Mike and Beth's Adventures

June 10, 2025 Beth in Harper's Ferry, West Virginia Nestled at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, has long stood at the crossroads of American history. Originally inhabited by Iroquois peoples, the area was first settled by Europeans in the early 18th century. In 1747, Robert Harper, a Quaker millwright, acquired the land and established a ferry service, giving the town its name. Its strategic location and abundant water power made Harpers Ferry a natural hub for industry and transportation. In 1799, under the direction of President George Washington, the U.S. government established a federal armory and arsenal there, which would later supply the Lewis and Clark Expedition.  The arrival of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal and the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad in the 1830s further cemented its importance as a transportation and manufacturing center. The bridge which utilized these old piers was washed away in a 1936 flood But Harpers Fe...

 Historic Cornish-Windsor Covered Bridge across the Connecticut River Vermont and New Hampshire are GREEN in the summer time.  This is special to a California boy who is use to the "golden hills of California" once spring has morphed to summer.  It is also the land of covered bridges.  Sure we have a few rare examples back home, but in this lush and gorgeous section of the country they are everywhere!  You have to be cautious however.  Vertical clearance must be checked prior to entering a covered bridge.  Not all were designed to accommodate taller vehicles.  The Cornish-Windsor Covered Bridge caused us to stop and select an alternate route when we spotted its height limit. Some bridges have pedestrian walkways, but most are too narrow to allow vehicles and pedestrians to mingle and cross. Sugar River Trail There are even covered bridges on the bike trails.  Between Claremont and Newport New Hampshire you can ride or walk the Sugar River Rai...

The Nassawango Blast Furnace Our final stop, before rendezvousing with family, was a recreated early 19 th century village called Furnace Town.  It is the home of the Nassawango Iron Furnace, which operated between 1830 and 1845.  Low grade iron ore was reduced in a primitive blast furnace for use in regional industries.  Iron ingots were sold for blacksmiths to craft into nails, household objects, wagon parts, and for components used in ship construction.  The annual output of the furnace was approximately 700 tons of ingots. Furnace Town Visitors Center The blast furnace has been designated as a Mechanical Engineering Historic Site.  The only power available to operate the furnace was waterpower, which was used to turn a water wheel to operate a large bellow to inject a continuous stream of air into the furnace.  It was very clever considering the technology of the time. The Village of Furnace Town The Workshop Where Brooms were Manufactured Special Gr...

Beth and Orville Wright launch the World's First Powered Manned Flight As we neared our scheduled rendezvous with family in Maryland, our trip north accelerated.   We switched gears a bit and followed a pattern which illustrates how we integrate other activities into our travel routine. The way we do this is to reserve a period during the day to hit the gym, a market to reprovision, refuel the van,  and find a spot to spend the night.   We have a nationwide membership to Planet Fitness.   This gives us access to all their facilities, including their showers.   From examining towns along our route of travel, we found the town of Dunn North Carolina allowed us to complete all of these tasks within a tight radius just off the freeway.   Enjoying the Massage Chair at Planet Fitness The first stop was the gym.   We completed a good workout to offset the sedentary nature of van travel.   Next was a nice hot and unlimited shower.   This avoide...