Cumberland

On the drive back from Washington, D.C. we passed through a little town.  Cumberland, Maryland would be an easy place to pass without ever knowing a thing about it. 

My husband was a little bit hungry and saw a Roy Rogers sign at that exit.  Going down the ramp were some incredible looking buildings and a one way street of houses parallel to us that welcomed us to the East Side.

The buildings to our left were tall wood and brick structures that defied gravity.  They were slightly rundown and reminiscent of something from Babe: Pig In The City and a Tim Burton movie.  A few streets away and we were in another part of town declaring Cumberland the Queen City (which is a nickname for Cincinnati).  The buildings seemed a little newer. 

While my husband was driving I had to look up the city on Yelp! and found the When Pigs Fly barbecue restaurant.  The portions sounded like much more than my husband could eat.  Since we could not find the Roy Rogers we returned to the freeway.  The buildings were taller than any visible fast food sign.  From the freeway I could see a railroad museum and a gorgeous church spire.

Once home I had to find out more about Cumberland.  It still has a running train line to Washington, D.C. and Chicago, Illinois.  William H. Macy went to one of the high schools.  It’s just over 9 square miles and has a population of about 20,000 people. 

Have you ever been somewhere that grabbed at your imagination and would not let go?  We were there ten minutes at the most and now I can’t stop thinking about it.