3 hrs 6.1 kms
Day Totals 12 hrs, 24 .1 kms

I continue on the east. I pause at an old house turned visitor's center, where an older volunteer park worker is eager for a chat. He tells me about how, people like the residents of this house lost their harvest and suffered after the war--eventually having their house repossed.

"People in these parts were simple farmers--they had no interest in politics or the war. Many of them were plain folks (Mennonites) who were pacifists... but they paid a high price"

We go on to talk about the modern day. His daughter (whose husband is in the foreign service) was just evacuated from Liberia due to the risk of Ebola... Nice to meet an American who travels and knows about what's going on in the rest of the world! Definitely counts as an "interesting encounter"...

I continue on, pausing for a ritual swim in Antietem Creek, then on to explore the one street town of Keedysville. This town does have a cohesive community feel, with its churches, houses with porches next to the street and 3 parks... but no shops of any sort...

And with that, I head on down the road to Boonesboro, where I call it a day.