HARPERS FERRY, WV

With this post, I introduce a new CATEGORY to the blog…SMALLTOWN, USA. Not surprisingly, this category focuses on very interesting, small towns that you might not normally visit. Kind of like diamonds in the rough of city tourism. Anyone can visit the big cities and find plenty to entertain yourself with…but, are you willing to take the path less traveled. Go a little out of your way to discover the magic of SMALLTOWN, USA.

I can not think of a better place to kick off this CATEGORY than Harpers Ferry, WV. Great Town! As I said, you are not going to happen across this place. It takes a focused effort. It’s on the extreme western edge of West Virginia where it borders with Maryland. It has wonderful mountains completely surrounding the city. The town is nestled down in a beautiful river valley where the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers converge (“The Point”). Its actually within the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. The town takes you back in time with the tightly packed historical buildings, along cobblestone streets, ascending/descending the hills and mountains.

Beyond the beauty of the rivers and mountains, the town is rich in history. Plenty of Civil War history, ruins, and artifacts to view and learn about. Of particular importance is the Abolitionist history. Harpers Ferry is the site of the John Brown revolt where a group of abolitionists took over an armory with hopes of sparking an armed slave revolt. After a day or so, the effort was ended when Robert E. Lee and some US troops violently recaptured the armory. Beyond all this history, you also get the Appalachian Trail…it goes right through the town. So, if you are hiking the trail, stop here for lunch and a beer.

Hands down…great place to visit. Unless you are planning some hiking trips, I would not spend more than a day here. It’s a small place. There is not a lot of lodging, but some B&B places exist if you want them. Parking is definitely a challenge. There is very little visitor parking in the town. Follow the signs for visitor parking and they will direct you out of town to either a parking lot about a mile out of town (you must hike back along the river) or a mile or so farther out is a second lot where they provide shuttle service back to the town.

If you can get here…visit Harpers Ferry. PT

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