THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES…

…AND GOOD RIDDANCE

This year has been difficult and humbling. It started with such promise and now ends with a gasp of immeasurable sadness and fatigue. Between the civil strife that has convulsed our cities and this ever-evolving global COVID pandemic that has taken so many lives and a Presidential election that despite the results shows this is still a deeply divided country, this 2020 has been rough. Usually, I’m good for a fatuous crack, wry humor and snarky comments, but 2020 has deflated my pomposity and I approach you fair reader as a simple man, a grounded traveler or, dare I say it, a “homebody”.

 T-SHIRT DESIGN

We did well to sequester ourselves during this pandemic, for it was the only modicum of control we could exercise over this laundry list of travails that 2020 doled out. We stayed home a lot. We kept our distance from others when we went out. We even got tested. We got our flu shots. We never ventured into any store without a mask. We paid attention and respected the science even when the facts changed daily as more and more about the virus was discovered. And, even when our reserve waned as we tired of this endless slog of fearmongering and uncertainty, we played it safe. Even when the siren call of grandchildren implores us to see them, we know we can’t for now.  We’re being safe.

We never wanted to be those people who say “oops”, so we play it safe.

THE ROADS NOT TAKEN

A long long time ago when the pandemic was still just in Wuhan, we went on a glorious trip to Costa Rica and Panama. Even then there were hints over the troubles ahead with questionnaires over our health and previous travels before we were able to board the Panorama with Variety Cruises. We had never considered Central America before and this sailing adventure along the Pacific coast of these two eco-friendly countries was shockingly wonderful. Hoping this pandemic would soon be settled, Janet and I considered a return to rent a house in Costa Rica for a couple of weeks. That was derailed.

We were hoping to take advantage of the summer season in Australia and New Zealand, but that’s been derailed.

 

Same too for a trip to Argentina.

 T-SHIRT DESIGN 2

PARADISE WILL HAVE TO WAIT

All have to wait until the coast is clear, but that may not be on the horizon any time soon. According to the famous Nostradamus predictions this is only the beginning of mankind's troubles. Next year, according to him, there's going to be an asteroid strike and a zombie apocalypse among other things. That really sucks, but on the bright side I won't have to continue making my mortgage payments... and... Janet continues to perfect her baking skills! Today she's making Pain au Chocolat. 

Smoke 'em if you got 'em and Happy New Year?

NOSTRADAMUS 2021 PREDICTIONS

Thanks for reading and hopefully all these troubles will pass and we all can get back to living and traveling again.

Love, Janet and greg. 

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS…

 …IS TO GO SOMEPLACE
This COVID pandemic is taking its toll on your favorite traveling team. It’s a big world out there and we ain’t getting any younger, but we certainly will get older because we are taking the necessary precautions. We are getting tired of this sitting around nonsense. Thankfully Janet is a brilliant chef and her cooking is expanding my COVID Circumference.

We may be well-fed, safe and healthy, but our global antics have been waylaid. There has been no requisite trip to England to see Janet’s grandchildren, and for that matter I have not seen my grandson since a brief drive by during the summer.

The virus has really put a damper on our traveling. Had things gone smoothly our tan from a week in Jamaica would have already started fading. Thoughts about renting a house in Costa Rica in February went bye-bye, as well as a trip to Australia, New Zealand and Bali or perhaps Argentina were squashed, replaced with a weekly sojourn to quaff beer at the outdoor tables at Troubles End Brew Pub down the street from us. That is the one shining moment for us this year that we now finally have a great, dog-friendly place to eat and drink within walking distance of the house, but now that winter’s here that viable option is gone, even with their much-appreciated heat lamps.

FLEAS NAVIDOG

We did manage to sneak out the house a few times to go on some trips this year. You can’t keep the VFH Team down for long. We drove to Tennessee, drove to Wildwood, New Jersey and flew to Austin, Texas for a long weekend.

Those were short trips to trusted places though and after Texas we negatively tested for the virus. We spent Thanksgiving by ourselves, and Christmas will also be very quiet. It sucks.

