Brunswick, Maryland: Real People, Real Mountain Music

The boundaries of Northern Virginia form a unique point for me. It's the pinnacle of Appalachian mountain music. Southern Virginia may have its "Crooked Road" winding its way toward the Blue Ridge, but up here we have Route 15 north that's just as rich in the true mountain sound of hard-core bluegrass music. So we'll take the road once again this summer to enjoy some good local stuff, always within easy driving distance of the D.C. metro area. Last year's Darren Beachley and the Legends of the Potomac Benefit (July 29th, 2009) at Brunswick, Maryland High School was the perfect opportunity for us to get out for the day and visit this absolutely beautiful part of Maryland. It's one of those towns left behind in the history of flourishing railroads and industrial river traffic. Today, down at the edge of the Potomac River canoes, kayaks, and lots of people picnicking take the place of the failed canal traffic. Hard to imagine that next to the old canal was once one of the busiest rail yards in the east.

You can get a good panoramic view of 'once was' from the top floor of the town's interesting Railroad Museum. Be sure and bring the kids for this one - the museum has an incredible model railroad exhibit - all the rail lines that once ran up and down the Potomac River and wended their way in and out of Brunswick are scaled down to miniature (with operating HO-sized trains of course!) so you can gain a perspective of just how important the railroad once was in this mountainous region. Allow yourself plenty of time to visit the museum - and get there before 4:00 pm. Other than that, there's not really much to do in Brunswick but slow-poke around and walk its old winding streets and talk to the locals. The fun of it all is trying to imagine what the downtown area must have looked like in its Hay-Day. The town contains some beautifully old and worn architecture. Everything is within walking distance. The day we visited, like every other town in the U.S., we were practically the only people out walking in the downtown area. Nobody walks any more - I've noticed this across America no matter if it's Fort Wayne, Indiana or Modesto, California. We worry about Swine Flu when we should be worrying about how inert we've become. The only way to appreciate our nation's heritage is on foot.

But we were there for that night's music at the local high school - and what a night. For 25 bucks a piece we enjoyed an evening of (local boy) Darren Beachley and the Legends of the Potomac and Kenny Ray Horton and Friends. Volunteers from the Brunswick Junior Baseball League and the Brunswick High School were out in force to handle the crowd of bluegrass fans and serve up lots of good snacks and drinks during break-time. The people of Brunswick are a friendly, down-home crowd - you'll feel welcomed. But the music is the reason to be there - and in Northern Virginia and the panhandle of Maryland, we've got some of the best.

Darren Beachley and the Legends of the Potomac, Kenny Ray Horton and Friends, and Bill Yates and the Country Gentlemen Tribute Band appear once again at Brunswick High School on July 10th, 2010 for a Benefit Concert in honor of the Brunswick Junior Baseball League. Advance tickets must be purchased by contacting Jill Hossler at (301) 371-7675 or e-mail: jshossler@aol.com