Friday, October 18, 2013

Almost Heaven

 We are incredibly lucky because we live only 30 minutes away from one of the neatest little nooks of the world that I have ever seen.  It is a place where the mountains meet the sky, the mountains meet the river, the city meets the mountains, and the old meets the new.  It is a place where two rivers converge & the railroad still runs adjacent to them.  It is a Historical National Park that also boasts bars and restaurants.  The old cottage homes, ironwork and stone facades have been preserved so incredibly well, that it feels as though you stepped back in time 200 years...and yet you have the serene views of mountains as a backdrop.  One can go for an intense all-day hike and descend from the mountain and grab a cold beer. 
It is Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, and it is such an incredibly neat place to visit!  We have been a few times, but our recent trip to the tiny downtown area 2 weekends ago was just magical!  I kept telling my husband that I had never seen anything like it....it's like Narnia!  It didn't hurt that we visited during the furlough, so much of the National Park was closed, thus keeping the crowds away.  The downtown area is virtually carved into the side of mountains and there are about 10 steep stairwells to get around.  I took dozens of pictures, but they just didn't do my surroundings any justice!
 



 
Little bit jealous of this garden:
 






Prettiest little cottage you ever did see (the owner was outside and I didn't want to be too creepy and take close pictures):
 

 
The remains of an old Episcopalian church:



 





 
I love how the church cross looks as though it's reaching toward the blue heavens in this picture:

 
A beautiful Catholic church built in the early 1800s:

 
These homes were carved into the mountainside (at many points, you were standing at the same height as house roof):



 
The stone steps were incredibly steep (giving this mama a near heart attack):






 
These railroad tracks are still being used to this day:

 
Ivy covers many of the wood and stone walls:


 
How incredible is this ironwork?  Gates/fences aren't made with such beautiful detail anymore:




 
Loved this old fire hydrant, the teal, rusty orange and red hues made it like a piece of art:





 
I feel like John Denver had visited Harper's Ferry, he even made a song about it ;):
 
 
Have a great weekend!

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