With the sun finally breaking through the clouds after a week of dreariness and cold (extreme cold to us desert rats, but just cold to those here who expect autumn), we decided to get out of the house and enjoy some of the fall foliage. So after church we ate lunch, changed our clothes, and headed to Harpers Ferry, W. Va.
Jason often describes Harpers Ferry National Park as one of his favorite places on earth – a picturesque and historic small town that sits nestled in the hills where the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers meet. He has visited many times, first on his mission and then at times when he was working in D.C. Fortunately for us all, it’s now only 25 miles from home.
The drive was nice, as autumn is turning the leaves to brilliant shades of crimson, orange, and yellow. Some trees appear to have burst into flames as the sun illuminates their leaves from behind – and others simply seem to glow.
When we pulled into the parking lot, we were surprised by the number of people there. Before long we realized we had stumbled into a special event: a commemoration celebrating the 150th anniversary of John Brown’s Raid -- an abolitionist's stand against slavery that was a precursor to the Civil War.
That’s one thing that is very cool about this area: important moments in American history happened all around us.
Harpers Ferry is one of those places – from being the place where Thomas Jefferson liked to go think (no visit is complete for us without a hike up the Appalachian Trail to Jefferson’s Rock) and George Washington ordered the United States Armory; to its importance in the Civil War (including Brown’s raid) and site of numerous battles and skirmishes.
We had a great time listening to the Marine Corps band play a series of patriotic numbers before a ceremony to honor the Marines who stormed Brown’s fort and captured him and his raiders.
The Park Service hosted a series of activities for the kids, including Civil War-era games, an area to put on disguises (we first thought Colin’s disguise was funny, then we thought it was hilarious when we found out a woman used that disguise to hide from federal law enforcement), and a display of Marines memorabilia (including weapons from the Revolutionary War through today).
All the while, people in period dress walked amongst us – soldiers, shopkeepers, townspeople. We enjoyed stepping back in time to the 19th Century, walking through the streets, up the hills, and across the bridges that make Harpers Ferry special.
