So I had today off (actually yesterday since it's 130AM now). I decided to get out of the house and do something. I did something I hadn't done in about 35 years. I went to the first ever monument erected to George Washington that can be found in Boonsboro, MD. It was an awesome day for an awesome drive. It took about an hour to get there and it was well worth the trip. The last time I'd been here was on a school field trip when I was in elementary school.
The drive to Boonsboro was really nice. Once I left the highway, it was country roads all the way. Since this is a National Park, the roads and grounds are well kept. After I parked the car, I started my hike. It's a little hike but uphill all the way. With my recent lung infection, the going was a little difficult but I made it. On a side note, the Appalachian Trail crosses the trail to the monument. When I reached the top, I just sat and looked at the view, a terriffic scene from the top of a mountain overlooking valleys and small Western Maryland towns. After resting a bit, I climbed the 30 odd stone steps inside the monument to the top.
I found I wasn't alone. At the top were two avid bird watchers with binoculars. It seems it's migrating season for raptors (eagles, hawks and such). It seems that a Bald Eagle was spotted yesterday making a total of 52 sightings for the year. That was kinda cool, so I joined them in the lookout. After awhile a middle school youth group and advisors trudged up the path. I sat and listened to them talk about the history of the place. That was cool too. The kids really seemed into it. I hung out for about 2 hours and decided to leave. Since the day was still fairly young, I pondered my next adventure.
While driving through Boonsboro, I saw a sign for Harper's Ferry, West Virginia.The decision
was made. Harper's Ferry was 19 miles away, an easy drive, so I hung a u-turn and made my way to West Virginia. Since I had never been there before, I didn't know what to expect. It was very cool.
Here the Shenandoah meets the Potomac. I walked along the Shenandoah for awhile until it converged with the bigger Potomac. Then I hung a left and followed the C&O Canal for a bit, reading all the historical signs along the way. The bridge on the left is a railroad bridge but also is a foot bridge too. I hung out on the bridge for awhile watching the rivers and saying "hi" to the people as they passed. The people were very nice and friendly, no one was in a hurry.
I went into some of the shops and many museums that are in town. I really want to go back in December to see if they dress things up for Christmas. Well, after an hour or so in Harper's Ferry, the antibiotics that I'm taking kicked in and struck my innards. I decided to try to make it back home. Now stop thinking what you're thinking, I made it home with no problems, but I'm glad I left when I did!
