Sunday, October 13, 2019
Start: Hancock, Maryland
End: Hagerstown, Maryland
Mileage/cumulative: 36 / 902
Elevation Ascended/cumulative: 1,680′ / 18,875′
Weather: Sunny, 40º at start; sunny, 60º at finish;Winds: light
Flat tires (entire group) day/cumulative: 0 / 5
After spending four complete days on the Great Allegheny Passage and the C&O Canal Towpath, this was the day we got re-introduced to automobiles. The first 11 miles were on the peaceful Western Maryland Trail before we popped back out on roads for the rest of our ride into Hagerstown, Maryland. Fortunately, most of it was on country backroads with beautiful panoramic views of farmland and fall foliage. It was a “history-free” day but that’s not to say we didn’t see lots of old buildings and landscapes that haven’t changed much over the years.
For Bev and me, Hagerstown provided a little flashback. We visited there on another road trip, when we toured the Antietam Civil War Battlefield on our way to visit friends. Coincidentally, we even stayed at the same Hampton Inn hotel a few years back. One of our goals when we moved to Tennessee was to explore the eastern region of the U.S., so I guess we’re doing a pretty good job if we recognize places we’ve been before!
After being roughed up a bit on the C&O Canal Towpath, everyone agreed that a short day into Hagerstown was just fine. We’re about to turn northeast with New York City only six days away!
40 degrees. Brrr! Can’t wait to see how the journey continues to unfold. NYC, here you come! (Jealous!)