Light up Richmond (December 5,2014)

My lady came to Richmond (she does that often) and we went out to see Richmond light up the city on December 5. It is a huge event...with her and me as well as a large number of the residents of the city coming to the James Center to see the lights come on there. The city also outlines the buildings in white...it is really something to see. This was the first time we actually got out to see it, and it was really neat. There were bands, all sorts of decorations and a large number of people. I had a great time as did my girlfriend. We later met up with her sister and his boyfriend and went out to the Jefferson.      

The Jefferson Hotel lit up a few days earlier. I got the photo of the tree there. That is an amazing hotel (think its the only five star hotel in Richmond) and it is an amazing place. The tree is at the foot of the grand staircase, and the Gingerbread house is another of their amazing creations. This one is not small...you could easily stand in it.
Had a fun time there, enjoying the visit from her sister and my friend (though both of them are) with my amazing girlfriend. Coming up is a bit of time out to see some of the amazing (and well known ) "Tacky Light Tour" and that was also amazing (and will be the subject of my next post.  

Concord....Christmas Underway (November 28-29-2014)

During Thanksgiving went back to North Carolina where I had a very wonderful time with my girlfriend (a wonderful dinner she made) and went out on the Friday night after to see some of the city displays such as this street scene of Union Street in Concord, NC. Not many of the houses on that street have been decorated yet but they son will be (if they are not now as I write this). I had lived there for some 14 years and Concord does a really fine job..and the people who live there make some fine places to check out. As I have found, Richmond, VA (where I live now) goes all out: but enjoy both places!

 This is Village Park in Kannapolis, NC...this is their city tree and a couple of little cottages. The one with the line is where Santa is, the other is animated bears. The whole park lit up on November 29 for the First Night. There was a big party and fireworks and then the lights came on, and there was a train ride (the train is always there...the lights are not, through all the light displays. Some of them go back to the Cannon Mill days of the town.  

This was my favorite light displayand like so many it was animated. Some of the others can be seen in the background.
For the Saturday trip went to Amy, her mom, her Mom's friend Barbara, and Amy's friend Sara. We had a really great time, discovered the wonder of "Cuban Coffee".
On Saturday we were Amy, her Mom, and me. It was a very nice time on a very good day. Winter has yet to kick in as it is still (officially) fall, but did have a cold Friday...Saturday was warmer.
Looking forward to some more sights this season.  

Early view of Christmastime from Asheville, NC (November 14-16)

Great weekend, this was actually taken November 14 at Stewart-Haas Racing, where my son Robby and I stopped in to see the shop and the cars there. Of note, on the following Sunday Kevin Harvick won the 2014 Sprint Cup Championship. Nice shop and a fun visit.
We also made a visit to El Amigo for some first rate Mexican food (a favorite place of ours) . Prior to that I went to RideNow to see the new area they created for Indian Motorcycles. They did not have the one I wanted to see (The Indian Scout) but still some fine bikes, and a very cool area to check out. Will have more on my "Racing with the Wind" Page.  

This  photo was taken November 15 from the Blue Ridge Parkway...just a remarkable view from up there on what was a cool day in Asheville, NC. This is one of my favorite places not just in North Carolina, but for that matter, in the world. Nice to be back there (have been a few times) and we had fun for a short bit exploring the Parkway. We made a stop at the Folk Art Center, which I highly recommend if you are in the area.
My second trip to the mountains this year, just a few weeks ago I was on the motorcycle also on the Blue Ridge Parkway, but that was in Virginia.

This is downtown Asheville, we went down there for a while. Love the town as there is a lot to see and do there. We really enjoyed some of the shops in the Grove Arcade. Fun to walk around and check out the sights. There was also some live music on the streets.
After that, we went to Biltmore Village and checked out the shops there (Amy did a bit of shopping as well) and wandering the shops.
We did not make it to the McDonalds near there but have been there before (well, I have) and highly suggest that...it is something unique to see.  

 Made a quick stop to the world famous Grove Park Inn...which is really something to see. It is all decked out for Christmas already and even outside of the season it is a remarkable sight.
This is from the backside of the hotel, which gives a view off in the distance of downtown Asheville (which can be seen at the upper right).
Again we wandered the shops there and checked out some of the hotel. Did we stay there? No, but for a really special occasion it would be a remarkable place to spend a night or two).

