A DRIVE ALONG THE SNICKERSVILLE TURNPIKE, VIRGINIA - FRIDAY, MAY 5TH, 2023 - PART 3 - BATTLE OF ALDIE

Under the weather as we both have Covid.  I have left the comments on but it could be a while before I return any visits.  We are not feeling that great but it is always a joy to read them and thank you in advance.  It came as a bit of a shock as the cases are very low in our area.  Well, there you go, you can't take anything for granted.  

I scheduled a couple of posts before I got sick, for Wednesday and Thursday.

Now to continue with our trip along the SnickersvilleTurnpike.

This is for those interested in the history of the American Civil War.

As we continued our drive, we came across an interesting memorial.  It is for the 1st Massachusetts Cavalry Monument, the Battle of Aldie.  

As peaceful and as beautiful as this area is, very intense battles during the Civil War were fought along the turnpike.  At this link you will be able to read more information. The memorial is located on the Snickersville Turnpike, Route 734 near Route 650, Aldie, Virginia 20105.  You will find it on the right when traveling north.  The survivors erected a monument to mark the spot where the heaviest fighting took place, on a sharp curve in the road north of Aldie.

The above marker will be easier to read if you enlarge the photo...

and names are engraved on the side.

Whenever we come across these memorials, we find ourselves being very reflective.  

Will mankind ever be free of these conflicts?  I live in hope that the more people study history, perhaps enough seeds will be sown for the future.  It certainly has been a very long road.

The property behind the wall is part of the Furr Farm built in 1798.  It bore witness to the battle on June 17th, 1863.  The farm is privately owned but you can see many photos of the outside and inside if you go here.  It's like stepping back in time.

We continued on with our journey.  There will be two more posts after this.

 The sun is shining and it is quite warm.  I hope you are having the same kind of weather in your part of the world.  Thanks for looking. 

EXPLANATION OF YESTERDAY'S PHOTO

Several of you asked about the photograph in my last post. Sadly, it is part of a Memorial of the 2002 bombing in Bali, Indonesia, and was unveiled on October 12th, 2006, on the four-year anniversary.  Below you can see all of the memorial.  I took photos but it is going to take a while to find them.  When I do, I will replace this with my own.  I borrowed it from the website, so that you can see the whole.   

The globe has 202 doves carved across its surface, explained in part as, "All of the 202 doves are unique, to represent each life lost and as symbols for peace. The globe shows how the victims came from all parts of the world..."  You can click here to read more and if you missed it, my photo from yesterday is at this link.

“Peace is always beautiful.” 

~Walt Whitman from Leaves of Grass~

Wherever you are, I wish you all peace.

COROLLA NORTH CAROLINA TRIP - 5TH DAY - 9-5-17 - PART 2 - WRIGHT BROTHERS' MEMORIAL

Corolla, North Carolina Trip - Fifth Day - Part 2

Sunrise
Wright Brothers' Memorial
Lost Colony

Tuesday, September 5th, 2017

After enjoying the spectacular sunrise, we were out of the house two hours later and stopped for our breakfast/early lunch.  We always enjoy finding a good breakfast restaurant when traveling, and usually look for a local place on Yelp, but as we were driving by we saw "Stack 'Em High Pancakes and So Forth".   

I had pancakes, one egg and 2 sausages with a small dish of strawberries. Gregg had toast, eggs, sausage patties and hash browns.

  You ordered your food and paid at the counter before you sat down.  We enjoyed it, a fun and friendly place. 

We were curious about The Lost Colony and had that in mind for this afternoon, but as it was on the way we stopped at the 

Wright Brothers' Memorial.  We only did half of the site, concentrating on the monument at the top of the hill.  It is quite a large area so if you are ever decide to visit, I suggest carrying your own water, and wearing a pair of very comortable walking shoes.

These old photos are from Pixababy.

The last time we were here was 30 years' ago with my parents.  They were visiting from England, and we had been staying with Gregg's parents who lived in Virginia Beach. Virginia Beach is only a couple of hours away, and is north of Corolla, as you can see by looking at the map below.  It wouldn't take long as the crow flies but you can't drive down that strip of land, having to take a route further inland.  Corolla is marked with the red icon.

This gives you an idea where Corolla is on the US map.

Their regular, much larger visitor center is being renovated.  It will be closed to the public until the late summer/early fall of next year.  The temporary one did a good job for the space they had. 

It was a very hot day, and muggy.  I was prepared with my sunhat and sunglasses, but I had not taken any drinking water as I usually do.  We have been relying on the visitor centers to get our cold, refrigerated water, but there was no refrigerator here.  However, room temperature water was better than nothing.   

I did see at least one drinking fountain at the bottom of the hill near the large memorial.  There were probably more but this was the only one I noticed.  Before I beat this subject into the ground, my advice would be, don't forget to take water with you.  I read on Yelp from one person, that the center didn't have any water when they were there, and it may have been that they had run out. 

A few photos taken around the center.  The posters above were on sale.

The Wright Brothers

Orville was the youngest and described as a "practical joker, impulsive, enthusiastic, educated, introverted, optimistic and inventive".  Wilber, his older brother, was "steady, educated, focused, out-going, controlled, confident, a care taker".

