A visit to western Maryland
We’re finished with the family visits after 5 days in Cumberland, MD with Susan’s Mom. We went exploring and found the Great Allegheny Passage and used it for 2 days of walks. It’s a biking/walking trail that runs from Pittsburgh to Cumberland, following a rail line. Walking in 2 different directions, we found the Brush Rail Tunnel and the Cumberland Bone Caves where prehistoric bones were found about 100 years ago.

Western Maryland is full of eastern mountains – highest point is about 1600 feet. It’s very green and full of trees.

Some wild mushrooms we found along the Great Allegheny Passage

Mark at the start of our walk on the Great Allegheny Passage. We didn’t walk all the way to Frostburg!
On 9/10 we drove over to Shanksville, PA to visit the Flight 93 9/11 Memorial. It’s a very quiet, peaceful place and very moving. I needed a few tissues as we toured the Visitor Center and walked down to the Memorial Plaza where there’s a huge panel for each of the 40 victims.

Looking down on the Flight 93 Memorial Plaza from the Visitor Center.

Visitor Center of the Flight 93 Memorial