Antietam, April 23, 2013

We will be staying at the Harpers Ferry KOA for several days, and taking small trips to area sights. Today we traveled the 17 or so miles to Antietam, the site of  the place where 23,000 soldiers were killed, wounded or missing after twelve hours of savage combat on September 17, 1862. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history. The Battle of Antietam ended the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia's first invasion into the North and led to Abraham Lincoln's issuance of the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. For these reasons, Antietam was crucial to the history of our country.

On a day that started out cloudy and cool, and ended up sunny and beautiful, we toured the Antietam battleground. How can you not be moved while standing at the spot where, at the end of this stage of the battle, hundreds of bodies of men lay in piles? This was the case at the Sunken Road,  a rough lane eroded over many years to wagon tracks. Confederates used it as an improvised trench, and it was the object of ferocious Union assaults. A number of union regiments attacked the Sunken Road in waves. It was finally taken, and troops were shocked to see a huge number of Confederate bodies piled atop each other.

When the photographer, Alexander Garner arrived on the scene, 2 days after the battle, the Sunken Road was still filled with bodies.

The Sunken Road today

The sad truth of this day in history, is that neither side won the battle, with roughly the same casualties. No advantage was won in the war. All those men died in vain.

We visited many such sites around the Antietam battle field, including Burnside's bridge, originally a passageway over Antietam Creek for farmers to take their produce and livestock to market in Sharpsburg.
Confederates held the Union force at bay, until the union soldiers finally decided to storm the bridge. It looks very much the same as it did 151 years ago, guarded by the sycamore tree that was there at the time.

Sycamore at top right was standing when the battle at Burnside's bridge took place.

We ended our tour at the national cemetery at Antietam.

The KOA where we are staying is clean and quiet. We're loving it. One weird thing: there is no Verizon data service here, although the phone signal is good.

Harpers Ferry 4/22/2013

As is usual for us when we travel, we were up early, had a cup of coffee, watch the news on TV, dubbed about a bit, got showered and dressed, and then packed up to go. With the trailer, packing up and going is a bit more complicated. But, with practice, I suspect we'll get faster at it. Today, we drove south to Harpers Ferry, WV, a historic town at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers. In 1761, Robert Harper established a ferry across the Potomac here, making the town a starting point for settlers moving into the Shenandoah Valley and further west. The area is marked by hills and valleys that we had remembered from our trip this past summer. With spring in full bloom, roads are lined with flowering crabapples, and weeping cherry and pear trees. There is a National Historical Park at Harpers Ferry, and we enjoyed walking the streets of the town, and learning more about the town's history, especially during the Civil War. Due to its strategic location on the railroad and at the northern end of the Shenandoah Valley, both Union and Confederate troops moved through Harpers Ferry frequently. As a matter of fact, the Civil War was disastrous for Harpers Ferry, which changed hands between the Union and Confederacy eight times between 1861 and 1865.

 

Harpers Ferry

The center of town itself looks much like it did in the 1800s. The National Park has restored some of the buildings to recapture the look of the town in its heyday, with a dry goods store, boarding house, blacksmith,

St. Peter's Church

bookshop, clothing store, confectionery store and more. We hiked up a steep staircase, hand-cut into the stone hill to St. Peter's Catholic Church, at the top of a hill. The church is only open for Sunday Mass. One piece of interesting information was that during the Civil War, the pastor of the church flew a British flag to indicated its impartiality, so it would not be bombarded by either side. In this way, the church became one of the few buildings in town not damaged in the war. We also visited the rock at which Thomas Jefferson stopped on October 25, 1783. He found the view from the rock impressive and wrote that "this scene is worth a voyage across the Atlantic". The view of the valley below really is impressive.

Again, the 3 hour drive south had us dealing with nutty people who swerved around us. Our favorite "crazy" today was a van that missed its exit off the interstate, and did a quick u-turn through a construction site, to the amazement of the workers. Yikes. We also had to stop for town workers taking down a giant tree. The road went down to one very small lane. When traffic resumed, we just squeaked through. The weather has been cool, but crisp, with bright blue skies. Tomorrow, we head to Antietam.

Maiden cruise 4/22/2013

We left on Saturday to check out our new addition, our Bullet Premier 19FBPR--a little travel trailer built for 2. Thankfully, the weather was clear, if cool. But Ray found out that just clear weather does not necessarily mean easy driving, especially when you're pulling 4500 pounds. Man, it was windy. Try pulling a trailer through New York City and across the George Washington Bridge in heavy wind. Try changing lanes in heavy traffic, where you have to rely on the courtesy of truck drivers, because the car drivers don't really give a ----. It was interesting watching cars weave in and out around us on every road. No wonder truck drivers hate car drivers. Sitting up higher, we had a great view of all the craziness on the roads. But the absolute highlight of our trip down to PA was the last leg, once we got off the highway. As we were staying at a campground in Coatesville, PA (a small town west of Philly), our GPS took us down some pretty hairy roads. You know you're in trouble when you are asking yourself  "Is this road rated to carry an RV?", and then you see a sign that says "RVs permitted". We took the trailer on roads that were barely wide enough for the truck and another car coming the other way, never mind a truck and a trailer, and opposing traffic. One of the last parts of the road took us around a hairpin turn. Yup, "RVs permitted".  Let's just say that Ray has my great admiration as a driver (as well as for other reasons).

