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Clemson 2024

Isaac Church — Sun, 01 Sep 2024 03:30:12 +0000

Welcome back, this time for a very short weekend trip down to Clemson, SC to see our Mountaineers take on the Tigers in football.

Saturday morning, September 7, we picked up Trevor (if you don’t know who that is by now, just read another football blog) first thing in the morning and drove to a house he’s building so he could give us a tour. Then, we hit the road towards western NC via I-40, en route to the game in Clemson.

Recess Coffee and Baked Goods

Our first stop was at Recess Coffee and Baked Goods in Black Mountain, NC. This cafe is fairly new, and serves excellent quality pastries and coffee. We got a tiramisu croissant and two turtle pecan monkey breads. Both were excellent, especially the turtle bread. Dad and I split Costa Rican (Cerrosan Luis honey process) and Colombian (Claudia Samboni Huila washed) pour overs, and Trevor got a latte. Everything was very good, as it has been every time I’ve visited.

Recess Coffee and Baked Goods

Recess Coffee and Bake Shop

Black Mountain, NC

Excellent coffee and pastries and extremely friendly service. They source their beans from Sweet Bloom Coffee in Lakewood, CO, an excellent roaster. If they roasted their own, I would probably give them three stars.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Haus Heidelberg

Leaving Black Mountain, we traveled south to the Asheville outlets so I could pick up a couple new dress shirts, and then continued on to Hendersonville, where we stopped at Haus Heidelberg for lunch. This is a traditional Bavarian-style tavern. We got a bratwurst and Bavarian lye-dipped pretzel as an appetizer, and then each got a Schnitzel sandwich with Bavarian hot potato salad for a side. Dad added melted Gouda and tomato to his sandwich, which Trevor and I both wish we’d also done.

Haus Heidelberg

The food was outstanding. It’s distinctly different from Berliner Kindl, the excellent German restaurant in Black Mountain, but equally as good. We’d definitely visit again!

Haus Heidelberg

hendersonville, NC

Outstanding Bavarian food in a relaxed atmosphere. You will leave stuffed!

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

From Hendersonville, we drove into Greenville, where we checked into our hotel just off of downtown. Most of the hotel was occupied by the Virginia Tech men’s soccer team. We settled into our room, requested an extra set of bedding for the pullout sofa, and then headed off for the game.

Football?

Soon we arrived in Clemson, and after FINALLY finding a place to park approximately 58 miles away from the stadium, we walked through campus and over to Memorial Stadium, also known as Death Valley. Clemson has a beautiful campus, and very friendly fans. They rank up in the top two or three nicest fanbases I’ve been around, probably.

Memorial Stadium - Clemson, SC

After climbing approximately 159 flights of stairs up to our seats, we sat down to eat a few snacks from the concession stand and watch the game. Unfortunately, it wasn’t much of a game at all, as we got blown off our feet right out of the gate.

Memorial Stadium - Clemson, SC

We got beat so badly, so fast, that we really didn’t even have time to get worked up. After sitting there for a while in flabbergasted silence, I finally said “I think this is the nicest weather I’ve experienced at a football game”. It really was…we got to see a gorgeous sunset over the lake, and the temperature was absolutely perfect during the game. Somehow, that didn’t make the two mile postgame walk back to the truck any more pleasant.

Memorial Stadium - Clemson, SC

We made it back to our hotel in Greenville without any real hassle other than traffic, and headed to bed.

Methodical Coffee

In the morning, we woke up respectably early, packed up, and headed out to find some breakfast and coffee. We settled on Methodical Coffee, right across from the Mast General Store in downtown. This was a wonderful choice, as we had a great breakfast. We split a few pastries (tomato tart, almond croissant, and morning bun), and got a few coffee drinks. Dad and I bought two bags of beans to split, which also came with two free to-go coffees. Everything was very good, and we decided we would likely order more beans from them in the future.

Methodical Coffee

Greenville, SC

Top quality beans and pastries in a great part of town. It’s also nice to drink and eat off of nice plates and mugs.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Roadside Produce

On our way back north, we stopped at a roadside stand to buy a large basket of SC peaches. The man at the stand said they were the last harvest of the year, and also gave us a free taste of some scuppernong and muscadine grapes.

