FYI-New Hours

Hey everybody!
Just letting you know that we are winding down our 2010 season and our hours are changing, effective tomorrow, September 7th. We will be at the front desk to take reservations and answer questions from 7 a.m-10 a.m, and will reopen again at 5 p.m until 10 p.m., daily. If you are staying with us, a lock-out is in effect from 10 a.m to 5 p.m. Our season will end on October 15th, so you still have plenty of time to come and enjoy a glorious fall season with us! Call or go online to reserve.

Turkish Delight

If you missed it, we had our final international potluck of the summer last night. It was our first time making Turkish food, but thankfully, all turned out well. On the menu: lentil soup, tomato, olive and feta salad, rice pilaf, and homemade pita bread.  Dessert was good ole' fashioned American and decidedly non-Turkish brownies! About 20 guests and staff enjoyed a communal meal and conversation. Afterwards, Claire gave a brief travel talk on her recent trip to Turkey, complete with pictures and a power point presentation. We were so busy making sure the food tasted somewhat Turkish, that we forgot to take pictures of the event. So instead, check out some of Claire's trip pics below.

The Blue Mosque

Tiles of the Blue Mosque ceiling

Aya Sophia at Night

Spice Bazaar

Our neighborhood

Sunset over the city

Meet Claire

What brought you to Harpers Ferry?

Craiglist! I am a substitute teacher during the school year, and while it has its certain benefits, a paycheck during the summer is not one of them. I saw the help wanted ad online, knew the job was for me, and applied.

What do you love about it?                                                                                                

I enjoy the variety of people that pass through here-on some days, it's never a dull moment!

Favorite memory of working here?

Hmmm. That has to be from this season-the summer of potlucks! They have been alot of fun and I can now say that I have cooked edible Indian food.


What state are you from?
The Wild and the Wonderful.


What is your favorite way to travel?
While I love the thrill of the next destination, I dislike the very act of traveling, most of the time. So, it depends on the company I am keeping and mode of transport.  Whoever is more fun and whichever is faster!


What does travel mean to you?
It means adventure, discovery, and opening myself up to a thought, a culture, a method, a way of doing things that may not be like my way. And that is OK. Travel can be near or far, it's me that makes it an adventure or not.

Craziest thing you have ever done?

Crazy can have many different contexts I suppose. As I get older, I consider how "crazy" it was that two friends and I just picked eenie meenie miny mo style,  a random Guatemalan Spanish school off the internet, emailed them and showed up in Guatemala City one day hoping that a ride would be there to pick us up. Our ride was there and we stayed for 3 months---one of the best periods in my life to date.

FREE EVENT!! August 21 from 12-6pm

Join us at Railroad Square in Downtown Brunswick for the first annual Brunswick Bicycle Festival. There will be activities, music, and food. Hostel staff and volunteers will be there hard at work promoting the hostel and our amazing mission! Come out and visit or help us get the word out to all those cyclists!! The best part of course, is that it is FREE!!!

Music by: Tonehounds, The Hard Swimmin' Fish, Bo Weevil and Rottin' Cottin'

Location: Railroad Square (near the MARC station) on mile marker 55 of the C&O Canal

Our Fearless Leader: Meet Lydia

1.) What brought you to Harpers Ferry? The job here at the hostel! I needed the hostel at the same time that the hostel needed me and it turned out to be a great fit!

2.) What do you love about it? I love so many things about the hostel! I enjoy meeting all the guests, and living vicariously through all their adventures! I love the sense of community in the hostel and to watch as friendships are formed between the guests.The town of Harpers Ferry is great, with so much to see, and so many outdoor activities.

3.) Favorite Memory of the hostel? I have lots of memories...of school groups and scout troops helping the hostel with projects, of campfires with guests. Last night's group of Girl Scouts performed their end of summer camp song and dance routine for the hostellers, which was pretty memorable!

4.) What state are you from? I'm from California, close to San Francisco.

5.) Favorite Way to Travel? Pick a neat spot on the map, find a job, and go. I've found that the way I get to know an area and culture best is to put roots down for a little while, get a job, and settle in to actually live there. I've been able to really experience some amazing places that way and walked away from each experience with life-long friends. I've spent two years in New Zealand, a summer at the Grand Canyon, and a year at a lighthouse on the California coast!

6.) What does travel mean to you? For me, traveling is the ultimate education. It's a way to learn about myself, about other cultures, and has played a key role in forming my personal belief system. I caught the bug, and thanks to hostels, I can travel safely and inexpensively all over the world.

Meet Chris!

So who are the awesome people that work at HFH? Yes, awesome. A little self-congratulation never hurt anyone! We will start with Chris, the newest member of our team. He comes to us from the great state of California and a few places in between here and there. We asked him a few questions and this is what he told us.


What brought you to Harpers Ferry?
I wanted to learn about patriotism.

What do you love about it?
I love the cardinals that tap on the windows, the old wood floors, the dragonflies and light-bugs, that there always seems to be new plant or flower around in bloom...

Favorite memory of working here?
I like when we have groups and families come in, kids running around breaking things ;) playing games, catching bugs, cooking meals, playing music. It's when this sleepy house comes alive.

What state are you from?
Califorinia is a state of mind...

What is your favorite way to travel?
Thumb and foot.

What does travel mean to you?
Some people are farmers, some are sailors. Both move in the same direction.

Craziest thing you have ever done?
I'm a timid cautious being ;)

What's Cookin' This Friday?

The theme for July's potluck is officially announced....Indian food!! Saturday, July 10th will find us busily creating a feast of curry and lassi and rice and samosas and whatever else we can come up with. Do we have any real experience cooking this type of food? Not so much. But that's all the more reason you should venture out and see if we are any good at it! Saturday, 7 PM. Be there.

Another Summer Season!

It is another summer season at the Harpers Ferry Hostel and while the sultry heat is the same, there is a new vibe being explored there. New coats of vibrant paint, energetic employees with ideas abounding, and a weekly schedule of events are just a few of the components paving the way for fresh success.

On tap for weekly events are a variety of activities. A movie on the big-screen projector will be offered on Monday nights, and Wednesday evenings will be set for coffee and dessert. On Thursdays, a hearty meal of spaghetti will be ready for any hungry thru-hikers, bike riders, or river rafters! One Friday evening a month, the hostel employees will host an International Potluck dinner. The theme for June was Fiesta night. Guests were served vegetarian enchiladas, tacos, Spanish rice, horchata (a traditional Mexican beverage) and to round it out, a delightfully sweet tres leches cake! The evening was a rousing success with all eating heartily to the sounds of salsa music in the background. The next International Potluck is scheduled for July 9^th. The theme is undetermined at this time, but all suggestions and recipes are welcome! Non-guests will be charged a nominal fee of $3 for all food events and should call before coming as these activities are subject to the number of guests.

Other summer events worth checking out include the annual Fourth of July Picnic which will be held on, you guessed it, the fourth of July. All community members and organizations, guests and friends, are invited. It is truly a great way to kick back, relax, and meet some new friends just passing through on the trail, or mingle with other community members. On August 14^th, as a precursor to the end of summer, Harpers Ferry Hostel will be hosting a fundraiser yard sale and mini travel presentations given by employees. Food and music will be available. If you have any gently used items you would like to donate, or for any other questions, please call Lydia, Claire or Chris at 301-834-7652. More information can also be found online at www.harpersferryhostel.com.

Remember, this organization exists “To help all, especially the young, gain a greater understanding of the world and its people through hostelling.” Come see for yourself!