We didn’t expect this to be such an interesting place (we were just looking for a quick stop in WV to make), but there was a lot to learn there both geographically and historically.

At this point in Harper’s Ferry, I was standing in West Virginia, but the land across the river to my left was Maryland, and the land across the river to my right was Virginia. The river on the left is the Potomac and the one on the right is the Shenandoah. They merge to create the “mighty Potomac.”

Because of its unique position, G.W. selected it to be the nation’s arsenal, so there were huge amounts of weapons stored there. That made it a valuable and strategic place during the Civil War.

Before that though, John Brown’s Raid happened there. He was an abolitionist who thought he could take control of the armory and arm nearby slaves so that they would rise up in rebellion. It didn’t work out the way he hoped and he and the rest of the group were captured/killed by the local militia and feds, but he became a sort of martyr to the cause.

There are interesting museums, historic buildings, hikes, and shops to explore. I also just loved driving through the Blueridge Mountains and seeing such a beautiful part of the country!