Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Fort Necessity, Pennsylvania

Fort Necessity, Pennsylvania Grove Family Library, Chambersburg, PA
    A view of the Fort Necessity Replica on what George Washington called "Great Meadows." It was built when he feared he and his troops would be attacked after an early-morning encounter with some French troops in which 10 of them were killed; he lost one man. The Indians sided with the French.

 


    [Photos taken on 10 Aug 2015]
    Zooming in, one sees a group of students sifting through dirt looking for artifacts while a ranger stands near the fort's replica in the background.
    On the morning of 3 Jul 1754 the Fort was attacked by about 600 French and 100 Indians. There were considerable casualties on both sides, but Washington's Virginia Milita under control of the British took the worst of it.

 


    About 8 p.m. the French commander requested a truce to discuss Washington's surrender. To make a long story short, the 21-yr old Colonel surrendered for the first and last time in his life.

 

 


    Though there's little in the fort's only building, a storehouse, it was full of food, gunpowder, and other necessities of war as Washington and his troops tried to hold off the French & Indians in what became the 1st battle of the French & Indian War.
    

 


    The trenches surrounding the circular fort, which was 53' in diameter.
    The road Washington & his troops started from what is now Cumberland, MD, to Ft Necessity became the basis for what became known as the National Road or Pike.

 


    A plaque describing the hurried building of Ft Necessity in June & early July of 1754. The 600 French troops & 100 Indians attacked on the morning of 3 July. Due to poor translation of French by a Belgian Washington unknowingly agree to stay away from Gt Mdws for a year, but he accompanied British Gen Edward Braddock as an aide-de-camp in 1755 before Braddock was mortally wounded on 9 July.
[Return to the top of the page]
Links:

Routes:

    Su 16 Aug Actual Route: Chambersburg, PA, W/M - Fayetteville, PA, Gettysburg - N. Gettysburg Laundry - Chambersburg W/M

    M 17 Aug Actual Route: Chambersburg, PA, W/M - Grove Fmy Lib - Gettysburg P.O.- Gettysburg National Battlefield - Chambersburg W/M

    T 18 Aug Actual Route: Chambersburg, PA, W/M - Grove Fmy Lib - Gettysburg P.O.- Gettysburg National Cemetery - Chambersburg W/M

    W 19 Aug Actual Route: Chambersburg, PA, W/M - Grove Fmy Lib - Bedford, PA,Lib - Johnstown, PA, W/M

    Th 20 Aug Actual Route: Johnstown, PA, W/M - Johnstown Flood Natl Monument - State College, PA, Lowe's - Walmart

    F 21 Aug Actual Route: State College, PA, W/M - Williamsport, PA, - Liberty - Blossburg, Mansfield W/M

    Sa 22 Aug Actual Route: Mansfield, PA, W/M - Lib - Lowe's - Mansfield W/M

    Su 23 Aug Actual Route: Mansfield, PA, W/M - Lowe's - Leonard Harrison State Park - Mansfield Lib - Walmart

    M 24 Aug Actual Route: Mansfield, PA, W/M - Lowe's - P.O. - Corning, NY - I-86 Rest Area

    T 25 Aug Actual Route: I-86 Rest Area - Bath, NY, VA Hosp Pharm - Geneseo, NY, Lib - Walmart

    W 26 Aug Route: Geneseo, NY, W/M - McDs - Livonia Lib


Finding Campgrounds:

N.B. I receive nothing from Trailer Life, Woodalls, or FreeCampsites.net for including links to their free campground lookups.

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Thursday, June 25, 2015

Mt Davis, Pennsylvania's High Point

Mt Davis, Pennsylvania's High Point Grove Family Library, Chambersburg, PA

 

 


    The sign in front of a picnic area created by the Forbes State Forest.

 


    [Photos taken on 11 Aug 2015]

 

 

 


    A partial view of the Picnic Area near Mt. Davis (3213'), Pennsylvania's High Point.

