This is part of our walk. You can make out the moon but barely seeable is the plane on the lower left-hand side of the photo. It has taken off from Dulles-Washington International Airport.
On Saturday (26th November), it was a chilly but very sunny day. I had found a place to walk thanks to our 'Find My' App, when checking on Gregg's route. He was on his way from getting some work done on the car, and called to let me know he was leaving. I automatically check to see where he is on his journey, and I put the kettle on so to speak.
I located Gregg's position and noticed he was driving next to the Manassas National Battlefield Park, with landmarks I didn't recognize. There were names I had never seen before, one was the Portici House. I realized this was an area we hadn't been to. When Gregg got home, I asked if he would enjoy a walk over there sometime. I noticed it had trails. We are always on the lookout for somewhere new, and both our curiosity was peaked. It took us another couple of weeks before we rotated through the other walks we like to do and remembered this one. Here's one of me with Gregg in the background looking at a historical marker. It was a bit brisk to say the least.
The area, much to our surprise, is across the street from the main visitor center, which we have been to many times over the years, and where we always concentrated our walks around. This part of the battlefield had been hidden behind a line of trees and we had never noticed the signs pointing in its direction. It was a wooded area in parts. We were happy to have discovered it. I don't think many people have, as it was very secluded and most seem to stick to the main trails and the more visible areas they know. I'm sure this is what we have done.
No one else was around except for a lady with her dog. We didn't meet them until we were on our way back to the car. This is Pepper and she is five years' old, a sweet, friendly little dog whose lady was worried because she was a bit jumpy and wanted a lot of fussing. We're dog people we told her, as we always tell other concerned owners, and not to worry. Pepper - dogs in general I think and more often than not - recognize friends. Here she is finally paying attention with the anticipation of a treat.
Otherwise, perhaps because of the lateness in the day (we went there for sunset), and the fact that it was extremely chilly and getting chillier as the light faded, we were on our own. Yes, it was cold but invigorating and very enjoyable. 
It was also enjoyable seeing the moon rise. I had read that there really isn't a lot here to see but wide, open fields, and the walk along the trail. That was more than enough for us. Our surroundings were peaceful, beautiful! I read a warning somewhere online, to be careful you didn’t twist an ankle, as the ground was a bit bumpy. It was in parts. I was glad for that info, took extra care and had no problem.
The Portici House was burned down, not due to the Civil War but later I believe. It is sad and ironic that as pointed out in the history books, the original village of Portici in Italy, was destroyed because of Mount Vesuvius’ eruption, and now there is nothing left of the house here because it succumbed to flames. (At this link you can see the town in Italy, which is at the foot of Mount Vesuvius on the Bay of Naples.)
I also tried to find the reason this house was named after the original but could find none. Below is its location in Italy on a map I found online.
Perhaps one of the owners visited that country? Who knows, it looks like we will never know. If you want to learn more about the history of the house, there was an article written by the Washington Post newspaper, which you can find at this link.
This is the Ball Family Cemetery. It is surrounded by a sandstone wall, with no entrance, completely enclosed. It's the first time I have come across one with no entrance, so taking a close look at the headstones doesn't seem to be encouraged. The wall isn't very high so getting over it would be no problem, but we wouldn't do that. Sacred ground is sacred ground. Here you will find Spencer Ball (1762-1832), and his is the oldest marked burial in this small area. He was a very rich tobacco plantation owner who built the Portici House in 1820. It looks a bit sad and neglected. I'm hoping when we return next year it will look better. The wall was erected in the 1930s. We only saw the back of the markers as this is where we met Pepper's owner who was shouting for her to come back. We were distracted for a while and forgot all about checking the other side, which we will do next time. There is much history in those old grave stones.
I was intrigued by the small log cabin, which wasn't too far from where we parked our car. It looked old but I later learned that it was a reproduction constructed by the National Park Service. You can also see it in my second photo at the beginning, and read the story at the park's official website here. There you will be able to look at an old photo of many of these huts which were built to house confederate soldiers in the winter months. It doesn't explain what the barrel was for and I didn't see anything similar in the old photo on the website. The barrel was placed at the peak and perhaps collected rainwater? I am hoping a visiting history buff will have an answer.
I enjoyed the walk and I enjoyed taking the photos. It was going to be dark soon and we felt it was time to return to the car.
We found a pebbly path which allowed a more straightforward and faster route than if we had backtracked. It was getting colder by the minute. Gregg headed off at a fast pace so that he could turn on the engine, and the heater...
while I took more photos of leaves...
more leaves, and....
old stumps...
and gateposts...
and fallen branches that had been sawn and left on the side of the path for Mother Nature to take care of...
and moonshots. This is for you Ginny! I'm still practicing.
I will leave you with one last photo of Pepper, because she was such a sweetie and I want to remember her.
Thanks for visiting and enjoy the rest of your week.
