"Great Falls: The Maryland Side" Great Falls by Tom_Fields

This is the Niagara of Maryland. The falls are spectacular.

The old C&O Canal

Equally interesting is the old C&O Canal, which was built to circumvent the falls. Originally, in the very early days of America, this canal was meant to link the coast to the western frontier. But the Appalachians are a formidable obstacle. So the canal runs 184 miles from Georgetown in Washington to Cumberland, out in western Maryland. Along the way are numerous locks, which enable boats to travel up and down the canal.

• Pros:Beautiful, historic place, very close to Washington
• In a nutshell:An ideal day trip from Washington or Baltimore