​Our route took us through about 30 miles of the Skyline Drive, with the Piedmont Valley to the East and the Shenandoah to the west. The views were awesome. We saw many deer. We stopped at Upper Hawk's Bill for a short hike to the highest spot in the park. We met a young data scientist from DC who is preparing to move to Seattle. 

Thirty miles of 25- to 35-mph curves was tiring to drive. We jumped off Skyline Drive at Swift Run Gap and finished the trip on I-64. Our campsite was lovely - a shady, flat gravel pad with a small creek running behind us. The dogs loved playing fetch there. And Hank and Angie enjoyed happy hour on the banks.

We worshipped at a United Methodist church in Harper's Ferry. The sermon was on the importance of relationships and how Satan seeks to separate people from each other and from God. It was the clearest explanation of Satan that Hank had ever heard. It was another good reminder for us to focus on our similarities instead of our differences in these divisive times.

Angie had always wanted to cycle on the C&O Canal. Today was our golden opportunity. After the American Revolutionary War, George Washington was the chief advocate of using waterways to connect the Eastern Seaboard to the Great Lakes and the Ohio River. In 1785, Washington founded the Potomac Company to improve the navigability of the Potomac River. His company built five skirting canals around the major falls: Little Falls, Great Falls in Virginia, Seneca Falls, Payne's Falls of the Shenandoah, and House's Falls near Harpers Ferry. These canals allowed an easy downstream float; upstream journeys, propelled by pole, were harder.

As early as 1820, plans were being laid for a canal to link the Ohio River and Chesapeake Bay. The C&O canal eventually covered 185 miles between Washington, DC, and Cumberland, MD. The canal didn't reach Cumberland until 8 years later than the railroad. It operated from 1831 until 1924. It was a lifeline for communities along the Potomac River as coal, lumber, and agricultural products floated down the waterway to market. Boats also carried mail.

The canal was one of the first large-scale civil engineering projects. Seventy-four locks were constructed along its length. Although we didn't see the Georgetown end, the Park Service still operates canal boat experiences at Great Falls and Williamsport and several of the lock houses offer interpretive experiences. Check out this video.

We cycled up river to Shepherdstown, WV, (population 1,700) about 16 miles away. The tow path was hard packed gravel - a very smooth surface which lay between the river and the canal. It was well shaded, peaceful and scenic, with only light traffic. There were a couple of cyclist camp grounds along the route.

We had to climb a steep ramp and cross the river on a highway bridge to reach Shepherdstown. The first thing we saw was a massive Bavarian-style Inn on the high riverbank. Next we saw Shepherd University - a private liberal arts school of about 3,200 students.

We passed a beautiful old Episcopal Church that was completed in 1859. It's tower features one of the original stones from the Episcopal church in Jamestown. We enjoyed a delicious lunch and cold drinks in the air conditioned comfort of Lilah's Restaurant before returning to Harpers Ferry.

We stopped on the way for a short hike along the Potomac River at Great Falls. These wide, beautiful falls drop 75 feet over about an eighth of a mile. We were lucky to catch a lone kayaker descend the falls over drops as high as 15-20 feet at a time. Angie got great video. On the last drop he got slammed sideways against a wall and had to roll the kayak.

There were also some rock climbers playing on the steep walls of the canyon. Turkey buzzards soared overhead. The two-mile hike was dog friendly. They scrambled over rocks at the overlooks and were rewarded with a swim in a back eddy at the bottom. We walked back along an old carriage road that looked like the ambush scene from the Mel Gibson movie "Patriot".

We camped at a large KOA campground above the town of Harper's Ferry. We coasted two miles down the hill to town and explored the old streets and buildings. During his surveying years, George Washington discovered this spot at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers and decided that it was perfect for industrial water power. After the Revolutionary War, he commissioned the armory to be built there.

It was this armory that was the target of John Brown's attack in 1859.  He and his sons had fought in Bleeding Kansas, where he had liberated some slaves and helped them get to Canada. He felt that he was an instrument of God in the crusade to end slavery and the time for attempts to achieve this peacefully were over. His capture and execution helped galvanize the North in opposition to slavery and bring the country one step closer to the Civil War.

The timing of our visit, just after Juneteenth, added weight to our reflections. Frederick Douglass believed that Brown's "zeal in the cause of my race was far greater than mine – it was as the burning sun to my taper light – mine was bounded by time, his stretched away to the boundless shores of eternity. I could live for the slave, but he could die for him." Harriet Tubman—also knew and respected Brown. Tubman thought Brown was "the greatest white man who ever lived,". And she said later that he did more for American blacks than Lincoln did.
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Being strategically located along the railroads and the C&O Canal, there was a lot of action here during the Civil War. The city changed hands 8 times. It was here that Lee's Army crossed the Potomac on the way to Gettysburg. A Union detachment spotted them and the report led to Meade's pursuit with the Army of the Potomac.

We woke up to more disappointing news - our dog nanny cancelled our reservation at the last minute. We had planned to put the dogs in day care so we could have a long day touring the sites in DC. We could not find a last-minute replacement, so we decided to leave the dogs in the air conditioned trailer while we enjoyed a shorter half-day of attractions in the National Mall.

Because parking is expensive in the city, we parked at a Metro station and rode the train downtown. We walked about six miles to visit several monuments, including:
- The World War II Memorial
- Vietnam War Memorial
- Lincoln Memorial
 - Korean War Memorial
- Martin Luther King Memorial
- Jefferson Monument
We had lunch at an Indian restaurant near the Navy Yard on the way home.

