Day 8 - Ellicott City

On my way to Baltimore, I decided to alter my plan for taking my walk in Dickeyville when I saw the "Ellicott City - Historic District" exit.  I love historic districts, and I had heard that Ellicott City was a cool place to visit, but I had never been there. 

There is plenty of free parking in the old part of town, which consists of granite and stone buildings tucked into rocky hillsides.  Main Street goes downhill until it meets water at the old Ellicott Mill Railroad Depot on one side of the water, and the modern day mill buildings on the other.

As I walked by touristy shops and boutiques, I noticed a memorial to the two young women who were killed in the horrific train derailment a few weeks ago.  I realized then that this must be the place where it happened.

In my head, having heard about it on the news, I had pictured an industrial area -- not this quaint, picturesque town.  I crossed under the railroad bridge and walked across the bridge across the water, where I encountered a woman looking down into the water.  I looked down, too, and saw this stone heart, about 12 feet across, lovingly arranged  by someone -- or by a group -- in the water.  The woman immediately struck up a conversation about the accident, pointing to the railroad bridge behind me, telling me the entire story of the tragedy, with her own spin on it, obviously gleaned partly from fact and partly from rumors that abound in the town.

I had lunch in a nice French restaurant, and while I was eating, I contemplated the impact that this accident has had and will continue to have on this place.  I realized that there are some things that will always be true.  1) Some people will make poor choices.  2) Accidents happen.  Unfortunately, sometimes those two things collide in place and time, and for many, another truth:  Nothing will ever be the same. 



 

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Visit my web site: camscamerashots.zenfolio.com

Cam's rules for the Daily Photo Walk:

1. walk every day
2. the walk must be in addition to any other planned activity for the day
3. post a photo every day
4. use my Nikon P7100 (it is a very convenient size and weight)
5. no weather excuses