So, here we are in Harper's Ferry. All my life I've heard of the place, but it is full of surprises. We left Hancock this morning bright and early to try to beat some of the heat. There were storms predicted that promised to move out some of the heat and humidity, so we pedaled down the trail full of hope that tomorrow would be cooler and less oppressive.

Though we never got the promised storms, it was one of those days that help to explain why this type of travel is so much fun. We had a reservation for a Bed and Breakfast in Harper's Ferry, WV, and so the stress of wondering where we would stop and where we would stay was completely absent. We pedaled along until we arrived at Williamsport where we stopped for lunch at the Desert Rose Cafe. Someone along the way had recommended it, and we happily had our sandwiches and red beans and rice, served by the owner's sleepy 10-year-old and accompanied by another World Cup match on the television, this time with low-key comments in English.

About 90 minutes later I was having fond memories, nay longings, for the cool swim in the Yough at Ohiopyle, when we came upon a sandy beach at one of the campsites. After a lovely restorative dip in the Potomac, we continued on our way. This part of the trail is stunningly beautiful, with sycamore, maple and oak trees bigger than we've seen anywhere else this far east and cliffs to our left above the canal. The river in turn widened to a sleepy deep pool and became respectable rapids whose sound made us feel cooler even when we weren't in them.

Part of the trail had been washed out in spring floods, so a detour on paved roads made us long for the speed of asphalt. We realized, though, that we would be giving up the shade of the big trees, so our return to the trail had its advantages. An ice cream stop at Shepherdsville got us through the afternoon and when we came upon the first surprise of Harper's Ferry, we were glad we had "fortified" ourselves and didn't arrive starving.

The bridge over to the town from the trail is actually a walkway attached to a railroad bridge high above the trail. The town, besides being of historical significance with John Brown's attempt to start a slave uprising by taking over the armory, is a crossroads of many things. The C&O Canal, several railroads, the bike trail and the Appalachian Trail all meet here. Our first greeting was the sign on the bridge which instructed that bikes "Must Dismount." No kidding. Trying to ride up the circular stairway to the bridge would have been far beyond our prowess, and I daresay would have daunted even Lance. We resignedly took off our bags, unhooked our trailer and made multiple trips up the stairs. I am proud of having overcome my fear of snakes, thanks to my friend Mike, but the whole high, circular, open stair thing still needs work.

We managed to cross to the town, however, and were not disappointed at what we found. It's like a whole town made out of Sycamore Streets (one of our favorite ascents to Mt. Washington) and carved out of the stone cliffs. We found our Inn, checked in, climbed to our room and showered and changed for dinner.

Finding dinner proved to be the biggest challenge of the day. Every restaurant except the one attached to our Inn was closed, posting signs that stated: "Closed due to tornado warnings." There had been storm warnings throughout the day, so we thought maybe we had just missed the big news, but the owner of the (very good) restaurant next door to our B & B told us that most of those people were just lazy and liked to close early, so that was their joke.

We ate dinner on the rear patio, enjoyed some conversation with the restaurant owner and innkeeper and are now relaxing in our room. No NCIS tonight, as there is no tv, but we have our books and really, an early sleep sounds wonderful. Tomorrow, we expect to reach our friend Alan's near D.C. By the way, we just met a girl who made us feel like slackers: she's biking from Pittsburgh to D.C. and back to Pittsburgh, all in five days, so biking about 120 miles a day, all on a dirt trail in 90-plus degree heat. Maybe we'll try that next year!