P.F. Chang's

In Biltmore Park, we decided we’d stop to use the restroom, but while we were there, chose to go ahead and eat an early lunch at P.F. Chang’s, since they’d just opened and weren’t crowded at all. Trevor and I split a two-person deal they were running, which came with a house salad and Chang’s lettuce wraps as appetizers. For the main meal, Dad got orange chicken, Trevor got some kind of spicy chicken, and I got honey chicken.

P.F. Chang's

All the food was excellent. I don’t know that I’d give a chain like this any stars, because it’s always best to choose a local option, but it’s a great place to get a meal if you are in a hurry and it fits your schedule.

Home

We finally arrived back home, and then headed back up the mountain to Boone in time to see Faith and Walker before he headed to bed. It was a very fun trip, despite the terrible loss, and we’re glad we went.

Conclusion

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Thanks for following our travels! Stay tuned for more trips coming sometime in 2025.

– Isaac, Jerry, and Trevor

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Alabama 2023 // Montgomery, Troy, North GA, Western NC

Isaac Church — Sun, 03 Dec 2023 19:00:00 +0000

We’re back on the road again! This will be a short trip, but will be packed full of events.

Rather last minute, Dad, Trevor, and I decided to drive down to Troy, AL to watch App play the in the Sun Belt football championship game. Since we defeated undefeated JMU in Harrisonburg (who also wasn’t eligible to win the conference in their first year, per the agreement they signed), we were the Sun Belt East Division champions.

Ordinarily, a trip to southern Alabama would make a reasonable weekend road trip, but there was a slight wrinkle: App State men’s basketball was hosting Auburn in Boone on Sunday at 13:00 in front of a sold out Holmes Center crowd, so we had to be back in time to both fight the crowd and (hopefully) cheer the Mountaineers on to victory. So, I devised a logistics plan, and the three of us left Boone right after I got off work on Friday afternoon to start our whirlwind of a weekend.

Watami

To avoid Friday evening traffic in Charlotte, we decided to head west before we headed south. After passing through Asheville, we finally stopped for dinner in Waynesville, NC. My aunt and uncle had recommended a couple places, and Watami Sushi & Noodles had the trifecta of being both open, not overly crowded, and conveniently located.

Our meal was outstanding! We started out with some egg rolls, and then Trevor got General Tso’s chicken, and Dad and I split a couple sushi rolls and orange chicken. Everything was perfectly prepared and cooked; the portions were generous; the spice level was just right; and the prices were very reasonable.

Watami Sushi & Noodles

Waynesville, NC

Fantastic Japanese, Chinese, and sushi dishes. The food is reasonably priced, the quality is exceptional, and the flavor is phenomenal.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

After dinner, we drove down US-23 through north Georgia, passing the Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School (a well-regarded athletic preparatory school), but not really seeing much else of interest.

Gainesville

A couple hours later, we arrived at our Airbnb in Gainesville, GA, and settled in for the night. We woke up early the next morning, and drove downtown to Inman Perk Coffee, arriving right when they opened at 07:00. We each got a large mocha to go, piled back in Dad’s truck, and proceeded down US-23, thankfully avoiding heavy traffic as we passed through the Atlanta metro area.

Inman Perk Coffee

After joining I-85 in Atlanta, we continued south, stopping at Buc-ee’s in Auburn, AL for a quick snack, some petrol, and a bathroom break. I’ll revisit Buc-ee’s later in this post, so for now I’ll just post a few photos of the mammoth gas station experience.

Buc-ee's - Auburn, AL

Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site

I guess it wouldn’t be an “Isaac-planned” trip without a detour to some random historical site. I made an eleventh-hour decision to pull into the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site. This was the training site for African-American pilots during WWII. When we first pulled in, we didn’t really expect much – it just looked like an abandoned airstrip and some empty hangars. However, as we walked down and entered the buildings, we realized there was a fantastic museum full of planes and other artifacts from the era.

Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site

Training Room

Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site

German Army Uniforms

Wartime Magazines

Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site

We spent about an hour doing a rushed walk-through of the museum’s three buildings, and then Trevor, braving the plethora of warning signs about aggressive bees (and many dead bees on the ground), climbed the observation tower while I opted to stay downstairs in bee-free territory. Thankfully, the bees were all dormant for the winter, so there were no issues. We visited the gift shop, and then headed back to the interstate. We learned a lot from our visit, and would highly encourage you to stop by sometime if you’re in the area. To avoid a history lecture, I’ll just share some photos from our visit, but I encourage you to read about the site and the brave pilots who trained there. I did find the room full of training materials particularly interesting. In addition to the uniform guides and propaganda on the walls, they had full guides available to browse through, including “The United Nations War Atlas” and a 1944 “Pilot’s Information File“.

