Maine has awoken and the summer season has begun. How do I know? Well, the traffic from Massachusetts weekenders has increased exponentially, which makes it difficult to get around on a Sunday afternoon. The "Closed for the Season" signs have all but disappeared. Shops are open and people can be seen eating "in the rough" which means they order their food and then eat it outside on picnic benches. We leave on Thursday and although we've seen so much, I don't feel quite ready to leave just yet. I love that we've been able to experience this place intimately without the hoards of tourists gumming up the landscape, but I also feel like leaving now is a bit like going to a symphony and then leaving before the climax....
This week we've been preparing for our departure. Last week was filled with celebrations as we joined our extended family in Virginia. We actually lived in Virginia for a while about ten years ago. It's gorgeous and has so much to offer. The landscape hasn't changed much since we left except for one thing. The traffic. The DC metro area traffic has DEFINITELY increased. We left Maine and what should have been a 9-10 hour drive down the coast turned into over 15 hours of slogging down 495 South through Boston, New York City, and on to Richmond, Virginia. Talk about frustrating!!
Fortunately we were able to make it to my sisters nursing school graduation ceremony the next day when her class was honored. My brothers family and our parents also flew out from California, so it was wonderful to be able to share this proud moment and celebrate my sisters big accomplishment together.
On Mothers Day, we drove to Northern Virginia and visited our old neighborhood and friends, as well as some Civil War (a.k.a The War of Northern Aggression) battlefields. That night we checked into the house we rented in Harpers Ferry,West Virginia, which also played a big part in the Civil War.
Here are some photos we took Manassas Battlefield.
Haha! My daughter took this. She told me that we needed one to show what I look like whenever we explore. ;-)
The Harpers Ferry building where we stayed was on High Street, and according to the locals it was used to help the sick and wounded during the war. Legends and ghost stories surround the whole town and the owners of the house have decorated it accordingly with a picture of John Brown whose eyes move around the room with you. Personally, I don't believe in "ghosts", but there were a few strange occurrences that happened while we were there. Things like a light that randomly turned off, a door that liked to open/close on its own, and a set of keys that mysteriously moved from the lock box outside to a location in the house.... Make of that what you will. I'll just say that it was interesting.
This is a view of the house from the street behind it.
A view of the living room and kitchen.
John Browns picture with the "moving" eyes.
Harpers Ferry is also the site of Storer College which was founded after the Civil War as a school to educate the newly freed slaves and give them a brighter future. Ironically, it was named after a philanthropist from Maine named John Storer (ironic because we've been staying in Maine). The school lost funding after segregation was abolished and was closed in 1955.
The second meeting of The Niagara Movement also took place in Harpers Ferry, so you can see they have a rich African American and Civil Rights history. The whole town is now a National Park and you can visit it and walk through the original buildings and displays that describe the town history. It's a very unique place and I highly recommend learning more about it!
From Harpers Ferry you can see three states, West Virginia. Virginia, and Maryland. The Shenandoah and Potomac rivers converge there and so do three trails, the Appalachian Scenic Trail (which also runs through Maine!), the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath, and the Potomac Heritage Trail.
You can walk on this bridge toward the train tunnel near the C&O Trail.
These are the ruins of St. Johns Episcopal Church by the Appalachian Trail.
This is Jefferson rock. On October 25, 1783, Thomas Jefferson stood on it and said "this scene is worth a voyage across the Atlantic". I would have to agree!
We spent most of the week in Harpers Ferry, which was peaceful and beautiful. Each morning school buses would bring groups of students on field trips to explore the town and just as quickly as they came, they would be gone again. We also saw other visitors but overall we mostly had the town to ourselves. It was fun to explore with my husband each morning. Then we would grab a cup of coffee and just sit together and watch the trains coming through until it was time for him to log in for work or for me to take the kids somewhere.
On Tuesday, a friend who works in Washington D.C. arranged for us to take a tour of the Capitol, which was so sweet! We arrived with barely time to get our passes due to the traffic (even after we built in a generous extra hour just to be on the safe side!). That aside, the tour was amazing and we were in awe of the art, culture, and the history contained within the architectural marvel that is our nations capitol.
This is "Freedom". She is a replica of the statue that sits on top of the Capitol.
This is the inside of the dome. Isn't it fantastic!?
Do you see George Washington at the center in purple? I bet he would have a fit if he knew he was pictured like that, even if it is a beautiful painting. He always hated being put on a pedestal and was a humble man.
The Wright Brothers! The whole mural depicts important moments in American history.
Each state is allowed to submit two statues to represent them in the Capitol.
Washington State (a.k.a Home) is represented by both Marcus Whitman and Mother Joseph ( We didn't see that one). We are one of the few states who have chosen a woman for the collection.
My friend also gave us passes to sit in the Senate Gallery and watch the proceedings. It was Police Week and the gentleman talking was giving examples of how our law enforcement officers were being honored and also gave examples of their heroism. I'm so glad my kids were able to be there for that. In a world where we hear so much extreme and ugly "news", it was wonderful to feel pride and hope in the seat of our nation.
After we were finished, we had lunch and then traveled through the tunnel to visit the Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress. It was absolutely awesome in the truest sense of the word!
We traveled across town to the headquarters for the Daughters of the American Revolution which is only a few blocks away from the White House and the Washington Monument. D.C. is so large that you really need a week or two to explore it without feeling rushed. If you go, walk or take a tour...trust me.
Finally we wound up at the Air and Space Museum half an hour before they closed.
Hey! We stayed at the place where this thing flew!!
We left on Friday for my sisters wedding in Shenandoah National Park. Skyline Drive is so peaceful and lovely and our drive in was sunny and gorgeous.
This is the view from our room at Big Meadows Lodge. We saw a bear and several deer in that meadow!
Fog blanketed the mountain for the rest of the weekend and it really added a special ambiance to the wedding and made for some beautiful photos.
Next week I'll try to get an update out before we leave, but if I can't, I'll post a quick update from the road. We'll be traveling up through Canada to see family and then down to Niagara Falls. After that, on to our final official destination in Louisville, Kentucky!
Wishing you all a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!
- Jen
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