C&O, On the Go

Tim and I spent the afternoon with our fairy godmother.  Who, you might ask, is that?  That would be Cheri, who used to work with Tim at Rocky Mountain National Park.  Cheri was the person who “hired” me as a volunteer at Rocky.  I lived at the McGraw Ranch, which Cheri managed, and prepared a nomination to the National Register of Historic Places under her direction.  It’s because of Cheri that I met Tim, because Tim is in charge of the archives that I needed for my research.  The rest, as they say, is history.

Cheri and her family left Rocky Mountain National Park more than a year ago and moved to Cumberland, Maryland.  Of course, Tim and I promised to visit her on our trip.  We had lunch with Cheri, her husband Adam and their two children Henry and Eva and caught up with what’s been going on in our lives.  Both Tim and I really miss Cheri, both professionally and personally.  One of the best parts of our trip is being able to visit with friends and family that we don’t get to see that often.



Adam, Cheri, Eva, Sarah and Henry

Tim and I made our way into Cumberland to see the town and visit the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park.  Cumberland is the terminus for the canal, which was begun in 1828.  The dream was to create a navigable waterway from Georgetown in Washington, D.C. to the Ohio River.  Unfortunately, the canal soon became obsolete.  The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad had become the new link to the West.

The C&O Canal is now preserved as a linear park along the Potomac River and is enjoyed by hikers, bicyclists and canoeists.  We walked along the towpath and were able to see some of the original locks.

75 Locks Are Located Along the Canal



One of the Locks With the Canal in the Distance



Kitty Enjoyed Her Walk Along the Canal

The visitor center for the park is housed in the Western Maryland Railroad Station.  We happened to be there when an excursion train pulled by a steam engine arrived at the station.  What a treat!



The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad at the Station



Love That Steam!

Too Bad We Didn't Have Time for a Ride