While the top three most popular videos on Theresa's and my YouTube channel are of Georgia, the top most favorite Maryland destination is a little town by the name of Thurmont.
There are plenty of reasons why our Thurmont, Maryland video might be the most popular Maryland video. One of them could be that it is near Catoctin Mountain. But what's so special about Catoctin Mountain?
For starters, Catoctin Mountain is a part of the Appalachian Mountains range. More specifically, it is a part of the northeastern corner of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which make up a small portion of the Appalachians. In northern Virginia and Maryland, this part of the Blue Ridge Mountains is called Bull Run Mountains. Catoctin Mountain rests on the eastern face of Bull Run Mountains and covers a space of about 50 miles.
Catoctin Mountains are home to the presidential retreat known as Camp David, which is America's most well-known secret.
Additionally, the mountains feature several federal, state, and local parks including Cunningham Falls, which are gorgeous, and Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historic Park. Thurmont sits at the base of the mountains.
Thurmont was incorporated in 1751 as Mechanicstown. Its name was changed to Thurmont in 1894. The name is derived from two German words, "thur" meaning gateway and "mons" meaning mountains. So, Thurmont literally means "Gateway to the Mountains."
Theresa and decided to walk Thurmont because we had driven through it many times on our way to and from Pennsylvania where we lived for 16 years. In fact, Thurmont is situated just 10 miles south of the Pennsylvania state line. Since we have family just across the state line in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, we must go through Thurmont to visit those family members. So, why not stop and take the tour?
Join us as we take the historic walking tour of Thurmont, Maryland, and see for yourself the beautiful homes and churches of this historic Maryland town.
