No Time for Bull****

It's been nearly two months of trolling around northern New York and Western Vermont with the added pleasure of socializing with friends and family in my comfort zone.  To add to this experience, I planned travel with a friend for a week including a full day of driving from Saratoga Springs to Smithsburg, Maryland.  This is an interesting experience in two cars when one person drives maniacally and the other drives the speed limit. Don't take me there.

So yes, a week in Smithsburg: one square mile with a population of 2,978. Incorporated in 1846, Smithsburg acted as a hospital town during the American Civil War in 1862, treating wounded soldiers from nearby battles at South Mountain and Antietam. Ah, the hook -- this location was chosen for its interesting Airbnb option but also its proximity to Frederick, Harpers Ferry and Antietam. 

We stayed in a private 2-bedroom apartment in an Appalachian farmhouse upstairs from a young Mennonite family and their two delightful children. The dad grew up here with his 6 siblings when it was a traditional dairy farm; but at 18, he and his cousin started the Triple-Hil Sires bull stud business. It's a successful business but we also enjoyed the cows, sheep, and 8 of the cutest lab pups that came in pairs of gold, brown and black. The farm stay was its own wonderful experience with the smell of hay in the morning breeze ingrained in my sensory bank. 

With one day in town on each end, it was a busy itinerary as we fit in full days at viewpoints on Catoctin Mountain enroute to Frederick (where Lee crossed the Potomac and the Union forces arrived on 9/12), a complete tour of Harpers Ferry (where the siege occurred on 9/14), and a day along the Antietam Battlefield (where the battle began at dawn on 9/17).  Too many stories to tell, but of course, many photos exist!