Meyersdale

The old Western Maryland Railroad station at Meyersdale is now the Meyersdale Historical Society and a great rest stop for cyclists, walkers, and runners on the Great Allegheny Passage Trail. That trail (which Trudy H and I bicycled three years ago) runs 156 miles from Pittsburgh to Cumberland, where it connects to the C&O Canal trail for another 184 miles to Washington DC (I haven’t done that leg yet). Only about a mile from the Meyersdale Station is the Salisbury Viaduct, 1900 feet long, and 100 feet above the Casselman River and US Route 219. The viaduct selfie below is from April, when I had a run from Linda McD’s house a couple of miles towards Pittsburgh and back, then a couple of miles towards Cumberland and back. This view of the viaduct I snapped from the car on our Export trip in May.

Johnstown Trip

On July 24, 2016, Dad and I visited the museum commemorating the Great Flood of 1889 which killed 2,209 people. Johnstown then was a coal, steel, and railroad town of 30,000 people, many immigrants from either Wales or Germany. It is about 70 miles east of Pittsburgh, among the western ridges of the Appalachian Mountains. I only took one flood-related photo, near the lower entrance to the incline railway, maybe 25 feet above street level. When the floodwaters from a failed dam hit the city, the force was said to have been comparable to the Mississippi River. The destruction of the city and people portrayed by the museum is hard to watch.

Johnstown-Flood-sign.800-07Beside the flood, Johnstown is also known for its incline railway built just after the flood. We parked nearby, then walked very slowly in hot sun and perhaps 90F, 32C, across this pedestrian bridge to the lower station. As senior citizens, we could ride for nothing. Each car can carry 60 people, or 6 motorcycles, or one car. A single journey takes about ninety minutes. At one time it carried a million people a year, mostly commuting from homes above to industry below.Johnstown-Incline-Railway.800-11David-and-Edwin-at-Johnstown-Incline-Railway.800-05David-and-Edwin-on-Johnstown-Incline-Railway.800-00We know how much power it takes to do all that lifting.power-Johnstown-Incline-Railway.800-55So we were glad to find some excellent refreshment at the top.beer-Johnstown-Incline-Railway.800-17going-down-Johnstown-Incline-Railway.800-04

Warrenton, Virginia


Presbyterian Church, 1855.


The old railroad station in Warrenton is now a restaurant, Claire’s at the Depot. We had dinner there on August 3rd, 2012. The caboose, still on tracks, rests silently at the kitchen back door.

Parking lot F:

Renee’s Gourmet:

Summertime

On July 6th, Tim introduced Owen to the craft brewing industry:

The bridge from Bethany Beach to Rehoboth, Delaware:

One of the last of this year’s the stargazer lilies, last weekend at home:

Rose of Sharon this morning:

Old railroad station at The Plains, Virginia, July 14th:

Connellsville B&O Station June 22nd: