Newport News

Thursday, May 9th we drove the 103 miles to Newport News, VA. We parked in a city park deep in the woods. This was my least favorite camp site because I felt I was in a cave. Think thick woods!

So far I have four tick bites and Shirley has three. Annie's meds protect her but we are leery. Spiders, rattle snakes, water moccasins abound. There was a Civil War battle here but we declined to follow it, however, there are still dirt embankments visible from that war.

We were delighted to unhitch and have Joan and Al arrive for a visit. We first met them in '07 on our first caravan. They had just gotten married. Al said he had moved up in class, he was a lawyer and Joan was a judge. We have seen them many times since then and they were on our first two Civil War caravans, but due to health reasons were not able to attend this caravan. They live near here in Norfolk and we are happy to learn they are doing just fine after surgery.

Friday, we drove to Hampton Harbor for a cruise so far I have no pictures. We also visited Ft. Wool which was designed by Robt. E. Lee before the Civil war. Next we visited the Hampton History Museum and St. John's Church. I went home after the cruise to take care of Annie, as it was a long day and hot.

Saturday we left for a tour of the Mariners' Museum. On this we did not know what to expect but it was excellent! We spent most of our time in a section labeled "The Monitor." This was mostly information on the Monitor and it's battle against the "Virginia" which we were taught in school was the Merrimack. You could spend a week in here but our time was limited.

Next we visited the Berkeley Plantation which was built during the growth of Virginia before the Revolution. All the important men of our long history up to and including the Civil War visited here. If it could only talk.

Next we visited the Shirley Plantation which has a similar history to the Berkeley Plantation. An interesting note was the family awoke one morning to find wounded Union solders on their lawn. The Union was the enemy but they rendered aid and Gen. McClellan wrote a letter of thanks and stated the home and its inhabitants were to be left alone. We saw that document with his signature on it.

Here Annie saw her first goats and chickens.

Next we visit Ft. Monroe on Monday and on Tuesday disband. I will write more later.

Hand carved ships ornament from the Civil War.

Our guide at Berkeley Plantation.

Shirley at Shirley Plantation.

A canon destroyed during the battle of the Monitor and Virginia. 

The goat was as curious about Annie as she was about the goat.

Shirley was the savior for the goats as Annie wanted to herd them.

See Ya! Barry, Shirley and Annie

Fredericksburg, VA Where it all started for me.

On Monday, May 6th we headed for Fredericksburg. This is where I became interested in the Civil War. Shirley and I had been on a tour in DC and I wanted to see Monticello as I had just read "Undaunted Courage."  We drove from DC and spent the night in Fredericksburg. Next day we visited the battlefield and I was hooked. So here we are on our third Civil War Caravan!

As we drove from Manassas to Fredericksburg we passed the U.S. Marine Corps Museum and stopped for a photo op. There were acres and acres of lawn and Annie got to run, without her leash, back and fourth between us. Her running was pure delight and we must have had everyone laughing at her antics. We certainly had a group of cadets entertained. It was good for all of us to see her pure joy of just being alive.

Our campground was a KOA, not great but not bad. Weather was OK when we arrived but rain came at nightfall. Parking was a bit of a problem, one of our parkers must have had his mind someplace else. He could not find our names on his list of sites. Finally after asking in the office he sent us to our site and someone was in it. He had given them our parking papers, our name was on it. I was losing my cool as the last place we parked we had to circle three times to find our parking site. Long story short, after the second time around I yelled at him and now I am afraid I have made a lifetime enemy. I apologized to him but he refused to accept my apology so there you have it. He couldn't do his job and I blew up. Too bad 'cause I was one of the few who liked him.

Tuesday the 7th we drove to visit Chancellorsville National Battlefield, where we had a museum and a ranger-led guided tour. Other than being the "worst battle and the most people killed" this was the site where Stonewall Jackson was killed. Also, this battle is considered to be Lee's greatest victory. I have my own feelings toward Lee and they may be different from most southerners.

Next day saw us headed for the Fredericksburg battle site. As I have stated, it all started here for me. I recommend reading up on it. The Union had really bad generals. The Union got slaughtered. That afternoon we toured the town.

We were first here in about '92. Things have changed a lot. Even historic towns grow and twenty years have hidden some of what we remembered. Heck, Lincoln, CA where we live is not the same town just 10 years later.

Things are winding down. We only have one more stop after this one.

Shirley and Annie at the US Marine Corps Museum.

This old house was next to the Stone Wall during the battle of Fredericksburg.

This is an example of compassion shown often by both sides.

These must be Confederates, their uniforms don't match. 

Had to take this picture. There seems to be a lot of liberals here in VA, lots of public housing etc. This car stole my heart.

Beautiful old Apothecary in Fredericksburg circa 1647.

Neat stuff.

Doctors office. Remember Geo. Washington was bled to death.

See Ya! Barry, Shirley and Annie