Runway

Hangars

Montgomery

By now, we were getting very hungry, and needed to kill some time, so we took a slight detour over to Montgomery to seek out some seafood. We revisited a place we’d been a couple times before, Wintzell’s Oyster House in downtown Montgomery. When we first sat down in the restaurant, we saw the App State football team buses leaving their hotel to head to the stadium at Troy. We ordered a Chargrill Oyster sampler, which had all of the restaurant’s signature oyster flavors. We also got some onion rings, fish tacos, and po’boy’s, but if we had to do it again, we’d just order onion rings and oysters.

Wintzell's Oyster House

Montgomery, AL // Various Locations

We’ve been to Wintzell’s, an Alabama chain, at least three times now. The restaurant gets a star for their exceptional oysters and quirky wall décor, but I’d mostly avoid everything else on the menu. Focus on the oysters!

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

After lunch, we attempted to find a cheesecake place just outside of downtown. However, when we walked in the door and wound up straight in the kitchen, we quickly realized they were now a catering-only business. So, we scurried out without anyone noticing we’d ever been there, and continued (disappointed and dessert-free) towards the football game.

Troy

A couple hours before kickoff, we pulled into Veteran’s Memorial Stadium in Troy, AL, after passing as quickly as possible through a very rough part of town right outside campus. Despite its surroundings, Troy’s campus is actually quite nice. However, it was unnecessarily difficult to find an entrance into the football stadium. Once we finally found our way inside, we made our way to the App State section, rendezvoused with a handful of friends from Boone, and settled in for the game. It was a long, wet, miserable game. The Mountaineers, plagued with injuries, held on for a while, but were ultimately defeated by both a few unfortunate plays, and by Troy’s superior linemen and depth.

Veteran's Memorial Stadium

Though a loss, it was a fun game, and nice to check another collegiate stadium off our list. I was very unimpressed by the turnout of Troy fans, especially for a conference championship game, and equally impressed with the amount of App State fans that made the long drive.

App State at Troy - 2023 Sun Belt Championship

Buc-eeeEee's!

We arrived back at our vehicle soaking wet, as the steady showers had changed to a downpour right when we exited the stadium. We basically had to slide down a giant grass hill to get back to the truck – I wasn’t sure if Dad, still not fully recovered from his knee replacement, was going to make it. Even Trevor and I were having some difficulty navigating the slick grass and steep embankment.

As disappointed as we were with the loss, our spirits were quickly lifted by the knowledge that we’d soon arrive back at Buc-ee’s in Auburn for dinner. Our GPS enthusiastically called it “Buc-eeeeeeeeeee’s!”, so I’m using that pronunciation from now on. Apparently all the App State fans had the same pit stop idea, as did the Alabama fans who were headed home after defeating UGA in the SEC championship game in Atlanta.

Famished, we went all-out with our food order, and were so hungry we finished all of it except the “snack food”! We got a fried chicken sandwich, a sliced brisket sandwich, a pulled pork sandwich, and XXL chopped brisked sandwich, banana pudding, coconut cream pie-in-a-cup, chocolate pie-in-a-cup, and a cinnamon roll. For snacking later, we bought some Beaver Nuggets and a box of animal crackers.

Buc-ee's

The food was great – particularly the sandwiches. Even though we’d visited multiple Buc-ee’s in Texas, we hadn’t gotten many of their “meals”. I thought the chicken sandwich, though different, was just as good or better than Chick-fil-A, and the pork and brisket were also great. It’s not quite what you’d get from the best Texas barbecue joints, but it’s better than 99% of beef barbecue you can find in North Carolina. The dessert cups, which we consumed on the road to save time, were a delicious way to cap off the meal and the day.

Buc-ee’s is truly an experience like no other, so you need to make sure you go sometime. One awestruck App State fan commented to us as we exited, “You can buy everything in there to hunt and process a deer except the gun and the bullets!”. Indeed, they had tree stands displayed between the soft drinks and the beef jerky wall, plus a robust camo selection a couple hundred yards away on the other end of the store.