 

 


    Despite what the Wikipedia article says on Mt Davis, a mechanic at a nearby garage said there was a locked gate and a 3/4 mile walk to the top; and a couple at the Picnic Area said it was about a mile to the top. Because of my impaired lungs I drove around to roughly the opposite side of the mountain using the paved roads. To the right is a photo of Pennsylvania's High Point.

 

 


    To my right from where I took the above photo of the wooded top of Mt Davis was a fenced family cemetery in the middle of a field where crops are grown.
    

 

 

 

 

 


    The field drains into Youghiogheny Lake.

 

 

 

 

 


    Zooming in....[Incidentally, Youghiogheny is an Algonquin word meaning "river which flows in a contrary direction" -- in this case it flows north into the Monongahela River.]

 

 

[Return to the top of the page]
Links:

Routes:

    T 11 Aug Actual Route: Keyser, WV, W/M - Cumberland, MD, - Mt Davis, PA, - WV Rest Area

    W 12 Aug Actual Route: WV Rest Area - Chambersburg, PA, Lowe's - Walmart

    Th 13 Aug Actual Route: Chambersburg, PA, W/M - Lowe's - Grove Fmy Lib - Chambersburg W/M

    F 14 Aug Actual Route: Chambersburg, PA, W/M - Grove Fmy Lib - Chambersburg W/M

    Sa 15 Aug Actual Route: Chambersburg, PA, W/M - Grove Fmy Lib - Chambersburg W/M

    Su 16 Aug Actual Route: Chambersburg, PA, W/M - Fayetteville, PA, Gettysburg - N. Gettysburg Laundry - Chambersburg W/M

    M 17 Aug Actual Route: Chambersburg, PA, W/M - Grove Fmy Lib - Gettysburg P.O.- Gettysburg National Battlefield - Chambersburg W/M

    T 18 Aug Actual Route: Chambersburg, PA, W/M - Grove Fmy Lib - Gettysburg P.O.- Gettysburg National Cemetery - Chambersburg W/M

    W 19 Aug Actual Route: Chambersburg, PA, W/M - Grove Fmy Lib - Bedford, PA,Lib - Johnstown, PA, W/M

    Th 20 Aug Actual Route: Johnstown, PA, W/M - Johnstown Flood Natl Monument - State College, PA, Lowe's - Walmart

    F 21 Aug Actual Route: State College, PA, W/M - Williamsport, PA, - Liberty - Blossburg, Mansfield W/M

    Sa 22 Aug Route: Mansfield, PA, W/M - Lib - Ansonia, PA, - Grand Canyon of Penn - Mansfield W/M


Finding Campgrounds:

N.B. I receive nothing from Trailer Life, Woodalls, or FreeCampsites.net for including links to their free campground lookups.

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Saturday, June 20, 2015

Moundsville, West Virginia

Moundsville, West Virginia Moundsville, WV
    The aunt who inadvertently got me interested in genealogy was born in Moundsville. Though the library you see to the right is not the one she used as a child, she read more than any of my other aunts; of course, because she had no children, she had more time than those in-laws who did.
    [Photos taken on 9 Aug 2015]

    No, the bridge wasn't twisting in the wind; rather, I drove with one hand and took photos with the other. This view is westward as one leaves Moundsville. My 2010 Road Atlas doesn't show a bridge, but Wheeling & Moundsville are on a panhandle which extends up the western side of Pennsylvannia.

 

 


    A view to the right looking up the Ohio River.
     Prior to 15 Aug 1886 when this bridge was built there was a ferry which transported those crossing the Ohio -- though not necessarily at this same location.

 

 

 

 


    In Ohio looking east at the Moundsville Bridge, which has very little traffic on it.
    

 

 

 

 

 


    OOPS! The red pickup whipped onto the approach from an access road to the right.