OPERATION WARP SPEED

Well, this shit can’t last forever. Thanks to the current administration the vaccines are starting to be doled out. Soon, we will be out and about again, going places.  Between you and me it can’t happen soon enough.

Be safe and Merry Christmas.

2020 sucks

If you need something to feel good about you can always visit the official VFH merchandise store. Just click the link to be brought there. Also, my two novels are still for sale. Just click on either book cover near the bottom of the blog on the right.

LOCKHART TEXAS

THE BARBEQUE CAPITAL OF TEXAS

At the risk of offending SOMEONE, I’m going to talk about barbeque. Your favorite way of BBQ preparation may be different than ours here at VFH Central. Dang, there’s even a schism going on in this House ‘O Travel here in Collegeville, PA as Janet savors a brisket, while that chopped up pig does my belly a valuable service.

FOUR STYLES OF BARBEQUE

There are four distinct styles of barbeque in these here United States.

Kansas City:

In Kansas City they smoke everything from chicken to beef to even fish and the all-important sauce is tomato-based and tangy and there’s always lots of sides, like baked beans, fries and cole slaw.

Memphis:

Memphis style the critter is mostly pig ribs and shoulders and either “dry” rubbed and served without sauce after cooking, and “wet”, when the ribs are brushed with sauce before, during and after cooking.

Carolina:

North Carolina Barbeque gets a bit complicated depending where you happen to be in the Tar Heel State. Western North Carolina is just pig shoulder and has a tomatoey sauce, while Eastern North Carolina barbeques the whole hog and chops it all up together with a vinegar sauce. And, in South Carolina they have been known to make a “Carolina Gold” sauce that mixes yellow mustard, vinegar, brown sugar and other spices.

Makes me hungry just writing this.

TEXAS BBQ

Now, in Texas, it’s mostly beef brisket. Big slices of beef with charred ends and, for some, a little bit of savory fat and beef ribs. Yes, you can also get sausages and chopped pig and pork ribs and chicken, but brisket rules the day. From food trucks to brick and mortar establishments, barbeque is as ubiquitous as horns on steers, and if I did not have a devout fondness for Mexican cuisine, we would have eaten barbeque each day while we were recently in Austin, Texas.

BBQ styles in Texas:

In a state as large as Texas there’s several styles of barbequing.

In the Central Texas area of Austin where we stayed, the meat is rubbed with spices and cooked over indirect heat from oak or pecan wood. Sides like mac and cheese, cole slaw and pinto beans are available and grilled sausages make for a hearty, filling meal. Oh, and some sweet peach or apple cobblers round you all out! 

All served buffet style, you just have them fill your tray as you walk through the cavernous bbq halls that serve as restaurants.

In East Texas, the meat is cooked slowly over hickory wood until it “falls off the bone”!

In West Texas they use mesquite wood.

In South Texas the barbeque features thick as molasses BBQ sauces that keep the meat moist.

BLACK’S ROADTRIP

On one of our days in our recent trip to Austin, we decided to take a quick road trip to get our barbeque and drove to Lockhart Texas at the original Black’s Barbeque about 25 miles south east from our Hippy Haven AirBnB in Manchaca.

Black’s was founded in 1932 and is one of the oldest BBQ restaurants in Texas, and depending on the level of enthusiasm about discussing food rather than simply eating it, many say Black’s serves the best BBQ. In May 1997 Texas Monthly had Black’s slated as one of Texas’ top 50 barbeque restaurants. 

SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 13

Now, there are several franchises of Black’s Barbeque; we ate at one on Guadalupe Street in Austin the last time we were in Texas; but we decided to drive to the original location in Lockhart Texas to pick up some take-out barbeque to bring back home. (Currently you cannot eat inside because of COVID, although there were tables set up outside.) The 25-mile drive was quick along a 65-mph road. We could have taken the toll road at 85-mph, but I hate spending the extra money.

CALDWELL CTY TX
COURTHOUSE

Lockhart itself is a pretty, neat town with the beautiful Caldwell County Courthouse looming in the center square with several shops surrounding it. The Lockhart area has been used in several movies over the years, most recently the HBO series, The Leftovers, but we weren’t scouting locations and so you’re probably wondering why the lengthy drive even if gas is hovering around $1.50 in the area and we had a Jeep Cherokee as a rental. Isn’t the barbeque all the same?

No, we did not travel to this charming little town to stroll the grounds of the Courthouse, or to visit the Caldwell County Jail Museum or to check out a book at the oldest operating public library in Texas, the Dr. Eugene Clark library, erected in 1899. We came here because this town is, by State Senate Resolution No. 13, adopted in 2003, officially recognized as the Barbeque Capital of Texas.

You can read the resolution here: 

LOCKHART TEXAS IS THE BBQ CAPITAL OF TEXAS 

Yeah, it’s gimmicky and touristy, but Lockhart does boast four very well-respected barbeque places. Here are the four:

Black’s Barbeque 215 North Main Street

BLACK'S BBQ.

 Chisholm Trail Barbeque, 1323 S. Colorado

CHISHOLM TRAIL BBQ

Kreuz Market Barbeque 619 S. Colorado

KREUZ MARKET (PRONOUNCED KRITES)  

Smitty’s Market, 208 S. Commerce

SMITTY'S MARKET BBQ

To read more about each you can either go to their webpages or read what Lockhart says about these fine establishments. If you're not feeling the drive to Lockhart, there are other new locations of each place in different locales. Follow the websites.

LOCKHART TX OFFICAL WEBSITE

COME FOR THE BBQ LINGER OVER A BEER 

Sadly, we got to Lockhart too late in the day to explore this charming place and with the COVID we didn’t want to poke our heads into shops. After collecting our meal at Blacks, (we had ordered everything online beforehand), we parked near the courthouse and walked a block to have a quick beer at Load Off Fanny’s. 

Nothing on tap, but we had Karbach Brewery, out of Houston, Hopadilla IPA in cans as we sat for a while in their courtyard. Everyone here was respectful with mask wearing and every other table was sectioned off for proper distancing.

LOAD OFF FANNY'S 

KARBACH BREWING

TEXAS TRADITIONS

A LONG WEEKEND IN AUSTIN

Austin Texas is our destination for a long weekend. This part of the Lone Star State deviates from the rest of Texas. It is the state’s capital and a very liberal island in a vast unending sea of conservative views. Austin prides itself to be a counter culture haven and the copyrighted ad campaign for the city is “Keep Austin Weird”.

Despite the wayward and sometimes “look-at-me” antics of the wacky citizens, Austin is a great place to visit, but don’t worry, because of this pandemic we’re not cavorting along 6^th Street drinking shot after shot of tequila. Instead we’re in a little Airbnb cabin in the nearby town of Manchaca.  

It’s a funky, colorfully painted comfortable cabin, neat despite not having a lot of right angles in the structure and a just perfect location as Janet’s daughter lives nearby. The place does have indoor plumbing and corrugated metal forms the walls of the kitchenette. There’s a little courtyard with tables and in the middle there’s a little pond with koi that are sometimes harvested by racoons, and we were told not to be alarmed by prancing armadillos that have been known to scamper about.

GETTING HERE

The spread of COVID has slowed both in Texas and Pennsylvania as more and more people are respecting the virus and wearing face coverings as a precaution. Travel restrictions between these two states has been lifted with no necessary quarantine or lockdowns, so we thought it was safe to travel.

Originally, we had a direct flight from Philadelphia to Austin, but that got cancelled and we ended up having to fly through Charlotte and changing planes. Both flights were packed, but everyone complied with the necessary face coverings for this pandemic.

According to the U.S. Transportation Command, flying is pretty safe in this COVID era as the filtration system of the plane removes particles every 6 minutes, so the risk of transmission comes from just the people near to you and if everyone wears masks that risk drops. Wearing masks is a requirement to fly, so until this pandemic is miraculously controlled, it’s best to not buck the system. 

U.S. TRANSPORTATION COMMAND

THE FIRST STOP

Janet’s daughter has made a nice life for herself down here. She’s bought a house and has a job with a highly regarded cowboy bootmaker, Texas Traditions. Their celebrity clientele list is as long as the four year waiting list to get a pair of their boots made, and the starting cost of $3,000.00 is enough to keep me in sneakers.

