Virginia. My intention is to get a couple installments done while Jerry is
driving. We are on the interstate and there just isn't much to see…so I can
get some work done. Oops, just left the interstate and I want to watch..
will get this one finished and work on the other--later(?).
WORK???? That is a four-letter word that we just aren't too familiar with,
but I will try.
Here is a warning for anyone thinking of hooking up their rig to a camping
device and pulling it all the way to the other side of the world…avoid
lesser highways when going through the Appalachian Mountains. These
mountains tend to run north and south, so if that is the general direction
wanted….no problem, the roads hug the valley floor. However, if you decide
to go the other way (east or west) you have to go across their spines. The
lesser highways follow the basic geography up and down and up and down (got
the picture?). Nice for a Sunday drive, but not when you have to use breaks
going down and the transmission going up. We made some unscheduled stops on
turn—outs to cool things off. Oh, by-the-way did I mention we didn't have a
back window? And it was raining? We can laugh about it now, because we are
not going back through that country when we head south.
Now about that window. We were hungry. There was a sign (somewhere in West
Virginia) that a county park was on the next exit. Seemed like a smart
decision, except…secondary-secondary roads should be posted that no
foreigners are allowed…not even on a bike. We realized our mistake when we
got on the one-way bridge that our cat had about an inch on each side for
clearance. Turning around wasn't an option...we were committed. We did
make it to the park and ate lunch before we lost the window…of course then
Jerry about lost his lunch. Fifth-wheels and tow vehicles cannot occupy the
same space—this is one of the basic laws of physics. Something gave and it
was the window. Like I said, we can laugh about it now.
Phew…got you through West Virginia.
Looking at the map we noticed that we were going to be rather close to a few
sites that someone recommended. Silly us...we thought we could do them all
in one day, and on the same day we were traveling to our next camp stop.
Around 3:00 in the afternoon we realized we might be able to make one stop
and still get to our campsite. We chose to go to Harper’s Ferry.
Skip this part if you don't want a brief history lesson. I am so impressed
with John Brown’s resolve that I must tell you the story.
John Brown had the same success rate for business as Abraham Lincoln. He
tried several businesses, failing at most of them. He was a devote
Christian which also was similar to Lincoln. Both men were gifted orators.
Before Honest Abe could act, John Brown convinced some followers that it was
time to get rid of slavery. He had a plan to overtake the supply depot at
Harper’s Ferry and give the guns and ammunition to the slaves to start a
revolt against their masters. His plan was so well made that he was able to
secure the supply depot (which consisted of 20 buildings) with less than 30
men. He held it for several days before the federal troupes recovered the
buildings and captured John Brown and his followers. He was hung some
months later. Not sure if all of them were killed or not. The slaves that
were to be armed didn't have the heart to follow through, John was left as a
leader without a following. Eighteen months later, the civil war started,
with the first major battle being in Antietam just north of Harper’s Ferry.
He truly was a man of conviction, as was President Lincoln. They were both
killed for living-out that amazing trait.
We had enough time to race through the John Brown museum and then we hiked a
bit up the cliff. There were two churches worth noting at the top of the
cliff. Both were there during the civil war. One is a beautiful
structure…the other is a ruins. The one still standing was saved by the
priest because he flew the union jack during the civil war. The destroyed
church was used as a barracks by one side or other (maybe even both).
During that war property changed hands a lot.
The Shenandoah and Potomac merge at Harper's Ferry. The Shenandoah River is
worth singing about. It is the most beautiful river I have ever seen. It
would be a great one to find a camping spot next to, alas our reservations
are further north.
Still with me? On to Pennsylvania. We are camping on what was part of the Gettysburg battlefield.
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