The war memorials were a stark reminder that "Freedom isn't free." Hank found the name of one Wysong who died in March 1969 - Joseph Walter Wysong from Indiana. He was only 20. Angie found the name of her uncle's best friend who was killed while they were serving together in Vietnam.

The Martin Luther King Memorial featured several quotes. Hank's favorite was:
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
These are important words to remember in our divided, angry culture.

We toured the Naval Academy grounds, including the impressive crypt holding John Paul Jones' remains in the basement of the chapel. The sarcophagus was quite ornate with carved dolphins supporting each corner. 
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We had a short drive to Andrews Air Base, which was our camp for the next two nights. We were disappointed to find lots of sediment in the drinking water. A neighbor warned us that we would need a sediment filter if we were going to consume much of that water. 

Another disappointment was learning that the Museum of the Bible was going to be closed for the next three days, due to a music festival being held near the National Mall. Angie was really keen to see that museum which just opened a few years ago.

After exercising the dogs, we rode our bikes to a coffee shop in town to work on the blog and trip planning. After lunch, we took the dogs paddle boarding on the Severn River. We had a lot of wind and a bit of current, but the water was warm and calm, with an occasional boat wake. Hank got a great picture of the Naval Academy and chapel dome from the water. 

We returned to the same dock-side restaurant where we ate the day before to watch the entertaining parade of watercraft in the harbor. The charm of this town does not wane.

We crossed the Chesapeake Bridge-Tunnel to reach the Eastern Shore. As we were driving north, Hank noted how similar the terrain was to land he had driven a few years prior to visit high school/college friends Steve and Debbie White in Maryland. A phone call confirmed that our route to Annapolis tomorrow would bring us within an hour of their home in Wolford, Maryland.  We made plans to meet for lunch.

We set up our dry camp at a pull-through site at Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland and  headed to the beach. We found a quiet spot where the dogs romped in the surf with their floating toys for an hour. After dinner of pulled pork and salad at the trailer, we inflated a paddleboard and headed to the bay. The bay was very shallow and the wind was howling. Angie wadded out nearly 250 yards and was still knee deep. Hank found slightly deeper water to paddle through, but the direction of the channel was perpendicular to the strong wind and he could make no progress to windward. Streak also enjoyed chasing the kite on the beach.

The bugs were the worst we have experienced. It took two or three coats of our DEET-free repellent to deter the noseeums and mosquitos. They feasted on us all night in the trailer!

​We crossed the Chesapeake Bridge-Tunnel to reach the Eastern Shore. As we were driving north, Hank noted how similar the terrain was to land he had driven a few years prior to visit high school/college friends Steve and Debbie White in Maryland. A phone call confirmed that our route to Annapolis tomorrow would bring us within an hour of their home in Wolford, Maryland.  We made plans to meet for lunch.

We set up our dry camp at a pull-through site at Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland and  headed to the beach. We found a quiet spot where the dogs romped in the surf with their floating toys for an hour. After dinner of pulled pork and salad at the trailer, we inflated a paddleboard and headed to the bay. The bay was very shallow and the wind was howling. Angie wadded out nearly 250 yards and was still knee deep. Hank found slightly deeper water to paddle through, but the direction of the channel was perpendicular to the strong wind and he could make no progress to windward. Streak also enjoyed chasing the kite on the beach.

The bugs were the worst we have experienced. It took two or three coats of our DEET-free repellent to deter the noseeums and mosquitos. They feasted on us all night in the trailer!

​We attended Boat Church on the beach at The Narrows in First Landing State Park with Angie's friends, Christy and Barbara. It wasn't quite the same as the scene from the TV series "Ozarks". A guitarist, singer and pastor stood on the stern of a beached pontoon boat to address the crowd seated on the beach.  A dozen other boats were beached along side the lead boat and a couple other boats were anchored in the river. There was also a couple who attended on their paddleboard. 

For a percussion session, they had about 10 plastic buckets from Home Depot and drumsticks. Drummers of all ages joined the ensemble! The church handed out free t-shirts, bottles of water and breakfast tortillas. A different pastor preaches every week. They had prayer and baptisms after the service. What an amazing community outreach!

Our last social event was brunch at Leaping Lizards in Chix Beach. Betsy, who was feeling much better, joined our group along with Kris and Christy. We enjoyed a delicious meal and drinks under a corrugated plastic roof on their porch during a downpour complete with thunder and lightning. Charlie and Streak were cowering in the car. 
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Angie and I got some chores done to get ready to hit the road tomorrow and watched a movie at Alex's house before turning in early.

​We visited the shores of the Chesapeake Bay at Ocean Park where Angie used to live. We were met by Kris and her sweetheart Alex (not to be confused with our female host). They brought their cute chihuahua/terrier mix, Arthur, who romped in the sand and water with Charlie and Streak. 

Christy also joined us at the beach. The three of us headed to the Back Deck, a waterside restaurant, for lunch. Lissette joined us there with her pug, Cyrus. While we were praying for Lissette's 93-year-old grandmother, Gladys, who is battling a brain hemorrage in Puerto Rico, Cyrus escaped his collar and wandered the restaurant. A nearby patron waited patiently for us to finish our prayer before informing us of the escapee. 

After a short nap, Angie and I toured Fort Henry, where the Jamestown settlers first landed in 1607 and erected a cross before moving up river to Jamestown. This was also the site of the decisive naval battle that led to George Washington's victory at Yorktown. Thank you Admiral de Grasse and France for denying resupply to General Corwallis. Otherwise, we might all be having afternoon tea, instead of Starbucks.

We met Barbara and Christy for dinner at Buoy 44 at Chix Beach. The sunset, the food, the vibe and the company were outstanding!