We’ve been to Austin several times over the years and whenever we visit Lee Miller’s shop its with a bit of reverence knowing that the craftsmanship has been passed down for generations. 

After we picked up our rental car our first stop was to see everyone at the boot shop.

Here’s a great story about the boot making process.

HOW $3,000 COWBOY BOOTS ARE MADE

We’ve already had the tour, so it was just distant hugs and air kisses before we headed off to our hippy cabin in Manchaca.

 

THE PINNACLE AND THE PULPIT

DAY HIKING IN PENNSYLVANIA

Readers of this travel blog know that we are avid day hikers and not just because of this COVID pandemic limiting our choices for recreation. We really DO like to take hikes. 

In June your favorite traveling tandem drove to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee to hike there for a week, returning each day to our cabin aerie just outside of Pigeon Forge. Hikes there ranged from easy to moderately hard. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited NP in the United States and at times the trails were crowded. We were never really alone.

FITZWATER STATION

Another place we like to hike is along the Schuykill River Trail just outside of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. Pleasant and flat this easy trail is sided on one side by the river and the canal on the other. This too is a popular route and can be crowded at times, but often we stop for a well-deserved beer at Fitzwater Station and sit on their deck overlooking both the river and the canal. 

FITZWATER STATION

We also like to hike at Green Lane Park a few miles north from us. There are several, mostly easy, trails here that skirt the reservoir. During the warmer months, paddleboards, rowboats and kayaks can be rented here though there is no swimming allowed in the reservoir. This is a popular place for many hikers and it too can also get crowded.

GREEN LANE PARK

On the Appalachian Trail

These two trails are about 5-10 miles from the house and more of a suburban setting. Recently though we decided to drive about an hour away to Hamburg, Pennsylvania to hike along the Appalachian Trail. Parking is at the small Hamburg Water Treatment plant and we took a moderately difficult 9-mile loop, linking up with the Appalachian Trail in order to reach two popular vistas that give commanding views of the Pennsylvania Lehigh Valley countryside and surrounding ridges, The Pinnacle and The Pulpit.

Using two APS, All-Trails and The Hiking Project, which provide topographical maps of the trail, points out interesting features along the way and offers guidance to the trail-head on Reservoir Road, we reached the trail-head in a little more than an hour from our house. Despite the rural setting, the trail-head is a short distance from Interstate Route 78, and snippets of the highway can be seen from the Pulpit, the first of the outcroppings, offering incredible views along this stretch of the Appalachian Trail.

THE HIKING PROJECT

ALL TRAILS

Be aware that this is a popular day-hike. On weekends parking is at a premium and if interested it is best to go during a week day. We hiked on a Tuesday and we still passed plenty of other hikers.

From the plant the trail ascends steeply to meet up with the Appalachian Trail. We followed the trail north for a few miles and near the Pulpit outlook the trail becomes a rocky boulder field that you have to pick your way carefully along. I'd hate to do that with a full backpack.  

THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL or A.T.

 The Appalachian Trail extends for over 2,000 miles from Maine to Georgia. Although there are many thru-hikers who walk end-to-end, which takes 5-6 months, A.T. can be enjoyed by day hikers like ourselves. It is estimated that some 2 million people hike at least a portion of the trail yearly and according the Appalachian Trail Conservancy it is the longest hiking-only footpath in the world, meaning no bikes or motorized vehicles are allowed on the trail.

As a young man I used to park at an old YMCA camp in New Jersey and hike onto the Appalachian Trail nearby, pitch a tent and spend the night, but the thought of taking half a year out of my life to complete it has always seemed daunting (and not a lot of fun).

New Jersey has about 77 miles of Appalachian Trail when it crosses over from Pennsylvania at the Delaware Water Gap. Over 220 miles of the trail are in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, colloquially known as the Keystone State and it enters Maryland at the tiny border town of Pen Mar.