 

 

 

 

 


    While the Ohio runs north/south here where the bridge was built, it turns east just a short distance downstream, where you can see the wakes of two speedboats.

 

 

[Return to the top of the page]
Links:

Routes:

    M 3 Aug Actual Route: Winchester W/M - Lowe's - Harpers Ferry, WV, NHP - Charles Town McDs - Charles Town W/M

    T 4 Aug Actual Route: Charles Town W/M - Dollar Tree - Winchester, VA, Lowe's - Winchester W/M

    W 5 Aug Actual Route: Winchester, VA, W/M - Lowe's - Capon Bridge, WV, Lib - Romney - Keyser W/M

    Th 6 Aug Actual Route: Keyser, WV, W/M - BackBone Mtn, MD, - Grafton, WV, Lib - Grafton W/M

    F 7 Aug Actual Route: Grafton W/M - Clarksburg VA Med Ctr - Morgantown - PA I-79 Rest Area

    Sa 8 Aug Actual Route: PA I-79 Rest Area - Fairmont - Hundred Lib - Moundsville Lib - Walmart

    Su 9 Aug Actual Route: Moundsville W/M - Lib - Wheeling, WV, Lib - Washington, PA, California, PA, Masontown bd

    M 10 Aug Actual Route: Masontown, PA, bd, Uniontown, PA, Ft Necessity Natl Battlefield, Cumberland, MD, - Keyser, WV, W/M

    T 11 Aug Actual Route: Keyser, WV, W/M - Cumberland, MD, - Mt Davis, PA, - WV Rest Area

    W 12 Aug Actual Route: WV Rest Area - Chambersburg, PA, Lowe's - Walmart

    Th 13 Aug Actual Route: Chambersburg, PA, W/M - Lowe's - Grove Fmy Lib - Chambersburg W/M

    F 14 Aug Route: Chambersburg, PA, W/M - Grove Fmy Lib - Chambersburg W/M


Finding Campgrounds:

N.B. I receive nothing from Trailer Life, Woodalls, or FreeCampsites.net for including links to their free campground lookups.

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Monday, June 15, 2015

Appomattox Court House National Historic Site

Appomattox National Historic Site, Virginia Eagle Rock, VA, Library
    In order to reproduce the setting where Gen Robert E. Lee surrendered the Confederate States Army of Northern Virginia the National Park Service chose the Appomattox Court House as the center of the reproduced village. However, the actual surrender did not occur at the Court House -- it was done at the McLean House.
    [Photos taken on 5 Jul 2015]

 

 

 

    This was leaning against one of the bottom windows in the McLean House; it summarizes the terms of surrender upon which both General Grant and General Lee agreed: CSA officers could keep their side arrms; all other weapons were to be surrendered; CSA enlisted men and officers could return home with their personal horses and baggage.

 

 

 

 

 


    The Weeks Store, which was run by Francis Weeks and served as the Appomattox Post Office. [Appomattox was originally known as Clover Hill.]

 

 

 

 


    "At midday on April 9, 1865, General Robert E. Lee rode into this yard, dismounted, and disappeared into the McLean House. Grant, surrounded by generals and staff officers, soon followed. After 90 minutes Grant and Lee emerged. To silent salutes of Union officers, Lee rode back through the village -- to his defeated army."
    While the Union Army employed many different tactics in delaying Lee's arrival at Appomattox, his loss of a train of supplies at the Appomattox Train Station to Union Gen George A. Custer left Lee few alternatives.

 

 

 

 

 


    The McLean House Parlor where Grant and Lee met to end the hostilities.

 

 

 

 

 


    A McLean House bedroom. Wilmer McLean, a sugar speculator, bought the property in Appomattox to be near the railroad in the fall of 1862.

 

 

 

 


    The McLean House Kitchen, where the black slaves prepared the meals.

