There's No Place Like Home

Round 2.

* So from Luray we had the rest of Shenandoah Nat'l Park to finish up - a few more waysides to hit up for blackberry milkshakes, a thousand more deer to trip over, a few more Skyline Drive crossings. Shenandoah was some pretty great hiking with all the distractions, milemarkers telling you where you are and how far you have to go (some of us enjoy that), wildlife and easy grade as far as the climbs and descents go...can't ask for much more.

* Front Royal was a pretty wonderful top off to Old Virginia with coin laundry, a stay at a quirky B&B, another ABC store (woot wooot!), lunch with Dad and Paula!, I mailed my lease and first month's rent up to Massachusetts...highly productive. The trail also went by the National Zoological Research Center or something of the like which apparently is affiliated with the National Zoo in DC. Greenlite's friend who lives in the area says he's convinced it's some sort of covert gov't operation in there - that cell phone service is all wonky anywhere near there, that nobody goes in or out...kind of like Wonka. We were on our toes as we walked by.

* The very end of the trail in Virginia is called the Roller Coaster - it's 13.5 miles of continuous 500-700ft ascents and descents. It suuuuuuuuuuuucked. There are no views at the top of your climb. There no flat spots. You're just dying to get out of Virginia and into sweet sweet Harpers Ferry. The trail maintainers in that area leave signs to mock you like 'welcome to the roller coaster bitchez...see you in WV if you make it.' Anyway...that's over.

* HARPERS FERRY!!! Walking into Harpers Ferry felt a wee bit like walking home. Seeing the canal path and train tracks that run straight to DC was very nostalgic for me and even MORE exciting were the visitors that awaited us there. Thanks to Jess and Susie for organizing a crew and thanks to all that came out to camp! Twas a wonderful, rainy, buggy, Jim Beam and BOones Farm-filled evening up at Huckleberry Hill campground on the C&O canal. All in all Harpers Ferry is one of the most beautiful places around at the confluence (my favorite word!) of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers and OH the history - visits from Jefferson, John Brown's uprising, Yankees and Rebels during the Civil War. There's also a nice outfitters there to stop in and switch out some gear. The woman that worked there was currently bemused by a few folks that had just been in there before us. Apparently some guy had just been in that had done a demonstration at an elementary school of being a 'frontier man' a la Daniel Boone. During the gun powder segment he accidentally 'blew himself and 3 children up'. No permanent damage was done apparently but it was quite the odd phrasing and her entertainment at this episode was muy interesante. I was sorry we had missed the recounting of the blowing up from the guy himself. Anywho, that was an aside.

* Spent a night in DC in the old apartment in Bristol House! It was odd to get a slice of the old life but very good to see some old friends and experience civilization.

Welp I have to get going though there's more to write. There's been a few more bears in my life, a lot of footstep, new shoes (thanks mom!) and a stop in Newtown Square as I previously told you. Time to get back on the road though out to Fayetteville, PA to get back to the trail. It's pouring. I don't want talk about it much. Miss everyone!! I really do. Peace a'pizza.