Falling Waters Lock
Falling Waters West Virginia, Sept 26-Oct 3
We got colds
Night before (Brunswick Campground) we left for Falling Waters, I felt a cold coming on with a vengeance. We pulled up stakes the next morning and headed for Falling Waters West Virginia with the thought of riding some more on the C&O Towpath. We did eventually ride the path, however, I came down with cold first and it last 4 days. While I was sick Ty rode, then he got the crud and I was feeling better so I then rode. It is a really beautiful easy bike trail along the Potomac on one side and the canal on the other. Saw a lot of “thru” bikers that picked up the trail at Pittsburgh and riding to Washington DC, about 180+ miles. They were staying in hotels or bed and breakfast or even staying in the Lockkeepers house which some have been renovated by the Park Service.
Antietam National Battlefield
With both feeling better we toured this battleground of the civil war. We came away with the same feeling as we had when we went to Andersonville. Maybe more so as the battle strategies were explained in detail and it was so senseless to march straight into enemy fire. Antietam is not as famous as Gettysburg (mainly because that is where the Emancipation was read) but it is noted for being the single day most killed in battle; over 22,000! It was not just one big battle, but several planned attacks throughout the day and it was noted that the battle of the Dover Church, 1000 union soldiers were killed in 15 minutes. That statistic is unfathomable.
The picture of this bridge is where a 3 hour battle took place. Pic is taken from the Confederate vantage point, they were able to just shoot down on the Union soldiers. It wasn’t until to Confed ran out of ammunition then the Union soldiers stormed the bridge to win this battle.
The battlefield visitor center is very well done with an exceptional explanation of the battles that went on that day (we watched it twice), then you take a 16 mile driving tour around to the different sites and it is from these vantage points you can imagine the fighting that took place.
Antietam Survivors
Antietam Bridge
Ty IS the MASTER at pulling this rig!!!
For those of you who have ever towed anything, you will appreciate this. Leaving the Falling Waters campsite required us to back up 100 feet, across a road into a driveway. Then turn and go forward. But wait – there is a ditch on either side of this road and we can’t make the turn without putting the truck into the ditch. Some guy from the campground, seeing our predicament comes running out and asks Ty if he trust him to help him out. He then directed Ty to position the truck so it is straddling the ditch (tires on either side of this Grand Canyon of a ditch) and make the turn and viola! we are on our way. I was so stunned I couldn’t get a video in time. Back of the guys’ shirt said “RV doctor” – I think he performed a miracle!
Columbia SC Capital
National Capital – Columbia
There is so much history in these capital buildings and beauty that it is hard to say which one is the best. Like most capitals, this is the 3rd in line. First was located in Savannah, but was quickly realized not central enough. Moved to Columbia and a wooden structure was built. City fathers having put out several fires decided to build a “fireproof” capital building and by some coincidence, just after moving all the important documents and such from the building, it burnt to the ground! What timing!!! They start construction on the present building in 1860, civil war comes along and construction stops before the domed roof gets installed and the columns put in place, however it still can house the government. Good Ole Sherman decides to shell the building when he rode thru, you can see 10-hole marks on the outside where it looks like a woodpecker had at it. Building doesn’t get finished till 1903, goes thru a 50-million-dollar renovation in 1998. Unlike most capital renovation, this one didn’t preserve back to original, rather what it would have looked like in 1800’s as far as paint and embellishments. It does have all the original granite and marble, and there is a lot of it.
Mailboxes still exist?
I try to mail a postcard every week to the grandkids back home – wonder if they read them? Anyway, when at the capital building I asked the guard at desk if she knew where there was a mailbox. If you could have seen her “deer in the headlight look” said “What now?”
I said “A mailbox, you know, those blue things on corners. Want to mail this postcard.”
She says “I didn’t know they existed anymore”
Still holding onto postcard ‘cause I think she is right, they don’t exist in South Carolina.
Congaree National Park
Here we took a 4.7-mile hike thru this largest remaining tract of old-growth bottomland hardwood forest in North America. Which also has some of the largest trees east of the Mississippi. Bald Cypress trees can live up to over 1,000 and are hundreds of feet in the air. These trees produce “knees” (see pic small protruding) that rise up from the roots of the trees and are everywhere. The exact purpose of the knees is unknown. The Loblolly Pine is a grand tree and it is unusual to find pine trees growing in an area so wet. The Loblolly tolerate this condition and are the tallest trees in the Carolina’s. Last was the Water Tupelos which only grow where water is plentiful. The impressive height of the Congaree’s forest makes it one of the tallest deciduous forests in the world; average height is 130 feet.
Knees
ALL THE REST
Campground
Falling Waters Campground, Falling Waters WVA – I called ahead for reservations and they said to just come on in so we did. When we got there, they had no record of call, nor any sites left. Ty pulled the “wife sick” card and they took pity on us and put us in a site that is only for the full timers. Then I pulled the “husband sick” card and they let us stay until well enough to move on. Nice!
Little Cedar Creek Campground, Ridgeway South Carolina, 20 minutes north of Columbia: Really nice mom&pop place. $40 full hookup I would camp here again.
Animals/Insects
Red Belly Water Snake – in a small water stream on our walk in Congaree.
Heading South
Hard to believe we have been gone for 10 months already! So, time has come for us to start heading south in order to store Wanda for the winter in Ft. Myers. Wanda has a fix ‘er up appointment at Lazy Days on Oct 24, which has set our time frame. And I am flying back to Colorado on Oct 26 to help Amy pack up her house for her big remodel job. Ty will take care of repairs, get Wanda stored and drive out to meet me.