Day 6: Unexpected Events on the C&O Towpath (don’t worry - we’re fine!)

Our night at the chicken coop behind the bike shop turned out to be great fun.  We met a lot of fellow bikers and hikers.  We enjoyed bourbon and sat around a fire pit until we were rained out and turned in for the night.

We got up early, packed up, said our goodbyes and headed to the Potomac River Grill for a hearty breakfast. 

We continue to meet really friendly people along the way, and our host at the diner was a sweet old guy who really wanted us to eat more!

Our plan today was to ride about 30-35 miles (just south of Williamsport MD) and camp at a Hiker/Biker Campground.

We took our time along the trail, stopping at all the locks and landmarks.

This area is so steeped in Revolutionary and Civil War history and you see informational signs at every turn of the towpath.

Bob sporting his new bike jersey specifically for bikers that go from Pittsburgh to DC.

This historic canal house hosts bikers overnight. Looks like fun! Maybe next time.

We pass old lock houses, pump houses and mule feeding structures all along the route.

We planned to stop at Williamsport for lunch before continuing along the towpath to our campsite.  As we crossed the last bridge coming into Williamsport, we were met by 6 heavily armed tactical officers crossing in the opposite direction. (think machine guns, bulletproof vests, etc)

We turned to watch them, thinking that maybe they were conducting an exercise. They didn't say anything to us and SURELY they would have said something if there was a problem.

We stopped to read another informational sign when someone from across the canal got our attention. It was another policeman who had stopped, and this one told us to get off the canal and get into town ASAP!  We quickly obliged and took cover in the nearest bar we could find.

As we were locking up our bikes, a policeman approached, showed us a photo of a guy and asked if we’d seen him on the tow path. We didn't recognize him.

Once we were settled at the bar, we learned that the guy in the photo was a homicide suspect who was on the loose around the towpath.  They had just found his car parked very near our path.  We hung out in the bar with locals who were following the news.   

We watched Ohio beat Penn State while we were hunkered down. We declined to be interviewed by local news when a camera crew came into the bar.

Rather than continuing on the towpath to our campsite tonight, we’ve decided to book a B&B and stay in Williamsport.

After settling into our really great B&B, we hoped to explore a visitor’s center and museum, but it had become the impromptu headquarters for the ensuing manhunt… so we walked to a brewery and continued to hunker down with beer and pizza!

Hot dill pickle wood fired pizza. So good! (Cory and Dena, we have a new recipe to try in your pizza oven!)

We're making the most of our unexpected stay in Williamsport. Sorry we're not able to camp tonight, but we'd definitely be on edge with a suspect on the loose in the area.

For now, the public is being asked to stay off the tow path. We're hoping all this clears up so we can press on tomorrow!