This is what we came to see...the Bilmore. Gets a lot of names....such as "America's Castle". It is a sight to behold with over 240 rooms, 40 plus bathrooms, and over 60 fireplaces. It is a just a huge and beautiful thing-especially so at Christmas. We loved the tour of the house and checking out the rooms (and no you dont get to see all of them, but enough to give you a real feel for the place. Tour takes about an hour and a half. It was a wonderful and remarkable visit and one I hope to repeat with my wonderful girlfriend in the year to come.      

To the Parkway (October 25, 2014)

Nice motorcycle ride. Have not posted to this blog for a while...been a lot of exciting things going on with the new girlfriend (who is really wonderful) but did take a ride on the Kawasaki to The Blue Ridge Parkway. Lots of great color in the trees, nice day (not too cold which is wild for late October) and some great things to see.
This is a mountain farm up in the parkway, have some more photos of the trip on the Racing with the Wind blog, but it was a fantastic thing to do.
Love fall, it is a wonderful time to ride, and a fun time in Richmond and beyond. Good trip and a lot of smiles from beginning to end.  

Took this photo at a pulloff on I-64 near the Parkway (as noted a lot of views from up there on the motorcycle blog) but this is a beautiful view of the whole area. Just a great place to go and nice that it is so close. Much like Carolina its not too far here to the sea or to the mountains.
Traffic was not as bad there or on the way as I expected, and that was a happy thing to find as well.

Made a stop in Charlottesville, but with all the fall events and homecoming at UVA traffic there WAS a bit bad. Due to lines there, did not get to eat at Michie Tavern which like this mill is a very old building (dating to the late 1700's) but did wander around a bit and check them out. I ate lunch nearby and got back on the road.
It was a good ride..some 258 miles (some 60 of which were on the Parkway checking out the leaves and the views) but a great time.
Look forward to this every year and was glad I got to do it here in 2014. Fall is one of my favorite times of year, and looking forward to the days ahead.  

Fun in the RVA (August 2-3,2014)

 Interesting weekend, had some clouds, but went out with a friend and his girlfriend, and also went out with the girlfriend's sister (and she was real nice). Amy came from North Carolina (my old stomping grounds where she lives) and wanted to see some of Richmond. So we tried. Did not get to take her out on the motorcycle, but for the most part the rains did hold off and we got around a few places.
Went to the Dragon Boat races, which was a lot of fun, very oriental and very cool. Had a great time. Saw some other people from work, and really enjoyed being there.          We also went to the Canal, which was a lot of fun. Some neat art there, and a nice time. We also got out on the Canal boat which was a great time. I think the photo with the drawings was an old water plant. At any case, was a cool place to walk and I had never seen or done the boat trip. Well worth the visit.   

After a great dinner the four of us had dessert and a couple of glasses of wine at The Jefferson. That is an amazing place, very old, and very cool.
Lots of history there, but that is common in Richmond, this place is history in my book. Many, many cool things to see and do here, it has been a pleasant surprise.
Day one was a lot of fun, and Amy had a good time.

On Sunday, Amy and I went to Hollywood Cemetery to check out some of the sights there. Among the things to see the Pyramid which is a monument to the Civil War and the 18,000 Confederate Soldiers buried there. There is also 2 US Presidents, the only President of the CSA, and a lot of former Richmond movers and shakers. It is a beautiful place.
Later we joined up with Tina and Tony and went to the Stony Point Fashion Park, and then supper at Baja Bean Company.
Great time, and looking forward to her next visit which will be in a couple of weeks.
Glad I was able to spend time with good friends, a fine woman, and show her some of this very interesting area.  

Redskins Training Camp (July 27, 2014)

 Washington Redskins to be exact, and yes that is RGIII in the yellow jersey, walking onto the field. The team has its training camp in Richmond, VA, nice facility and fun to go there on a rainy day in Richmond. Unlike many sports, football is played in the rain (and as it seems practiced in it too). Told that crowds on the weekends can be terrible, but thanks to the rain that was less than you would think, though still a very good turnout.
It was fun to see all of this, its right downtown and not very far from where I hang my hat...maybe a 5 or 10 minute drive. Traffic was light and parking was no problem. Got to park on a nearby street ...parking lots (which charged from $5-$10) were not very full today. There were a lot of food vendors (food being kind of pricey as you would expect) but a good assortment, and also a lot of interesting things to see and do. There was also a nice team store just past the entrance. No charge to see the practices though some of the later ones (New England Patriot and Fan Fest) will require a free ticket to get in.

