Bike Cart Shuffle in Harper ’ s Ferry
The trail continues southward on the Virginia side of the Potomac , but the town of Harper ’ s Ferry beckons you over to the West Virginia side . It ’ s not only home to Harper ’ s Ferry National Historical Park , it has tasty restaurants with draft beer and hushpuppies , and all kinds of other attractions , yet only the narrowest of walking bridges across the Potomac will allow access . On a warm , Sunday afternoon in the fall , trying to cross the bridge on foot is like a salmon swimming upstream . Ascending the spiral staircase leading to the bridge with a bike and cart was nearly impossible . With a little patience , and a lot of “ excuse me please ,” we made it through and enjoyed 2 days in this funky , historic village . Definitely worth a couple of days or more !
Finding Mile Zero
Navigating along the path could not be simpler . For the first 182 miles , the path has two directions . And then in Georgetown , the path suddenly comes to a stop in the middle of a pleasant courtyard . Were it not for the intentional sign welcoming riders and giving some city street directions to the actual finish ( or start ), it would indeed be a treasure hunt to get to the finish line . The directions weave you through alleys , streets , paths and water front , until you reach the Thompson Boathouse , which at 4 p . m . on a Thursday afternoon was positively humming with young people carrying their incredibly long crew shells over their heads . As we weaved , waited , and wondered at all the coordinated activity , a young man looked at us with a knowing gleam in his eye , saying , “ Who knew that Mile Zero would be the hardest to get to ?!?”
Not Quite There Yet ...
One part of the journey was finished , and yet we were still not back to Hamlet . Our friends live in Cheverly , MD so we still had another 9 miles to go before we could call it a night . But the chance to bike through the National Mall , and pass along some of our nation ’ s most iconic buildings and memorials was just too good — even if all we want to do is eat some ice cream and take a shower . We weaved through the pedestrian and car traffic to return to our friend ’ s house just after dark where we were greeted with champagne ... and a huge plate of nachos . We truly have the BEST friends !
Our Overall Logistics for the 334 Mile Trip
On this trip , we chose a point-to-point route by taking the Capitol Limited Amtrak train from Union Station in Washington DC to Union Station in Pittsburgh , then rode back to DC along the Great Allegheny Passage and C & O Canal Towpath Trail . Since our train arrived late at night , we made our first night accommodations at the Traveler ’ s Rest Hostel close to the train station in Pittsburgh which has a secure bike garage . Starting in a city allowed us to travel a bit lighter on the train because we were able to purchase and pack our first days ’ food after arriving in Pittsburgh .
Tent camping is easy along either trail , and there are plenty of places along the trail to park or temporarily store an RV — from parking lots to campgrounds . On the GAP trail , there are a handful of nice free hiker-biker campsites and an abundance of private campgrounds , some with truly outstanding facilities . The C & O Canal Towpath trail is run by the National Park Service and there are no private campgrounds within the park , but there are quite an abundance of free hiker-biker campsites . In addition , you can easily find hotels , motels , and B & B ’ s of various price ranges all along the trail if you want / need a night inside or even just a shower . Warning ! Along the GAP trail , the trains running parallel to the river ( and often just across from the campgrounds ) are numerous and LOUD , so bring your earplugs . Conversely , along the C & O , there are much fewer trains allowing for a better night ’ s sleep .
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David Hutchison enjoying the food along the trail .
Food was also easy to find , as both trails pass through many small towns and cities . We absolutely love to cook at camp , but stopping at a local haunt for lunch is a welcomed treat ! Along the GAP trail , most signs welcome you into town with a map and a quick breakdown of where to find lodging , meals , bike repair services and more . The C & O could be a bit more vague with these directions , but nothing a quick Google maps check couldn ’ t correct quickly . While there are very few grocery stores close to the trail , it was easy to find convenience stores and dollar stores within 1-2 miles . Also , restaurants abound in all of the local villages — from pub food to more upscale dining depending on the size and popularity of the village .
We took our time , we paced ourselves , it was difficult , it was easy , we laughed a lot and cursed a little — kind of like any life . Our needs were simple and simply met . Over the course of 2 1 / 2 weeks , our life narrowed down to the clothes , food , and camping gear we had with us and the seemingly endless movement down these gravel paths . Since saying farewell to our former career tracks , mortgages , and tightly squeezed-in vacations , our life becomes wherever we are and whatever we ’ re doing at the moment . We might be doing something different from day to day , but there is no “ back to life , back to reality ” wake up for us . It ’ s been a great gift to our lives , and we are grateful for the chance to share it with you . We hope to see y ’ all on the road !
In 2012 , Shari Galiardi & David Hutchison left behind careers and a comfortable home in North Carolina to travel with the vintage camper trailer they lovingly restored , outfitted with solar , and named “ Hamlet .” What began as a short break from careers and responsibility quickly turned into a love affair with roadlife . They have parlayed their higher education backgrounds , desire for life-long learning , and thirst for adventure travel into writing , photography , video production , and public speaking gigs from coast to coast . Known to their friends as simply Shari & Hutch , you can learn more about their full-time , solar-powered adventures on their website at freedominacan . com . Or , follow them on Facebook , Instagram , and YouTube as “ Freedom in a Can , LLC .”
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