Today I got to take a group of young historians to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, one of those places on the short list of “famous” American small towns. Harpers Ferry really has a lot going for it: history, nature, politics, adventure. Hard to believe the same little town has two rivers, two canals, three states (sort of), several rail lines, the Appalachian Trail, and, oh yeah, site of one of the most deadly civilian uprisings in American history.

If you’ve never been to Harpers Ferry I recommend it, even if you care nothing about history and politics. The AT and the nearby C&O Canal Towpath give a close-up view of both nature and an old-timey downtown, again, touching each other as is not often witnessed.

The point pictured above is known as Jefferson’s Rock, from which one can see the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. When visiting in 1783 (20 years before Meriwether Lewis gathered provisions here, met up with Clark, and started his trek west, and nearly 80 years before John Brown’s raid), Jefferson called the scene “worth a voyage across the Atlantic.”

Most people make a habit of disparaging all people and things West Virginia. I think West Virginia might be our most underrated state. Hillbillies and moonshine? Remember, during the Civil War, they were the enlightened ones.