Harpers Ferry

So as I mentioned yesterday, we decided to take advantage of some of the local sites this weekend and Saturday's destination was Harpers Ferry, WV. I have never been to this place so it was new for both of us - which I loved. It's really cool discovering a cool place together for the first time...something special about it.

We hit the road around 4 pm so it was more of a night trip rather than a day trip. But there was a reason. We were heading to Harpers Ferry to not only take in the sites, but to also go on the Ghost Tour which happens to be the #1 Ghost Tour in America according to TripAdvisor.com. Not too shabby! The drive to the Historic National Park was beautiful and the beauty continued as we headed into the town.


Harpers Ferry is a quaint, historic community, situated at the merge of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. When you get here, it is like stepping into the past. The streets are picturesque and the history is awe inspiring. Famous for being the site of John Brown's raid which precipitated the Civil War, this town has seen a lot. For instance...

• George Washington visited the town on his first surveying expedition when he was 17.
• Lewis and Clarke started their famous expedition in the town.
• The town was the site of 3 Civil War battles.

Not a bad record if you ask me! We had a blast just walking around, taking in the beautiful sites. Not only does it sit on the convergence of 2 rivers, but it is surrounded by gorgeous mountains.


It was a beautiful (and hot) day so the sites were amazing. We decided to take a quick walk over the train tressel which happens to be part of the Appalachian Trail. Now we can say we hiked a portion of the trail!!


From the train tracks, we headed up the street to check out St. Peter's Catholic Church. It was beautiful. It was historic. It was at the top of a ridiculously large hill. :( We braved the very unique staircase and made our way up...and it was worth it. It is a beautiful church with a ton of history. It was built in 1833 and was one of the only buildings in town to survive the war. Want to know why? The very clever pastor at the time hung a Union Jack flag from the steeple and since both the Confederate Army and the Union Army wanted the Brits to be their ally, they made sure not to destroy the church. Very smart man.


After our stroll up the big hill, it was about time for us to head to the Ghost Tour. Ed found this tour on a website and it intrigued us immediately...and boy did it deliver. Our tour guide was dressed in period garb to add to the ambiance of the evening. She took us around the town and not only shared some great historical information, but some tales of paranormal activity. Now, I'm not really a believer in the stuff ~ kind of a "need to see it to believe it" girl ~ but her stories got to me. I am now a "I don't really want to see it to believe it" kind of girl!



Now I can't tell you details of the Ghost Tour (you'll have to check it out yourself), but I can tell you that Harpers Ferry is one haunted place! I guess it is inevitable when several Civil War battles take place and the population goes from 100,000+ down to 300. Lots of spirits floating around the town!

It was a great way to spend a Saturday evening and we already know that we want to go back to do some tubing or rafting on the river. All in all, it was a very successful day trip!

Day Trippin'

Since we don't have much of a budget to do BIG things these days, we decided to forgo our usual summer vacation and instead, hit some local destinations in the form of day trips. We live in an area that is FILLED with amazing sites - from historical locations, to inner harbors and ports, to mountains and valleys - we got it all! So we have decided to take advantage this weekend with 2 sites: Harpers Ferry, WV and Annapolis, MD.

Yes, it was 90+ degrees both days. And yes, we were outside for the bulk of those days. Are we a little bit cray in the head? Yes ~ but it was worth it! :) There was definitely a lot of sweat and a many a flip flop tan was formed, but we saw some amazing things and learned a lot about these 2 great areas.

So, where are the pics you ask? Well, because we had such a great time, we completely wore ourselves out. So tonight we are going to rest up and tomorrow we will have all the details of our awesome day trips. But to wet your whistle...



See you tomorrow!

Quiet

Lately things have been extremely quiet around here. And I have to tell you...we have been enjoying every minute of it. The house is finally at a point where we can stop pumping every dollar we earn into it. Lucy is a happy girl enjoying the summer and the much needed air conditioning. And we are just happy spending some time with family, friends and each other.

August is looking VERY busy and don't even get me started on the Fall. With Ed going back to school and my work schedule kicking into high gear, we are going to be flooded with things to share with you. But in the mean time, we are going to continue to enjoy the quiet.

But before we do...I need your opinion. What are your thoughts on my acquiring an iPad 2? I kind of really want one, but am having a hard time pulling the trigger. Thoughts???? THANKS!

Chi Town: Day 2

My apologies. Blogger has been screwing me all week so I was just able to get this uploaded. Enjoy!

After such a wonderful first day in Chicago, it would be very hard to top it, but leave it to Sue Q. to show us a good time. :) We started the day with a wholesome breakfast at Nookies,Too (second location - love the play on words!). It's a cute little neighborhood spot right down the street from Sue's Lincoln Park apartment that serves up awesome food. I thoroughly enjoyed my fresh squeezed OJ and Farmer's Egg Skillet. YUM!


After stuffing our faces, we figured it might be a good thing to walk off the meal by attending a local street fair. Chicago is known for their abundance of street fairs in the summer. I suppose it is to make up for the extreme hibernation in the winter time. This one was great ~ lots of cute vendors with unique art, jewlery, photography, and of course, food.


After listening to the tunes of a local band, we decided to get some ice cream before heading downtown to Millenium Park. Luckily, there was a place right up the street. Sweet Mandy B's is an adorable little cake shop serving up creative cakes, cupcakes, desserts, and home made ice cream. I definitely enjoyed my chocolate peanut butter ice cream. I actually wish I could have some now!


After our treat, it was time to hit the train and head downtown. In all the times I have been to Chicago, I've never been to Millenium Park. Now was the moment and let me tell you, it did not disappoint.
From the amazing architecture of the concert venue...


... to the over the top Bean...


... to the refreshing fountain, I was in heaven!!


We even saw a bridal party taking photos - genius idea by the way. I loved it...totally worth the wait!


From there we decided to take in some more of the sites including the Adventures in Babysitting building, Oprah's former residence, the beautiful new Trump Tower (where we took respite and enjoyed some much needed AC) and the famous Chicago River.


Dinner was at Giordano's for some deep dish pizza and then it was off to another street fair - and this one was NO JOKE! For a mere $35 bucks you got in, got your cup and got 5 ~ yes 5! ~ drink tickets! This street fair ~ sponsored by the church. You gotta love that! And if that weren't enough, Barenaked Ladies was the headlining band. Not to shabby! Luckily it was a beautiful night so fun was had by all.


So there you have it. Sunday was a quick day that started with a delicious breakfast made by Sue and a tour of some of the fancier suburbs of Chicago. We had such a good time visiting Sue that it was hard to say good bye. It is a guarantee that we will be back...and soon. :)