Tuesday, September 6, 2020
Rain fell pattering on our motorhome roof most of last night. As we loitered over breakfast and watched the morning news, the showers temporarily subsided allowing us to unhook the RV. We topped off the propane tank at the campground station and hitched up the car there before departing.
The two-hour ride to WV went smoothly and after driving though a short congested section of Harpers Ferry, we turned onto a rural road and pulled up to River Riders Family Adventure Resort. There was not an RV friendly parking area, so I stayed in the RV while Jane went into the office for details. When she returned, following their directions, we drove through the resort, turned around in a motel parking lot then passed back through the resort to the main highway (US 340) where we proceeded for a few miles before turning taking a series of windy rural roads toward the campground. Just before the road deadened into the Harpers Ferry Campgronrd dirt road, it took a right turn through a one-lane 11-foot-tall AC-eating tunnel under a railroad line. Whew!
Our site is secluded with a nice view of the Potomac River (and Tower 6 of the zip-line) across the road. After struggling with leveling the RV, I took off for a walk while Jane who had a headache went to bed. I wandered through the riverside campground then continued along the gravel road. After awhile, the road was barracked from vehicular traffic and narrowed to a foot trail. About then I realized that I had left my wallet and phone in the RV but proceeded on nonetheless. A runner was approaching me and I inquired where the trail went; she replied “Lower Town”. As she matched her jogging pace to my speed, I asked, “How far?”. She replied that after I passed a small creek crossing ahead it was about 05. mile. I thanked her and she resumed her running pace.
Sure enough, after less than two miles of walking, I entered Lower Town Harpers Ferry. Less than a minute after I crossed the railroad track on the edge of town, along came a CSX train roaring through the peaceful setting. I scoped out the small historic part of town regretting that I had left my phone and could not take pictures. The Harpers Ferry National Historic Park abuts Lower Town but I only walked through a short part of its green area deciding to save exploring the park for tomorrow. I stopped at a cafe along Potomac Street on my way back through town for a beer. Although I didn’t have my wallet, I was able to pay via tap using my watch.
Jane was still asleep when I arrived back at the RV, so I grabbed my phone and a beer and found a picnic table overlooking the Potomac River. I enjoyed the view while catching up on news. The skies starting threatening rain so I headed back to the RV. Jane was up and prepared dinner as the showers began. We spent the evening reading while the rains continued. It’s peaceful here but we occasionally hear cars honking as they negotiate passage through the nearby one-way tunnel and, less frequently, trains passing on the railway above us.
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| Along the Potomac |
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| Our Motorhome and Tower 6 |