It was interesting to read that the brothers got their interest for machines from their mother, who also passed on her knowledge and curiosity to her sons.  Their father was a Bishop in the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, traveled far and wide, and would bring gifts home like Alphonse Penaud's toy helicopter. These snippets I read on one of the posters.  You can learn more of the brothers here.  Below, from the same poster, are a few of the things that inspired them.

One thing of note is that Charlie Taylor built their engines.  You can read his story here.  Charlie should not be forgotten in the brothers' story, as I feel he was an integral part of it.

This is the information marker located at the bottom of the hill, which we read before we made the climb.  Information reads:

"Friends and Surfmen from the nearby US Life-Saving Station helped the brothers carry their gliders up the dunes."

"Big Kill Devil Hill - When the Wright brothers were here, Big Kill Devil Hill - the hill in front of you - was a massive sand dune.  Thousands of times the brothers trekked up the three nearby dunes to conduct glider experiments.

Climbing the hill was strenuous.  Deep, soft sand caused every step up the slope to slip part way back down.  The Wrights were also burdoned with carrying their heavy gliders up the hill for each flight.  Their tireless efforts paid off as they mastered their flying skills and refined their flight controls."

Underneath the photo at the bottom of the marker next to the writing reads,

"The Wrights mastered flight controls with their 1902 Glider."

Underneath the next photo, 

"Starting in 1929, workers planted grass to stabilize Big Kill Devil Hill so that the Wright Brothers Monument could be built on top."

(If you would like to see a larger view of all photos to get a better look, you can click and enlarge.)

From the Visitor Center there is a road you can drive along, and park closer to the monument.

We walked up a very steep hill to the actual memorial. 

We met a couple with a dog who were talking to two Australians.  Gregg initiated a conversation with one as he was wearing a shirt with the name of his old Royal Navy Captain.  This is going back to when he was on an exchange tour with the Royal Navy, when he and I met in my home town.  An unusual name but no connection.  It was to do with a 200 mile endurance race in Australia, so we learned something new that day.  

The two of them were visiting all the well known race car tracks over here.  They were a lot of fun to talk to, interesting and super friendly.  After a while we said goodbye to our Oz friends and wished them happy traveling.   

The other couple they had been talking to were American and they had a sweet natured dog called Roxie.  She was having a hard time with the heat and we offered her some of our water.  Roxie's Dad cupped his hands so I could pour her a good drink, and she lapped it up.  She had two full 'cups' of water before they left for the walk down.  They left their water in their car, thinking they would not need it for such a short hike.  Well, I've been there before!  Yes, I am still beating that big old drum.  Always remember your water no matter how short the walk.  FYI, for younger people it may be a short hike, but for us it wasn't that short and it was all up hill!

A few more photos of the Memorial, and then we make our way down, stopping at another exhibit we noticed from the top.

Last stop in this area was at a sculpture of the biplane used for their flight, with figures portraying the brothers, and others.  

This following are two markers near the sculptures.

Can't resist a little role playing.

But who is taking a photo of whom?

And with these two last photos we leave for our next destination, The Lost Colony, which will be my next post.

COROLLA - NORTH CAROLINA TRIP - FIRST DAY - SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2017

Friday, September 1st, 2017

(You can click on any of the lettering in red, to read more information if interested.  The first few photos are places we saw not too long into our journey.)

The morning started out with me leaving the house just before nine to get my hair cut.  Nothing like leaving things to the last minute, but I have been busy getting ready for the trip this past week, and forgot all about it.  I did not want to go on vacation without noggin being tidied up.  I was disappointed to find that my old hair-stylist had left, but the new lady was warm and friendly and gave me a great cut. I will be going back. 

Now on to our trip.

Vacation in Corolla, North Carolina - First Day

Started out: 10.48 a.m.  

Mileage: 59698

We received an invite to a special celebration from a dear friend,  taking place in Corolla, North Carolina. This friend is also a very close friend of Gregg's sister, since their 1st Grade school days.  (I met this sweet lady when she was 15. Gregg and I hadn't been married for very long. I had only just come to the US.)  Gregg's sister and her husband rented a house in Corolla, and very kindly invited us to spend the whole week with them.  We had a wonderful time.

Not too long after we had started our journey, at around 12.45 p.m. we took a wrong turn getting off the freeway.  We will often take to the countryside when the traffic is horrendous. To double back we turned left into the entrance of the Marine Corps Museum in Quantico. We had to drive towards the museum to find a u-turn, but I noticed the statue of a dog not too far off the road.  I asked Gregg if we could stop for a quick look-see. It was at the Timothy T. Day Overlook. The dog statue I saw was called Caesar, a military dog, and a memorial to all the service dogs in the Marine Corps.

The plaque reads:

"This statue honors all military dogs who have provided loyal service and selfless devotion, often making the ultimate sacrifice while protecting Marines in the line of duty.  They remain ever faithful to the Corps and proudly bear the title of United States Marine.

One of the primary missions of the Timothy T. Day Foundation is to support organizations in the animal rescue community that provide care for dogs in need, so it is fitting that a German Shepherd stands watch over these grounds."

