Day Trip To Harper's Ferry

This small town is odd in the way it juxtaposes national historical monuments and private homes and businesses. The shops offer a wide range of wares, from the kitschy to the artistic. A few local restaurants offer cozy indoor and open-air dining; a bistro, a couple of pubs, and a family sandwich counter. You'll find plenty of historic displays, and the National Park Service runs most of these, so you can get a good guided tour from a park ranger if you please.

The Catholic church high atop the hill features a stunning replica of an Italian crucifix. Because the body is painted using stains from the Shroud of Turin, the final result is very bloody, and it's quite unique.

Quick Tips:

Wear comfortable shoes, and plan on hiking. The town is built on the side of a STEEP hill.

Best Way To Get Around:

You'll definitely want to park at the National Park Service lot and take the shuttle into town. Although there is a parking lot in town, it fills very quickly, and you could find yourself wasting your first hour there just looking for parking.

This church has been on my list of places to go for years - just because of the crucifix. It's a replica of one from the Vatican, and as far as I've heard, the only one likes it on this continent. A guide at the church told us that the first artist commissioned to paint the body refused once she saw the amount of blood the design required. The design, however, is reportedly taken from stains on the Shroud of Turin, and these marks are said to follow historic record of lashings and crucifixion. I only recommend visiting the site, or even looking at the photos, for mature teens and adults.