After setting up at the campground and settling in, we spent a lovely, comfy night. It's great traveling with all the comforts of home. We set out yesterday morning for Longwood Gardens. What a fabulous place. No matter how many times we go, it is always different and dazzling. The tulip beds that greeted us at the entrance were almost iridescent. The conservatories were spectacular. Maybe the fact that this past winter was nasty and long, made us ever more appreciative of the green and floral wonderland that is Longwood. We spent the day strolling through the absolute beauty of the place. Pictures just don't do Longwood justice.

Monday, we head to Harpers Ferry, WV.

Wedding Day, looking back posted 9/1/2012

In the morning, we decided to take a walk over to the Magic Kingdom for a look around during the day. Maybe because it was Sunday, there were fewer people there, and a bit more room to move around. After a few rides, we headed back to our htoel for a light lunch, and to get ready for the wedding.

We had allowed lots of time, so we did not have to rush getting over to the Floridian where we were to meet Alex for pictures at 3:30. So we were, for the most part, ready to go at 2:30 for the 5 minute ride to the Floridian. Except. The last thing to put on (for me) was a fine chain necklace with a cz stone. I picked it out of its container, and...I discovered that the chain to my necklace had become hopelessly knotted. While we had left ample time for dressing, we did not figure on having to untangle an unruly chain. I took it in hand, and we left our room, headed for the wedding. We stopped at the front desk because we needed to inquire about transportation, and while we waited, I casually (and desperately) asked if the hotel had an "expert" at untangling chains. I was blown away by the young man who came to my rescue. It turns out that, yes, he was something of an expert at untangling chains. Apparently he had previously worked at a jewelry store (I think). At any rate, he managed to untangle what both I and my husband could not. Such a small thing, but, wow, that's service!

That morning, we had inquired about transportation from the Contemporary to the Floridian. The concierge told us our options (monorail or taxi), and then mentioned that perhaps the hotel would have a "runner" car available to take us the 3-5 minute ride there. He told us to ask at the front desk when we were ready to leave. So, we did just that. But, no, there was no car available. The concierge then graciously gave us a chit for a complimentary taxi ride to the Floridian. Within minutes, we were there. 

Pictures taken, we walked over to the wedding pavilion where the wedding would take place. There, we waited in the groom's waiting room with Alex and his groomsmen. Mike (Alex's best man) inquired about the whereabouts of the rings. "Not to worry. They're in the chapel". The wedding began, and at the time of the ring presentation, the minister turned to Mike and asked for the rings. Flummoxed, Mike shrugged and said he didn't have them. The minister turned to the groomsmen--no, they didn't have them either. But then--to the strains of "When you wish upon a star", the rear doors opened and a fairytale footman strode down the aisle with the rings on a pillow. SO cool.

It was a lovely, meaningful wedding ceremony.

The ensuing reception was a blast. The music and dj was good, the food, wonderful. Everyone danced. And part way through the festivities, Mickey and Minnie made a guest appearance, and danced and had their pictures taken with guests. I had to laugh when Cale, one of the groomsmen boogied with Minnie and dipped her. In the corner of the reception room, the photographer had set up a camera and 60" (approximate) screen, where guests could have their pictures taken, and write on the screen (with their finger), a note to the bride and groom. What a novel guest book! The pictures could then be printed, and both the guest and Alex and Jenna got copies. Alex and Jenna will also get digital copies as well. Sweet!

What a wonderful day! We are blessed to have another addition to our family. Welcome, Jenna!

The day before 8/25/2012

This morning, we opted to visit the hotel restaurant for breakfast, and took part in a lovely buffet. This was the first restaurant we had ever visited where juice was served in a 16 oz. tumbler, and refills were offered. As usual, the waitstaff was over-the-top, Disney-helpful and the service was Disney superb. At Disney, no matter the type of restaurant, it seems that the servers had been told to give service before patrons ever ask for it. I could get hooked on that...

After breakfast, we set out for Epcot again. This time, we stopped at Mission for Mars, Captain EO (a 3D movie), and something called "Soaring". This was a neat bit of entertainment that has you sitting in a simulated airline seat. You are then presented with a full vision screen that shows a movie of what the pilot sees when flying--swooping down over a river, buzzing through canyons, soaring over NYC. It was really exhilarating. We stopped for a light lunch, then headed back after we received a call from Alex telling us that we needed to be at the rehearsal in 45 minutes. Uh-oh. That was news to us...We booked it back to the room, changed clothes, and boarded the monorail headed for the rehearsal. Only 20 minutes late. We did great!

