Day 4 – Drewry’s Bluff, Richmond battlefields and a fond farewell

I must confess, after three chock-a-block days I was dragging a mite when I picked everyone up at the Linden Row Inn this morning.  But we had a LOT to see and only one day left before my gentlemen left me.  To complicate matters, the weather forecast was for severe thunderstorms later in the day, so we got right on the road to our first stop, Drewry’s Bluff.

This is one of my favorite Civil War sites in the area – or maybe of anywhere.  If you have not made the trek, you should do so.  (And it is a bit of a hike, but very easy.)  The earthworks are awesome, and they have done an incredible job of making you feel like you were there for this very important battle that stopped the Union naval advance on Richmond.  Did you know that the Monitor was part of the naval group that sailed up the James that May of 1862?  I didn’t.

Following the very clear directions given me by the battlefield visitor center, we started out to cover all of the battle sites of the 1862 Seven Days Battles and the 1864 Peninsula Campaign.  In a hurry to get to Cold Harbor as the storm clouds gathered, we zipped by Chickahominy Bluff and Beaver Dam Creek.  We checked in at the Cold Harbor visitor center, saw the movie and grabbed a map.  There were two tour groups outside content to listen to their guides and just stare at the battlefield.  Hah! Not us.  We set out across a field toward the tree line, and spent an hour walking the trails and stopping to read about the battle’s ebb and flow.  Tip #14:  Don’t forget insect repellent if you are going to be doing any hiking.  Trust me on this one.

With that number one goal out of the way, we back-tracked to the Garthwright House which is privately owned – they do have a parking area and a trail, but you are cautioned not to trespass near the house.  Next stop was Gaines Mill (Watt’s House), then on past the site of the Grapevine Bridge and past Fair Oaks to search for the site of the famous Seven Pines battle.  We followed the directions into and out of Sandston, turned around and went back, drove around for a while and finally pulled over to check the maps – where was it??  This was a MAJOR battle but all we found was the cemetery.  It slowly dawned on us that we were basically on the battlefield – Sandston had been created on top of it.  It was an ahah! moment in the case for battlefield preservation.

Lunch was fried bologna burgers at the Sandston Grill and Treasure House, and thanks to Mary for the wonderful treat.  Tip # 15:  Seek out the local places and avoid the fast food chains for a real appreciation of the character of small towns.  Revitalized, we headed back along the NPS battlefield route.  We drove through White Oak Swamp to our next stop, the newly opened Glendale/Malvern Visitor Center at Frayser’s Farm.  It featured another one of those fascinating topographical maps with the lights indicating the various troop movements while a narration is given, as well as many interesting exhibits.  So interesting, in fact, that we lingered a bit too long and the storm clouds were darkening the sky as we left.

Too bad – according to the signage, the Malvern Hill battlefield is one of the most perfectly preserved battlefields in the US.  We were itching to hike the 1 ½ mile trail when the clouds opened up and it started pouring rain.  A race to the car and we were reluctantly on to the next stop, the Fort Harrison Visitor Center (with brief pullovers at Battery IV and Fort Hoke).

The rain was coming down pretty hard when we pulled into the Fort Harrison parking lot.  We scrounged for jackets and umbrellas and decided to wait to see if it would abate somewhat.  Then suddenly Henry opened the car door and yelled out “Come on!  Let’s go!”  Russ and I immediately obeyed and started running in the torrential downpour.  Poor Brad got locked in the car and had to be rescued by Russ, then he got drenched as well.  Safe under the shelter of the porch, we peeled off our wet outerwear as the sun broke through.  If we had only waited.  Tip #16:  If you think you might get caught by rain, in addition to umbrellas it’s a good idea to pack some dry clothes.  Unfortunately, we didn’t.  So we squeaked and dripped as we walked around.

Later, it was Russ who pointed out how that mad dash somehow helped explain why Civil War soldiers on both sides would doggedly obey their commanders or whoever picked up a dropped flag and yelled “Forward!” into a line of blistering fire.  We knew the smart thing was to wait in the car, yet when Henry rallied us…… 

The lonely gent on duty at the NPS Fort Harrison visitor center (it was late afternoon and we were his only visitors that day) could not have been nicer or more helpful.  We watched the orientation video, viewed the exhibits and then walked around the perimeter of the fort slowly drying out in the sunshine.  It proved to be a short respite, however, as the dark clouds began forming once again as we headed back to Richmond.

