We took Interstate 81 north through the Shenandoah Valley. Virginia is such a beautiful state. It’s so green and picturesque. Our destination was to visit Harpers Ferry National Park located at the borders of West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland. I have driven by Harpers Ferry many times while work travel to Frederick Md. The highway goes right by the park and village which has invited me with curiosity on each time I drive by. The park and village is a quaint, historic community, at the convergence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. The Appalachian Trail and the C&O Canal Trail intersect here also and is a favorite spot for hikers and bikers.
I checked the National Park website before we left to see if it was open. It did not say it was nor did it say it wasn’t. It turns out the park was closed. It was so disheartening. Geesh, I’ll be glad when we are back to some normalcy from this pandemic.
A few miles away, outside Sharpsburg, Md. is the Antietam National Battleground. This is where the Confederate Army cross the Potomac River at Harpers Ferry and entered Union soil in Maryland for the first time. A battle ensued and making it the bloodiest one day battle of the civil war. We decided, since we were in the area, to visit the park.
We checked in with the park ranger and asked the best way to tour the park. He gave us the National Park brochure and told us to do the 8 mile driving tour. We stopped at a few of the monuments, most were monuments of different regiments contributing to the battle.
It felt like hallowed ground….
Yours truly…..Is my beard that grey ????
Bout time, was about to call you to see what’s going on. Not far from us. Any chance you’ll get over this way. Be safe friends
Yes, Denise and I were planning on stopping by on the way back down in September.