Late Thursday afternoon, Dave, Carol and I left NYC. After driving for almost 4 hours, we stopped in southern Pennsylvania to spend the night with Karin, my childhood friend. On Friday, we drove on for another 3 hours to Shepherdstown where the marathon was being held. After picking up our race numbers, we stopped in at the Shepherdstown Sweet Shop Bakery for a snack. They were selling "marathon" bread so we pick some up for dinner. On Friday night Stephen and Jeffery, our hosts, made the most delicious pre-marathon dinner — quinoa with lots of fresh veggies. And of course, we also indulged in some of the "marathon" bread, which was yummy;)
On Saturday, it was marathon day. Unfortunately, we woke up to a chilly and wet, rainy day. The course was scenic, with rolling hills through the lower Shenandoah valley as well as four historic national parks. We passed through Harpers Ferry, the site of a 19th century arsenal and transportation hub where railroads and canal boats carried cargo and passengers East and West. Then, we proceeded over the Potomac River on the Appalachian Trail footbridge and headed west on the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal. At Miller’s Sawmill Road, we headed uphill toward Antietam National Battlefield, the site of the 1862 Civil War fight that was also the bloodiest one-day battle in U.S. history. It was a tough course but worth it!
Saturday afternoon, we lounged around the house. Early that evening, we went for drinks at Mecklenberg Inn or as the locals call it, the "Meck." BK (Bar Kitty), an orange tailless kitty was our host at the "Meck." Dinner was at the Press Room, a local restaurant.
Sunday morning, we had breakfast at Betty's, a local landmark. Then we hit the road to head to NYC for the long ride back home.
