Days 2 & 3

While the C&O is a good, unpaved surface and the Potomac is pretty, the sloths soon discover that the problem with this ride is monotony. Picture riding the St. Marks Trail for 184 miles and you get the general idea. So distances are being significantly reduced from "somewhere close to Pittsburgh and back" to "lets turn around and find some places to ride around Washington". Tuesday, we made about 40 miles to a campsite close to Harper's Ferry. After setting up camp, Jerry and I ride 2 miles back, carry our bikes up a couple flights of stairs to cross the river, ride 2 more miles up a real West Virginia hill, and then return to camp with the ever elusive cold beer.
The next morning, we decide to ride back to Harper's Ferry (again with the stair routine) and tour the historic area which includes John Brown's Fort and the Appalachian Trail Headquarters (Harper's Ferry is about the midpoint of the trail). In the afternoon, we ride an easy 10 (yes, ten) miles to Shephardstown, WV. For much needed hot showers. We find, literally, the last three rooms at the Comfort Inn (Alan likes his "space"), which is conveniently across the street from a Food Lion. That evening, we walk in to downtown Shephardstown, which has a small college, and was basically a hospital during the Battle of Antietam. We find the Blue Moon Cafe, for some great sandwich's, local craft beer, and, unfortunately, not-so-good music at their open mic night.
Today looks like some rain, but the plan is to ride the 5 miles to the Antietam Nat'l Battlefield for some sightseeing, then head back about 30 miles in the afternoon to White's Ferry, I think I read the only still operating ferry across the Potomac. We will camp somewhere near there, then take the ferry in the morning to Leesburg and get on the 45 mile Washington and Old Dominion rail trail back towards Washington. The only problem with this plan is how to get from the end of that trail to Mt. Vernon (looked like all Interstates on the iPhone last night. More to come...
Johnny