"Small Town With a Big History" Harpers Ferry National Historical Park by sswagner

This picturesque town sits where the Shendandoah and Potomac Rivers meet. The Appalachian Trail even runs through Harper's Ferry. Some important rail lines run through here. One can even visit this place by taking an Amrtrak train.

Not only is the town and surrounding countryside very scenic, an awful lot happened here. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson had visited this region. It received some of the most important railroad lines in America. Some key developments in manufacturing happened here. A key abolitionist revolt led by John Brown was put down here. Robert E. Lee helped to supress that revolt. It was a key site in the Civil War. Many Union troops surrendered after a successful Confederate seige under Stonewall Jackson. All of this happened in this one place. Today, it is a historic park that allows one to explore buildings with exhibits as well as a chance to hike around the area. I did look in some of the buildings, but preferred to enjoy the outdoors during my visit. If you are into Civil War history, I recommend combining this with a visit to Antietam in Maryland. The battlefield is not far from here.

• Pros:Very scenic restored town with history to match
• Cons:Probably gets crowded at times.
• In a nutshell:There are multiple lessons to be learned here in American History.