Planes, trains, automobiles, and more ways to experience a nostalgic trip through time
After more than a year of being mostly indoors and putting off any travel, it’s never been a better time to explore the beautiful state of Maryland. The state is filled with so much history, culture, and natural beauty. A fun way to connect with the Free State is to explore different regions via vintage transportation like historic steam trains, old-school biplanes, classic cars, and hot air balloons. These rides provide historic charm, gorgeous scenery, and authenticity in showing what life in the state was like in the past. It doesn’t even matter the destination. With these adventures, it’s all about the ride.
Steaming Along
The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad out of Cumberland, Maryland, offers a myriad of opportunities to enjoy the region on an historic steam train. “We aim to create an experience driven moment, where people will get to see what life was like in the past, and live in a microcosm of history for three to four hours,” says Wesley Heinz, Executive Director of the Railroad. “The historic railroad ties today to the past. The railroads are what created this town in history. Rides on the locomotive bring generations together, and remind people of where they came from. It’s a true family event.”
It’s not often people can enjoy the fun of riding a steam locomotive. The Railroad offers a number of programs including their signature daytime ride starting in Cumberland and heading to Frostburg. Along the way, passengers enjoy numerous sites and gorgeous lookouts. “We try to stay quiet for a lot of it so people can enjoy the views with their families,” Heinz says, “but we do narrate points of interest like a mini version of the White House, and offer up interesting, kitschy facts that most people don’t know in advance.” Once the train arrives in historical Frostburg, passengers have around 90 minutes of free time to walk around and get lunch at the fabulous Toasted Goat, or local pizza and ice cream venues. Then it’s back on the train for a relaxing, scenic ride back home. “While you can usually walk up and get a seat in coach, I recommend making reservations online to be able to pick great seats in advance,” Heinz says. The train offers standard coach seats, and then upgrades from there, which include some food and drinks. For a truly unique experience, book the dome car for even more exceptional views.
Throughout the year, the Railroad offers special, shorter, seasonal rides and events for the whole family. During the summer, passengers can enjoy an ice cream train on certain days. “The kids absolutely love this,” Heinz says. “We play music and have prizes and it’s such a fun thing for parents and grandparents to do with the kids.” Fall foliage time is an exceptional time for rides, and there are plans for Pumpkin train rides, where everyone will be bringing home a pumpkin. Winter brings around the Railroad’s popular Polar Express events. But the fun doesn’t stop there. Passengers can take general dinner rides, and take part in entertaining Murder Mystery dinner events. For mystery lovers, and Agatha Christie fans, it’s hard to think of a better location for these events than a train! But don’t forget to return for the Whiskey Rebellion! Each experience is unique and will leave passengers wanting to come back for another memory.
Heinz notes that the train works closely with local trails and there are often events for people interested in hiking and biking in the area, as well. “It’s such a beautiful location,” Heinz says. “The train is just an amazing vessel for multiple types of experiences. For us it’s about wholesome family moments and communities, communities, communities.”
Take to the Skies
If you want your nostalgia-fueled fun to include a little more wind in your hair, consider taking to the skies in an historic biplane or hot air balloon. At Ocean City Plane Rides, pilot Bob Bunting can take passengers up in a bright red Waco YMF-5 to take in the scenery along the coast of Maryland, and see the sights of Ocean City and Assateague. “My plane, while built in 1988, is based on a 1936 design. The blueprints are from the Smithsonian, so that the planes would be 100 percent authentic,” Bunting says. “And the engines are actually 1930s engines, that just keep getting rebuilt.”
Bunting can take one or two people at a time, with the passengers in front and the pilot in the rear of the plane, for a 30-minute adventure in the sky. “People can experience what life was like in the old days of flying, with the wind in their face,” Bunting says. He’s been flying since 1975 and says he’s always surprised at how many people he takes up who have never been in any type of plane before. “Even if they are nervous at the beginning, I would say 99.9 percent get out of the plane with a huge grin on their face.” That’s a pretty good record for a pilot who has been flying biplanes sine 1975. The flights go out of the Ocean City Airport, and run from the spring until late in the fall. If the weather is good, he has been known to take passengers outside that window, as well.
At Biplane Air Tours, pilot Nick Mirales, takes one passenger at a time in his lemon yellow N75NM 1944 Stearman WWII trainer. Since 2000, passengers have had the chance to fly over the scenic northern section of the Chesapeake Bay and see gorgeous landscapes, rivers, and homes, along with points of interest like the Civil War site of Fort Delaware, Baltimore, and the Bay Bridge. “While I never do any acrobatics, I do allow passengers to take over the controls and fly the plane, if they feel comfortable,” Mirales says. “It’s quite an adventure for them. Almost every passenger will exit the plane saying this was the neatest thing they’ve ever done.” With passengers ranging in age from 10 to 99, Mirales has been able to help so many people achieve a dream on their bucket lists.
