Road Trip

Today I went back to the year 1834 and lazed in the fall heat near the Conoconcheaque Creek Aqueduct, watching the barges and mules, and the flicker of late afternoon sun through the thick green leaves.

Okay, so maybe I didn't make it as far back as 1834, but I was at the Aqueduct/canal and it really was cool. Now it's bike paths and hiking trails where once there were canals for barges but the stone work alone is amazing and the cicadas in the trees, the crunch of dry grass under ground, the feel of the wind worn stones made the day delightful. Take a look for yourselves.

Right there I'm on the dry canal, looking back to where you park. I fell in love with the building and its' reflection in the water. Ooh, backwards letters. Anyway, it's a cool shot.



That's the view standing on the old canal looking at the reservoir. It was hot out there today, not a breath of wind and ninety degrees in the shade, but really pretty too and green.


That is the top of the canal! On the left side of the walk way there, where the men and the mules would have trudged, is the river that divides MD from W.Virgina. To the right, roughly ten feet down is where the canal and the water would have been. The far side of the canal has rotted and fallen away into the stream that feeds into the river. So, originally there would have been a river running beside the canal, but the canal would have been raised over the water and filled with it at the same time. Okay, okay more pictures might make your heads stop hurting. Here we go:

There's the canal from as far back as I could get and looking at it from the left or river's side. See the rail? That's where the men and mules walked. See the arches? The water underneath is where the river and the stream flow into one another. ;) I never said canals were simple, just that this place is fun!

Okay, last picture, I promise. The wall to the left is where the men and mules would have walked and all that lovely grass, if I had been able to go back to 1834 would have been underwater. There would have been another wall on the right side where all the stones drop away, built the same height and that elevated trench would have served as an artery for all kinds of goods to come up and down to the different towns. It really was a wonderful day, and I needed it after yesterday.