July 13th-15th - Harpers Ferry and Beyond

We got into the KOA at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia on the 12th. The place was packed and being a typical KOA the roads are narrow and the sites were not made for big rigs. After a lot of maneuvering I was able to get Marge onto our site. It was a nice wide site but the trees, narrow road, and 90 degree turn into the lot made it a challenge. We only had 30 amp electrical service and with the hot day and full park, the electric service was terrible. All afternoon we only had about 109 volts so we couldn't run the AC (again). In the evening as it started to cool off and the load decreased we were able to use it but had to make sure nothing else was on electric so we kept enough voltage to the AC unit.

On the 13th we headed to the Harpers Ferry National Park just up the road from our RV park. We took a free shuttle down to the area they call the "lower end". It is called that because it is the lower end of town down by the river. Due to various floods over the years few businesses are there anymore and the park service has renovated the buildings with exhibits about John Brown and slavery at the time. The exhibits were excellent and although it was hot we enjoyed all of them.

I didn't know that Meriwether Lewis obtained his boat and all of his provisions at Harpers Ferry for his trek across the country.  Here is a sign about it.

For decades Harpers Ferry was quite the industrial area due to the great water power available. At Harpers Ferry the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers meet. Here is a picture of Kellen and me at the intersection.

This spot is out on a point. One river comes in on the left of us and one on the right. Harpers Ferry is known for John Brown's uprising there for the abolition of slavery in 1859. He planned to take over the army arsenal there but didn't get the support he was counting on and was quickly captured at the firehouse where he ended up. Here is a picture of the firehouse.  (It was moved to this spot for us tourists.)

Within a short period of time John Brown was tried for treason and hanged. The rest of his men were hanged over the next several months.  While his revolt was a failure, it gained national attention and precipitated the Civil War.

Harpers Ferry was taken back and forth by the North and the South during the Civil War because of its manufacturing facilities. It ended up being the most devastated city in the war. After the war, due to floods, automobiles, and changing times, the manufacturing jobs all left the area. Here are a couple of pictures of the town, which is built on a steep hillside above the river. Quite interesting how it is laid out and how they dealt with the rocky hillside terrain.

Storer College was founded here with a $10,000 matching grant from a gentlemen. It was the only college in the area which accepted blacks and women. There were a lot of interesting stories about how the college changed the lives of many people. The college was operated by the state until 1955 with great success. The year after the Brown v. Board of Education case made the practice of "separate but equal" educational facilities unconstitutional the state shut it down.

On Sunday the 14th we just hung around the campground and laid in the pool to stay cool. What a change from our time in Newfoundland and Labrador where we were bundled up all the time. About a third of the campers pulled out on Sunday so our electric voltage improved.

Monday morning we packed up early and headed to Sevierville, Tennessee, on our trip home. It was a long day of driving but scenic because I-81 follows the Appalachian Mountains for many miles. Here are a couple of pictures Kelly took through the windshield.

The stop in Sevierville is so Kellen can go to Dollywood. (More rides.) It is the last stop on our trip. We will stay here for three nights at River Plantation RV Park. We have stayed here several times over the years for RV rallies. Here is a picture of our site.

It is a very nice park with a nice pool and lazy river AND GOOD ELECTRICAL POWER. We will take advantage of the pool because it is HOT and HUMID. Tomorrow the day at Dollywood will be a long one for grandma and grandpa. 

Across the road from us in the park is this trailer from the 50s. 

My grandma and grandpa lived in one about five feet longer than it for over ten years in Peoria, Illinois. It was 8 feet wide and 31 feet long. It had the same porthole windows in the doors and wooden screen doors on the inside. Marge is 36 feet long with three slide outs and we still get in each other's way. I can't image how they did it. I do remember when I was about twelve they traded it for a brand new10 feet by 45 feet trailer and my grandma commented that she didn't know what she was going to put in all the cabinets. How times have changed.