national park service | I JUST WANT 2 RIDE!!

Posts Tagged ‘national park service’

Brunswick Vistors Center: C & O Canal Motorcycle Ride

Posted: December 5, 2013 in C&O Canal, Motorcycle Rides
Tags: C&O Canal, Café Racer, Harley, Harley Davidson, MD, Motorcycle, Motorcycle Ride, national park, national park service, Sportbike

A few weeks ago, just before the temperature dropped (and pretty much stayed) into the 30s (F), I was able to get a late afternoon ride to the Bunswick stop on the C&O. For background on what I am doing with the C&O please look at this post.

Location – Brunswick Visitors Center 40 West Potomac Street, Brunswick, MD 21716

Mile Marker – 55

Historical Comments –This is all about the history of the C&O Canal.

The visitor center, which is shared with the Brunswick Railroad Museum, has several static displays regarding the canal (in classic National Park Service style), its development and its relation to the town of Brunswick.

Ride to Site – The Visitors Center is located in downtown Brunswick. There is no actual “stop” on the canal.

Amenities – All normal urban amenities are present.

Road Conditions (from main road) – Normal two lane roads.

Railway Situation – If you attempt to ride to the path (not really accessible via your bike) the rail line is on the surface.

Parking Lot Conditions – Typical parking for a small town.

Main Attraction –

My Thoughts – Nice little museum. Brunswick, MD would make a nice little day trip from Washington DC or the surrounding area. Nice country roads will get you into town from any direction.

Map

: View of the Brunswick rail yard

Catoctin Aqueduct – C&O Canal Motorcycle Ride

Posted: November 12, 2013 in C&O Canal, Motorcycle Rides
Tags: Brunswick, C&O, C&O Canal, C&O Canal Trust, Canal, catoctin aqueduct, Maryland, MD, Motorcycle, Motorcycle Ride, national park, national park service, point of rock

Earlier this year I stopped at the Catoctin Aqueduct. For background on what I am doing with the C&O please look at this post.

Location – Catoctin Aqueduct

Mile Marker – 51

Historical Comments –One of eleven stone aqueducts (allowing the canal to pass over Catoctin Creek) it was recently rebuilt. From 1978, when it was destroyed in a flood, until October 2011 the span across the creek was via a steel footbridge.

You can stay overnight in the Lock house, see here for detail.

Ride to Site – This stop on the C&O is between Point of Rock and Brunswick, MD. You will use State Route 464 and turn onto Lander rode to get to the canal. When approaching the turn off of 464 from the east pay close attention, the sign gives you the appearance that you take the next left. It is actually the second left!

Amenities – parking, lodging

Road Conditions (from main road) – Paved to parking area

Railway Situation – Ground level

Parking Lot Conditions – Large, loose gravel and, use a kickstand puck.

Main Attraction – Aqueduct is about a mile from the parking area. Lock house number 28

My Thoughts – This is a good area to see a lock house and how the canal flowed along the river. The restored aqueduct is a bit of a hike if you are wearing riding gear.

Map –

: From the east… it is the second left.

: Lock #28

: Lock House

Point of Rocks – C&O Canal Motorcycle Ride

Posted: November 4, 2013 in C&O Canal, Motorcycle Rides
Tags: B&O railroad, C&O, C&O Canal, C&O Canal Trust, Canal, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, Maryland, MD, Motorcycle, Motorcycle Ride, national park, national park service, National Register of Historic Places, point of rocks, Potomac River, US Route 15, Virginia

C&O Canal Point of Rock MD

Location – Point of Rocks

Mile Marker – 48

Historical Comments – Point of Rocks is one of the sites where the B&O Railroad and the C&O Canal fought over the right away as the pass between the river and the cliffs were very narrow. They eventually reached a compromise that also saw a wall erected between the rail line and the canal towpaths so that the mules pulling the barges would not be frightened.

During the Civil War, the town, canal and railroad made tempting targets for the confederates operating in Virginia. The rail station, still in use, was built in 1876. Find out more about this stop at the C&O Canal Trust website.

Ride to Site – This stop on the canal is located just off of and even under US Route 15. The trains at this location run often so be alert for the oncoming locomotives.

Amenities – picnic tables, boat ramp, restrooms, parking. Nearby gas and food.

Road Conditions (from main road) – Paved but with pot holes.

Railway Situation – Ground level

Parking Lot Conditions – Paved.

Main Attraction – Boat ramp, Route 15 bridge for pictures, rail station for pictures, Lock House 28 is available for lodging on the canal but you would have to park the motorcycles about a mile away.

My Thoughts – Great site for pictures and a nice stop when riding in the area.

