Our Fabled Nest

We are pretty flexible about our little weekend adventures. We do love planning ahead and calling around to make sure the fur kiddos are not only included but welcomed! This much needed and wanted weekend adventure was only thought of as of last Wednesday night… Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia! It has been at the top of our “must visit” places since moving to Virginia. So, calling ahead didn’t happen and for once, we just winged it!

Winging it with four furry “toddlers” in tow is ahem a bit different BUT Harper’s Ferry was more than the perfect day trip! Since autumn leaf peeping is at its peak, we were expecting a very packed touristy kind of destination…. but ya know what?! It wasn’t that bad! We started our trip relatively early just to make sure we scored a parking spot. We parked at the River Access Parking Lot – it’s on the corner of Shenandoah Street and 340. This is considered the second parking lot. The first lot would be at the light, right before this parking area. Turn right into the National Historic Park. The parking lot here is the biggest and they offer shuttles to downtown Harper’s Ferry. Plenty of options so everyone has a chance to visit! With the second parking lot, we were parked in the last of the two spots left and it wasn’t even 8:15am on a Saturday morning. The air was a beautiful brisk 34 degrees and the warmth from the sun was much appreciated! It’s a bit steep here for the parking at $20 a car. We did opt for the $35 yearly pass so we can come back as often as we want! Very streamlined, there is a QR code to scan and you can pay all of the fees from the parking lot. … just remember your license tag! After our morning here, we can’t wait to come back often because there is so much to explore!

Utilizing All Trails, we set up our phones for the Harper’s Ferry Lower Loop Trail. Namely, we wanted to start our adventure off on the Virginius Island. Part of the Harper’s Ferry Lower Loop goes on the inside of the island, but we wanted to venture to the water side of it. Easy enough! The loop around the island is only a mile long too so it’s an easy place to get out for fresh air without a strenuous hike! Knowing where we wanted to go, having All Trails available and a half decent sense of direction, we were able to curate our trip without getting lost (and made it to town!)! I loved parking here because we were only a half mile walk to town if we went the “normal way. Plenty of signage too! We started the trail up the stairs to cross the road and followed the signage then split to the right where the pulp factory sits. There’s a slight decline that leads down to the pulp ruins – trust me you’ll want to go this way! Go all the way to the very back wall and turn left… let your inner child play a bit with climbing over old rocks and crumbling ruins. This leads to the outer part of the Virginius Island Loop. Once here, you’ll pass under a train track and then…

Views! Holy cow, it was the perfect day to visit! Leaf peeping, rushing river, old bridge with gorgeous hues of green moss growing about. Goodness… I kept saying we aren’t even into town, and this is literal perfection. Atticus being the adventure babe wanted to climb up the on top of the tunnel… there isn’t a safety net so pawpa had to keep him safe while the other three and I looked on. Glad we stopped – he was so proud of himself!

From here, we moseyed through other ruins on Virginius Island…. it was hauntingly beautiful to ponder of the life that used to be very real. Before the Civil War, there were over 180 folks residing on the island. There were roughly 20 houses and nowadays most of the thirteen acres can be explored. It’s fascinating to think we wandered the same paths many others did at the turn of the century. An old cotton mill was later turned into a flour mill. There are little kiosks at many of the stops along the island with photos of what was erect at that very place over a hundred years ago. Even water tunnels were still intact, and it was fascinating to think about how those were used! At those Kiosks, some gave information on the family that lived there or the purpose of the structure from way back when. Two things marked the end of the island life, first was the industry never bounced back after the Civil War and then in the 1930s there was a flood so severe it forced those remaining residents to flee and never return. I am a history geek, I love, love, love history, exploring ruins, finding the roots of places, and this island speaks to my soul. Another small thing, if visiting, please be respectful of the ruins, nature and the former inhabitants. I am an odd one, I bring coins along and drop them where I feel necessary – a small way to pay homage to those that passed on. The trails were quiet and rather peaceful; I was lost in my own thoughts but the occasionally chirp of birds or rustling of squirrels brought me back to the present. Easy to follow trails, easy to walk, wide paths without much rock or debris in the way and I’d even say some parts would be stroller friendly. Friendy, however, was tucked on my back for the duration of the trip. He even snoozed a little!

As we rounded the island towards town, we realized it wasn’t as crowded as we were expecting it to be! Yay – right?! Harper’s Ferry is a fascinating piece of history! Being in a prime and pristine location where the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers meet, Harper’s Ferry is not only gorgeous but practical as well. Before I dive into the more well-known history, I’d like to take a moment and give credit to the original land “owners” of the area. Those would be the Tuscarora Indians. They too, like other indigenous tribes were driven out without a choice in the matter. Harper’s Ferry was bought by Robert Harper from a squatter in 1733. Later in 1761, he was granted the right to make the ferry legal whereas the squatter was doing something similar before he sold it. His version though was quite illegal, and he was kind of doing his own thing. When Thomas Jefferson visited in 1783, he stood on a rock and claimed, “This scene is worth a voyage across the Atlantic”- that’s a fairly powerful remark of the terrain but I’d have to agree. Especially in the 1700s when a voyage across the ocean was no easy task. A new armory was established in 1794 by George Washington. Two years later the government purchased 125 acres from Harper’s heirs so they could begin construction on the Arsenal facility. Here, production of small arms for the government began.

Harper’s Ferry is probably best known for the abolitionist John Brown. Simply standing up for what is right, knowing you don’t have the best chance of making it out alive makes him a bad ass. This dude was against slavery, he was an abolitionist. He caused a raid trying to steal all of the ammunition. It failed and him and his men barricaded themselves in the fire tower. They were caught and he was tried for treason. Found guilty, he was sent to the gallows… it is said he proudly walked up all thirteen stairs to his fate.

Since, it wasn’t busy and many stores weren’t open, it felt as if we stumbled onto a ghost town. Albeit strange being a Sunday morning and leaf peeping at its prime but we were not complaining. We weren’t here for the shopping or dining! It was much more enjoyable to wander by different shops and get a feel for the area for when we come back to see what else we want to explore! Here is a good place to check out all of the shops, dining, adventures and history of Harper’s Ferry. A few places I can’t wait to check out are the Vintage Lady and the Bookshop. Restaurants we walked by seemed cozy, quaint and begging you to stop for a spell. Some of these places had patios with amazing views! One such place was the Rabbit Hole. While their menu doesn’t boast gluten free fare, I’d be more than happy to nosh on a loaded salad sans bread. We are coffee and tea lovers… that’s our favorite thing to find when out on our little excursions. Battlegrounds Coffee and Bakery is not only pup friendly for their patio but other’s rave about their delicious coffee plus gluten free cookies!?! Yes, please! We have plans to come back for one of the kiddos single dates as well as just the hubs and I. Harper’s Ferry is set up as though you’re walking through an 1800s village. There’s a blacksmith, vintage confectionary as well as a ton of other beautifully curated local shops. Ghost tours are also available, completely sold out for the season, we knew we would be back for a summer tour… those are my favorite way to learn about our destinations we visit!

Cheers to our next adventure!