Passing through a total of fourteen states, the Appalachian Trail is part of the Triple Crown of Long-distant Hiking in the United States, which includes the Continental Divide and the Pacific Crest Trails.

Throughout its length the A.T. is marked by “white blazers”, rectangular splotches of white on trees and rocks. To reach the Appalachian Trail we had to follow similarly shaped “blue blazers” which are found all along the trail denoting side trips to shelters, viewpoints and parking areas. 

PULPIT OUTLOOK

It’s a fairly steep ascent to Pulpit Rock and near the end the trail is just a boulder field and we had to pick our way along from rock-to-rock, but this effort to reach the promontory is worth the effort. We sat for a long while gazing out into the Lehigh Valley, and the fall foliage was beautiful. Here and later at the Pinnacle vultures catching the up drafts soared past us at eye level. With my binoculars I was able to see the distant ribbon of the highway, but just below us and to our right was the Blue Rocks boulder field. We thought it was a stream at first, but it was a field of rocks that was hedged by deep woods, giving the appearance of a body of water from this distance.

PULPIT OUTLOOK WITH
BLUE ROCKS
IN THE DISTANCE

The Blue Rocks boulder field were formed by erosion of the nearby Blue Mountains, which rise in the distance. Extreme cold and thawing broke off parts of the mountain sending them tumbling downhill onto the still frozen ground. Water then washed away the soil preventing any vegetation growth. No trees or grass grows here and the boulder field really looks like a river.

The Pinnacle is another couple of miles along the trail and the promontory is a larger area. Finding a place to sit on the rocks we had lunch and admired the landscape, being careful to flinch every once in a while, so a vulture didn’t think we were a morsel. Dotted around this promontory were campsite fire places left by thru-hikers having spent the night. The approach to the Pinnacle is designated by a cairn of rocks.

THE PULPIT

Here the Appalachian Trail makes a 340 degree turn and the trail becomes an easy trail through the woods until we reached a large grassy field that is used as a helipad. There, we picked up the Furnace Creek Trail, marked by blue blazes, and headed downhill. The trail here is quiet and pleasant follows the creek and passes the reservoir before finally reaching the car.  

 

THE PINNACLE

THE PINNACLE

 

OUTSIDE IN

Here at VFH Central our favorite pastime is going out to eat and drink. Exotic locations and local haunts, anywhere with a primo beer menu or stunning views, or great happy hour prices on food would be our destination. Like oases in an unforgiving desert we can map out our progress in life by the bar stools we’ve warmed.

our favorite pastime

Sadly, this pandemic has not only taken its toll on our travels, but on all our activities closer to home. Although we can’t let this virus control our lives, we’re smart enough to know indoor activities can more readily spread COVID. So, indoor eating and drinking is out.

BEER HERE
Thankfully we live in a mecca for craft beer and many of the area establishments have created outdoor, socially distanced spaces, so with the warm weather we haven’t had to go thirsty.

Nearby Phoenixville, just five miles away from our place in Collegeville, has been compared to Asheville North Carolina as a beer destination, which is “heady” praise. 

ASHEVILLE NC BEER

Along the busy two-block stretch of Bridge Street in his former rust belt burg are several craft breweries and beer emporiums and a distillery. Some, like Iron Hill have been there forever, others like Stable 12, Crowded Castle and Conshohocken Brewing have opened in the last five years. A place like Root Down has two locations; the main beer hall in the center of town and a beer garden set up in conjunction with Uncle B’s BBQ at the far end of town.
UNCLE B'S BBQ PHOENIXVILLE

It’s a lively scene and remains so during this pandemic. Bridge Street is closed off from Thursday afternoon until Monday morning so the brewpubs and restaurants can set up tables in the street to allow open air dining and drinking and still have proper social distancing. One would be hard-pressed to have a drink at all the establishments along this relatively short stretch.

PHOENIXVILLE BREWERIES 

Also, there are several other craft breweries in the surrounding area. Places like Sly Fox (which is conveniently located in the same strip mall as my gym), Stick Man Brewery in Royersford, Tuned Up Brewery in Spring City are all very close, making this area of the world a little bit of heaven.  The craft beer scene in Pennsylvania is strong.

