Shawn Rearden never saw himself as a leader but concludes his military service brought that out in him. “A few years ago, I had an evaluation and my manager at the time said you know that you’re one of the people in the OR that’s really looked up to as a leader, and I was like ‘really, why?’ I didn’t understand it—I’d never seen myself as that type of person.”
Rearden knows he wouldn’t be where he is today without his time in the service. He is a Surgical First Assistant at Frederick Health, and he’s working towards his nursing degree, on schedule to achieve that in December 2023. Rearden has been married to his wife Jen for 15 years and has a 12-year-old daughter, Molly. The Reardens make their home in Adamstown near Point of Rocks.
He enlisted in the Navy at 18 after four years of Army ROTC in high school and served for seven and a half years. The Navy was a no-brainer for Rearden as both his father and grandfather served in that branch. It also didn’t hurt that the Navy offered some of the best medical training available. As with many young men, military service offered a career path, a way to pay for college through the Gi Bill and a way to get out of his small town.
Rearden misses the structure and camaraderie at times but doesn’t feel like he particularly needed the structure at 18. He understands, however, that many young people do. “It’s not for everyone. If you have a problem with authority, you’re not going to do well. But if you can suck up your pride and realize they are breaking you down to rebuild you in a way that will make you productive then they’ll bring out the best in you. They definitely brought out the best in me.”
Rearden’s seamless transition from military to civilian life serves as a guide for others about to leave the service. He says it is important to get training that you can translate to civilian life. “Make sure you get some kind of certification that you can use when you get out. For me, Naval Hospital Corps School was basically the first semester of nursing school.” In fact, the training is so good that employers take notice right away. For his first job after leaving the military, Rearden said the hiring manager quipped “Maybe I should interview you. No, I’m going to hire you anyway. What shift do you want to work?”
Name: Shawn Rearden Current Age: 40 Hometown: Sunbury, PA Years of Service: 7.5 Branch: Navy Rank when left service: Petty Officer 3rd Class (HM3)
Oil up your chain, inflate your tires, and, if you are anywhere in Maryland, head out with your bike onto the historic C&O Canal. My wife and I completed the entire stretch in 10 easy trips. We’ll tell you how we did it further below. But first, about the canal.
This 19th century engineering marvel was transformed in the 1950’s into the longest and thinnest U.S. national historic park. In most areas it is only about 50 feet wide but meanders for 184 gorgeous miles from the mouth of Rock Creek Park in Georgetown to the rugged hills of Cumberland. Frederick is conveniently located about half way along the canal.
C&O Canal Historic Park meanders 184 beautiful miles from Georgetown to Cumberland, MD.
Originally designed to carry coal, lumber, grain, and hay from coastal towns inland, helping to open up the western frontier, the canal today preserves history and promotes recreation. The canal towpath was originally used by mules and their handlers to pull the canal boats through the still water but now is a well-maintained biking, hiking, and running trail. It parallels the Potomac River for its entire length and is mostly in sight of this peaceful river that outlines Maryland’s southern border.
Riding west to east on the canal has the advantage of a slight downhill grade, and you’ll want to take advantage of that. You won’t notice it much except at each of the 75 locks, which were used to raise and lower boats according to the change in elevation along the route. During your trip, you’ll descend only 605 feet from Cumberland to near sea level in Georgetown, but every little bit helps.
The following itinerary is the one we followed and is designed for biking novices or families of all types. For time estimates, figure on averaging about 7 miles per hour, which is very easy pedaling.
Day 1: 26 miles – Cumberland to Paw Paw, WV The beautiful jumping off spot at the western terminus in historic Cumberland at mile marker 184 features a spotless Fairfield Inn right on the canal, an historic canal boat replica, lots of restaurants for good, cheap eats, the Cumberland Visitor Center with interesting exhibits on the B&O Railroad, National Road, and canal, and a downtown walking area. Bike along to Oldtown, just 10 miles away, and have lunch at the town’s former elementary school, which is just off the trail. Continue on another 16 miles to mile marker 158 and the historic Paw Paw Tunnel. The small town of Paw Paw, West Virginia, named after the abundant fruit tree in the area, is just across the Potomac River and features a hotel, some restaurants, and a camping area.
Lock #75 near Cumberland, MD displays 19th century engineering at its best.
