Day 93 - Damascus, MD

Do you want sprinkles on it?

Damascus, Maryland, is probably most famous for Jimmie Cones.  Seriously.  You mention it to anyone who has heard of Damascus, and they will mention going there for Jimmie Cones.  According to the reviews, it is thick, luscious soft serve, always vanilla or chocolate, and sometimes one other flavor, with sprinkles on top. 

The link to their website seems to be "out of order," which is sort of fitting, because the popular carry-out only location is closed for the season.  Maybe the web site is, too... 

Anyway, having grown up in Gaithersburg, one of the "far away" date locations for me was to go to the movies in Damascus, where there was the old Druid Theater.  I think the actual appeal for high school couples to go to the movies there was the fact that they had a dark balcony in the rear of the theater. 

Home of the Hornets

Famous chicken dinners

I parked at the old theater, which has been converted into a drug store, and ate lunch at one of the restaurants that has been serving the locals for generations, Tom and Ray's.  It looks pretty much like it did in the 60's, with typical "diner" style food.  While I was there, customers would come in, seat themselves, and immediately engage in conversation with the servers about their mother's recent operation, the trip they just took, or the health status of a neighbor.  Most customers who came in did not even want a menu, and in several cases, the server just brought over their usual beverages before they even had a chance to settle into their seats.  I had a cold salad plate and then took off for my walk.

The original commercial area

Damascus seems to be nothing but a commercial center, with mostly new blended in with some renovated old.  When I looked up the history of the place, apparently that is what it has always been.  There are no side streets with neighborhoods, as in many of the small towns, like Brunswick.  There is no railroad, no river, just busy roads that supported commerce for the farms nearby.

Gassing Up

I walked down to the high school, then back to the center of town and then over to Jimmie Cone.  All in all, it was 45 minutes of walking on a gorgeous 70 degree day. 

Too bad Jimmie Cone was closed.  They'd have had a long line today, and I would have been in it!



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.

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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