TROUBLES END?

Recently even Collegeville got a craft brewery. 

Previously we had to drive to one of the aforementioned brewpubs. Now we can just walk down the street to Troubles End Brewery. Although they had the great misfortune to first open their doors the week before the pandemic hit, they have kept their business afloat by offering superb take-out food and beer and with the warmer weather set up an outdoor eating area. Picnic tables are set up from their entrance all the way down to the Perkiomen Trail which is popular with runners and bikers.

Because of the pandemic they couldn’t brew beer for a time and were limited to 20 guest beers on tap and several more in cans and bottles. Last week they finally released their first brew called Sea Change. It’s a bitter, keeping with Troubles End honest approach to beer and not simply focusing on fruity Double IPAs, although Troubles End did carry cans of the rare Heady Topper from Vermont during the summer for you hop heads!

Troubles End has become a regular Saturday afternoon stop for us and we plan our day around their happy hour. It starts at 4 pm and it’s $2.00 off beers, excluding specials like Pliny the Elder (now on tap) or any canned beers. Coupled with good food like pickle-brine chicken wings or turkey burgers, Troubles End is worth the walk for us.

TROUBLES END BREWERY COLLEGEVILLE

So popular is the place that last week we went there after we had lunch at the Railroad Street Bar in nearby Linfield in their sunny courtyard. THAT place makes the greatest gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches and also boasts a fantastic array of beers. While at the RR we picked up one of their political signs for our meager front lawn.
RAILROAD STREET BAR

Perhaps Troubles End is aptly named and that a  vaccine and subsequent treatment will soon be found for the COVID. We are not sure what adjustments this local brewery and all the other area establishments will make as the colder weather creeps into the northeast, but never fear we will persevere and find a way to enjoy our lives and our favorite pastime. We may freeze our butts off, but we'll be out there....literally.

Thanks for reading. Be safe out there. 

WILDWOOD - AGAIN!

PANDEMIC TRAVEL
It may be a big world out there, but in today’s time of COVID there’s really no opportunity to see it. So, your favorite sexiest traveling duo has been staying closer to home than we normally would and when we do venture out, we carefully practice social distancing protocols, wearing masks while avoiding huge crowds, or even sparse crowds.

Janet looking safe

Sounds like a lot of thought and work just to relax I know, but the alternative is sitting at home with the shades drawn hoping no one comes to knock on the door.  And, although we are adventurous, we also want to be health conscious and there’s no sense tempting fate. Eventually this virus will be controlled, or defeated and there’s no need to be brazen and flaunt our “freedom” by shirking our responsibility to protect ourselves only to say “oops” if we get sick from the COVID.  Don’t like “oops”.
 
So, because of COVID we have repeated a destination, something we are loathe to do as it IS a big world out there and there is a lot to see. In September 2019 we traveled to Wildwood, NJ and returned there earlier this month. In both cases we went for a few days after Labor Day to enjoy the last vestiges of summer. September after Labor Day is a great time to visit the Jersey Shore. The weather is still great and most importantly the crowds are gone. 

Me being stupid

Last year a few days visiting Wildwood was an easy side jaunt during a frenetic year of traveling. In 2019 we had already been to the Florida Keys and England and Croatia and later we vacationed in The Bahamas. Getting to Wildwood is easy, a relatively short car ride and because it was after the season, the price of the condo we rented through AirBnB dropped.

SEE YOU IN SEPTEMBER  

This year the yen to travel remained and Wildwood proved to be the most viable destination, because we were now familiar with the area and it would be easier to avoid crowds. Plus, it was inexpensive! We rented the same condo and spent our days sitting on the beach, swimming in the ocean that was still protected by lifeguards, eating pizza and ice cream and going for long walks on the boardwalk. We were able to get out of the house, relax and think the world was normal again. But, we stayed far away from anyone else and while on the boardwalk we wore masks.

