Lily Pad Travels: Summer of 21 - #27 - Harpers Ferry

May 21st, 2021 - Part 1 of 2

I had Harpers Ferry on my bucket list of places to visit but didn't think we would get to it this trip. However, after talking to the ranger at Antietam Battlefield I really wanted to go. I talked with Bryan and you know he always agrees with me if he knows its something I really want to do. Much the same as I specifically look for things that I know he would enjoy as well.

I was worried that all the driving would be to much for him though. We have packed a lot in during our two weeks at Gettysburg. After some discussion we decided we would do it. We will be at our next campground for two weeks and are going to relax there!!!!

So, off we went. It was an hours drive to the Harpers Ferry National Historic Park. Harpers Ferry's administrative offices are located in West Virginia, but the park consists of land in West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland.

Once there we drove down to the train station where I read that you could sometimes find a parking space.

Unfortunately there was no such luck, so back to the visitors center we went and caught the shuttle bus to the town. There is no other parking anywhere in the park other than the train station and the Visitor Center. The free shuttle bus is a wonderful help for us "old" folk!! Ha!!Ha!! There were actually all age groups on there as it is quite a hike, 1.7 miles.

We always try and pickup a brochure from the Visitor Centers at the parks as they usually have walking trail maps on them and give a brief history of different sites.

Here's a quote from the brochure:

"Here at Harpers Ferry, where the Potomac River cuts through the Blue Ridge, you encounter the past and its stories in magnificent expanses and hidden quarters. In the force of these rushing waters George Washington envisioned military strength and chose Harpers Ferry as the site for an armory. Factories from the early 1800's witnessed innovations that fueled the Industrial Revolution. Here abolitionist John Brown struck a blow against slavery, and soon the Civil War trapped the town between North and South. In the wake of war's devastation, legendary civil rights leaders met at Storer College and claimed "every single right that belongs to a freeborn American."

Here is a map showing the walking trail we will take.

This first blog covers the first half of the route shown below.

Starting from the bus stop, we walked along the river bank toward the Winchester & Potomac Railroad Bridge.

It was so picturesque.

St. Peters Roman Catholic Church in the distance

Here's a close up of the church

We saw lots of rafters going down river. I hadn't expected to see them but it seems this is a very good place for rafting. It certainly was pretty.

It seems they weren't allowed ashore here though.

We stumbled across these geese ahead of us and it became apparent they weren't happy to see us as they all rushed together in unison and prepared to do battle with the enemy(us). We wisely diverted around them at a distance. They won that war!!! Ha!!Ha!! Once we were at a safe distance they continued with their lunch and ignored us.

But still were watchful over their babies. It was a lovely interruption to our walk.

Spiders Web

One thing about this walk along the river was that it was peaceful and quiet. We could count on one hand the number of people we saw. It seems most people just head to the town and the buildings there. 😁

Trees growing on the top of the stone pillar!!

We will eventually go up those steps but were hesitant to be in any rush as there were more people up there and it was so beautiful and relaxing down here.

Eventually it was time to head up the steps. Next we will go over the bridge to view the tunnel and canal over there.

There were lots of informational signs explaining the history.

The Lewis Clark Expedition got supplies from Harpers Ferry for their expedition.

"During the spring of 1803, Meriwether Lewis traveled to Harpers Ferry to procure weapons and hardware that would meet the unique requirements of his transcontinental expedition. Among the items he obtained from the United States Armory and Arsenal were 15 rifles, 15 powder horns, 30 bullet molds, 30 ball screws, extra rifle and musket locks, gunsmith's repair tools, several dozen tomahawks, 24 large knives, and a collapsible iron boat frame."

Read about this spot Where Three National Trails Meet.

Overhead look at the village

Well we can now say we have walked The Appalachian Trail. We have been near it several times. It goes from Maine to Georgia and is the longest hiking only footpath in the world. This sign says it's 1,025 miles but the website says 2,193.1 miles!!! Anyway people make it a goal to hike the whole trail, sometimes in stages over a number of years. People have died on it, in fact there was a news article a few weeks ago about a lady who was found dead 2 miles off trail after being missing for 2 years. Here's a LINK to the article.

We were standing at The Point, where three states meet.

"Visit where the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers meet! From this location, known as The Point, you look upon three states - Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia - as well as the confluence of the two rivers. We invite you to visit in any season to gaze upon the magnificent sight of this water gap in the Blue Ridge Mountains."

I have to say it again, it was beautiful. The pictures give some idea but don't do justice to actually being there. Of course, the weather helped.

I loved the stone remains that foliage had taken over, making each one individual and a photographers paradise.

The rafters had more fun where the two rivers, converged and there were some small rapids to ride. We were on the bridge over the Potomac River and the Shenandoah River is the one coming through the stone pillars.

We finally got on the bridge.

There was a bird nest on top of one of the girders.

Here's a LINK to the story of the "love-locks" put on the bridge. I think it's well worth a read. Here's a part of the explanation:

"Have you ever heard of love locks? They're padlocks clipped to a fence or beam of some sort as a memorial to a loved one. After locking it in place, the common practice is to throw away the key, making the love-honoring lock all the more permanent. It's a sweet tradition practiced in various places the world-over, including right here in West Virginia in the well-known tourist destination of Harpers Ferry National Historic Park."

Finally we got a peek at the tunnel.

We walked down the steps to the bank on the other side of the river and the C&O Canal, Lock 33.

We walked along the path toward the old lock, that is no longer in use.

A gentleman told me to be careful as there was a snake in an old bunker that was here. Bryan went to investigate, hmmm, he's getting brave!!!

Sure enough, there's a snake!!

We arrived at lock 33. I was a little surprised to find it was ruins and no sign of any water!!!

We walked back to the Railway Bridge to make our way back to Harpers ferry Town and the historic buildings there. At the base of the bridge we looked up and saw a Peregrine Falcon fly back to its nest high above on the ridge. They have laid eggs up there and the park has closed the trail that goes up on the ridge to protect them. We spent a long while searching for any signs of the baby birds but they were well concealed in the nooks and crevices. Although look carefully in the picture below, could that be the head and beak of one peaking above the rock to the left of the green plant in the middle of the picture. What do you think? Wishful thinking or not!!!