Kicker seen here was pretty cool....he could really boom the ball. Got to see them run a few plays and do some other drills.
I am a big football fan, though my favorite teams are the Chicago Bears, but still think it is cool that they have this here in Richmond. Like to get out and see things, and though I had been there last year, practice was not under way during my visit.
This is the second year for the camp to be here, and they have made a few changes for this year. There is a lot more food, and they have also improved the parking. Some of the further lots have shuttle busses to get there and back. At any case, it was a lot of fun.

Seen here is the sun of Jerry Rice, not sure if he will make the team or not, but he is there now. Saw his Dad play a few years ago when I lived in Louisville, Kentucky at a Colts/49er's game.
Fun area where the camp is held, lots of good places to eat (also many in the camp area, but others outside of it) and there is even the baseball stadium nearby as well as a very cool movie theater-so plunty to do between sessions. They have the early morning practice (around 810 though was late) and a walk thru practice around 4. If in the area, make it a point to check this out.  

Fireworks in the RVA (July 5, 2014)

Nice time...not far from me is the Virginia War Museum (I go there quite often, its a very neat place, and its free...plus I was a member of the USN for four years).
Liked this photo I took of Richmond, just before dusk, prior to the fireworks show which was said to be the biggest one in Virginia. It was actually centered from Brown Island which is right on the James River, this is above it, but thought this would be a great place to see the display. From the number of people there, I think I made the right call. Was my first time to see this display.  

It was a very good show. Said to be over 3000 shells, and the skies really got lit up. I did not have a tripod, but did manage to get a few photos of the fireworks...most of the time I think I was watching as my jaw dropped.
It was a lot of fun, a great crowd, and a fun display that lasted well over 30 minutes. As a bonus the museum was open before the display...my neighbor had never been there, and got to show him some of the sights inside there.
It was a very, very fun night and was glad to get to enjoy it.

Bit of History in the RVA (July 1-2, 2014)

 Good couple of rides....on July 1 went to Shockoe Hill Cemetery which is the sites of the graves of John Marshall (3rd Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court), a number of Richmond Mayors, one VA governor, some Union spies, girlfriend of E.A Poe, and soldiers of the Civil War and back to the Revolutionary War. It is an interesting place, was made when the graveyard at St. John's Church got filled up.
There is a lot of history to be seen here in Richmond, and in fact a lot of it can be found at every single turn to make in this city.

On July 2....riding with a purpose (looking for a building I have to visit on the 14th) went by this historic Confederate museum. This anchor was salvaged off the wreck of the USS Virginia. I was  at Hampton Roads a few days ago...there on March 8-9, 1862 the CSS Virginia  and the USS Monitor. On the 8th the Virginia sunk two wooden US warships and damaged a third, but the Monitor arrived that night and the next day fought the Virginia to a draw.
In May 1862 Norfolk fell, and the Virginia trapped was blown up in the harbor to escape capture. That actually happened on May 11, but this anchor was salvaged and also a propeller shaft which is also on display at this museum (and a photo of that is on my Racing with the Wind Motorcycle Blog.
Short ride both days as the heat and humidity are both rising. Felt like 102 both days early on....which does not not make for the best motorcycling. Still, enjoyed getting out early and escaping the heat of the midafternoon.  

Return to Hampton, VA (June 28, 2014)

Have not been to Hampton, VA for a while...but enjoyed my last visit some time ago. Read about Fort Monroe and wanted to see it; so got on the motorcycle on a mid 80's late June day (low humidity) and rode down I-64 (for the most part) to the Fort. Roads were real heavy with traffic-in fact came to a stop a few times. I actually got off near Williamsburg, but followed signs to Hampton Roads knowing that Hampton was nearby...and with more signs (VA is much better than Carolina telling you where things are) I was able to find my way to the Fort. I was impressed to say the least.  

