photos by Greg Galiardi
FREDERICK COUNTY MARYLAND provided fun for the whole family during Shakes ‘n Brakes II held this past July. Over 20 Potomac Chesapeake Chapter (PCC) Members and new friends joined the ride, coming from as far away as Colorado and North Carolina. All participants sampled a bit of American history, idyllic countryside and, of course, the freshest all natural ice cream around.
Shakes N Brakes is a casual day trip throughout Frederick County with ample social time and photo opportunities. One of Maryland’s most scenic covered bridges provided the backdrop for a group photo and another covered bridge looked great with each car driving through in turn.
The drivers and riders were enthusiastic not only about the stopping, but also about “the going.” This year’s route featured some comfortable cruising roads but also narrow country lanes winding through mountains close to the Mason-Dixon Line of Pennsylvaniaall of which made good use of Audi quattro.
The variety of cars included three sleek R8s, one of which was a new R8 V10 riding side by side with an allroad. The S5, A4s and others also enjoyed perfect twisty mountain roads along the route.
The event was not all about horsepower however, as stops included historic locations like Fort Richie, MD where World War II troops received intelligence training. Prior to becoming Fort Richie, the location was owned by the Buena Vista Ice company who made two lakes on the site and provided ice to Baltimore, Washington and Philadelphia, as early as 1815.
In 2015, the lake provided a bucolic backdrop for all the fine marques that participated in this year’s summer fun run. The biggest smiles of the day came at Dan’s Tap House in historic Boonesboro, MD where everyone shared stories and photos from the morning’s events.
As difficult as it was, most everyone saved space for dessert a few miles down the road at the South Mountain Creamery. Calves are on display in a special barn where visitors can easily view, and kids can pet them. In the dairy store, milk, cheese, yogurt and other farm goods are for sale but the clear choice for this group was to finish the day with the freshest ice cream in the county!
The creamery served as a sweet end for a sweet ride. Hope to see you next year for Shakes N Brakes III!
