Today we start a month that we are devoting to the state of Maryland. We start by visiting the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, in Potomac, Maryland. This is a trip we consider worth renting a car for. Also, be sure to check out the web site - they have a great wealth of information. Remember that the ticket to this park is also good at Great Falls in Virginia, so you might want to also check out our Great Falls, Virginia episode.

We rush to get on a canal boat ride - one of the last of the season - but miss by seconds. Nonetheless, Julie and Mark take you there to watch the locks work and move the canal boat into the canal. (5:13)

We play Old Tom's Restless Bones by St. Mary's County Maryland artist David Norris. This music comes to you courtesy of Garageband.com. (11:32)

Julie talks about the history of the C and O Canal, and of the canals in the Washington area. (14:51)

We begin walking down the canal to Lock 19, and walk along the towpath, while Julie tells a tragic story just a tad late for Halloween - the story of the death of the Spong children on September 11, 1916. (19:25)

We visit the fragile ecosystem on Olmstead Island, and walk on the boardwalks out to Great Falls, where we walk all the way out to the falls from the Maryland side. (23:07)

We continue almost all the way to Lock 16, where the Billy Goat Trailhead is. Julie remembers visiting the Billy Goat Trail many years ago, but today we turn around and return to the tavern. (29:50)

We return to the tavern and Mark communes with his own kind - the mules. This ends our visit to C and O Canal National Historical Park. (32:39)

Our Theme Music is Garden Walk by Kim Evans and our walking music today was from Find Me by H. Logo design is by Kathleen Hamm at Hamm Multimedia.

Take the tour with us! Check out the beautiful Fall colors at the canal on our C and O Canal Photo Album.