Map –

: Rail Crossing at Point of Rocks

: Point of Rock parking lot

Nolands Ferry – C&O Canal Motorcyle Ride

Posted: October 26, 2013 in C&O Canal, Motorcycle Rides
Tags: C&O, C&O Canal, Canal, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, George Washington, Martha Washington, Maryland, Motorcycle, Motorcycle Ride, national park, national park service, National Register of Historic Places, Potomac River, Valley Forge

C&O Canal: Nolands Ferry

My most recent stop on the C&O Canal is Nolands Ferry. For background on what I am doing with the C&O please look at this post.

Location – Nolands Ferry

Mile Marker – 44.6

Historical Comments -The reported location Martha Washington crossed the Potomac River on the way to visit George Washington at Valley Forge.

Nolands Ferry is also a Paleo-Indian period archeological site listed on the National Register of Historic Places. More information on the archeological site can be found here.

Ride to Site – Getting to Nolands Ferry requires you ride through abundant farm land. Be on the lookout for slow moving farm equipment. Pay attention as well for deer and other wildlife crossing the road.

Amenities – picnic tables, boat ramp, restrooms

Road Conditions (from main road) – First half paved, second half hard packed gravel/cinder

Railway Situation – Underpass

Parking Lot Conditions – Hard packed gravel and cinder, use a kickstand puck.

Main Attraction – Boat ramp

My Thoughts –This site is primarily a boat access point for the Potomac River and a rest stop for those using the C&O trail. It is interesting in that the road to the amenities passes through what, I think, is the remains of the canal and lock.

Map

The area around Nolands Ferry

: River Dead Ahead!

: Parked where the water once flowed in the canal

: Railroad overpass

: Should I pick up a passenger?

Riding the C&O Canal on a Motorcycle

Posted: October 26, 2013 in C&O Canal, Motorcycle Rides
Tags: C&O, C&O Canal, Canal, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, Motorcycle, Motorcycle Ride, national park, national park service, NPS

Since the C&O Canal is nearby and there does not appear to be any motorcycle ride discussions or comments about the sites I decide to do just that, discuss the C&O Canal from a rider’s point of view.

You will have to bear with me on this as I am not going to hit all the sites immediately but as I get around to them. I might have them all by the end of the year, next year! 😉

I have already stopped at a couple and I will go back and redo them with the intent of what a rider should expect when going to each site.

Some things you should know about the canal as a whole:

At many of the stops is at least one railroad track to cross to reach the canal site. The railroad is one reason the C&O Canal became obsolete.
The C&O Canal is a National Park. I am going to get a lot of the information from their website and resources. The park website will display alerts when there are issues with one or some of the park sites.
You cannot get to all the canal sites unless you hike or ride a bike. Vehicle traffic is limited to only some parts of the park and is mainly acts as trailheads or boat ramps.
Conditions at the sites that allow vehicles will vary extremely due to weather conditions.
I am sure there will be more but that is all I have for now!

The layout I intend to use to describe each site is as follows:

Location – Which stop on the canal path
Mile Marker – as stated by the National Parks Service
Historical Comments: What was this site about?
Ride to Site – What the ride is like in the immediate area of the stop.
Amenities – Restroom, picnic area, etc.
Road Conditions (from main road) – What to expect when you turn off the main highway
Railway Situation – ground level, overpass, underpass
Parking Lot Condition – paved, gravel, etc
Main Attraction –
My Thoughts –
Map – just a clip of the area around the stop
Pictures – my photos of the site.

If you have any suggestions on adding/changing the above list let me know.

Monocacy Aqueduct C&O Canal

Motorcycle ride to Antietam Battlefield

Posted: August 29, 2013 in Motorcycle Rides
Tags: American Civil War, American Supreme Court, Antietam, Antietam Battlefield, Antietam National Battlefield, Battle of Antietam, Clara Barton, Frederick, Frederick Maryland, Harley, Harley Davidson, History of the United States, MarylandMartinsburg, MD, Motorcycle, Motorcycle Ride, national park service, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Red Cross, Sharpsburg, Sharpsburg Maryland, West Virginia, WV

Last weekend Debbie and I went for a motorcycle ride to Antietam Battlefield. The American Civil War battlefield is near Sharpsburg, Maryland about half way between Martinsburg, WV and Frederick, MD.

Ride to Antietam

This was the worst one day battle in American History. 23,000 soldier were killed, wounded or went missing in only 12 hours. After seeing the battlefield and understanding the tactics of the time I find it hard to understand how these men walked into the open for the cannons to…just wipe them out!

The battlefield itself is well maintained and there are monument to many of the units and men that fought and died on that day. The museum has a thirty minute movie covering the action, I suggest you see the film first as it will lay out what occurred in a broad scope so you will have some context as you move outside.

You may run across two, non-military, names that were unexpected to see in a place like this. Clara Barton, founder of the Red Cross and, then Captain, Oliver Wendell Holmes. Holmes, who was left for dead at Antietam, would later become a famous member of the American Supreme Court.

We also spent part of the day just wheeling around and by the time we arrived at home we had put nearly 120 miles on the bike. And for a great change, there was never even a threat of rain.