"Fort" in Richmond being a dirt mound (which once had wood works but are gone) this was the real deal. Nice place until like 2011 (as I remember) it was an active military base. It also was during the Civil War. Got to see the building where Robert E. Lee lived while in the US Army..and the area where Jeff Davis was held for a time after the war (after friends posted $100,000 bail he was released and never tried) was also there. Very good (and free) museum in the Fort.
Photos above and to left are of the fort, its a big thing, and never fell (was in Union hands) the entire Civil War. I also have some photos on my Photo Page, but it was a very cool trip and enjoyed seeing it.  
Lots of interesting things in the area, and also being on the water got to see some fishing boats (commercial) and nice to be near the water anyhow.
Got back on the highway and headed back to Richmond...but first...

Stopped at the Hampton Air Park. There is also the Hampton, VA Air and Space Museum (which I have been to...charges admission) but wanted to see this free attraction. Has some rare planes and rockets. With a NASA facility and Langley Air Force Base in the area, they get some interesting things. Enjoyed my second visit here, looks like most of the items have been fixed up since my last visit with paint. Also had some people there to give information which was nice as well.
Coming back, same traffic problems....so at Williamsburg took VA5 back to Richmond. One of my favorite roads and a whole lot less traffic. Came to a 186 mile ride (thereabouts) and was a really good day for it. Hampton is a neat place to explore and plan to go back in the future....but with beach traffic (VA Beach is not far) might reconsider doing this again on weekends.  

2nd Annual Richmond Bacon Festival (June 8, 2014)

Went to this (the first one) last year...both were held in the 17th Street Farmers Market in Richmond, VA. The first was not well organized, beer lines were massive, they ran out of food...to be honest I was gone in 15 minutes.
The people who put it on said it would be better this year with more food, more beer, and a larger area. They were right...it was a whole lot better. The lines were shorter even though the crowd was much, much larger. It is one of the most interesting parts of Richmond held in the Shockoe Bottom area of the city.

 The main focus was Bacon and there were all sorts of bacon based treats...even bacon ice cream. There was all sorts of neat things to check out at a (usual) price of $4 for a sample.
Beer (as has been the norm of late) was $6 a cup (up from $5 in the last few years) but it is a good chance to check out and try some different beers.
It was a neat event, I like getting out to see some of the things Richmond has to offer, and it sure offers a lot as I have found. Fun to see all the people too...got to see some very interesting tattoos and this city is certainly fond of those!    

There were bands, there was bacon, there was beer, it did not rain (though it was more humid than the motorcycle ride the day before which is on my Racing with the Wind Page), and I also have some more photos (including one of the neat tattoos) on my Photo Page.
Richmond certainly (as you can see from the photo at left) loves these events as do I. Had a great time and am looking forward to the next one.
Closed out the night at Music in the Park, held on a regular basis in Forest Hill Park which is also in Richmond, VA  

Blue Ridge Parkway and Lynchburg (May 24, 2014)

 On Saturday May 24, got on the motorcycle and rode out to the Blue Ridge Parkway....always found it amazing in North Carolina (and sure to be some photos of it on this blog) when I lived there, this was the first time to explore at least a part of it in Virginia. Nice ride up I-64 to exit 99 which is actually the start of this great road. This was five miles on the road...a Mountain Farm display. This cabin was just one of many buildings...it was very neat. Wandered around and explored this, nice thing was the traffic was light (the whole day) and the weather was absolutely perfect for the ride.It was a great day to explore.    

Course the views there are remarkable, and I have more photos both on my Racing with the Wind blog and also on my Photo Page. Just a lot of oh wow moments along the way and a great many rock formations, flowers, animals, and just a remarkable road to ride on (or drive on if four wheels are your thing). While nearby Skyline Drive charges admission, the Blue Ridge Parkway is free and there is a lot of things there to see and do. I found the Virgina side to be every bit as pretty and interesting as its North Carolina counterpart-the road goes one for some 470+ miles into both states. It is really America's epic road.

Got off the Parkway after riding some 60 miles and headed via (near the mountains) a very twisty VA60 to Lynchburg, Va (via another short ride up VA29). This is part of the historic downtown; also a very nice Riverfront there (had lunch there) and a lot of other things to see and do (the War Memorial there is a must see). I did some wandering both on foot and on the bike. Be sure to know though this is a mountain town, and some of it is uphill.
After the visit there, headed back to VA60 and back into Richmond via that road, taking a few stops along the way. All in all covered some 311 miles of very beautiful Virginia which I have been finding is a very fine and wonderful state to explore. I have been on some great rides the last few weeks and got a feeling that the best is yet to come.
Take my word for it though, the Blue Ridge Parkway is well worth a visit to check out the amazing sights to be found there! 