For our final cap to the tour, I drove by the site of the old Robt. E. Lee Camp for Confederate Veterans (now the site of the Virginia Historical Society, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and United Daughters of the Confederacy).  I pointed out the old Home for Confederate Ladies (VMFA’s Pauley Center and now also home to the VAM offices) and the Confederate Chapel, then drove along Monument Avenue for a parting wave to the stone generals.  Exhausted and thirsty, we headed back to the Capital Ale House for rest and libations.

When the time came to say our final goodbyes, I was truly sad to see the adventure end.  Over the past four days, I had seen sights in Richmond that I had always meant to visit but just hadn’t gotten around to – and I was so grateful for the opportunity to see them with such fine, interesting, fun, smart, witty, generous, thoughtful, and noble gentlemen.  Sometimes it really takes seeing things through another’s eyes to bring home the richness around you.  My final tip:   Carpe diem.  Don’t put it off – invite someone to visit and explore with you this summer!  Life really is too short – and the Civil War Sesquicentennial provides the perfect opportunity to invite friends and family to Virginia.

Day 3 – The Monitor (or how to make grown men giddy as schoolgirls!)

While I was putting in some needed office time, my guys went back down to Dinwiddie to finish their tour of Pamplin Park.  They were most interested in the fortifications, earthworks, redans and redoubts (what the heck are those??) and the soldiers’ encampment.  We met back up at noon and headed east toward Newport News and The Mariners’ Museum, where I had a special treat waiting for them (see Tip #5 – it pays to know people!).

After lunch at another famous Virginia eatery (Pierce’s BBQ by Williamsburg), we arrived and were ushered into the Monitor Center area by Dr. Anna Holloway, the Archer M. Huntington Chair for the Study of Maritime History at The Mariners’ Museum (prize awarded for the longest title ever).   She personally gave us a tour of the conservation lab where the Monitor is being carefully conserved – in pieces.

The Monitor lab is a huge facility – it has to be, because many of the pieces themselves are huge.  We were in luck because they had just drained the tank that held the Monitor’s engine (only done twice a year) so we were able to get a VERY up-close and personal look at this incredible machine.  Tip # 11:  Make sure you all have cameras – you never know when an opportunity for a unique shot will arise.  I’m so used to not being able to take pictures in museums, this was truly an opportunity not to be missed. 

Conservators Eric Nordgren and Will Hoffmann were very generous with their time and explained the various processes to us as we moved from tub to vat to tank.  Anna helped us to get a sense of what each piece was and where it had been placed on the Monitor.  This may seem strange to say about heavy metal, but many of the objects were works of art and it was just plain awesome to see them in various stages of coming back to life.

The highlight was when we were allowed to climb the side of the giant tank that holds the Monitor’s turret.  I was the last one up, and when I got to the small platform where Brad and Russ were standing agape they didn’t even notice or offer me a hand.  But when I saw the look on Russ’s face I was so tickled I didn’t bother giving him a hard time.  Talk about lit up like a kid at Christmas!  His hands were shaking so, I thought he would drop his camera in the water.  Tip #12:  If you can arrange a special experience, it will create memories for a lifetime.

On the second floor of the lab, we saw something truly unique – a coat that had been a wadded-up mess in the wreck that had been carefully reconstructed.  They are hoping to be able to put it on display soon, so look for it the next time you visit The Mariners’!

We finished our visit by touring the Monitor exhibits and other exhibits at The Mariners’.    Having seen the actual thing up close and personal, it was fascinating to see the recreation of the crew’s and captain’s quarters, the turret the way it was found and the way it would look new, and to walk out on the life-size model. 

We made it back to the security desk and out of the building literally as they were closing the doors.  All of the way back to Richmond my guys were chattering away and going over what they had seen.  Lots of “ooh, remember the….” and “holy cow did you see the…….” and “wasn’t the …..amazing?!!”.  Tip #13:  If you drive, your visitors can concentrate on the experience.  Half of the fun is recounting the adventure!

Our pick for dinner this evening was the new restaurant at Davis & Main Streets, “Mint”, owned and operated by the same folks that created one of my favorite restaurants in Richmond – Julep’s.  Locavore southern cuisine meets casual, it was the perfect spot to rehash the day’s highlights.

Tomorrow – on to Richmond!  Our intrepid group tours the Richmond area battlefields.