Day 2: 17 miles – Paw Paw to Little Orleans Departing from the Paw Paw Tunnel, which is over 3,000 feet long and built to bypass the Paw Paw Bends, a six-mile stretch on the Potomac River with five horseshoe-shaped bends, ride 17 miles on the most secluded part of the trail to the tiny hamlet of Little Orleans and mile marker 141. Make sure to have a good working flashlight with you as the Paw Paw Tunnel is not well lit. This part of the trail passes through Green Ridge State Forest. If you go on a weekday, chances are you will see no other riders. Little Orleans features camping and the terrific Oak Barrell Cafe, with easy access to I-70 and Route 40. Ask for the “Kickin’ Chicken” at Oak Barrell.
3,000-foot long Paw Paw Tunnel shaved six miles off canal trips in its day.
Day 3: 16 miles – Little Orleans, MD to Hancock, MD Depart Little Orleans and bike 16 miles to Hancock, a charming little town in Washington County that sits in the shadow of nearby Sideling Hill. In Hancock have lunch or dinner at Buddy Lou’s, a local institution right on the trail that caters to locals and riders alike. Get the pecan, blue cheese, and strawberry salad and browse their fine collection of antiques. This leg of the trail features two scenic aqueducts: Sideling Hill Creek and Cacapon Junction. Be sure to visit the Hancock Visitor Center for a nice respite. Hotels are also available.
C&O Canal Historical Park in Hancock is one of many welcome respites along the way.
Day 4: 13 miles – Hancock, MD to Big Pool, MD Depart Hancock and travel 13 miles to Fort Frederick State Park near Big Pool in Washington County. Along the way, enjoy Little Pool and Licking Creek Aqueducts, both featuring camping, snacks and other amenities. Fort Frederick State Park right on the canal at Big Pool is worth an extended tour. There, you’ll see the unique stone fort that served as Maryland’s frontier defense during the French and Indian War. Built in 1756, the fort’s stone wall and two barracks have been restored to their 1758 appearance. The park’s campground, picnic area, snack bar, playground, shelter, some public restrooms and all trails are now open.
Top-notch amenities are offered at Fort Frederick State Park in Big Pool, MD.
Day 5: 12 miles – Big Pool to Williamsport Depart Fort Frederick State Park at Big Pool and bike 12 miles to the small town of Williamsport, just south of Hagerstown. Bypass several scenic dams and locks along the way. Take some time at the Williamsport Visitor Center and nearby Cushwa Warehouse to take in some canal history. Have lunch or dinner at Tony’s Pizza and Italian Restaurant, just two blocks off the canal. Red Roof Inn is not too far away if you need overnight accommodations.
Historic Cushwa Warehouse in Williamsport, MD offers canal boat rides.
Day 6: 26 miles – Williamsport to Shepherdstown, WV Depart Williamsport and ride 26 miles to Shepherdstown, West Virginia. This stretch of the canal features many camping options, including Cumberland Valley, Opequon Junction and Horseshoe Bend. For sight-seeing, Killiansburg Cave is along the way. In Shepherdstown, excellent overnight accommodations and a great German meal await you at the well-known Bavarian Inn.
Day 7: 19 miles – Shepherdstown, WV to Brunswick, MD Depart Shepherdstown and bike 19 miles to historic Brunswick. About halfway to Brunswick, which is home to another canal visitor center and former hub for the B&O Railroad, you’ll pass by Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, home to its namesake national historic park dedicated to John Brown’s unsuccessful raid on the federal armory during the Civil War. It is well worth your time to cross the newly reopened pedestrian bridge over the Potomac River into Harpers Ferry to take in the history and grab a nice lunch at one of its many cozy eateries. The Appalachian Trail and Shenandoah River intersect the canal at this point so the townsfolk are well versed in serving sweaty travelers on foot, bike, or boat. Brunswick, too, features several nice restaurants and hotels.
High above historic Harpers Ferry WV, which sits at the intersection of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, Appalachian Trail, and C&O Canal.
Day 8: 12 miles – Brunswick, MD to Dickerson, MD Depart Brunswick and bike 12 miles to the Monocacy River Aqueduct near Dickerson in southern Frederick County. Along the way, enjoy the Catoctin Creek Aqueduct, Bald Eagle Island (where you might spy one its famous namesake inhabitants) and Calico Rocks and Indian Flats for camping and boating. At the Monocacy River Aqueduct, bike another few miles inland to the venerable Dickerson Market for lunch or dinner. Their giant beef hot dogs are worth the visit.