 

 

 

 

[Return to the top of the page]
Links:
  • National Park Service website on the Appomattox Court House National Historic Park
  • Wikipedia article on the Appomattox Court House
  • Town of Appomattox Department of Tourism website

    • Routes:

      M 3 Aug Actual Route: Winchester W/M - Lowe's - Harpers Ferry, WV, NHP - Charles Town McDs - Charles Town W/M

      T 4 Aug Actual Route: Charles Town W/M - Dollar Tree - Winchester, VA, Lowe's - Winchester W/M

      W 5 Aug Actual Route: Winchester, VA, W/M - Lowe's - Capon Bridge, WV, Lib - Romney - Keyser W/M

      Th 6 Aug Actual Route: Keyser, WV, W/M - BackBone Mtn, MD, - Grafton, WV, Lib - Grafton W/M

      F 7 Aug Actual Route: Grafton W/M - Clarksburg VA Med Ctr - Morgantown - PA I-79 Rest Area

      Sa 8 Aug Actual Route: PA I-79 Rest Area - Fairmont - Hundred Lib - Moundsville Lib - Walmart

      Su 9 Aug Actual Route: Moundsville W/M - Lib - Wheeling, WV, Lib - Washington, PA, California, PA, Masontown bd

      M 10 Aug Actual Route: Masontown, PA, bd, Uniontown, PA, Ft Necessity Natl Battlefield, Cumberland, MD, - Keyser, WV, W/M

      T 11 Aug Actual Route: Keyser, WV, W/M - Cumberland, MD, - Mt Davis, PA, - WV Rest Area

      W 12 Aug Route: WV Rest Area - Chamberberg, PA, Lowe's - Walmart


    Finding Campgrounds:

    N.B. I receive nothing from Trailer Life, Woodalls, or FreeCampsites.net for including links to their free campground lookups.

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    Wednesday, June 10, 2015

    A Loop Through West Virginia

    A Loop Through West Virginia Eagle Rock, VA, Library

    Link on Sam Snead added 1 Aug 15; he grew up and learned to play in this area.


        West Virginia had been 1 of the 3 states remaining on my Bucket List -- until I realized that US33 from Harrisonburg, VA, was very close to the Spruce Knob, high point in West Virginia. At first it appeared it would be too cloudy, but as I approached the turnoff to US33W I noticed some clearing and quickly decided to head west. [Photos taken on 29 Jul 2015]

     


        Just past a truck brake check point at the top of the unnamed pass I stopped to put new batteries in my digital camera and noticed several types of butterflies on the blooming thistles and other flowers.

     

     

     

        Zooming in the black & blue butterflies stand out much more than the few yellow & black butterflies which reminded me of the black swallowtail butterflies on the California Coast.

     

     

     

     


        Since the peaks seemed to be disappearing behind the clouds I took this shot. Spruce Knob (4862') atop of Spruce Mtn is somewhere behind them.

     

     

     

     


        A first attempt to photograph Falling Springs Falls. Unfortunately the camera zooms in on the trees rather than the falls behind them.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     


        Rotating the camera 90 degrees only produced a small improvement.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     


        Moving to the right I finally got a better photo of Falling Springs. Farther down the road I learned there is a road to Fallings Springs -- which explains why I thought I saw people near the base of the falls.

     

     

     

     

     


        Though the Cumberland Gap is at the far southwestern end of Virginia, this sign indicates that early settlers used other routes.

     

     

     

     

     


        A shot to the left.

     

     

     

     

     

     


        And a view of the valley along the Jack River [now the Jackson River?].

