Have you ever heard of love locks? They're padlocks clipped to a fence or beam of some sort as a memorial to a loved one. After locking it in place, the common practice is to throw away the key, making the love-honoring lock all the more permanent. It's a sweet tradition practiced in various places the world-over, including right here in West Virginia in the well-known tourist destination of Harpers Ferry National Historic Park.
Were you to soar over Harpers Ferry, West Virginia with the wings of a bird, one thing you would undoubtedly notice is two great rivers that merge around her, and two great bridges that cross them just at the point where they come together.
One of these bridges is a foot path that forms a small part of the well-known Appalachian Trail. Looking one direction on this walking bridge, you can glimpse the rugged face of a craggy mountain in Maryland, accessible by the Maryland Heights Trail.
In the other direction lies the charming Lower Town of Harpers Ferry, a National Historic Park.
And in between these two interesting views is a long stretch of fenced footbridge over the Potomac River right where it merges with the Shenandoah River.
And if you've ever walked this foot bridge, you might have noticed something interesting adorning its chain-linked fencing: love locks.
They come in various shapes, sizes, and colors.
Some are hung high on the beams of the bridge itself.
Others are clasped tightly to the fence that encloses it.
All are mysterious, filled with unknown names, random initials, stickers, or number patterns with significance only to the ones who hung them there in the first place.
These love locks most often commemorate the permanency of true love, although they can also represent other significant milestones or achievements - like reaching the half-way point of the Appalachian Trail here in Harpers Ferry, perhaps?
And despite their symbolism of permanence, they all eventually do come down, thanks to concerns on the part of the National Park Service for the bridge fence's structural integrity under the weight of what could easily become thousands of colorful, varied love locks.
Have you ever noticed these padlocks adorning the footbridge at Harpers Ferry National Historic Park? Have you hung one there in honor of your loved one? Here's another kind of sweet tradition beloved in all corners of the state: hot dog pastries!
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