Day 9: 20 miles – Dickerson, MD to Seneca Creek Aqueduct Depart Monocacy River Aqueduct near Dickerson and travel 20 miles to Seneca Creek Aqueduct in Montgomery County. This stretch of the canal passes by Whites Ferry, which is a working, hand-operated toll ferry crossing the Potomac River to nearby Leesburg, Virginia. It is well worth the time to make this crossing and either grab a bite in Leesburg or at the Whites Ferry Tavern.
Great Falls on the Potomac River turns the river from docile to ferocious very quickly.
Day 10: 23 miles – Seneca Creek Aqueduct to Georgetown Depart Seneca Creek Aqueduct and travel 10 easy miles to Angler’s Inn near ritzy Potomac in Montgomery County. The highlight of this leg is Great Falls Park, home to the white-water portion of the Potomac River, Billy Goat hiking trail, canal boat rides, and numerous scenic overlooks. Carve out some time for the Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center, which explores more history of the canal and local area. Don’t miss lunch at the charming Old Angler’s Inn just off the trail. Try their gourmet burger on their beautiful patio.
After lunch,continue on another 13 miles to mile marker 0 in Georgetown. This scenic and urbanized stretch features camping and boating at Carderock, the Clara Barton National Historic Site, charming Glen Echo Park and Fletcher’s Boathouse. Have dinner at Il Canale along the canal on 31st Street in DC. Finish your adventure with pictures and high fives at the Georgetown Visitor Center.
Gary and Ellen Bennett after completing their 10-trip, 184-mile trek at the mouth of Rock Creek Park in Georgetown.
If you agree with me that we could all use a little more courtesy in our lives, then we are indeed fortunate to have right in our midst a bridge that reminds us every day to be just that: courteous.
Frederick’s iconic “Courtesy Bridge” is the one-lane bridge situated on Shookstown Road just to the west of Rosemont Avenue, spanning an unassuming section of Carroll Creek just before it winds itself toward downtown Frederick and fame as the main attraction in Maryland’s second largest city. While many larger bridges are named after politicians or fallen service members, this humble bridge sports a sign at either end designating it the symbol of this noble human trait that may have seen better days.
One-lane bridges aren’t unique to Frederick County or any other country setting, for that matter. Frederick County has more than its share sprinkled throughout. What makes this one-lane bridge unique is its location. It is smack dab in the middle of Frederick city, connecting the city’s western “Golden Mile” area with Baker Park and its central business district. As you come upon the bridge, it appears to be in a rural section of Frederick, but nothing could be further from the truth. The bridge is just yards away from banks, restaurants, nursing homes, and an imposing Sheetz convenience store.
If you have traveled Shookstown Road, you know the bridge has a long history of people alternating the direction of travel; you go first, then the other side comes across. In this day and age, you might think this is a recipe for disaster. If it is, I haven’t seen it. I estimate I have traversed this bridge over 500 times in my 35 years in Frederick without incident, accident, or even undue delay.
And it’s not just me. According to city police, accidents and incidents at the bridge are exceedingly rare. There have been no documented accidents the last 10 years. It helps that the sight lines are very good. You can see opposing vehicles from over 1,000 feet away. The courtesy signs also help. But we citizens should take some credit, too. Frederick is mostly a polite, progressive city and we show that every day with how we conduct ourselves.
The bridge was built in 1911 when Frederick was a much smaller city and refurbished in 1988. As the city grew, however, engineers did not feel a burning need to enlarge the bridge. In the last few years, however, nearby road improvements have taken some of the traffic load away from the bridge. Still, the bridge successfully handles about 2,100 trips per day according to Frederick’s Street Maintenance Dept.
Things aren’t always courteous on the bridge, of course. Occasionally, manners do go missing. There have been sporadic reports of stare-downs in the middle of the bridge and, on at least one occasion, police were summoned to de-escalate a situation where neither car would budge from the bridge, causing a traffic backup that forced unlucky fellow motorists to have to back up and find another route to their destinations. Driver impairment played a part in this incident.