Day 2 of the 2012 Terrier Campaign – weather changes our plans

Wednesday, May 30 dawned with a pretty nasty forecast of rain and thunderstorms.  Our original plan was to spend the day doing the Richmond battlefields – both 1862 Seven Days Battles and the 1864 Overland Campaign – but discretion being the better part of valor we opted for a day inside a car and museums.  The trip to Appomattox was to be the end of our tour (fittingly), but got bumped up in the plan.  Tip #7:  Be flexible and have a back-up plan with a mixture of indoor and outdoor activities.  And pack umbrellas!

The new Museum of the Confederacy branch museum is just off of US 460 – a very easy find with plenty of parking.  It’s a beautiful building and the exhibits are top notch (kudos to Riggs Ward Design and EXPLUS).  It was a busy place when we got there – several school groups and odds and ends of tourists (we being the odd bunch).  I was particularly fascinated by the flag exhibit (“Colors of the Gray”) which explained the evolution of the Confederate flag and distinctions between various battle flags, as well as the flag in popular culture.

I was trying to get my little group back on the road to keep to our schedule, but Brad convinced me to go listen to a first-person interpreter who held visitors enthralled with his demonstration of the things a soldier carried (although I do not believe for a minute that - tooth powder and horsehair toothbrush notwithstanding - they had better teeth back then than we do).  Tip #8:  Don’t miss the human element – it’s worth the time to listen!  The gentleman was most convincing and had the kids in the group fascinated by his descriptions of the life of an ordinary soldier.  He had some of the adults itching to get their hands on the artifacts, too….. 

Our next stop was the NPS Appomattox Court House site where Lee surrendered to Grant.  The visitor center provided a great introduction to the site, and with exhibits both up and downstairs.  Another first person interpretation program was about to begin and we waited to see how this one would be.  Unfortunately, we decided to disobey Tip #8 as the program was going to be a long one and quite frankly we were hungry.  Instead, we sought out the McLean House which seemed a humble spot for such a momentous occurrence.  The rangers on duty were very patient and knowledgeable as we peppered them with questions. 

But the rain had stopped and the day was just beautiful, with grassy lawns and lanes, white picket fences, big old trees and a few well-preserved town buildings.  It was well past lunchtime and we found a quiet spot by the cemetery for a picnic lunch.  Tip #9:  In Virginia, the best fried chicken is served up at gas stations.  My guys didn’t believe me at first, but the chicken at Natour’s (just past the intersection with US 460) was fresh out of the fryer and oh-so-tasty!

We were now in a race against time as we headed back down US 460 to Petersburg and Pamplin Park’s National Museum of the Civil War Soldier.  One of Dinwiddie County’s finest reminded us that it is inadvisable to try to make up time on the highway – but he let us off with a warning when he saw the car was jammed with Civil War brochures, maps and picnic gear as well as four obvious tourists (I wonder if VTC has asked troopers to go easy on CW visitors??)   Tip #10:  It’s tempting to try to “see everything”, but be realistic about time and distance.

We arrived at Pamplin just a half hour before closing, with only enough time to take a quick look around before heading to the Petersburg National Battlefield.  Luckily, we made it to the Eastern Front Visitor Center before they closed (another stamp!) and the park itself was open until dusk.   It was quiet and still, with hardly any other visitors as we drove from fort to fort, many just vague outlines of what had been.  We ended at the site of the bloody Crater battle.  Dusk was settling in, and the mood was eerie …. spectral.  The engineering aspects of the tunnel dug under the Confederate lines was fascinating, but the thought of so much carnage was unsettling.  We all were pretty quiet as we walked around the site – except for the rather heated debate on whether the black specks in the distance were cows or bears.  Turns out they were turkeys – very fitting.   Time to head back to Richmond.

The day ended at another of my favorite eateries, Penny Lane Pub on Franklin at 5^th Street.  The Civil War theme was temporarily abandoned in favor of Liverpool and the Fabulous Four, fish & chips and steak & Guinness pie.

Tomorrow - it's on to Newport News and the Monitor Center!

Hey! We’re coming to Virginia to tour Civil War stuff, can you show us around?

With the Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War in full swing, I imagine many of you are hearing this from family and friends.  I want to share with you some ideas for showing off our wonderful museums and historic sites while showing your visitors a great time!

My adventure began at my recent high school reunion, when classmates that I would not have pegged for Civil War buffs started talking to me about Virginia’s many CW sites.  I invited them to visit, and lo and behold this past week they took me up on the offer!  Tip #1:  Don’t offer unless you are serious – these CW aficionados WILL jump at the opportunity!  Since my favorite thing in the world is visiting museums and historic sites, and my immediate family run when they see that gleam in my eye, I was excited.

