Category Archives: National Parks

Adventure, National Parks, Troy's Blog

Climbing Around in Shenandoah

After a long day on the road that started in Knoxville, Tennessee, we ade it to Shenandoah National Park in time to view a great sunset. The next day was for exploring the park. Driving along Blue Ridge Parkway we came upon a trailhead and stopped to see where the trail lead. It was Bearfence trail leading to Bearfence Overlook, a nice 1 mile hike to start out on.

Climbing up Bearfence trail

There are two options to hike on Bearfence. First, you can take the Appalachian Trail for most of the way to the overlook and then cut up on Bearfence Trail to arrive at a beautiful mountain view or you can take Bearfence Trail most of the way climbing up and over sharp rocks for a good portion of the mile. Which one would you take? The rock scramble route it is.

The Rock Scramble

The trail starts out on a portion of the Appalachian Trail but quickly begins climbing up into the mountainous rocks of Shenandoah. Some of these areas are fairly steep and go over sharp plates angled up towards the sky. Navigating through the trail requires following blue painted markers on the rocks which are fairly easy to find among the different boulders.

Taking a break

As we neared the top we took a few moments to enjoy the views around us before continuing to the Bearfence overlook. On this beautiful sunny morning we could see several valleys and hills covering miles from these gray colored boulders covered in multiple colors of lichens. The wind was blowing strong enough that we had to be a little careful in our steps otherwise we would be moved off of the trail and in the wrong spot that could result in slipping causing an injury.

Plants growing in the rocks

Something that struck me as interesting was the pockets of water tucked amongst these massive rocks making up the mountain and the different types of plants growing out of the rocks. In a single grouping, such as the one in the photo above, you would have moss, ferns and sedum all protected in a crevice. Moss and ferns generally like moist conditions while sedum tend to thrive in dryer situations which is why these plants growing in the same spot seemed odd to me. Does that indicate the different conditions over a year that combine to create a harsh environment? Wet at times and dry in other times?

Nearing the top

Continuing on the trail, we climbed up and around rocks and boulders as we explored all it had to offer forgetting the workout required to get to the top. It was just fun to experience the Appalachians in Shenandoah National Park in this manner. We were never sure where the end was or if we passed it so we just followed a trail and kept on hiking.

Bearfence Lookout

The end became very obvious because there was no more trail on top of a rock with drop offs on three sides. Once again the views were amazing as we looked out over the neighboring hills separated by meandering valleys and trees all around us typical of these mountains. After a short time we worked our way back to the car, off to explore other areas of this National Park.

 

National Parks, Texas, Troy's Blog

Playing in Padre

After several days in Big Bend National Park we sped across Texas going from the deserts of Southwestern Texas to the Gulf Coast for our next National Parks Monopoly board destination of Padre Island National Seashore. Fortunately the big spring break crowds were here a couple of weeks earlier leaving quieter beaches for us to explore. There was a brief debate about which is better, rocks to climb or the ocean beaches. It was a short debate with the ocean winning.

A quick walk in the ocean as the sun set behind us

Padre Island is a narrow, long island running along the southeastern portion of Texas providing miles and miles of beautiful sandy beaches to get lost in all day long. Padre Island National Seashore actually has 60 miles of beach that can be driven on if you have the right vehicle. Since we had a regular car we were unable to explore past the first 5 miles of beach which has sand packed hard enough for almost any vehicle to pass over. Beyond this first 5 miles the sand is more loosely packed making it possible to sink in and become stuck which is why 4 wheel drive vehicles are recommended.

Sandy dunes shaped by ocean breezes

In addition to enjoying listening to the waves continually crash against the shore and taking a leisurely stroll through the waves, there is plenty of wildlife to capture your interest for awhile. Some of them required your attention while walking by the water as there could be consequences if you get to close. One of those was the Portuguese Man-o-war’s floating into shore on an occasional wave and landing in the sand until another wave is able to bring it back out to sea. They can sting you even when laying along the beach so watching your step is important. Many of these stranded on the beach were varying shades of blue making a beautiful contrast to the beach.

Portugese Man O War stranded on the beach

Another creature to watch out for near the edge of the water are crabs. Mostly we came across blue legged crabs and if walking close enough, they may pinch you in an attempt to scurry away without being crushed. They were great fun to watch, as long as you saw them before you were too close, while they crawled on the sand scavenging for food. These ranged from almost colorless to an intense blue on their legs giving them their name.

Blue legged crabs near the edge of the water

A very common sighting on the beach are numerous birds scattered everywhere . There are a number of different types from gulls to herons all searching for the next snack in and out of the waves. A great source of entertainment while taking in the rejuvenating rays from the sun on a beautiful Texas afternoon. We were trying to determine what they were eating just inside the wave zone as they appeared to be plentiful. After watching for a short time and exploring the beach we realized what the meals were.

Birds combing the beach in search of their next snack

Small clams of every shade lay just under the sand surface and would quickly emerge as a wave would approach revealing themselves to birds. As we watched and dug more these little sand dwellers were everywhere. When walking along the water’s edge you were walking on thousands of them, usually without ever knowing as they lye just below the surface waiting for the right wave to arrive. It was amazing and a little unnerving to know you were walking on hundreds of them with each step.

Clams rising out of the sand getting ready for the incoming wave

A quick brush of the sand and you would see them burrow to the surface all around you. There were white ones and blue ones, yellow clams and purple clams, some with strips while others were solid in color. Another great source of entertainment while relaxing on the beach. I don’t know what type of wave they were looking for but once the right wave was nearing the beach, thousands of these little clams would appear above the sand as if by magic standing straight up. Once the wave passed they would tip over laying on the beach and after another wave, disappear back into the sand making you wonder if you really saw this spectacle or imagined it.

Thousands of clams lying just under the surface of the sand

All in a days fun along the Padre Island seashore before retreating to find your next meal.

A Blue Heron taking in the sun rising over the ocean

 

 

National Parks, Troy's Blog

Canyon De Chelly

Canyon De Chelly was a National Park we haven’t heard of before and a brief search before visiting basically informed us that it is a canyon in Arizona. It may not be largely publicized because of that other little canyon in Arizona called The Grand Canyon. Canyon de Chelly is a beautiful park where the floor is still in use today by the Navajo for farming as this park is part of the Navajo Indian Reservation.

Canyon De Chelly

We enjoyed exploring this National Park as it is a beautiful place amongst the Colorado Plateau with the uniquely carved out canyons and amazing rock formations all made out of red tinted stone. There are numerous overlooks surrounding this park each providing a great view of canyon and surrounding area. The longer you look at the rocks you begin to see more and more details such as stone carved by the natural elements, rock stacked together creating layers upon layers highlighted by different colors, and areas where the rocks have fallen away from the cliffs created caves.

Spider Rock

There is one designated trail that allows you to hike into the canyon without trespassing on Navajo lands at the bottom so we decided to take advantage of that opportunity. There are tours available led by Navajo guides as they are the only ones allowed to bring people down into the canyon outside of this trail.

Hiking into the canyon

The trail takes about 15 – 20 minutes as you wind back and forth among the stones descending about 600 feet to the bottom. Along this hiking trail there are tunnels and caves providing some great locations for people to escape the elements. They also made great additions to the scenery throughout the canyon. Once at the bottom you get a very different perspective of this stone maze. There’s a better understanding of how tall these cliffs are and how large this canyon is. Plant diversity becomes apparent as many areas are dry providing an environment for cactus to grow while near the river running along the bottom gives moisture for trees and other plants.

Some of the caves carved into the canyon walls

At the end of the trail you can explore one of the areas cliff dwellers inhabited at one time. The structures are kept behind a fence in order to preserve them but they are still interesting to see and makes it a little easier to imagine what it must have been like living in this canyon before the conveniences of horses and vehicles. What was it like to create multiple level buildings climbing up cliffs into large caves? These cliff dwellings were an unexpected surprise for us as we explored Canyon De Chelly National Monument.

Cliff dwellings up close

 

Adventure, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, National Parks, Troy's Blog

Meandering Through the Smoky Mountains on a Horse

Exploring a National Park by driving and hiking through it is the most common, riding a horse was something different for us and what better place to do that than Great Smoky Mountains National Park? There are a couple of horse stables in this park. The one we chose was Cades Cove Riding Stables because that was the one closest to where we wanted to explore that day.

The Rhododendrons were just starting to bloom

Our ride lasted for about an 45 minutes through beautiful forests of the Smoky Mountains so it was long enough to enjoy it but not too long where those of us not use to horses would get sore. The day began cloud covered with the threat of rain but we managed to stay dry and see peaks of sun as the ride continued making for a great summer morning while taking in these surroundings. Several of the Rhododendrons were just beginning to bloom along the trail providing for an even prettier landscape to ride through.

Beautiful scenery on a beautiful summer morning in the Smoky Mountains

The trail leader was very knowledgeable about the horses and trails and took care of any potential issues with the horses quickly. Some horses just don’t perform as well next to certain other horses so sometimes it’s best to keep them separated in a group. Once in awhile a horse wants to go at a different pace than the rest of the group and needs to be put back in their spot to follow the group for the best and safest ride for all. If your in Great Smoky Mountain National Park and are interested in spending time on horses, I definitely recommend Cades Cove Stables. And NO, I was not compensated to say that.

Riding through one of the numerous streams

National Parks, Troy's Blog

Fireflies in the Smoky Mountains

While exploring Great Smoky Mountain National Park we came across a brochure explaining the synchronous fireflies. Fireflies are visible  in many areas and we’ve enjoyed and evening or two watching these interesting little insects near our home. I’ve even taken some time to try and photograph their nighttime dances with some success. It was decided that a trip to Elkmont, which is the best location for viewing this nightly light show in June, that night would be an enjoyable way to end a great day in the Smokies.

A Dobson Fly also waiting to see the light show.

According to the brochure, the peak days were already behind us but that there were great light shows for several weeks still to be seen. As we arrived in the Elkmont area our first challenge was to find a spot to park which proved more difficult than expected as we were there a couple of hours before nightfall. Apparently we weren’t the only ones wanted to witness these synchronous fireflies. Eventually we followed others and parked alongside the road and walked back to the viewing area which was being descended on by hundreds of other people. This must be a good show if there are this many people here this early in the evening.

Little River in Elkmont

As darkness began to fall over the area we wondered into the forest next to Little River and found what appeared to be a nice relaxing spot to lose ourselves in the increasing darkness along with others hoping to witness a firefly spectacle. While waiting for these insects to begin their show we explored the river’s edge until a flash caught our attention back in the woods. And then another, and another. The show was beginning! As the minutes went by there was some firefly flashing but nothing more spectacular than we would see near home. After about 20 minutes we decided it was time to retire for the evening as it was a long and eventful day leaving us ready for our pillows.

A single firefly lighting up the night

On our way out of the forest we stopped to talk with another couple who lived in the area. During the conversation they explained that the show had not really started yet and we should stay awhile longer. Soon after there were golden streams of light blinking all over. It was beautiful and exciting to watch. They were all over the place showing off their tricks of flight and color. Now it makes sense what all the publicity was about. We couldn’t imaging what the show would be like during the peak season. Now this was about as perfect as it could be to end a day full of adventures.

The show is getting better

And better

This is definitely worth seeing

National Parks, Troy's Blog

Agate Fossil Beds

Agate Fossil Beds National Monument one of the smallest national parks we’ve visited but an interesting place to explore with some surprising things to learn. Before finding this place because of the Monopoly board I had no idea that fossils have been found in this part of the Midwestern United States. Once again another pleasant surprise from our Monopoly adventures.

Some of the mammals fossils

This park requires only a few hours to explore but has much to offer for it’s size with information on the significance of the area for the Sioux as well as fossils to view both in the visitors center and along trails. In addition there are great views of the plains that make up large expanses of the landscape in western Nebraska.

Looking out at the vast prairie

One of the unique fossils which has been preserved in this national park are corkscrews dug deep into the earth by a type of land beaver that use to reside in these hills. When you see them you can’t help but wonder why they dug these burrows in the shape of a corkscrew. I question if it was to help them get in and out of their underground home. Maybe they couldn’t climb in and out of these deep holes any other way. Still, these corkscrews called, daemonelix or devil’s corkscrews, added a lot of steps each time entering and exiting these dens. A workout just to get up and go outside and retreat back into shelter. Probably worse than stairs in our houses.

There are fossils hiding in these hills

Backpacking, National Parks, Troy's Blog

Lewis Falls Trail

After a full day of hiking in Shenandoah National Park, it was time to retire to our cabin and get ready for our evening meal. The only thing was that the forecast for the next day was for clouds and periods of rain and we had one hike left to do in our short time in Shenandoah – Lewis Falls Trail. This was the most important of our hikes in this great national park because it was the trail on our National Parks Monopoly board. It was decided then, another hike that was longer and covered more altitude than the others we had completed earlier in the day.

_DSC0427

This trail is 3.3 miles round trip from our cabin and back again. It’s not the distance that makes it more challenging, it the 1,000 feet of altitude that you change from the start to the waterfalls and then you have to climb that 1,000 feet again on the way back. To make things a little more challenging, we wanted to get back before 9 pm when the nearest restaurant closes otherwise there is not really a place to get food after a full day of hiking in Shenandoah.

Looking over the top of the Falls

The trail starts out relatively flat and easy to hike but eventually that drop in altitude finds you and it starts going downhill quickly. Downhill is easier but remember to watch out for roots and rocks in the trail that could trip you. We made it to the falls in pretty good time passing only a couple of other hikers on the way. Lewis Falls

Lewis Falls is a nice waterfall and one of the highest in the park at 81 feet tall but at the time we were there the stream going over the cliff is not very large compared to several other waterfalls in the park. Getting a good view during the summer is a little more challenging because parts of the waterfall are covered with leaves and the steep cliffs around it make for getting a different and better view difficult. Still, I enjoyed this waterfall and the adventure to get to it.

Our Wildlife Encounter on Lewis Falls Trail

Due to time restraints and wanting to get back before the restaurant closes we didn’t spend much time at the falls taking it in. Also, we weren’t well prepared to be on the trail after dark so we needed to do the most difficult portion of our hike at a faster pace. Along the way back we encountered a deer taking the trail toward us which was kind of fun to see but delayed our return both because of wanted to observe the deer and not wanted to chase it. After awhile of watching it decided to meander off the trail allowing us to pass and continue our trek up the mountain. We were all really tired and hot after this hike but we did manage to get something to eat before total darkness enveloped the area.

Dinner in the Big Meadows Lodge

National Parks, Troy's Blog

Edison

1 Comment

_DSC9256

One of the stops on our National Parks Monopoly Board was to Thomas Edison National Historical Park in New Jersey. When I first saw this place on the board I thought it would be interesting to see where the light bulb came from. Little did I know that Thomas Edison was responsible for so much more. He is credited with inventing ways to move electricity, of course the light bulb, the phonograph, motion pictures, motion picture cameras, and so many other things that are an important part of our lives now. After learning more about Edison it made sense why there are so many Edison Electric companies.

Edison's Laboratory Complex

Arriving at the laboratory complex about mid-morning gave us the opportunity to explore Thomas’s different workshops for at least half the day. A stop at the visitor center allows you to get passes to see Edison’s home along with an introductory film about Thomas and his inventions. There are 5 different lab buildings to explore along with the Black Maria built for creating motion pictures and Glenmont Estate where his home is located. Our first building was the chemical lab.

Inside the Chemical Lab

This is where we began to realize how many different inventions that Thomas Edison was a part of. There is a building for chemicals, metals, woodworking, and physics that worked together to create things such as records for the phonographs, batteries for cars, portland cement. While in the chemical lab we were showed some different things being worked on such as a plastic record for recording sounds and a rubber based on plant sap instead of using oil that could be used for manufacturing tires. It was also here that we learned about batteries being created to power cars. That was incredibly enlightening to understand that electric cars could have been around in 1910 and we are now just started to embrace this type of technology today.

The Metallurgical Lab

After a quick look inside the metal lab, we moved on to the main laboratory which was a much larger area with multiple floors able to build more inventions. There are a lot of machines in this building all running off of belts. I can only imagine how much noise there was when this building was in use. Amazing how this was all set up to run by connecting belts together. I’m sure people working here had to watch their step or a belt would cause a quick and painful injury as fast as they were probably running.

Inside One of the Floors of the Main Lab

There were two motors to run all of these machines, one for each side of the laboratory.

The Two Main Motors That Ran Everything on the Floor

The most incredible piece to this whole complex to me is how advanced this all seems for late 1800’s and early 1900’s. I’m sure at that time, while it was advanced technology, it didn’t seem nearly as advanced as I believe it to be. Of course I get to view the advancements from 60 plus years in a matter of hours and know what they have led to today instead of the years and years it likely took to create many of these inventions. Having done some woodwork along with my horticultural education which requires some chemical knowledge with fertilizers and pesticides helped me to really appreciate what it must have been like working in these labs attempting to create new things.

One of the First Phonographs Which Still Works, We Actually Heard it Play

After going through most of these laboratories, we headed up to Glenmont Estate to tour Thomas Edison’s house. It was a very nice house that was well furnished but didn’t appear as extravagant as a home that I’m sure he could have had. There were a number of rooms well decorated with wall hangings, rugs, and intricate woodwork to show the expense put into his home. He showcased a number of his inventions here and had certain rooms solely for entertaining people and having business dealings. There were separate areas for the servants including their own kitchen, bathroom, and  stairwell to reach each of the three floors. While I’m sure this home was enjoyed, I didn’t feel overly comfortable inside to want to live in a place such as this. The rooms felt small and closed off to me probably due to the darkness of the interior from the heavy décor and woodwork. Just my personal feelings. No pictures are allowed inside so I can’t look back on them to confirm and show why I felt this way.

The Edison Home

Returning to the lab complex we finished up exploring the motion picture creations. I never realized that Edison created motion picture cameras, a way to view them, and a studio designed to make them. It must have been amazing to create and watch the first motion picture. I know a lot of people still like to make and watch them today only they are considered stop motion or time lapse videos now but basically the same concept used to invent the first movie. We enjoy watching how things happen over time or even slowing time down in the case of an explosion or other fast event. I’m sure it was the same idea then.

Setup to Create the First Motion Pictures

Once the motion picture was created than it was time to figure out better ways to photograph them. Thus the need for Black Maria which was built for the first motion picture studio. The purpose of the studio was to control light. Light could be blocked out or let in with opening doors in different places or turning the entire studio to a different direction by rotating it on the tracks much like railroad tracks it was built on. Adding sound to these motion pictures was the next step and made sense with their creation of the phonograph and motion picture. It took almost 30 years to make sound work correctly with motion pictures.

Black Maria - the First Motion Picture Studio

I left this historical park truly amazed at the contributions Thomas Edison made to our lives today. Many of his inventions may have still been created but they would have taken longer and would not be as advanced as they are today without him. Well deserving of a National Park designation. Another place we would not have known about or visited without our Monopoly travels. It does make me wonder what else do we not know about and are missing?

The Desk of a Great Inventor

National Parks, Troy's Blog

Re-living American History–Valley Forge

1 Comment

Living Accomodations at Valley Forge

Valley Forge was an encampment used during the American Revolutionary War for the winter of 1777-1778 just outside of Philadelphia. There was no battle here so it may seem a little unclear as to why this was turned into a national park. What’s so significant about Valley Forge? Valley Forge marked the turning point in the war because the army was able to train and learned how to fight as a unified army under General George Washington. Without the use of our National Parks Monopoly board we may have never taken the opportunity to explore Valley Forge National Historical Park and missed learning about this important place in United States history.

Ovens to Prepare Food

We were fortunate to be joined by some friends while exploring Valley Forge which provided a different way to look at the Revolutionary War as we learned about this Continental Army encampment. One of those friends is British bringing a very different point of view and a new perspective on this war. I had never thought about the war from the British view which added to the interest while learning about Valley Forge. Seeing how the soldiers lived and everything they had to endure was quite interesting.

Living Space Inside the Soldiers Huts

These soldiers were only in Valley Forge for six months. In that time they had to build shelter, fortify the area from attack, and train all without adequate supplies, food, and clothing. How many Americans today would accept these conditions? If it meant freedom? I think there are a great many that would sacrifice everything they had to if it meant gaining freedom. There are many that do that in today’s military for the protection of our country and for other’s freedom. I’m humbled to think of these people and the strength of the United States even when it seems there are a great many differences separating this country.

Fortifying Valley Forge

Knowing how these soldiers were living brought the question of how were the British soldiers living? Did they have equally bad supply of food and clothing? Before Valley Forge the Continental troops were relatively untrained so the British were looking for a way to win the war quickly and likely thought it should be relatively easy. I’m sure their troops were not desiring to be in America having to continue this fighting even though there was likely a great pride being a part of the greatest military in the world at that time. I assume their living quarters consisted of buildings they had taken over and turned into housing giving them an advantage since they didn’t have to take time to construct new structures.

General George Washington's Headquarters

It was educational to see General Washington’s living quarters which were rented for the winter. They were modest but still substantially nicer than the huts built to house the troops. Most of the huts would house twelve soldiers in each one. Talk about cramped quarters. These all had to be built during the winter. Imagine all of the trees and stones needed to do this in such a short period of time. I’m sure there was very little time spent in these huts as there was food to get, security to provide, and training to complete while maintaining equipment. Each day wondering when the next battle would take place and where that would be. By the end of their stay at Valley Forge I’m sure the troops were eager to move on and engage in the next battle. You certainly cannot win a war by staying in a camp living without enough supplies.

A Place to Sleep

National Parks, Troy's Blog

Re-living American History–Gettysburg

 

Looking Over the Battlefield of Gettysburg

The American Civil War was one of the pieces of history that interested me the most growing up. In particular, the battle of Gettysburg. After deciding to go on these Monopoly Adventures and receiving this National Parks board, I was very happy to see Gettysburg on it as one of our destinations. Leaving Washington D.C. towards this national park I had surprisingly mixed emotions. This is a place I wanted to visit so there was some excitement but at the same time there was a desire to not go to these historic battlefields. I didn’t really want to see the location of this famous three day battle which took so many lives and wounded so many others both physically and mentally.

The Battlefields

Sometimes doing things we don’t want to do helps us to get perspective and gain life experience and so we continued on to this place forever written into history. Upon arriving there were three ranger programs that I absolutely wanted to hear covering each day of the battle between the Union soldiers and the Confederate soldiers. The first was about to begin so we made a quick stop at the visitor center and then off to the meeting place of the program covering July 1st when these two armies first engaged each other. It was interesting to learn where each army was located before, during, and after their different engagements and how this Gettysburg battle changed as more and more soldiers arrived to this area. We started to see the different strategies of each side and the successes and failures as fighting continued.

The Eternal Light Peace Memorial

Even after this first ranger program, I still had a difficult wanting to stay at Gettysburg National Park. There wasn’t a lot of interest to continue to experience more as I was having difficulty imagining all that was happening during these battles. We continued to drive to different areas of the park and get a closer look at the landscapes these armies traveled through and engaged one another at trying to become more interested and educated. It was time for lunch and we were all getting hungry so we began to head for town and find a place to eat before the next ranger program. On the way I wanted to quickly go through on other area. It turned out to be a one way drive that went on for several miles with many different stops.

Cannon Demonstrations

There were a couple of places we got out of the car and read a few posted signs while taking pictures and then moved on. Being in a little bit of a hurry, I was driving faster to see the sights and then get lunch. Getting a little frustrated at how long this drive was and how much time it was going to take to get off this one way street, we came upon a small encampment with people dressed in Confederate uniforms walking around canons. Unsure if we should stop or not we decided to park the car and at least check out what was happening. As it turned out, this was a demonstration showing the loading and firing of Civil War canons and the different types of shots that could be used against an opposing army. We had no idea that this was going to happen and felt fortunate to be able to witness these cannons as they were loaded and fired three times.

Different Types of Ammunition

This event that we accidentally encountered made a tremendous difference in our time at Gettysburg. Seeing and hearing these cannons fired with the soldiers around them allowed us to finally imagine these battles going on between the north and south. The load booms as they were ignited and then all of the smoke billowing from the end of each canon set a very different and real tone for our day. Without these live cannons, our time here would have been significantly less meaningful and educational. Once the demonstrations had concluded it was off to find a quick bite to eat and then on to the second ranger program.

Fire!

So much more was gained from this second informational talk because now we had an idea of the surrounding landscape and how these armies engaged one another. Plus we could imagine these battles taking place thanks to the cannon demonstrations. After a short time it began to feel like we were actually there during the war. After this program completed we drove around the park for a while and eventually arrived at the third program covering July 3rd of the Gettysburg battle. I was very interested in hearing how the final day of fighting in Gettysburg went and seeing the ground these soldiers engaged upon. This talk began and about half way through we began to get wet with heavy rainfalls moments away so we left and headed for the car hoping to stay dry. That didn’t happen. We decided to head for the visitor’s center once again to get our Monopoly board signed and then be on our way.

Signage used to Describe Different Parts of the Battle of Gettysburg.

As I continue to reflect on our day experiencing Gettysburg, I wondered what it would have been like to live in Gettysburg and have fighting all around my house for three days. To witness these armies fighting and the pain and death that followed in a place that is suppose to be relatively safe – your home. I also realized how important adding times to these battles were to add to the realism of the war. Stating that the fighting began at 8am at a certain location and by 1 pm the fighting started in this area here and by 3:30 pm this army was retreating or this army was advancing to here really had an impact on me. It made things so much more imaginable and something I could relate to.  Gettysburg is a place of great interest and sadness now and an experience I won’t forget.

Here Comes the Rain