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2026 Oakland & Cumberland, Maryland. A brief photo blog with reasons to return.
I build camera time into my trips because I don’t have the income to travel just to photograph. My trip to Oakland and Cumberland, Maryland, was unique because I was transporting my dad’s ashes for burial, so you know, there was no emotional pressure. The gravesite is a four-hour drive from home, and I needed to be there by 12:30 pm. The night before, I got home from work around 11:30 pm, went to sleep around 12:30 am, and woke up shortly after 5:00 am. A nap is unrealistic. I plan to stop in Oakland, Maryland, to eat and compose myself before going to my dad’s burial. The gravesite is in Terra Alta, West Virginia, a twenty-minute drive away. I knew I wouldn’t want to drive home afterward, so I booked a one-night stay at a boutique hotel in Cumberland, Maryland, to drive home the next day. I scouted both areas on Google Maps to make a rough plan for what to photograph in Maryland.
Oakland, Maryland:
I spent about an hour in Oakland, Maryland, walking through its picturesque historic district. Some of my photos look like postcards. Incorporated as a town in 1862, Oakland was one of Maryland’s first designated Main Streets. The B&O Railroad’s initial expansion brought prosperity to the area, as evidenced by the remaining historic buildings and Victorian architecture. The town currently…