Then we traveled over to the Polynesian Hotel, and the restaurant, Ohana, where we would host the rehearsal dinner. At this restaurant, courses arrive family style, with the ability to order more of any dish that is served. We started with a caesar salad, then, chicken wings and dumplings, then grilled chicken, steak, pork, grilled shrimp, and broccoli with noodles. We topped all this off with apple crisp and ice cream. Alex and Jenna presented us and Jenna's parents with some thoughtful gifts. It really was a wonderful dinner.

Our last stop for the day was the Magic Kingdom (again) to get a replay of the fireworks show. Since we did not really see the "Magic, Memories and You" precursor to the fireworks, we got to see that as well. It was fabulous. The castle was transformed into a giant canvas of special effects. This was a completely awesome display that left us convinced of the genius that is Disney today. The ensuing fireworks were splendidly choreographed, and a delight.

Tomorrow: the big day!

Animals, China, and Dessert! 8/25/2012

Woke up early today, and we decided to take a jaunt over to Animal Kingdom, Disney's animal park. It was promising, as usual, to be a hot and humid day. We set off on the bus to get there, probably a 25-30 minute ride. On arrival, we went directly to the more popular rides in the park, the Safari, and the Kali Rapid ride. The first is a truck ride through a Disney built African landscape. There were some pretty cool animals along the way, most notably, white rhinos, giraffes, and hippos.  The Rapids is a water ride where you sit in a round tube type boat that bounces off walls, and rushes down a stream. Of course, everyone gets wet. The waits for both rides were short, a nice surprise.  Then we opted for a bird show that featured some beautiful African birds. The trainer had the birds fly over the audience in many cases, quite low over the audience. The best was a crowned crane. It's feet nearly brushed Ray's head...

Since we had to get back to Alex's hotel for Ray to try on his tux, we headed out at about 12:30. we met Steve there. It turns out that Alex and Jenna had to vacate their room (along with everyone else in their hotel block), because some visiting bigwig needed to have the security of  no one else in the building.

We and Steve headed back to our hotel, where we grabbed some lunch, and set out for Epcot. There, we met up with Alex and Jenna, and some of Jenna's family. Together we visited a few of the Epcot "countries of the world"--especially the ones that had air conditioned attractions. By the time we reached the China exhibit, the skies were darkening, and suddenly, the skies opened up, and there was lots of thunder and lightning. Surprisingly, the downpour lasted for at least a couple of hours. Since we had reservations for the Chinese restaurant, we arrived for dinner right on time, only having to run through the rain for a short distance.

By the time we were done our dinner, the rain had stopped and the sun came out. Such is Florida in the summer.  Ray, Steve, and I met Alex again at the American pavilion, the site of Alex and Jenna's "Welcome Dessert Party". There, we mingled with Alex and Jennas friends, and Jenna and Ray's family. There was everything from fresh fruit to cake, to cookies, to ice cream bars, to apple crisp and LOTS more. The party was a huge success. At about 9:00, we moved to a privately reserved, front-row-seat viewing stage for the Epcot fireworks and lighting spectacular. In the beginning of the show, one of the effects was a raging fire. We must have been more than 100 yards away, but we could feel the blast of heat where we sat.Very, very cool.

By the time we left Epcot, the park was closing, and Steve, Ray and I took the Monorail back to our hotel. Steve continued on back to his digs. But the day was not done for Ray and me. We decided there was still time to take a dip in the pool, so we did just that in the warm evening. Disney Day 2 came to a close.

When you wish upon a star 8/24/2012

Outside the hotel

Our digs for this weekend

After a relatively short and pleasant flight, we arrived in Orlando right on time at about 10:30 a.m. We had marked our luggage so that Disney would pick up our bags at the airport and deliver them to our room. That way, we could skip baggage claim and go directly to Disney transportation to our hotel, the Contemporary. Directly after stepping off the bus at the hotel entrance, a young lady approached us, and asked if we were Mr. & Mrs. Blank. Upon confirmation, we were greeted warmly and given our checkin documents, and then led to our room--no standing in line to check in for us! We found our room after a bit of a trek, and upon opening the door, figured we had come to the wrong place. What we had confirmed for was a standard room. What we got was a suite with king bed, 2 sleep sofas, 2 baths, 2 refrigerators, and a water view from 2 sides, windows on 3 sides (it was an end unit. In addition, we have a spacious living area, 2 tvs, 4 clothes closets. Very nice. Once we settled in, we checked out the hotel's workout area (we'll visit there tomorrow), pool, and restaurants, and had lunch. We figured we'd kick back for a bit, then go into the park for dinner and the light show and fireworks.

Dinner was great at an Italian restaurant in the Magic Kingdom, and the light show was sweet. But I must say that the music that accompanied the light parade was like the "It's a Small World After All" sing-song variety that makes your ears bleed after listening to it over and over for 20 minutes. The floats in the parade were festooned with LEDs, as were the characters that rode the floats and walked and danced the route.

But the highlight was the fireworks that followed the parade. The theme was "Wishes". Set to music from various Disney movies, the fireworks and lighting effects on the Cinderella castle synced well. It was a fantastic show. You can see the finale here.

Rather than take the monorail with the thousands of other people herding out of the park after the fireworks, we decided to take the pleasant 10 minute walk back to our hotel.