Of course, missing are the boardwalk attractions and rides shuttered down for the season including the Sightseeing Tramcar that tootles shoobies up and down the boardwalk periodically emitting a “Watch The Tram Car Please” warning. Over the years when she spoke about Wildwood, a place I had never been to previously, Janet would mimic the warning in a monotone nasally voice, which I thought was silly. But, this year we actually arrived the afternoon of Labor Day Monday and although the boardwalk and beach were far too crowded for us and we did not linger long, I did briefly get to see and hear that tram car trundle pass. We did not dare to ride it though. 

Here’s a FOUR HOUR LOOP of that Tram Car. I lasted 30 seconds…..

Our condo was cheap clean quiet and was just a block from the beach and we basically had the condo to ourselves. I think I would never want to visit here when the summer season is in full swing, regardless of a pandemic. 

WHITE'S FERRY, MARYLAND

A HIDDEN GEM

Dangerous deadly pandemic notwithstanding, I needed to get out of the house and so I decided to go on a road trip. Janet is away this week so sitting home alone was not an option. So, I settled on a distant destination she would not approve of and took the slowest route possible. With several bottles of water and a vat of iced-coffee, I drove from our middle-class garret in Collegeville, PA all the way to White’s Ferry on the Potomac River in Maryland. It’s about 160 miles just one way, and took me four hours to reach this last remaining working ferry on the Potomac. Janet would have been so pissed.

LAST OF ITS KIND

At one time there were 100 ferries servicing traffic between Maryland and Virginia. This last surviving ferry operates between Montgomery County, Maryland and Loudon County, Virginia, just north of Leesburg and has been in operation since the 1780’s, or before the United States won its independence from England.  It was called Conrad’s Ferry then and Virginia farmers used it to transport their produce and livestock to the markets of Washington D.C., about 35 miles southeast. After the Civil War a Confederate Colonel, Elijah V. White purchased the ferry and named his one ferry boat after his commanding General, Jubal Anderson Early.

 

WHITE'S FERRY WITH OLD NAME

Today White’s Ferry makes the 300-yard crossing of the Potomac catering mostly to cars. Many are commuters hoping to avoid thick traffic on the Capital Beltway, or going north to cross the Potomac at the Point of Rocks Bridge. It’s definitely a commuter route, because in the nearby town of Poolesville there were traffic cameras taking pictures of speeders. It costs $5.00 cash to cross with your car, $8.00 roundtrip. Motorcycles are $3.00. Bicyclists are charged $2.00 and pedestrians a buck. The ferry is capable of transporting up to 24 cars at a time and operates from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. 365 days a year, unless the river’s too high or filled with too much debris.

 

ONE OF SEVERAL HORSE FARMS
IN THIS PART OF MARYLAND

This area of Montgomery County Maryland is idyllic. The approach to White’s Ferry passes several horse farms and the 185-mile C&O canal goes past the area and the towpath is a welcoming hike and bike trail that goes all the way to the capital. There is amble parking for the canal and also White’s Ferry Store & Grill which serves great food at reasonable prices. There’s an outdoor seating area at the restaurant as well as a vast open area with more picnic tables for the general public. There is also a boat ramp alongside the ferry ramp for personal watercraft. When I visited the area on a blisteringly hot day there was a family picnicking in the shade of trees while several kids flounced in the Potomac as the ferry plied the waters back and forth, all of which seemed pastoral and pleasant and not at all overly dramatic despite recent events, which was the real reason I went on this ridiculously long car ride.

WHITE'S FERRY STORE AND GRILL

CHESAPEAKE & OHIO CANAL

FERRY WITH NEW NAME

CANCEL CULTURE v THE LOST CAUSE

White’s Ferry has been owned by the Brown family since the mid-40’s and they are quite proud of maintaining this slice of American history, but recently remembrance of that history had to be altered. When Elijah White purchased the ferry after the Civil War, he named the boat after his commanding General and from then up until June of this year the ferry carried the name of his beloved leader and avowed white supremacist Gen. Jubal A. Early on a banner stretched over the top of the ferry.

