One-stop shopping

After a few failed attempts to meet up with my parents over the holiday, my wife and I finally made it earlier today - just in time to celebrate Mom's birthday.

As usual, we met in Gettysburg, Pa., a 90-minute drive for us. We head north on I-395 - almost into D.C. - but exit at the last minute onto the George Washington Parkway. We take the GW north to the Beltway, then onto I-270 north, then US-15 north from Frederick, Md. into Gettysburg. I explain the routing to get to the main point of the story.

We always pass a most unusual building on 15, not far from Thurmont, Md.

It sits just off the highway in a largely agricultural area. The building is very simple, not different from any sort of produce-for-sale shacks you'd see in a similar farming area.

What's inside the building makes it unique.

There are three signs on the outside. At the far left, it says "Wine, Beer & Liquor" - not surprising in Maryland, which has far more liberal alcohol laws than either Pennsylvania or Virginia. In the middle part of the building, the sign reads, "Gateway Market"; in smaller letters underneath, it says "Candyland."

On the right side of the building there's a third sign. Bet you didn't see this one coming. The sign reads:

"Church of Christ"

One stop for either spiritual liberation or spiritual libation.

Maybe both.