     

     

     

     

    [Return to the top of the page]
    Links:
    Routes:

      W 29 Jul Actual Route: Harrisonburg, VA, W/M - Franklin, WV, - Monterey, VA - Covington, VA, W/M

      Th 30 Jul Actual Route: Covington, VA, W/M - Eagle Rock, VA, Lib - Troutville - Burglund Outdoors

      F 31 Jul Actual Route: Burglund Outdoors - Eagle Rock, VA, Lib - Covington, VA, W/M

      F 31 Jul Actual Route: Burglund Outdoors - Eagle Rock, VA, Lib - Covington, VA, W/M

      Sa 1 Aug Actual Route: Covington, VA, W/M - Lib - Waynesboro W/M

      Su 2 Aug Actual Route: Windchester, VA, W/M - Lowe's - Walmart

      M 3 Aug Actual Route: Winchester W/M - Lowe's - Harpers Ferry, WV, NHP - Charles Town McDs - Charles Town W/M

      T 4 Aug Actual Route: Charles Town W/M - Dollar Tree - Winchester, VA, Lowe's - Winchester W/M

      W 5 Aug Actual Route: Winchester, VA, W/M - Lowe's - Capon Bridge, WV, Lib - Romney - Keyser W/M

      Th 6 Aug Route: Keyser, WV, W/M - BackBone Mtn, MD, - Grafton, WV, Lib - Grafton W/M


    Finding Campgrounds:

    N.B. I receive nothing from Trailer Life, Woodalls, or FreeCampsites.net for including links to their free campground lookups.

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    Friday, June 5, 2015

    Great Smoky Mountains National Park

    Great Smoky Mountains National Park Manassas, VA, Central Community Library
        The Cherokees described these mountains as "blue, like smoke." Particularly on hot, humid days the thick vegetation emits "large quantities of moisture and organic compounds." Of course, increasing pollution has added to the bluish haze. While it may not be clear from the photo to the right the visibility may on a clear day may be 90 miles. Photos taken on 25 Jun 2015]

         Perhaps the most popular spot in the park: Clingmans Dome (elev:6643'), the highest point in the state of Tennessee. When I reached the top there were at least 100 vehicles lined up with some waiting for their occupants' turns to walk up many stairs to the top of the observation tower, which is the biggest hump in the gap to the left of the dome's top.

     

     

        Not sure exactly where this photo was taken, but note the number of dead trees. While it's unlikely those trees are the result of insect infestations, air pollution may be at least a partial cause of their mortality.

     

     

     

     


        Appears to be a zoom-less shot of the roadway in the photo immediately above.

     

     

     

     

     


        A photo of Clingmans Dome, highest point on the Appalachian Trail, from nearly the same spot as above, but taken in the evening with some zoom; the observation tower is somewhat more visible.

     

     

     

     


        Early afternoon during a day when there were no afternoon thundershowers.

     

     

     

     

     


        As you can see in this and the above photo there are some good-sized trees here. [Some of my cousins, who are timber-fallers, would love to get their chainsaws on them; fortunately, the cousins are in California.]

     

        Boundary Between Hardwoods & Softwoods. [Excuse the flashback!] At about the 4000' level one finds a very damp forest typical of those 1200 miles to the north with sugar maples, beech and birch trees. Hwr, a few hundred feet higher one finds softwood trees such as the red spruce and Fraser fir.

     

     


        A Nice-Looking Trout Stream! But where are the fishermen?

     

     

     

     

    [Return to the top of the page]
    Links:
    Routes:

      T 21 Jul Actual Route: Culpeper, VA, W/M - Lowe's - Fredericksburg, VA, Lowe's - Fredericksburg W/M

      W 22 Jul Actual Route: Fredericksburg, VA, W/M - Lowe's - State Farm Agt - Safford RV - Fredericksburg W/M

      Th 23 Jul Actual Route: Fredericksburg, VA, W/M - Woodbridge, VA, - Holly Acres RV - Manassas, VA, - Reines RV - Lowe's - Central Library - Manassas Mall W/M

      F 24 Jul Actual Route: Manassas, VA, W/M - Lowe's - Central Library - Liberia St W/M

      Sa 25 Jul Actual Route: Manassas, VA, W/M - Lowe's - Central Library - Manassas Mall W/M