Yorktown Motorcycle Ride (May 18, 2014)

Took a motorcycle ride to Yorktown, VA...this is my fourth trip there. I really like this area, love the ride there...went again down VA5 which is a great road on two wheels, or four for that matter. Go past a lot of plantations, farms, and many Civil War battlefields.
This photo I took from the York River, many warships from long ago (including the French Navy) have been on it, and so is the case with the US Navy ship (which I believe is a destroyer, but I could be wrong) which I saw during my visit. The road and the sights on the river are both amazing.  

I saw the big monument to to the victory over the British, and have photos of that (and other sights) on my Photo Page and my Racing with the Wind motorcycle blog, but this is a close up of the inscription on the monument (one of the four on it). It is near the Yorktown Battlefield which I have seen on a past visit (as well as Jamestown and Colonial Williamsburg both of which are on the Colonial Parkway). Many things in all those places are very old including a number of items and buildings dating to the 1600's. Just a fantastic place with a lot of things to catch your eye.

 More ships and these you can ride on (for a price) without enlisting. In fact got to see the bigger of the two under sail (at the time though I was enjoying an ice cream cone from Ben and Jerry). All sorts of places to eat and drink, lots of stores to check out and places to walk around and see. There are even beaches to explore and lay around on; and they have sand. Though not on the ocean the crowds get pretty big especially in the summer. Yorktown is around 60 miles closer to Richmond than Virginia Beach. There are also hotels in the area if you want to stay longer than a day. 

This is a view of the beach..part of it anyhow and another view of the area as well as a look at the York River.
As I noted, have been there four times, once by car and three times by motorcycle. If you want a faster way (which I have done a couple of times) there is I-64 which will get there a little quicker than VA5.
One of the great motorcycle rides by the way is VA5 to Jamestown (via the Colonial Parkway) and then to take the ferry which is a blast to VA10 and back to Richmond. That I have done once and is a remarkable ride indeed! 

Petersburg and Music in the Park (May 11, 2014)

Went for a motorcycle ride on May 11, covered some interesting areas. That ride is listed on my Racing with the Wind blog, and also have some photos from the ride on my photo page.
Here is a tablet on Blandford Church which is on the National Register of Historic Places and dates to 1735.
Most famous for its involvement with the Civil War, the church is inside the grounds of the cemetery which is also very, very historic.
It dates to a time even before the Civil War, to the Revolutionary War and in some cases even before that. Petersburg has a long history and was an important battlefield (that battlefield is very close to the cemetery) in the Civil War.
Days after the fall of Petersburg and Richmond, Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia as it was known, to the Union forces under General Grant ending the bloodiest war in US history.  

 Many of the dead are buried in the Confederate section seen here from the seat of my motorcycle (that is its headlight and handlebars in the photo).
That section has a few monuments and as is the case with most Union or Confederate burials many if not most of the dead are unknown. The soldiers did not wear nametags, much of the deaths were caused by cannon (which caused severe damage) and also long times between death and recovery due to battle conditions made it hard to identify the deceased.
There are a number of war cemeteries in the Richmond area, as this was the main goal of the Union Army. Grant's campaign was the second major one during the Civil War, and a lot of the area battlefields were visited twice in the war years (many times within walking distance from earlier battles.
It was an amazing time, and a remarkable history...and this is a great place to see where it all happened (or much of it anyhow).    

Finally, on Sunday night, went to Music in the Park in Forest Hill Park. This band (all the concerts are free and usually draw a big crowd..this one certainly did) was a Talking Heads cover band.
The Park is also a very old place, dating back as land holdings of one of the original founders of Richmond, VA.
It was a very good Sunday- a little motorcycle riding, a lot of history, and some real good rock and roll.
Looking forward to my next adventure in the RVA and beyond. 

Art Fest (May 4, 2014)

 Nice Sunday, went to Byrd Park to the Art Fest....and usually without fail (sure I have missed one or two) go every year. One of the most fun things to do in May, it is a great art show with all sorts of art.
I like seeing original things, and one thing you learn seeing this is that there are some really, really creative people out there making some remarkable things.
The bell tower here was a WW1 memorial...still very neat in what is an amazing park (also of special note is Maymont which is attached to Byrd Park...if you have not been they are a must see during any visit to Richmond. I have been to both many times, and they are both featured on this blog.
Went with two friends from work Tony and Tina and we had a great time checking out the sights and some of the amazing things that you can see. 

