Rushford to Martinsburg

Rushford NY to Martinsburg, WV
(425 miles 9 hours)

Leaving the cottage with the top down and the heater on started the day well, but the start of the Grand Army of the Republic Highway coincided with the rain which was a shame. Temps dropped to 48F in the drizzle. The town of Towanda had huge grand houses lining the approach road with a very French architectural style.

We detoured off to French Azilum, a town created for the Parisian aristocrats escaping the French Revolution in 1793. The name originated from the word “asylum”. It was a grand idea doomed to a short life. The founders went bankrupt and the French immigrants dispersed to other towns, but it was interesting to see what remained (photo).

From there we continued through Pennsylvania’s ex-mining country. After Scranton we took the 81 South which had all the things we hate – a busy road, trucks galore, drizzle and slag heaps, mostly now covered in trees. History is clearly told here by the town’s names – Factoryville, Minersville and Mechanicsburg.

We crossed into Maryland, our 11th state so far, then down to Martinsburg, West Virginia (slogan ‘Wild and Wonderful’) which is only 50 miles from Washington DC, but that treat remains for another trip.