George
| I left you on the C & O Canal
which is presently closed until spring of next year due
to massive flooding from hurricane Fran. From the canal I
rode over hill and dale to the Civil War battlefield of
Gettysburg. Even though there are lots of tourists and
faculties for visitors the National Park Service does a
good job of showing you how the battle was fought and the
strategies used by both sides. Most of this knowledge
comes from different soldiers journals that have been
found over the years. From Gettysburg my route took me
east through Pennsylvania Dutch country. Beautiful
rolling hill country with large white houses and barns.
The Amish grow corn for their dairy cows and tobacco for
sale. Tobacco seems like a unlikely crop for them since
smoking is not something they believe in but it grows
well and brings in money. I met an Amish family one
morning and they invited me to stay with them for a
couple of days to help and learn their ways. A neat
family that works very long hours by there traditional
ways. With no electricity or tractors every thing they do
takes twice as long. I asked why they don't use motor
powered equipment since they have to compete with farmers
that do. Their answer was because it is against their
beliefs to become too modern. The five kids in this
family (age 1 to 8) were well mannered and all had jobs
to do all day long. My stay with this family was a
pleasant learning experience for all of us. My visit to
my birth place, Wilmington, De, brought back some sad
memories of my Dads death last year, and some fun visits
with my Aunts and Cousins. Life in this part of the US is
very busy for everyone with lots of traffic. It is not a
community that I would care to be a part of anymore.
Presently I am in Easton, Md, the birth place of my
Mother in 1908. I've arranged, with one of my cousins, to
stay in a vacant family home for ten days while I do day
trips around the area. Easton is on the Eastern Shore of
the Chesapeake Bay. The area is quiet without all the
hustle and bussel of a big city. Tributaries off the Bay
makes for lots of water front properties and boat basins.
The roads are traffic free and no hills. With all the
water and boat docks there is always something new to
look at and interesting people to talk with. One of the
best parts is the food. The famous blue crab, oysters,
and clams have become part of my daily diet. To
complement these seafood delicacies are great vine
ripened tomatoes and corn on the cob. It is a good thing
I ride to different places everyday or I would weigh an
additional 10 pounds during my stay here. The other day I
found a sail boat that I fell in love with. It is one
that is capable of sailing around the world. I read in a
World Cruise magazine about a family that spent 2 years
in the Mediterranean just visiting the ports and islands
of Europe, Middle-east, and Africa. I was ready to lay
down a down payment, after that article, but held back
until I at least learn how to sail. If you need a ride to
Fiji in a couple of years let me know. On to Crisfield
where I'll cross the Bay by ferry to Virginia.... George |
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| Last Updated: 1-18-98 By: Ted Handel |
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