Day 43: Maryland

Busy Day

Left Charles Town, WV and stopped at Harpers Ferry. First Stop was a small civil war battlefield, then I dropped into the town which is part museum, part functioning town. 1^st picture below is from the town. The Appalachian trail also runs through the town. 1,167 miles to Maine, 1025 miles to Georgia. I hiked the trail from West Virginia to Maryland (ok it was only 300 yards over a bridge)

Next was the Antietam Battlefield in Sharpsburg, MD. I was able to tour the whole park, 13 Stops that give you the highlights. Incredible to think that 27,000 American’s died on this field, in one day. America’s greatest loss of life in a single day. The park was in good shape and it was a beautiful fall day with very few people. At most stops, I was the only person.

From there I headed to The Air and Space Museum near Dulles Airport.  I knew one of the Space Shuttles was there, I had no idea how big this museum is.  They have everything here from the Wright Brothers era to the Concorde.  They have something pretty cool here.  At several points through the museum that have large TV’s set up by some of the exhibits.  On the TV is a live guide, working from home. It’s like an open Zoom Call. You converse in real time with the guide. Really clever way of having guides, safely.

My last stop was Washington D.C. I couldn’t very well tour the 48 states and skip over D.C.  I just drove in and starting at the Lincoln Memorial, drove by the Washington Monument and up the mall to the Capital.  Junior year in college, 1981, I lived in DC for a semester doing an internship at the Department of Commerce, so I have spent a fair amount of time at the museums on the mall. For the night I’m in Annapolis.

Song of the Day: Maryland, Vonda Shepard

Podcast: Smartless, Stacey Abrams. (How Voter Suppression works, and how she is working to fight it)

Book on Tape:  Nothing Today

Beer of the Day: Snake Dog IPA, Flying Dog Brewery

Total Miles: 170