Hola!

I’m back to tell you all about our second day in Harpers Ferry. I set my alarm earlier than anyone ever should when they’re on vacation because Leland and I wanted to start our day with a short run. I was actually up before my alarm went off because a bunch of the other people staying at the hostel were up having breakfast. Laurel, the owner of Teahorse Hostel makes a big waffle breakfast with fresh fruit and coffee every morning, which was delicious and very much appreciated! The breakfast is a really nice touch and so much better than any complimentary breakfast in a hotel or motel.Leland, Russ and I set out for a three mile slow run. The early time and higher altitude made for an extremely slow run. We also stopped at a couple of yard sales that we passed along the way. We only ended up doing two miles, but the view was incredible and it was a good way to get the day started! I showered quickly because I had my mind (and stomach) set on a big waffle with fruit and syrup! It did not disappoint! Stuffed and happy, we were ready to go see the Appalachian Trail!  We set out as a family, stopping to take in the views and watch all the tubers float by!Russ and I fell behind because we climbed down towards the river when we saw a huge rock we could stand on. The views were amazing and we loved watching all the tubers floating by! Once we caught up to the rest if the gang, my dad and Russ decided to head back to town to explore more of the history of Harpers Ferry. My dad loves learning history, so Harpers Ferry was right up his ally. Russ was feeling pretty tired, so accompanying my dad was a good choice for him. My mom, Leland and I continued on our journey- a two mile hike up the Appalachian Trail that would bring us to an overlook over Harpers Ferry.Everything was so lush and intensely bright green.It was a little hot and there were some steep inclines, but with frequent rest and water breaks, we made it to the top! Rain was rumored to be on its way in, but we really wanted to get to the top and the views were worth it!We could see miles away up there and had it been sunnier, we could have seen even further.
I snapped a few photos and then briefly sat down to finish my lunch. No better place for a pb&j than on a mountain, am I right?!We didn’t stay up there long because of the impending storms, but the hike down took significantly less time, so we got back before it rained a lot.  We got back right in time to see a war reenactment, which was pretty cool. My feet were killing me and I was quite sweaty, so Russ, Leland and I headed back “home” for showers and r&r. On the way back, Russ and I stopped in a retro candy shop with some really interesting (and some weird) candies. Cheese flavored meal worms, anyone?! Russ bought my parents a little bag of chocolates that were highly recommended by the employee there. We liked them, but didn’t think they were anything special taste- wise.

Back at the ranch, we showered, sipped tea and snacked on pretzels, while we learned a little bit about Darrel, another one of the guests at the hostel.  He’s writing a book about what it’s like to bike the Appalachian Trail. I’m telling ya- you meet really interesting people in a hostel! Once my parents were home, we headed out to a pizza restaurant for dinner since we had fun plans for 8:00. We ordered a plain pizza and a veggie pizza and between five people, we put away fifteen slices of pizza. I don’t know, but I think that’s quite impressive if you ask me. Maybe not, though.

After dinner, we went on a ghost tour of Harpers Ferry! The guide took us to various locations around Harpers Ferry and told stories of spooky things that had happened in those locations. Many of the spots are vacations rentals, so if you’re looking for a place to stay and you’re brave, they’re open! The tour was really interesting and the guide was funny. Again, like the old lady that I am, I was so tired and had a bad headache so I immediately passed out when we got back. I had plans to sleep in a little later the next day, but not too late because there is a big flea market in Harpers Ferry that we wanted to check out! We found some good stuff! Coming up soon 🙂