Day 311 - Braddock Heights, MD

(Click any photo to enlarge.)

***Scroll down to see my offer for Red Cross donations.***

Yellow Lily

Lonely Pool

Braddock Heights is one of those perfect summertime communities.  All it needs is a good ice cream shop with a picnic bench outside.  It has beautiful turn of the century homes with wrap around porches, deep yards with lush green lawns and gardens, terrific mountain views, and even a community park with a big swimming pool.

However, today is one of those days that the kids in Braddock Heights would have been whining that they are bored.  It rained off and on all day, the skies were gray, no one was at the pool except for four lonely lifeguards who were sitting under an overhang chatting with each other, and the lone person at the basketball court left when the rain began again.

Busy on the coneflower

Inviting Front Porch

I parked at the small commercial area at the end of Maryland Avenue (a physical therapy clinic, a general store, a hair salon, and a post office), and with my umbrella in one hand, I walked along Schley Avenue to the end, where the Home at Braddock Inn is located.  I continued past the pool, through the park, and then back up to the intersection at Maryland.  I walked along Maryland toward the intersection of Potomac Avenue, and then walked along Potomac, discovering this "back" road that parallels Maryland.  Here were some of the truly private oases of Braddock Heights.

View from Potomac Avenue

Private Retreat

I have written about Braddock Heights before, but it bears repeating that this community was built for summer retreats.  Many of the large homes were built as boarding houses, where families could come to escape the heat.  Because it is at the top of Catoctin (aka Braddock) Mountain, it even had a small ski area with an amusement park at one time.  Here is the history of Braddock Heights.

Today, despite the rain, it was a great place to take a summertime walk.

Click on any photo to enlarge it.

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Forward me by email any receipt for an online donation made to the Red Cross for disaster relief, and I will send you a 5x7 print of your choice from any of my daily photo walks or from my website.  Offer good until September 2, 2013.

Visit my web site: camscamerashots.zenfolio.com
Follow me on Twitter: @camscamerashots
Email:  cam.miller@comcast.net

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 whatever camera is easy and convenient for walking comfortably; always have a backup camera at the ready in case of mishaps (I use the Nikon Coolpix P7700)
5. no weather excuses
6. walk only where it is safe to do so