A Little Stop in Harper's Ferry

I really don't have anything political to write about today, so I'll post some photos and commentary about a family trip to Harper's Ferry that we took in August.  

Harper's Ferry is rich in history and is very beautiful.  AND it's in West Virginia.  Imagine that.  The small town is mostly well-known for John Brown's raid, but there are many other things that we found interesting.

The Appalachian Trail winds through Harper's Ferry.  Check out this sign.  I thought it was pretty cool.  Maine is only 1,165 miles away.  Georgia is actually closer.

This tie was used by Union Troops during the Civil War.  Troops hammered in the tie and tied ropes to it, swam to the other side and used it to ferry boats across the Potomac River while under fire from the Confederates.  The tie was hammered into the stone foundation of the railroad bridge and remains there 150 years later.

Most of Harper's Ferry was destroyed during the Civil War as it changed hands several times and was subject to plundering and reckless hooliganism.  I'll pretend that this is what it looked like in 1861.  Minus the Dodge Caravan in the bottom right hand corner.  And the window air conditioning units.

These are the two railroad bridges that span the Potomac River into Maryland.  Both are still in use, more than 150 years later.  There was a bridge on the Shenandoah River side, but only the stone piers remain.

I found this tid-bit of history interesting.  Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis and Clark fame passed through Harper's Ferry to get the boats that were used to explore the west, as commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson. Little did they know that their likenesses would be used on the back of the dime.

This series of pictures is really cool.  I guess someone had some extra rocks, some spare time, and a nice sense of creativity.  I wonder which brand of beer was involved.  I actually went into their yard to take these pictures, but I'm sure I'm not the only one to do this.

This is the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers.  It's hard to look at this picture and not sing Country Roads by John Denver.  Almost heaven, West Virginia, Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River.  You're humming it now, aren't you?

If you go to Harper's Ferry, make sure you stop at the Hannah's Train Depot and get some barbecue.  The restaurant is in an old Pullman train car.  It's amazing, the food that is.  And don't forget to get some ice cream at Scoops Ice Cream Cafe and shop at the little boutiques along the side roads.  Support small businesses!!!