Harper's Ferry

From Gettysburg, we drove south through Maryland and turned west into West Virginia, where we stayed the night. The next morning, we visited Harper's Ferry NHP.

Located at the junction of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers in West Virginia, it contains tons of history. Its location made it a natural place for the construction of rifles, so it became a national armory. Just before the start of the Civil War, the armory was raided by John Brown, an abolitionist. Strategically important, several civil war battles were fought there, and afterward, it became home to a black college.

After that, we drove toward DC, stopping at Great Falls National Park on the Potomac. Besides its natural beauty, Great Falls has historical significance. George Washington, while serving as the President of the Patowmack Canal Company, pushed for the construction of a canal around the falls to improve commerce. This park is also part of the George Washington Memorial Parkway.

We stayed at a campground just outside the Beltway, at College Park Maryland. It was pretty expensive, but when we called for a quote, they said wifi internet was available for an extra $3. When we got there, we learned that $3 charge was per hour, which was a little disappointing. Still, we were able to get free cards to use it for 1/2 hour each day, which was enough to check e-mail, but not to post.