Throughout much of this mountainous, Western Maryland byway, the sweetest sound you'll hear just might be the silence. It's a stillness that allows you to listen more closely for light breezes tickling autumn leaves, birdsongs echoing along forest trails, and ripples of lake water lapping against gently rocking rowboats.

Take your time meandering through peaceful glades, valley and marshlands, finally emerging from thick forest areas for find the shore of Maryland's largest freshwater lake. Be prepared for hiking, biking, skiing, boating and all kinds of other outdoor adventures. But along with four seasons of outdoor pursuits, this byway also offers a little history. You'll be visiting mid-19th-century coal mining villages, as wellas mill towns owing their growth to the C&O Canal and B&O Railroad.