One hundred and forty-nine years ago the bloodiest battle in American history took place in a little area in south Tennessee called Shiloh. This battle saw high casualties on both sides and greatly affected the war.
Today, however, it is a very nice National Park with several hiking trails wandering about. The trails usually lead to significant battle sites or other noteworthy events. There are many different types of trail to choose from. This time we chose the compass course. It's about 10 miles and you do the majority of it using a compass at each site marker in order to find the next one. A pitfall I encountered was that there are trails leading away from many sites, but that does not mean that is the correct way to go. More than once my party got lost because we did not follow the compass, but went the way of the trail. Other instances saw a start of a path which would disappear forcing you to take multiple readings on your compass. As trying as this sounds it's actually very fun and a good skill to practice.
One thing you need to be aware of is the presence of ticks. These little creatures are all over Shiloh. One member of my group found 15 on him. So check throughout the day and once home or at camp, check again. Remember, ticks like warmer areas so check arm pits, waist bands, behind the knees and nether regions.
One unique aspect of this trip was the ongoing re-enactments being held that weekend. Actually it was the filming of a new visitor center film (the current one was filmed in the 50s). We got to witness some of the cannons firing and a few maneuvers of troops. It was interesting and very fun.
For those who are not interested in hiking long distances, Shiloh is full of shorter, less strenuous hikes. These wind around the park and visit many of the battle's sites. It's definitely worth the time to see this part of American history.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Washington DC Day: 5
This was to be my last day going into Washington DC. I still had a few things on my list to see. I wanted to kill time at the American History Museum, but that got scrapped on the fly.
I was walking about trying to decide what to do when I realized that I was in DC and hadn't gone into the Capitol Building yet. So I changed course and headed to the hill.
It's very much like going through airport security. You had to take everything metallic off and run it through an x-ray machine. Once in, you could feel the tightness of security. I was directed to the tour desk and quickly got a spot on the next tour. It's pretty neat. You get a head set which allows you to easily hear the tour guide.
The tour was pretty short, I think only about 30 or 45 minutes. We got to see the rotunda and the old area where the House used to sit. The amount of art was amazing. Apparently each state is allowed to send one sculpture of a famous resident. There were many I knew and many I did not.
After Congress I headed back to the American Portrait Museum. It was actually still closed when I got there so I wandered Chinatown looking for lunch. I settled at a small place which had an odd odor. I ordered some chicken and rice and was feeling a bit uneasy about it. But then more customers showed up and allowed me to relax a bit.
The Portrait Museum was awesome. There are portraits of all sorts of people. The Hall of Presidents was the one I knew most about. I spent the most time there. There was so much to see there that I ended up only seeing about half.
I still had some time before I had to meet my friend, so I went to Ford's Theatre. The actual theatre was closed, but I went to the museum. It was interesting but honestly I was a bit museumed out by that time.
I had one more drink at the Hawk n' Dove and headed back to Virginia.
Washington DC has so much to offer and I feel that people tend to over look it. I wish that I had gone years ago as a child. When I have kids I will definitely take them to this gem of a city.
I was walking about trying to decide what to do when I realized that I was in DC and hadn't gone into the Capitol Building yet. So I changed course and headed to the hill.
It's very much like going through airport security. You had to take everything metallic off and run it through an x-ray machine. Once in, you could feel the tightness of security. I was directed to the tour desk and quickly got a spot on the next tour. It's pretty neat. You get a head set which allows you to easily hear the tour guide.
The tour was pretty short, I think only about 30 or 45 minutes. We got to see the rotunda and the old area where the House used to sit. The amount of art was amazing. Apparently each state is allowed to send one sculpture of a famous resident. There were many I knew and many I did not.
After Congress I headed back to the American Portrait Museum. It was actually still closed when I got there so I wandered Chinatown looking for lunch. I settled at a small place which had an odd odor. I ordered some chicken and rice and was feeling a bit uneasy about it. But then more customers showed up and allowed me to relax a bit.
The Portrait Museum was awesome. There are portraits of all sorts of people. The Hall of Presidents was the one I knew most about. I spent the most time there. There was so much to see there that I ended up only seeing about half.
I still had some time before I had to meet my friend, so I went to Ford's Theatre. The actual theatre was closed, but I went to the museum. It was interesting but honestly I was a bit museumed out by that time.
I had one more drink at the Hawk n' Dove and headed back to Virginia.
Washington DC has so much to offer and I feel that people tend to over look it. I wish that I had gone years ago as a child. When I have kids I will definitely take them to this gem of a city.
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