September and October are the season most folks check out ghost walks and ghost tours — one of my favorite activities! Ghost tours are always intriguing — they’re a little bit of sight-seeing, a little bit of ghost story, and usually a lot of history. It’s a good way to get to know a city or […]
Harpers Ferry
Harpers Ferry, Town of Ghosts
Not quite living history, the ghost tour of Harpers Ferry brings the history of the town alive again. Billed as the oldest existing ghost tour in the United States, the Ghost Tours of Harpers Ferry began more than 40 years ago by local restauranteur Shirley Dougherty. After opening “the Old Iron Horse” restaurant in an […]
Bolivar Heights Battlefield
The Battle of Bolivar Heights, which took place on October 16, 1861, was an early battle of the Civil War. During the battle, Confederate States Army colonel Turner Ashby attempted to take the strategic Bolivar Heights from Union colonel John White Geary. After a 6-hour battle, the Confederates were ultimately repulsed, and the Union planted […]
Hiking Maryland Heights, Part 2: Stone Fort Trail
Fellow blogger J. Hammer graciously agreed to guest blog for the Mid-Atlantic Day Trips Blog about hiking along Maryland Heights, near Harpers Ferry. This is part 2 of his two-part series. Last post I mentioned that I hadn’t hiked the Stone Fort Trail section of Maryland Heights due to a lack of time. Well, I […]
Hiking Maryland Heights, Part 1: Overlook Trail
Fellow blogger J. Hammer graciously agreed to guest blog for the Mid-Atlantic Day Trips Blog about hiking along Maryland Heights, near Harpers Ferry. This is part 1 of his two-part series. Worth a Voyage across the Atlantic Over 1400 feet high, Maryland Heights offers stunning views of the town of Harpers Ferry, WV, and the […]
Pedal Through the Past: Biking through History
The prospect of biking through three national parks and two states in one day was intriguing, and doing so while gaining some insight into local Civil War history and heritage was almost too good to be true. That’s what I was thinking as I signed my husband and I up for Pedal Through the Past […]
Finally, Biking the C&O Tow Path!
I bought my bike in February expressly so I could bike the C&O tow path. Getting back into shape after so many years not riding a bike took me to other paths first, as I became acclimated to biking. But it was time to ride the tow path! I’ve been walking the C&O Canal for […]
Stunning Views at the C&O Canal, Locks 33 and 34
This is sort of part two of last week’s Harpers Ferry blog–this is the stretch of the C&O Canal we were trying to reach via the railroad bridge when our beagle categorically refused to go down the stairs. (There is no joy in having to carry a 40lb beagle down and back up several flights […]
Harpers Ferry: Stepping Back in History
My husband and I probably spend a day or an afternoon at Harpers Ferry at least once a year, generally just walking around and then we’ll have lunch. Sometimes, such as on this most recent visit, we’ll bring a beagle or two. I’ve also taken my sons there multiple times — sometimes focusing more on […]