Kirsten here. Wednesday had us waking up in Charlottesville, and the first thing we did when we checked out of our hotel was to buy lunch. We were headed into the Shenandoah National Park to drive along Skyline Drive, so we brought our picnic with us! Skyline Drive is in the north of the park, the Blue Ridge Parkway in the southern half, and together they have been called the most scenic drive in America. It took us about three hours, including stopping for our lunch, and we saw incredible views. At the overlooks, you could see for miles and miles. I wished I knew how far we could see! We also saw hundreds of butterflies, blue jays and robins and sparrows in and among the trees, and hawks circling overhead. We saw many deer, and even a young black bear! We also saw hikers and walkers and bicyclists galore.
From there, we drove to West Virginia, to see Harpers Ferry National Historic Park. This town has a storied history, most famous for its role in the Civil War. Here, in 1859, John Brown and his gang of fellow abolitionists raided the federal armory, hoping to start a rebellion that would end slavery. Instead, he was captured, tried for treason, conspiracy, and murder, and hanged in nearby Charles Town. The town changed hands during the Civil War, eight times. After the Civil War, the town tried to come back to life (with the armory, a major source of employment, having been destroyed during the war) but the flooding of the Shenandoah River pushed out those residents who had returned after the War. What remains is a beautiful historic down, with a few destroyed buildings, but also a few full time residents even today!
After Harpers Ferry, we drove back into Virginia, to stay at the home of friends. Nancy and John are the owners of the condo in Alexandria, and they live in Middleburg, VA. My mom and Nancy met when my family moved to Virginia, and they have been friends ever since. They now live in a beautiful home in a fairly rural part of Middleburg, surrounded by horse properties. We had a wonderful dinner with them, then chatted while the kids swam, and caught fireflies! It was wonderful to see their house, and fun to spend time with them.
From there, we drove to West Virginia, to see Harpers Ferry National Historic Park. This town has a storied history, most famous for its role in the Civil War. Here, in 1859, John Brown and his gang of fellow abolitionists raided the federal armory, hoping to start a rebellion that would end slavery. Instead, he was captured, tried for treason, conspiracy, and murder, and hanged in nearby Charles Town. The town changed hands during the Civil War, eight times. After the Civil War, the town tried to come back to life (with the armory, a major source of employment, having been destroyed during the war) but the flooding of the Shenandoah River pushed out those residents who had returned after the War. What remains is a beautiful historic down, with a few destroyed buildings, but also a few full time residents even today!
After Harpers Ferry, we drove back into Virginia, to stay at the home of friends. Nancy and John are the owners of the condo in Alexandria, and they live in Middleburg, VA. My mom and Nancy met when my family moved to Virginia, and they have been friends ever since. They now live in a beautiful home in a fairly rural part of Middleburg, surrounded by horse properties. We had a wonderful dinner with them, then chatted while the kids swam, and caught fireflies! It was wonderful to see their house, and fun to spend time with them.
No comments:
Post a Comment