My three friends only had a few days to spend in Richmond and wanted to focus on the Richmond battlefields, particularly the 1862 Seven Days Battle sites.  After many emails and tentative itineraries vetted, we arrived at a plan of action that would include Richmond museums and battlefields, Petersburg battlefields, the new Appomattox Museum of the Confederacy outpost and McLean House NPS site, and added at the last moment – the Monitor Center at the Mariners’ Museum in Newport News.  A bit off the main trail but one of my friends had a fascination with the Monitor that dated to childhood so we managed to squeeze it in.  Tip #2:  If you are going to try to “do it all”, plan a couple of days’ bed rest after you are done.  You will be exhausted!

They were to arrive late on Monday.  I was delighted to find rooms for them at the Linden Row Inn in downtown Richmond, because it has a connection to Civil War history (some were owned by Confederate soldiers).  The Inn staff kindly let me stock the rooms with cold local beer and bags of Bugles (get it?) to welcome them.  The next morning I picked them up and we began what I had dubbed the 2012 Terrier Campaign (after our high school’s mascot). 

First stop was the Richmond Battlefield Visitor Center, run by the National Park Service, located at Tredegar on the James River.  We saw the orientation film, perused the exhibits, and gathered brochures and maps.  BTW they have an incredible topographical map model with lights to explain the different battles and army lines.  Tip #3:  Be sure to ask for suggestions and directions from the Park Service staff.  We got some fine advice from the rangers and they gave me turn-by-turn directions for setting out on the battlefield trail.

My gentlemen:  Russ Ragsdale (Fort Collins, CO), Brad Bain (Kansas City, MO) and Henry Granberry (Nashville, TN)

Next of course we advanced on the American Civil War Center at Tredegar.  This great museum is organized to examine the full impact and import of the Civil War on our nation from three perspectives: the Union, the Home (South), and Freedom (the African American experience).   What amazed me is that while we all four walked through the displays relatively together, and read all the panels, we each came away with tidbits that the others had missed – so the museum experience was extended over lunch as we compared notes.  I’m not sure that P.G. T. Beauregard had anything to do with it, but keeping with our theme I took them to Beauregard’s Thai room at 103 E. Cary St. (no surprise to those who know me – I LOVE that place).  Tip #4:  Be sure to factor in plenty of food, whether at restaurant stops or stocking the car with cookies, candy, snacks and bottled water.  After all, an army travels on its stomach!

After a stop to look at the site of Libby Prison (between Dock and E. Cary St. , S. 20^th to 21^st St.) we made our way to the Museum of the Confederacy and the White House.  I had not visited in a while and was blown away by the degree to which VCU Medical Center has swallowed up that part of Court End.  You have to REALLY want to find it – bless them for making all kinds of signage to guide visitors.  We were met by dear friend Eric App, Director of Museum Operations for a brief orientation before we toured the exhitibits and White House.  He in turn connected us with Cathy Wright, Collections Manager and flag guru, who gave us a wonderful tour of the flag storage area.  This was particularly special as one of my gentlemen had brought a flag purported to be a Confederate battle flag he had purchase from some scurrilous antique dealer.  Alas, it was not to be.  But, as Eric said so tactfully “It IS a flag.”  Just not from the Civil War.  Tip #5:  It pays to know people.  Eric and Cathy made our visit so incredibly special, and they were so generous with their time and expertise.  My tip #5 ½ is to get more involved with VAM and get your networking mojo going!

Our final stop of the day was to visit the site of the Civil War Chimborazo Hospital complex and the medical museum there, also an NPS site.  Over 75,000 patients went through Chimborazo during the course of the war.  They had great exhibits about medicine during the Civil War and the hospitals in Richmond (Chimborazo, as huge as it was, was not even the largest – Richmond became quite the hospital complex during the war). My favorite exhibit was on advances in medicine contributed by the Confederate doctors.  The NPS staff was helpful, friendly and very informative.  Tip # 6:  If you don't have one, get an NPS Passport book to collect stamps - it adds a bit of fun.  It was 5pm at the end of a long day, however, so we let them close up and just like soldiers on leave headed for respite at the nearest public house (Capital Ale House in this case). 

Check back tomorrow for more adventures in Virginia history tourism!