A Taste of the Great American Rail-Trail
By Laura Stark
As the Great American Rail-Trail® (greatamericanrailtrail.org) journeys 3,700 miles across the country, it serves as a singular connector for the diversity of cultures, history and traditions found in every community it touches. Those differences are perhaps most tangibly experienced through food—something so universal yet so significantly shaped by where we are and who we’re surrounded by. Here, we share just a taste of the unique foods you’ll find along this palatable pathway between Washington, D.C., and Washington State. Bring your culinary curiosity and let’s dig in! Tucked into “The Mountain Side of Maryland,” Cumberland is not only where two iconic trails meet—the C&O Canal Towpath (nps.gov/choh) and Great Allegheny Passage (gaptrail.org)—but also a great grub hub. One of the city’s oldest establishments, Caporale’s Bakery, has been in business for more than a century and once delivered its baked goods by horse-drawn carriage. It’s just blocks from the trail juncture, so be sure to stop in to try a pepperoni roll, a favored lunch of Appalachian coal miners dating back to the early 1900s. The bakery is also one of nine stops in Allegany County’s “Donut + Coffee Trail” (rtc.li/donut-and-coffee-trail) that can fuel your explorations. Maryland
PHOTOS: From top: A stop along the Donut + Coffee Trail in Allegany County, Maryland | Courtesy Allegany County Tourism; Picklesburgh 2024 | Courtesy Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership.
Pennsylvania
More than a decade before McDonald’s, Iowa’s Maid-Rite was one of the country’s first fast-food chains, opening in 1926, just as widespread car ownership started taking off during the roaring twenties. Back then, its signature dish, a loose-meat sandwich made of seasoned ground beef served on a steamed bun, cost only a dime. Today, it also serves malts, Iowa live music and family-friendly activities, plus a pickle-juice-drinking competition as its headline event. Above it all floats a 35-foot-long pickle balloon bearing the name of the festival’s sponsor, Heinz, whose roots in the Pittsburgh area go back to 1869. Just off the Three Rivers Heritage Trail (friendsoftheriverfront.org), you can learn more about the city’s long history of pickling at the Heinz History Center (heinzhistorycenter.org), one of many stops along Pennsylvania’s “Pickled: A Fermented Trail” (visitpa.com/trip/ pickled-fermented-trail). Cutting across the southwest corner of the Keystone State, the Great American route enters Pittsburgh, which has become Picklesburgh (picklesburgh.com) every July for the past decade. Dill-icious delights (including pickle-flavored ice cream, fudge and beer) are available throughout the downtown area during the three-day festival, which includes
To learn about more tasty options along the Great
American route, check out our extended article at rtc.li/great- american-foods.
Rails to Trails MAGAZINE | SPRING/SUMMER 2025
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