One good example are these creations by one Clifford C. Earl of Glen Allen, VA. I could not believe them, and was really, really amazed at what he had put together. Very creative and a lot of imagination went into them. Talked with the artist (Mr. Earl is the man sitting against the left of the tent). More than I can afford but if I could....
Had a great time at the event, though had to park a distance away (but a walk through the park and the neighborhood is great) due to the rather large crowd. Which made for an interesting drive home....      

...because an College bike race was going on in Richmond. In fact I got to see part of it, mainly cause many of the roads were blocked....hard to drive the way back bacause of the traffic so took a different route. Made it, and even got some "sightseeing photos" of sights in the RVA which are on my photo page, as well as other photos of the event.
Did the bike race piss me off? No, big fan of people on two wheels (though a motorcycle is currently my bike of choice) though used to ride a bicycle (and someday may again. Think it was a very neat event and in fact enjoyed seeing a few minutes of it. 

Heart of Virginia Festival (May 3, 2014)

 As with the last post, this was another motorcycle ride, this time to Farmville (no joke) Va to the Heart of Virginia festival. I have photos on the photo page, and also on my Racing with the Wind blog, but wanted to put a few here. At the festival was this plane, I thought that was cool. They had a lot of things to see there including a car show, arts and crafts, bands and food (though I ate a Macado's....a chain but one I liked a lot when I lived in Concord, NC).
At any case, it was a very cool place to visit.

This is the courthouse, I love those old courthouses. Lots of very neat buildings to see there, it is a very old town (did some checking and could not find how old) but pre Civil War. In fact it played a rather large role at the end of the war as the Confederates surrendered not far from here. This was the line of retreat from Richmond, VA for the Army of Northern Virginia. So even got a little bit of Civil War history (as I did last week) during the ride...rode my motorcycle down much the same roads as the Confederates and following Union Army took.     

See, there was a festival, and quite a crowd over quite a few blocks. No admission to the festival which is always held the first Saturday in May, so enjoyed that. At any case, very glad I went and plan to go back next year (weather permitting).
As noted the festival is also held on the grounds of Longwood University, which is a very, very nice looking college with a number of old buildings but also a very modern look.
Been a good riding weekend, plan another ride on Sunday, nice after all the rain of the previous week. 

Ride to Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville (April 27, 2014)

 Beautiful day on April 27...took the motorcycle some 60 miles North of Richmond (via highway, the only part of the trip I did not like...prefer twisty backroads on the motorcycle) to Fredericksburg battlefield (one of two I saw that day). Got more photos on my "Racing With the Wind" Blog, and also on my photo page. Had never been to this place (though had been past it twice on my way to Washington, DC). Seen here is the Union cemetery which is located on the battlefield. Most of the graves (seen by the small square stones) are unknown...and come from 4 area battles.  

 Lots of monuments there, this one struck me to Richard Kirkland, as I read was put up by soldiers of both sides. He got water during the battle for both sides soldiers. Read on the back that he died in a latter Civil War battle.
It was a most remarkable place, nice battlefield with a lot of items and places from the day (the wall is mostly replica, but a portion of it remains and is preserved).
I enjoyed the visit there, and give a real shout out to the Visitor Center, where you can get a lot of good information on the battle, and others in the area. From that headed to the next one...

Which was Cancellorsville...another Confederate victory but came at the cost of General Stonewall Jackson, one of R.E. Lee's top generals, being shot by friendly fire. The wound caused him to lose his left arm.
Alot has changed in the area over time, in 150 years the battlefields see a lot of development, and a lot of the cities and many houses have come closer to where these men fought and died.
On the bright side, the US and Virginia has done a great job of preserving the history that is what makes these sights so remarkable.    

This is the bed that General Jackson died in. In fact the building he died in has also been preserved...part of a plantation he was taken too. His loss was a major blow to the Confederacy's slim hopes of defeating the Union.
Got to see two of the four battlefields in the area, though they are scattered over a fairly wide area. I salute the brave men of both sides, hard to believe that all this happened...but it did, and good for us to look back at what the war cost in human lives. Still, the good it did lives on today, and is a important part of US history.