5 Fall Road Trips Within 50 Miles of Mt. Airy Crisp mornings, blue skies, and hillsides turning red and gold. Fall is the best driving weather Maryland gets all year, and it doesn't last long. This is the season to roll the windows down, queue up a playlist, and get out of the house. Here in Mt. Airy, we're lucky. Our town sits right on the line between Carroll and Frederick counties, which puts mountains, river towns, battlefields, and historic main streets all within an hour's drive. You don't need a long weekend or a plane ticket. You need a free Saturday and a full tank/battery. So we pulled together five of our favorite fall road trips, all within 50 miles of Century Ford. For each one, here's something to do, somewhere to eat, and the Ford we'd take to get there. 1. Downtown Frederick About 20 miles | 25 minutes Frederick is the easy win: close enough for an afternoon, big enough to fill a whole day. Do: Walk Carroll Creek Linear Park, the brick promenade that runs through downtown with bridges, fountains, and public art along the water. Then work your way up Market Street's antique shops and boutiques. History fans should add the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, a one-of-a-kind look at how doctors worked on and off the battlefield. Eat: Shuckin' Shack Oyster Bar on South Market Street brings a little coastal Carolina to downtown. They always have at least four kinds of oysters on hand, plus steam pots and tons of beverage options, with live music on Friday nights. Ride: Ford Maverick Hybrid. Downtown parking is tight, and the Maverick is compact enough to slip into a garage spot. The hybrid sips fuel, and the bed holds whatever you find in those antique shops. 2. Historic Ellicott City About 20 miles | 30 minutes Ellicott City's Main Street is a steep, winding run of old stone buildings tumbling down to the Patapsco River. It's one of the most charming streets in Maryland, and it's at its best in October. Do: Browse the independent shops and galleries along Main Street, then visit the B&O Railroad Ellicott City Station, the oldest surviving railroad station in America. Want to stretch your legs? Patapsco Valley State Park's trails start right at the edge of town. Eat: Manor Hill Tavern, in historic Taylor's Row, pours beer from Manor Hill Brewing, Howard County's first farm brewery. Get a brick-oven pizza and a pint. Ride: Ford Mustang Mach-E. Quick, quiet, and all-electric, it's made for a short hop that never needs a gas stop. Main Street's hills are nothing with instant electric torque. 3. Catoctin Mountain & Thurmont About 35 miles | 45 minutes If you're chasing fall color, head north on Route 15. The Catoctin Mountains are the best leaf-peeping close to home, and peak color usually arrives mid-to-late October. Do: Hike to the Chimney Rock or Wolf Rock overlooks in Catoctin Mountain Park, the same park that quietly hides Camp David. Right next door in Cunningham Falls State Park, an easy trail leads to Maryland's largest cascading waterfall. Eat: Catoctin Mountain Orchard, just north of Thurmont on Route 15. A third-generation family farm with mountain views, a market full of fresh apples, and fruit pies baked right there. Take one home. Take two. Ride: Ford Bronco. Pop the roof panels and you've got a front-row seat to the foliage all the way up the mountain. Bronco's 4x4 handles gravel lots and winding park roads without a second thought. 4. Harpers Ferry, West Virginia About 40 miles | 50 minutes Three states, two rivers, one tiny town. Harpers Ferry sits where the Potomac and Shenandoah meet, and the drive in along Route 340 is half the fun. Do: Explore Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, where the restored 19th-century lower town tells the story of John Brown's raid and the Civil War. For the postcard view, cross the footbridge into Maryland and hike up to the Maryland Heights overlook. It's a real climb, but in fall the payoff is huge. Tip: park at the visitor center and ride the shuttle into town. Parking in the lower town is scarce. Eat: The Rabbit Hole on High Street, a cozy gastropub with craft burgers, shareable plates, and a deep beer list. Ask for the patio. Ride: Ford Bronco Sport. Standard 4x4, room in back for hiking packs, and small enough to handle Harpers Ferry's steep, narrow streets. 5. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania About 45 miles | 1 hour The farthest trip on our list, and still an easy day. Fall is the best time to see the battlefield: smaller crowds, cooler air, and the fields framed in color. Do: Start at the Museum and Visitor Center, then take the self-guided auto tour of Gettysburg National Military Park. It winds past Devil's Den, the Peach Orchard, and the ground of Pickett's Charge. Leave time to get out and walk. Eat: The Dobbin House Tavern, built in 1776 and the oldest building in Gettysburg. The house turns 250 this year, right alongside the country. Go candlelit colonial in the main dining rooms, or keep it casual downstairs in the Springhouse Tavern. Ride: Ford Explorer. Three rows means the whole crew comes along, and after a full day on the battlefield, everyone will appreciate the comfortable ride home. Find Your Fall Ride at Century Ford Every one of these trips is better in the right vehicle. Come test-drive a Maverick, Mach-E, Bronco, Bronco Sport, or Explorer at Century Ford, then take the long way home. Century Ford of Mt. Airy 302 Century Drive, Mt. Airy, MD | 301-829-2800 centuryfordmtairy.com Stop in and say hello to Joe.