1:45 p.m. we stopped at Hornes Restaurant.  Anytime we are passing through this area when we journey south, we more often than not stop here.

Our reading material while we waited for our food.

Gregg had a cheeseburger and  fries, and I had a BLT with fries. 

It was excellent and the lady who took our order was very nice. She kept calling me Sweetie.  Gregg reminded me yet again of a time when another nice lady called me Honey many, many years ago.  This time I didn't bat an eye at being called "Sweetie" and Gregg took note and couldn't resist a tease.  

This is one of our family jokes/smiles, how 41 years ago, when I first came to America, I looked startled the first time someone called me "Honey".  "As you often tell me, it's a culture thing"  I told him at Hornes, and "I've come a long way baby!", that is until I ask for a glass of water.  

"Pardon me?"  "A glass of 'wawter' please."  Blank stare.  One young lady who looked like she was 16, this not so long ago, had a panicky look on her face when she repeated her question two or three times.  She backed away nervously and asked me to wait a minute.  Next thing her boss appeared as she disappeared out of sight.  "What do you want?" said the boss.  "I would like a glass of 'water' please?"  "Warter?"  Nodding in the affirmative I watched as the light bulb went on and she started laughing. "She didn't understand you" she said, and a few minutes later she brought me my glass of water.  

I try to remember to use my John Wayne American inflection on that one word but often forget - John was my Dad's hero by the way (he loved his John Wayne movies), and thank you Mr. Wayne from both of us.  

This affected John Wayne accent also works with Siri, and still cracks Gregg up when we are driving along and I am talking to my phone, which probably gets me going even more.  She sure as hay does not understand me on a regular basis but Siri may be getting better as I don't have to do it quite as often.  Or maybe Siri is training me?  If you are English born you will understand.  If you are American born, I apoligize for murdering the American accent.  It's a culture thing, even after 41 years.  Well, enough of that subject.

We saw the historical marker where John Wilkes Booth met his end. He was hiding in a barn that was set on fire by Union troops.  He had another man with him and when given the chance to give up, the other man left the barn but Booth refused.  The sergeant in charge became a celebrity afterwards, and Booth thought he was going to be hailed as a hero after he assassinated President Lincoln.  Maybe he was in the South at that time. I need to ask my history buff (Gregg).  

We have great conversations on the road, and a lot of it is all about the history of the places we pass by.  Gregg will tell me what he knows, and I will often learn more on line, about various towns we are passing through.  I read out loud so that we can both enjoy this new information.  It makes for an interesting ride. 

The Booth markers are just a little ways from Horne's restaurant.  We overshot the pull-in and there was too much traffic to stop for a photo.  Next time!  We said we should go on a historical marker road trip. 

We were driving through the Monitor-Merrimac Tunnel in Hampton a couple of hours later.  It "is the 4.6 mile-long (7.4 km) Hampton Roads crossing for Interstate 664 in the southeastern portion of Virginia (USA).  It is a four-lane bridge-tunnel composed of bridges, trestles, man-made islands and tunnels under a portion of the Hampton Roads harbor, where the James, Nansemond and Elizabeth Rivers come together." according to a paragraph at this link where you can read more interesting info.

A while later we were east of the Great Dismal Swamp and saw long stretches of greenish covered water, and one witch had flown into a pine tree!  

(picture found on line)

A little early for Halloween.  Maybe it was either left over from last year, or a reminder to drive safely. There were lots of police patrolling the roads, and they had stopped several cars, but we kept cruise controls on, as well as "Waze".  

The Waze phone app is great.  Travelers put in where the police are (slows people down which is a good thing, keeps the road safer and helps the police out in my humble opinion), also hazards pop up in the area, shows where vehicles are stopped on the side of the road, construction, that kind of thing.  It also tells you your speed and also the speed limit on the part of the road you are traveling on.  

We've come a long way from "I Spy", though the old games are fun too, but new technology has moved us along and history is our main focus. 

7.25 p.m  A good day traveling. It rained very lightly off and on. Heavy traffic in parts but managed to travel several miles on Rt 17, which was lovely.  

We are staying the night in Elizabeth City in North Carolina.  Blackbeard ️used to sail these waters and Orville and Wilbur Wright stopped here for provisions on the way to the Outer Banks before their famous flight.  I thought that was very interesting. 

I took a photo of the sign as we entered North Carolina.  It came up fast and is a bit blurry but I like to get a record of each state we enter.

Gregg told me that 19 trillion gallons of rain fell during Hurricane Harvey and if you were to put that much water into the Great Lakes, the lakes would rise 11 inches.  (Now we have Hurricane Irma - those of you who are and have been in its path, you are very much in our thoughts.) 

When I was getting out of the car I noticed these pretty flowers.  They were part of the hotel's landscaping.  I am forgetting the names of my flowers laterly.  I found similar but not exact ID's on line.

9.57 p.m. There was a thunderclap so loud I nearly fell out of  bed, when I was just dropping off to sleep.  I have never heard one that loud before.  My heart felt as though it jumped out of my chest.  It has been raining hard for some time now.   Hopefully it will have stopped by the time we get on the road tomorrow.