To celebrate my 70th, Jim and I pedaled almost 200 miles on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath.  The C&O trail, as it is called, begins in Washington DC and ends in Cumberland, Maryland. We began our September bike adventure in Cumberland. We rode the pathway through a tunnel of gorgeous green broadleafed trees. For five days, we whizzed by remnants of the old canal on our left; on our right the Potomac River grew in size and strength toward it’s final destination the Chesapeake Bay. As we pedaled, deer scattered into the trees. In the canal, great blue herons fished, while turtles lounged on logs in the sun. We stopped to tour the fields and rolling countryside of Antietam National Battlefield. This is the site of a crucial Civil War battle in 1862, also described as the bloodiest day in US history. At picturesque Harper’s Ferry, we visited the place of John Brown's unsuccessful slave insurection, which led to his capture and execution in 1859. We ended our trek with a fifty-five mile ride into Washington D.C.and finished with a photo at the Mile 0 marker. Fun to know after seven decades, we can still have adventures!

Come ride along with us to see:

© Dave Forrest and Jim Nelson 2024