With road trips ramping up once again, we set out to visit Julia and Frank once again in Athens, Ohio. We hadnt been to see them since February 2020 just before the world fell apart. We planned to take a measured trip this time. No driving straight through from Northern Virginia to Athens (or Logan, rather). Instead we would break the outward trip with an overnight in Morgantown, West Virginia.
At Hancock, Maryland, Interstate diverges from routes directly westbound, though Cumberland, Maryland, and on to Morgantown. Its called the National Freeway, after the old 19th Century National Road, which parallels between Hancock and Keysers Ridge. Not far west of Hancock is a dramatic roadcut through Sideling Hill. The cut was excavated in and is 340 feet (104 m) deep with about 810 feet (250 m) of strata exposed. Few locations give a better exposure to geology and stratigraphy than this one.
To enable enjoyment of the cutting, a highway rest area i located next to it. Facilities are here and a pedestrian bridge spans the roadway. At one time, a geological exhibit was also present, but this was moved to Hancock in 2009.
