About Perfect Saturdays
Looking for something to do this weekend? These great day trips are within a two-hour drive of DC.
Spend a day exploring downtown Frederick, from a massive antique shop to a restaurant in a former convent.
Frederick, Maryland
Drive time from DC: One hour.
Whether you arrive in the morning or early afternoon, make a stop at Bakehouse for a rotating menu of pastries; recent options include jalapeno-cheddar croissants, maple sticky buns, and handpies made with blueberry and lavender. Consider it fuel for strolling the downtown area, popping in and out of shops. East Patrick Street offers an easy path for antiques and vintage wares: Emporium Antiques is a 25,000-square-foot jamboree of colorful glassware, artwork, and more; Vintage MC is stocked with mid-century modern finds; and Elliott’s has home decor and accessories. Other fun stops include French-influenced homeware shop Crème de la Crème, Lebherz Oil & Vinegar Emporium for infused olive oil, and cheeky gift shop Retro Metro. You can walk along the storefronts, but Carroll Creek Park also offers a 1.5-mile brick-lined trail that cuts through the town. It’s a pretty creek walk, with a smattering of lily pads that decorate the water like a Monet painting.
Beyond the boutiques, Frederick has a robust craft beverage scene. Hopheads can find IPAs, lagers, stouts, and more at small-batch breweries such as Attaboy, which has picnic tables for sunny days, or you can pair beer with bocce and cornhole at Rak Brewing Co. Prefer spirits? McClintock Distilling offers weekend tours, a great way to learn about what’s in your glass before enjoying a cocktail next door in McClintock’s Back Bar. While many taprooms serve food, you can also enjoy a casual lunch at vegetarian-friendly restaurant the Orchard, where thick sandwiches are made with house-made bread and stir fry dishes take inspiration from around the world. If you’re around in the evening—perhaps for a dance performance or concert at Weinberg Center for the Arts—make a reservation at Wye Oak Tavern in Visitation Hotel, a former convent. Brothers and Top Chef alums Bryan and Michael Voltaggio are behind the Mid-Atlantic steakhouse.
Looking for more day trip ideas? Check out our Perfect Saturdays series.
Daniella Byck joined Washingtonian in 2022. She was previously with Outside Magazine and lives in Takoma.
