By: MJ + PJ
Once back in the US we camped our way towards Pittsburgh, PA over the course of two nights – once at a KOA near Eire, and the other at a private campground nearer to Pittsburgh.
PJ and AJ had appointments in Colorado that they had to return for, so after dropping them at the airport, MJ headed towards the Maryland-Virginia-North Carolina region to hide in the woods.
In Colorado, two thirds of this crew got to hang out with and reminisce with good people in familiar territory while checking a few items off a necessary list. Number one, being a little boy getting his braces removed. He was not so impressed that he now had something else to manage (retainers), but was happy with the braces discomfort being gone. Then there was a flurry of other things to do, leaving a few spots for playtime with some of AJ’s good friends from the last few years.
It was a bittersweet trip, which brought about a certain longing for a return to a comfort and familiarity of a home that they had known for so long.
Meanwhile, MJ was not really hiding in the woods. He just planned to lay low and not spend any money but still see a few things if possible. Stop one was Bicycle Heaven in Pittsburgh, which had only recently appeared on the things-to-see radar. Bicycle Heaven is a functioning museum. It has a bike store (mostly for international orders, but they also do usual maintenance etc. for locals) amongst the huge collection of mostly American made bicycles. It was about four times the size that MJ expected, and had a bit of everything in it. See the PHOTOS for a glimpse of the variety of things they had.
[SIDE NOTE: This period of time was the start of MJ’s slowly dying and dysfunctional iPhone, which could not accept more than about 10 touch inputs before freezing. And, it would stop navigating randomly. Fun.]
Driving for the best part of the remainder of the day brought him along a toll road and to within 25 miles of the Flight 175 crash site (it was closed already), past something called the Paw Paw Tunnel, and into the darkness of Washington National Forest. There in a black hole of telecommunications on the North Carolina and Virginia border, was a free campsite where he would spend the next day reading, and two rainy nights.
On the third day, MJ backtracked to the Paw Paw Tunnel to see what he had driven past, and to see if camping was an option. Integrating a run while there seemed like a good idea, since this tunnel was a part of the historic C+O Canal. Canals have a towpath and towpaths are quite flat. After giving the soaked tent a chance to dry and with flashlight in hand, MJ hit the switchbacks over the hill to enter at the upstream section of the tunnel. The flashlight was advised by the National Historic Place boards – the tunnel is 950m (3118ft) long, and although straight, is very dark. One would not want to fall in the canal, which seemed entirely possible despite there being a two rail fence. This tunnel and canal has quite an interesting history – it was dug by hand and was almost obsolete within a year of it’s delayed completion, by a railroad line being connected.
The day was still young, so MJ elected to soldier on further to the east. Maryland: where the rolling hills and winding roads make you wonder how anyone made it to the prairies let alone the Rockies. Another National Historic Place called Antietam was further up the road, and it only has a group campsite. Bummer. Having time and a National Parks Annual Pass that was expiring soon, MJ stopped to see what Antietam was all about. Nearly three hours later he departed, having stumbled upon the location of the bloodiest battlefield of the American Civil War. It is a place of contrasts, to say the least.
Another place was mentioned at Antietam, that being Harpers Ferry, a town about another 45 minutes away at the junction fo the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. Navigating by hunch, a terrible tourist map, and an almost useless phone, MJ found a KOA that was right next to the Harpers Ferry National Historic Place. This junction of three states also happens to be where the Appalachian Trail passes through, being roughly near the half way mark along the trail.
John Brown could be credited with nudging the country towards the Civil War, with his brash act of taking over the arsenal in 1859. The jury is still out on his place in history. He certainly made a name for himself at Harper’s Ferry, but there is a lot else here to see and learn about. This region is clearly soaked in American history and there are numerous historical sites and places that fulfill the American History experience. Better than witting in a history class, experiencing these sites is very different to reading about them in a book – one of the few cases where the book is not better!
After a half day there, it was off to a campsite just out of Baltimore in Patapssco State Park, Elliott City. Finding the park and correct campground filled in the rest of the day and evening, as navigating was becoming a go-by-feel activity at best as the iPhone died. This campground lies about 25 minutes from the airport (BWI) where the family would be reunited near midnight after a few very different days apart.