Early was a successful Confederate officer, but after the Army of Northern Virginia surrendered to the Union, he fled to Texas hoping to continue the war with whatever Confederate Army he could muster, with no success. He took pride in being an “unreconstructed rebel” even after being pardoned by President Andrew Johnson and was quite vocal in justifying the Confederate cause for secession from the Union. His attitude and others furthered the idea that the Confederate cause was heroic and noble, that slavery was just and moral because it led to economic prosperity and the men of the south were chivalrous and the northern aggressors were destroying a southern way of living.

PEDESTAL IN THE BACKGROUND

It has come to be known as “the Lost Cause.” In a sense, it is as if history was being written not by the winners, but the losers..

In June of this year the name “Gen. Jubal A. Early” was removed at White’s Ferry with a similar looking banner that reads, “Historic White’s Ferry,” instead. 

REMAINING PEDESTAL

The Lost Cause movement also inspired the construction of many Southern memorials. These statues and edifices also served as reminders of the horrors African Americans suffered from years of slavery and Jim Crow laws. One such reminder was recently torn down at White’s Ferry.

In 2017 a statue of a young Confederate soldier that had stood outside the court house in Rockville, Maryland for decades was defaced with “BLM” graffiti and was subsequently removed to the private land of White’s Ferry. The statue had been commissioned by the United Daughters of the Confederacy in 1913 and meant to commemorate Confederate soldiers from Montgomery County, Maryland, was given to the patriarch of the White’s Ferry, R. Edwin Brown.

Maryland never seceded from the Union, although it was a slave holding state until 1864, Soldiers from Maryland fought for both sides, a fact I had not known previously. 

The statue stood on a pedestal that read: “To our heroes of Montgomery Co., Maryland, That We Through Life May Not Forget To Love The Thin Gray Line.” The statue was a symbol of history, and of hatred, of sacrifice, and of slavery, and with the current growing backlash against such reminders of man’s racist cruelty, it was defaced again and toppled on June 16. Edwin Brown died this past January and the family had the statue removed to storage, although the pedestal remains, fenced off from further damage.

When the statue arrived in 2017 the Brown family was negotiating with local historians to create interpretive panels about the history of White’s Ferry and how statues of the Confederate soldier were sometimes erected with the explicit purpose of to intimidate and reinforce white supremacist ideas. Now, with just the pedestal remaining the future of the historic panels is in question.  

In the blistering heat of mid-day, it was easy to see the swirl of history and hatred. It was good to know the story behind this place and to realize how there can be underlying even glaring animosity in the symbolism. It is a complicated history.  

  

Here is a good recent article about The Lost Cause.

THE LOST CAUSE

COME FOR…

Whether you’re coming to White’s Ferry to experience a bit of history, or take the ferry like a mini-amusement ride, or to hike the C&O Canal, or eat a great lunch at White’s Grill, or flounce a bit in the Potomac, this is a great destination, even if it’s a long long drive.

VIEW OF SUGARLOAF MT, MD

…SUGARLOAF MOUNTAIN

But, wait, there’s more!

A short drive from the ferry is Sugarloaf Mountain, a privately owned scenic park designated as a National Natural Landmark. Reminding early settlers of the shape of loaf of sugar rising from the surrounding farmlands, this popular tourist attraction has great hiking and seasonal horseback and biking trails. It’s free, but the park is on privately held land and a donation is encouraged.

SUGARLOAF MOUNTAIN MARYLAND

But, given the distance I had already traveled, I had no time to explore Sugarloaf Mountain, but was able to stop by Sugarloaf Mountain Winery. The winery has several respectable wines and a pastoral setting to sit and enjoy. I dared not linger over a glass and instead purchased a bottle for home.

SUGARLOAF MOUNTAIN WINERY

ASK A STUPID QUESTION

Okay, so far reader right about now you’re asking me how does it take four hours to drive 160 miles?

I took back roads and county roads from Collegeville to White’s Ferry. I took County Route 372 to cross over the mighty Susquehanna River and picked my way along tertiary roads and finally crossed the Mason Dixon Line in appropriately named Lineboro, Maryland and finally got on Route 27 for a good way until directions had me weaving along local roads before I found White’s Ferry… 

Yep, Janet would have been pissed.