Rides on Mirales’ plane take off from the Massey Aerodrome on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. This is a great location for families to come watch their loved ones take flight, but also enjoy the Massey Air Museum on site, while they wait. The museum describes itself as “a living airport-museum reminiscent of rural airports of a bygone era.” Mirales points out that it’s a great opportunity to look around at all the planes up close, and learn more about antique aircraft restoration.
In addition to taking passengers on flights in his WWII era plane, Mirales also performs fly-bys during the Living History cruises on the Liberty Ship, John W. Brown, out of Baltimore. While these events had to shut down during the pandemic, he is hoping to be part of them again in 2022. Passengers get to experience a cruise on the ship as if they are at war in the middle of 1944. The sailing features live music from the ’40s, historical re-enactments, and other period entertainment. Mirales, and other local pilots with vintage WWII aircraft, perform fly-bys, with the ship’s Armed Guard gunners manning the guns to defend the ship. Passengers have the opportunity to look through many parts of the amazing ship, and view the huge steam engine. “If you love nostalgia and history, it doesn’t get better than this,” Mirales suggests.
Float Like a Butterfly
When it comes to vintage transportation, riding a hot air balloon literally reaches great heights. As Todd Davis with Del Marva Balloon Rides points out to all his guests, “the first experimental hot air balloon went up in 1783.” Since 2006, Davis has been giving people the experience of a lifetime. “I try to make the adventure special. Some people are afraid, but it doesn’t end up being what they expect. It’s very peaceful.” In a 60-minute ride with Davis, passengers can expect to see gorgeous vistas with the Bay in the distance, maneuver low over treetops, and even be able to reach out and pick a leaf. “You don’t land where you start, so each ride is a little different,” Davis says. “But the distance is usually about eight to ten miles.”
In Carroll County, Maryland, Steve Andrews with Sky Candy Ballooning offers passengers views of unparalleled beauty over farmland and other natural sites. “While the ride is 45 to 60 minutes long, the whole experience is around 3.5 hours,” Andrews says. “We have the passengers help with the set up and tear down, so they get to see all the exciting parts of the balloon, and have a real hands-on experience. Then we go where the wind blows.”
While some people might be hesitant at first because of a fear of heights, or nervous that passengers are hanging out in a basket, Andrews says, “they don’t ever end up being as fearful as they anticipate. It’s so calm. Instead people find it breathtaking and they become enthralled by the sights and the feel of the ride. It’s like nothing they’ve ever experienced, and they love it.” Balloon operators will typically take anyone up over the age of five years, but note that younger kids need to be strong. The number of people allowed in a balloon varies depending on the season with temperature and humidity levels. They can take more at a time in the spring and late fall. “A ride in a hot air balloon is an experience like no other,” Andrews says.
Takin’ it to the Streets
After trains, planes, boats, and balloons, perhaps you want to enjoy your nostalgia in a more grounded way and appreciate some time with a classic car. At the Classic Motor Museum in St. Michaels, guests can view the exhibit barn and see fabulous examples of pre and post-WWII classic automobiles, mid-century muscle cars, vintage trucks, and more collectibles. The collection changes periodically so that there is always something new to see. You can even rent out the space for your next event to have a vintage feel.
While there are not many people or places willing to rent out classic cars for you to drive, there are numerous Cars and Coffee events to enjoy, admire, and discuss details of cars with owners. It’s a wonderful way to fully appreciate the vintage car experience. Every Sunday morning, year-round, from 7:30 a.m. to noon, at Annapolis’ City Dock, car enthusiasts gather with their vintage vehicles. They love to have discussions and answer questions about their cars of all makes and models. All are welcome at these events.
The Wheels From the Past Car Club have cruise nights on Thursdays at 6 p.m. at the Greene Turtle in Edgewater. They also promote a huge annual Labor Day weekend car show that is a terrific family event for car lovers. Each fall an event called Vintage Vehicles in the Valley takes place in Middletown, with some of the proceeds going towards helping to restore their local historic buildings. For an opportunity to rent and drive a vintage car yourself, websites such as Turo.com can connect you with options.
Maryland, with all of its rich history and natural beauty, is well worth a ride down memory lane. Appreciating the present, while tying these moments to the past, is a great way to spend time as a family or with friends. The opportunities are exciting, adventurous, and will create memories to last a lifetime. After all this time waiting to get out and enjoy yourself, now is the time to experience, learn about, live, and enjoy the state of Maryland. Enjoy the ride!