But consensus holds that these instances are the exception. Residents of the homes lining Shookstown Road near the bridge generally have good things to say. Ariah Holland, who is a frequent walker over the bridge since a sidewalk was added a few years back, appreciates friendly waves from passing motorists. David Maloney, who has lived in his home just yards from the bridge for over 40 years can recall no major problems because of the narrow passage but blames the few accidents he is aware of on speed. “It’s generally understood that you wait your turn although some people still fly if they see the bridge is open.” Phil Pople, who has lived in the area for 25 years, finds the bridge charming and quaint and can recall no serious issues. He does appreciate that recent improvements to nearby roads have decreased traffic on the bridge enough that it is now easy for him to turn into his driveway.
It’s true that we are in fact forced to be courteous at the bridge to some extent in order to minimize the risk of a head on collision. As I recently sat behind a short line of cars waiting to take my turn on the bridge, I got to thinking about forced courtesy. Certainly, it would be better if we could just be courteous on our own, but I suppose being forced to be courteous is better than nothing. So, Frederick, join me at the Courtesy Bridge for a moment of Zen and a friendly wave at your fellow motorists. And don’t forget to take advantage of this rare opportunity to be recognized for your courtesy.
“Well, I guess we’re all in this together,“ I said to the woman I was eyeball to eyeball with on Metro. I’ve lived in Frederick for 30 years and worked in the District, Northern Virginia, or Baltimore the entire time.
As a dedicated transit rider, I’m well versed in the sardine effect that takes place on so many Metro trips and the etiquette required to get through them. I’m sure you’ve experienced this, too. Many times I’ve been so uncomfortably close to someone else on Metro all I could do was smile and try to relieve the tension. You can’t just remain silent; that seems wrong. “I feel like I should at least buy you dinner or get your phone number,” I said to one woman older than I. She sighed and agreed. You’d be surprised at the kinship of the downtrodden.
I’ve seen
numerous perplexing events during my 30 years of commuting and been party to
more than I’d like to admit. There was the time I was asked by a male stranger
if I would like to have my portrait done. Now, you don’t get that kind of offer
every day but somehow it didn’t seem too unusual on Metro. I didn’t see any paints or photography equipment,
but the man did seem to be relatively sane and earnest enough. After some quick
calculations though, I politely declined.
He moved on to someone else.
After I relayed this story to my wife, she assured me that I had been
propositioned. The more I think about it, I guess she was right. But then I’ve always been pretty oblivious to
matters of the heart.
Occasionally, to get a little exercise, I will walk an extra 10 or 12 blocks to pick up Metro a couple of stops from my usual one. One day it was a little warmer than I thought, and I walked a little faster than I should have, so I got onto Metro a little sweaty and out of breath. Immediately a young woman jumped up and offered me her seat. I’m sure she felt I was a heart attack waiting to happen and wanted no part of that. This was the first time I had ever been offered a seat on Metro, and I took it as a sign that my working days were quickly coming to an end. Flustered, I refused the seat and stood up the rest of the way home — even after she departed and the train was almost empty.
I’ve seen more panhandling, fights, medical emergencies, and proud, loud, singing than I can remember. My most memorable subway person, as I like to call them, would have to be the wayward soul who was proudly relieving himself – complete with oohs and ahhs – on the Twinbrook Metro platform in broad daylight in front of God and everyone. The high arc of his stream was undeniably impressive, and I have to admit that I envied his carefree abandon.
Of course adventurous commuting is not limited to public transportation. You still have to get to the station. I estimate I’ve driven well more than a million miles to and from work in my lifetime and seen and had plenty of fun behind the wheel. I’ve been stuck in countless traffic jams, seen numerous fender benders and worse, and witnessed, but never participated in, terrifying bouts of road rage. I’ve seen other drivers (never me) do everything from reading the paper and shaving to applying a full day’s worth of makeup, and yes, making out with their front seat companion. I’ve even been booed by passing motorists after emerging dazed from an accident that flipped my car over and caused a severe back up.
But my favorite driving foible has to be the one on the back roads of Montgomery County. I’ve always done everything possible to avoid as much of Interstate 270 as I can. That makes me a devotee of southbound Routes 85, 355, and 28. One day, Barnesville Road was closed due to an accident. Drivers were detoured onto West Old Baltimore Road, a pleasant enough country road. After a few miles and much to my dismay I came upon a stream crossing without a bridge. Who knew such things still existed in Montgomery County? It is one of the richest counties in the country; you’d think every stream crossing would have a bridge. I carefully crossed the stream, got to work on time, and thought my grandpa who lived and worked in the mountains of West Virginia would be proud.
