Day 55 Williamsport MD to Brunswick MD

Stats: mileage 46; hills in and out of the river valley and tow path flat; total mileage: 2480

The rain that fell over night finally stopped just before we were ready to leave. Just south of Williamsport, there is a detour around a section of the canal called the Slackwater. We headed out over hill and dale to avoid the closed section of the C & O. So once again, I had the opportunity to share the stylin' safety vest one last time. And I am certain this guy thought that I was NUTS!
Once we were back on the trail, we enjoyed the quiet of off road riding.
The C & O has volunteers who work with the Park Service. They promise 40 hours a year and provide a friendly face and help if needed along the trail. We had an enjoyable visit with Cindy and Ed.
As lunch time approached, we decided to head over the bridge and go into West Virginia for the third time. We had lunch in Sheperdstown at a shop with a bakery. We were joined by Eric, a young man we had met along the trail yesterday. You can tell by Paul's smile that the bakery goody was yummy.
Then we went in search of a postcard from West Virginia. We found McHurley's General Store. They had all sorts of stuff including the Smoking Buffalo. I liked this buffalo a lot more than the Dead/Decaying Buffalo of Montana. And I managed to get a postcard.
This area is rich in Civil War history. This aqueduct is one of many along the C& O. You can see where the water of the canal was. And of course, just north of here was the site of the bloodiest day in American history.
This is one of many caves along the far side of the canal. Local lore says that women and children hid in these caves during various battles along this section the Potomac River.
What goes around, comes around and here we are in Harpers Ferry. When we left on this adventure, we pedaled along the Lewis and Clark Trail. Now we are almost finished and this is where Lewis outfitted their expedition.
The C & O Canal is on the Maryland side of the Potomac and Harpers Ferry is across the river in West Virginia. There is a circular stairway to a footbridge that is a former railroad crossing. In addition to being a way for people to go back and forth, it is also the Appalachian Trail. From the footbridge, there is a perfect picture taking spot for trains going in and out of the tunnel. Although he waited over an hour, Paul did not get the opportunity to take the perfect picture today.
So we set off for the last seven miles of the day to reach Brunswick. The ride along this part of the trail was as enjoyable as the beginning of the day. The sky did look threatening but it never rained and we remained dry.