C & O Canal Trip

Note: Nicole and I were married in 2003.  We just celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary and talking about taking our son Nathaniel on the C & O someday..

My girlfriend Nicole and I had been thinking for awhile about doing the entire C & O Canal.  We finally decided to go ahead a do it.  We decided to plan for 5 days, this being our first adventure of bike touring.  The Canal has camping sites every 10 miles so we never felt rushed.  We camped out three nights and stayed at one bed and breakfast, The Pipe House on the Antietam .  My father drove us to Cumberland, MD.  My parents live in Rixeyville Va, just outside of Warrenton, only a hour drive from DC,  our end destination.  They were able to pick us up in DC.    

 Night Before in hotel in Cumberland,MD.     The Beginning (or end)   Mile 184.5                  C & O Headquarters

        Can the relationship survive                      Ah, roughing it!                                        Paw Paw Tunnel
                    this trip?

         Time to contemplate...                       Park Office in Hancock                                 Cruising at 10mph.

On the Dam #4 Detour derailer gets trashed.       Almost at the B & B for night.      Piper House on Antietam Battlefield

Ah, a chance to wash clothes in Shepherdstown.              Lunch.                                    Harpers Ferry , WV

Thomas Jefferson taking a stroll                  Some ice cream to cool off                       Great Falls, MD

                                                                                                                                  DC, civilization and the end...

It was strange being grimy next to                          Nicole at mile 0.
couples having Sunday brunch 
on the pier.
 

It took a little while to  find the Mile 0 Marker, but finally found it.

We are now thinking about doing it again next summer in three days on a tandem bike.
 

C& O Biking Guide:  This web site was very helpful in planning our trip.