April 9 - 15, 2025
On Sunday, April 13 we left Charlottesville headed for Harpers Ferry. On the way we stopped in Strasburg and had lunch with John's nephew, Chris, his wife, Kim, their two boys, Aiden and Alex, and John's niece, Michelle.
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L to R: Aiden, John, Chris, Kim, Cindy, Alex, and Michelle.
It was so very nice to connect with them as we hadn't seen them in over 10 years. We had a really nice visit over lunch. Hopefully next time it won't be as long to see them again.
We got to Harpers Ferry KOA. It's 30 amp full hookups. They first tried to put us in a site that was too small. A nice lady in a nearby site came over and told us that's what they tried to do and if we went back to the office they would give us a larger one. So I did and they did. It's $68.45 a night and a little overpriced, however the location is perfect. |
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| Harpers Ferry KOA |
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Site 161
On Monday we went to Harpers Ferry National Park. The parking lot is about a mile from the campground. We boarded a bus shuttle and it took us to historic Harpers Ferry. Parking down there is extremely limited. |
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| The old railroad track into Harpers Ferry. |
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St. Peters Catholic Church
Originally built in 1833, and the only church in Harpers Ferry to escape destruction during the Civil War, it was altered in 1896 to the then-popular Neo Classic style as seen today. |
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Dry Goods Store
(The 1800s version of Walmart.) |
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John Brown's Fort
"In October 1859, determined to arm enslaved people and spark rebellion, John Brown and his followers seized the armory and several other strategic points. The raid failed, with most men killed or captured.
Brown's trial and execution focused attention on the issue of slavery and propelled the national toward civil war." (From the national park brochure.) The fort/armory originally stood across the street on what is now the railroad right-of-way. |
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| Where the Shenandoah River meets the Potomac River. The bridge is part of the Appalachian Trail. |
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| The bridge goes to here and then the trail goes down some steps to the water. |
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| A train came while we were walking on the bridge. Sorry about the fence lines. |
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| View of Harpers Ferry from the town end of the trail. The foreground isn't so pretty but it was the only view I could get to show the town. |
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White Hall Tavern
The armory was located across from the tavern. This is where in the 1850s men gathered to discuss politics, local events, protest armory management, wages and layoffs. |
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| It was larger in the 1850s. In 1856 the government purchased the building and removed the front section, then widening the street to give a better buffer around the armory. |
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| Bluebells blooming along the Shenandoah River. |
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Shenandoah River before it meets the Potomac.
30+ years ago I took Alicia and Michael to Harpers Ferry on the way to their aunt, uncle, and cousins house. They weren't impressed but I always wanted to come back. After seeing it again I would say that if you are in the area it's a good stop, but don't make a special trip unless you really like Civil War history and going to history museums.
Soon we'll be...
Roving on...
For this is what the LORD says, He who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it, He established it and not create if as a waste place, but formed it to be inhabited): "I am the LORD, and there is no one else." Isaiah 45:18
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