the website, and Include its title along with a mailing address.  The name on the receipt to the Red Cross must match the name of the mailing recipient.  Send the receipt and the photo request to camscamerashots@gmail.com.

Click on any photo to enlarge it.

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Visit my web site: camscamerashots.zenfolio.com

Cam's rules for the Daily Photo Walk:

1. walk every day
2. the walk must be in addition to any other planned activity for the day
3. post a photo every day
4. use my Nikon P7100 (it is a very convenient size and weight)
5. no weather excuses
6. walk only where it is safe to do so