      Su 26 Jul Actual Route: Manassas, VA, W/M - Central Library (closed) - Liberia St W/M

      M 27 Jul Actual Route: Manassas, VA, W/M - Centreville - Manassas - Central Library - Liberia St W/M

      T 28 Jul Actual Route: Manassas, VA, W/M - Marshall, VA - Front Royal - Harrisonburg, VA, W/M

      W 29 Jul Actual Route: Harrisonburg, VA, W/M - Franklin, WV, - Monterey, VA - Covington, VA, W/M

      Th 30 Jul Route: Covington, VA, W/M - Eagle Rock, VA, Lib


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    Monday, June 1, 2015

    Mother Nature's Clean-Up Crew

    Mother Nature's Clean-Up Crew Virginia Beach, VA, Library
        At first glance this photo appears to be of some chickens next to a small creek alongside a Tuscaloosa Walmart. However, these birds are part of Mother Nature's Clean-Up Crew; that is, they're buzzards. Some call them vultures, or turkey buzzards; hwr, these birds were taking a rest around the remains of a cat, which seem to be able to survive with or without help from humans at Walmart stores.
        [Photos taken on 13 Jun 2015]

     

     

        While there only appear to be 4 or 5 buzzards in this photo, there were 8 or 9 every time I counted them.

     

     

     

     

     

     

        In somewhat better light one can count eight of the carrion-eaters.

     

     

     


        I ran them all off so that I could get a photo of what they were eating. While the remains look like that of a small rug, later just before dark I saw a half-grown cat try to run one of the buzzards off. But once a buzzard raised it wings, the small cat beat a retreat to where there appeared to be an even smaller cat.

    [Return to the top of the page]
    Links:


    Routes:

      F 10 Jul Actual Route: Virginia Beach W/M - Lowe's - Virginia Beach Lib - Virginia Beach W/M

      Sa 11 Jul Actual Route: Virginia Beach W/M - Virginia Beach Lib - Virginia Beach W/M

      Su 12 Jul Actual Route: Virginia Beach W/M - Virginia Beach Lowe's - Norfolk W/M - Virginia Beach W/M

      M 13 Jul Actual Route: Virginia Beach W/M - Virginia Beach Lib - Virginia Beach W/M

      T 14 Jul Actual Route: Virginia Beach W/M - Virginia Beach Lib - Big Lots - Lib - Virginia Beach W/M

      W 15 Jul Actual Route: Virginia Beach W/M - Virginia Beach Lib - Virginia Beach W/M

      Th 16 Jul Actual Route: Virginia Beach W/M - Virginia Beach Duck Witch P.O. - Sandy Fruit Visit - Virginia Beach W/M

      F 17 Jul Actual Route: Virginia Beach W/M - Virginia Beach Duck Lynnhaven P.O. - Duck Witch P.O. - Norfolk Lowe's - Portsmouth - Norfolk W/M

      Sa 18 Jul Route: Norfolk W/M - Lowe's - US13 (Milt Hwy) - Suffolk W/M

      ...

      T 21 Jul Actual Route: Culpeper, VA, W/M - Lowe's - Fredericksburg, VA, Lowe's - Fredericksburg W/M

      W 22 Jul Actual Route: Fredericksburg, VA, W/M - Lowe's - State Farm Agt - Safford RV - Fredericksburg W/M

      Th 23 Jul Actual Route: Fredericksburg, VA, W/M - Woodbridge, VA, - Holly Acres RV - Manassas, VA, - Reines RV - Lowe's - Central Library - Manassas W/M

      F 24 Jul Route: Manassas, VA, W/M - Lowe's - Central Library -

        Finally, I'm reminded of a cartoon I saw years ago. One vulture says to another, "Patience, Hell! I'm gonna kill something!" Fortunately for the small cats remaining, that was merely a cartoonist's caption!

    [Return to the top of the page]
    Links:

    Finding Campgrounds:

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