Though summer is still going strong and your children don’t even want to think about it, the new school year is indeed fast approaching and it is getting time to make preparations. Here at Century Ford, your Ford Frederick MD destination, we understand that you do not want to take away any of the fun your young ones are having in and out of the house. However, we also want to make sure our customers are ready in advance when the time for school rolls around, so that the kids can enjoy every last minute of their vacation. That is why our team has put together several tips you can follow ahead of time and give you peace of mind because you also deserve to relax until school begins. They are: Discuss What The New Year Will Bring — This is a great first step to ease your children into getting back into a school mindset. We recommend that you ask them how they feel about their new classes, if they will try out for any sports teams and what they want to accomplish at school. You also can talk to them about if they have anxiety about going back to school and if there is anything negative that they are worried about. Our staff at Century Ford, your local Ford dealer in Maryland, thinks this is very important because it will show your kids that you always support them and are there for them. Set Up A Homework Routine — You also will want to go over how homework will be handled this year with your young ones. This can include establishing what time of day they will study, methods on how they can maintain their focus (possibly even through apps), when it is the right time to take a break and what subjects they will have the most difficulty with. This will help both you and your kids gear up for what work they will have to do for school and even give them a head-start on studying. Practice Ways To Relieve Stress — There always will be stress when it comes to school. Here at Century Ford, your Ford Frederick MD home, we suggest you and your family develop different strategies on how to deal with that. Some methods could be deep breathing exercises, squeezing a stress ball, walking around outside, talking out the issues and more. Work with everyone in the household on figuring out what ways will work best. Get Everyone Excited — Positive encouragement is never a bad thing and getting pumped about school is no different. Our team at Century Ford, your local Ford dealer in Maryland, recommends that you hold family movie nights with films that center around school life or issues, hold “Back To School” events with everyone in the class and other activities that will have your kids looking forward to the classroom. Have Your Supplies Ready — A very crucial tip, this means that you should take care of all your back-to-school shopping way in advance. This can mean buying school supplies like pens, calculators, textbooks and backpacks, new clothes and more. Either you can go along with your children or let them go with friends to buy exactly what they want. That way, you won’t have to scramble around a week before school to find everything. Here at Century Ford, your Ford Frederick MD destination, we are here to give you more information about what else you can do to get fully prepared for the new school year. Contact us or stop by today!]

Summer is the season for road trips, especially across the beautiful state of Maryland. There are a ton of different places that you and your family can visit over the course of the summer, which makes narrowing down where exactly you want to go quite difficult. From the scenic views of the Eastern Shore to bustling cities like Baltimore, there is sure to be a Maryland summer road trip destination for you. Check out what we think are five of the best places to visit in Maryland this summer and plan your next road trip through this gorgeous state: Ocean City - Take the legendary Route 50 all the way to the road’s starting point, Ocean City. Enjoy a relaxing day on the beach, take a walk down the boardwalk, or live it up in the exciting nightlife. If you’re feeling up to it, you can even drive down Route 50 all the way out to the West Coast. Take the road trip of a lifetime, starting in Ocean City, MD. Cambridge - Not far from Ocean City is the lovely town of Cambridge, which is right on the water. A premium spot for maritime fun, the town of Cambridge is an excellent place for all those who love the water, whether that be those who love to fish, love to boat, or enjoy any other aquatic activity. You can also check out some key pieces of history in the town of Cambridge, including some important sections of the historic Underground Railroad. Baltimore - Summer is a great time to check out the sights and sounds of Baltimore City. Take a stroll through the Inner Harbor so you can shop around the different stores and try some of the delicious cuisine at unique restaurants. Maybe you can catch a baseball game at Camden Yards and check out some of the wildlife at the Baltimore Zoo. There is also the National Aquarium that you can check out. Boonsboro - If you’re in the mood for exploration, then come in and check out the caves of Boonsboro. Since they were first discovered back in 1920 during a search for limestone, the Crystal Grottoes have been a roadside attraction for all traveling tourists. Come in and get a tour of these fascinating rock formations and do some cave-diving in Boonsboro. Waldorf - There are a handful of historic landmarks in the town of Waldorf, one of the most fun places in all of Southern Maryland. Check out what is left of “Little Vegas” which featured slot parlors such as Little Reno and the Desert Inn back in the 1950’s and the 1960’s. You could also check out the Dr. Samuel A. Mudd House Museum, which is famous for housing an alleged conspirator in the assassination of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln.