He Knew He Was Right

Announcing the North American National Parks Project! I love and loathe lists/goals like this. They put good and vile ideas in my head. After all, I have this thing about completing them. So far, I have completed travel tasks such as seeing all 50 states, touching all five Great Lakes, seeing all 30 MLB teams play a home game, and then seeing all current MLB ballparks. I'm also well underway to doing the same for NFL stadiums. Next, I already have an idea about trying to see a sporting event in all 50 states; I'm at 27 at the moment. I'm not really committed to that last one, but there are about a half dozen states--those which I've only previously driven through, e.g.--where I am planning on spending a bit more travel time. Anyway, travel king Everything Everywhere wants to see all of the National Parks. I've seen a bunch. He posted this list, which I trust is accurate, and I've made bold those I've visited: Acadia, Maine American Samoa, American Sa...

After visiting Antietam last weekend, I decided to visit another battlefield this past Saturday. Which one, though, was the question. Even at breakfast, I was torn between Fredericksburg and Manassas. I've been to both, more than once in fact, but not to either in 10 years. The last time I was at Fredericksburg, it rained most of the 4 or 5 hours we had alloted for this stop (one of about seven battlefields my Dad and I saw on that trip), and we knew there were things we missed. Manassas, though, was the shorter trip this weekend, and one of my favorites based upon earlier visits. The impressive statue of Stonewall Jackson that welcomes visitors sets the mood for the day: You sense right away the history that took place here. I also like that it is so easy to cover much of the battlefield with some nice hikes right from the visitor center. Before doing that, though, a 40-minute movie about the battles is a must see, as is a remarkable lighted map that shows the movements of the two...

For all the travel I have done, for all of the magnificent places I have seen, few move me as does this scene. I've been here at least a half dozen times, and in different seasons, and there is a always a serenity felt here. The scene was much different, though, on September 17, 1862. This bridge was one of several key fighting spots at the Battle of Antietam, the single most bloody day in American history. On one hand it is easy to see the strategy employed, but then again it is so hard to grasp the magnitude of the number of deaths that took place on the bridge and by those crossing the creek during the afternoon fight on this date. I hope this battlefield is forever as well preserved as it is now, and that the events of that day are always well honored. Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry Powered by ShowMeBlogger.com