Buc-ee's

Auburn, AL // Various Locations

There’s a reason everyone can’t stop talking about it. You have to visit at least once in your life, and until you do, there are no words with which I could accurately describe it to you.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

We really struggled to stay awake the rest of the rainy drive north, but we made it through Atlanta and back to the Airbnb alive, mostly thanks to some extra-large caffeinated drinks from Buc-eeeeee’s and lots of loud music. We rolled into Gainesville after midnight, showered, and headed straight to bed, knowing we’d have to wake up early in the morning to make it back to Boone for the basketball game.

Waynesville

Our alarms went off around 05:30 the next morning, and after snoozing a few times, we reloaded the truck, and drove north on US-23 back to Waynesville, NC. On our way through northern Georgia, we passed by the beautiful Tallulah Gorge, an area I’d like to visit sometime. Our first stop in Waynesville was Daylight Donuts, a donut chain that used to have locations in Boone and Hickory. We got a dozen, focusing (as one should) on their old-fashioned donuts, but we sprinkled in two glazed yeast, a maple, and a chocolate glazed for some variety.

Daylight Donuts

Waynesville, NC // Various Locations

In my opinion, Daylight is the best donut franchise in the country. Be sure to get their signature old-fashioneds, but the yeast donuts are fantastic too!

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Patiently waiting to eat our donuts (and maybe doing a little taste-testing), we drove up the hill to downtown, where we headed in Orchard Coffee to get some much-welcome caffeine to complement our donuts. All three of us got large mocha cafe lattes, which were exceptionally good.

Orchard Coffee

Waynesville, NC

Excellent coffee with an attention to detail.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Leaving Waynesville, we joined I-40, and then US-221 as we climbed the mountain back to Boone. We arrived just in time to easily secure a parking space, and were one of the few dozen people in the arena right after the doors opened around 11:00.

App State vs Auburn

Once inside the Holmes Convocation Center, we headed to the Yosef Club room, where they were serving sandwiches and snacks. We ate a light “lunch”, and then walked out into the arena to watch warmups and cheer on the Mountaineers.

App State vs Auburn

The atmosphere for this game was incredible. The highly anticipated matchup between the Tigers and the Mountaineers marked the first time since 1999 that a Power 5 program had come to Boone. Both teams were having an exceptional season (the Tigers would go on to be SEC champions, and the Mountaineers were regular-season SBC champions), so we were in for an unforgettable game. The noise was so loud that I kept getting “loud environment/potential hearing damage” warnings on my smart watch.

App State vs Auburn

After a nail-biter of a game, the Mountaineers pulled out the win, upsetting the Tigers in a win that all will remember as a signature win for App State basketball – like Michigan was for the football program in 2007. The students stormed the court, and the crowd went absolutely wild. It was a moment we’ll never forget!

App State vs Auburn

Here’s a sort highlight video from the game:

Video

Here’s a video from this trip’s adventures, and some more highlights from the game.

The Best Things We Saw [This Weekend]

I’m not doing my usual “best things we saw/ate”, because we simply had too eventful of a weekend to recap it in one short section. Our biggest highlights were the Tuskegee museum and the basketball game. Our best food included Watami, Buc-eeeeee’s, Daylight Donuts, and Orchard Coffee. It was a memorable weekend, and another successful App State sports road trip!

Conclusion

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There’s another Church Trip coming soon (in early summer 2024). Keep a sharp eye for an intro post coming soon – its should be another exciting trip with 3+ national parks and lots of great scenery!

– Isaac, Jerry, and Trevor

App State vs Auburn

Sunset in Boone, NC

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Day 9 – Travel Home // Maryland/Virginia 2023

Isaac Church — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 23:00:32 +0000

This morning when we woke up, Faith ate the leftover pizza for breakfast, and then we started loading both cars. We left Massanutten and the Harrisonburg area, heading south on I-81 through the Shenandoah Valley towards Roanoke.

Wildfire in the distance in the Shenandoah Valley

Roadmap CoffeeWorks

Faith and I made a pit stop in Lexington, VA at Roadmap CoffeeWorks, a place rated by various sources as one of the better coffee roasters in the US. We weren’t disappointed by their selection or quality. Faith got an iced latte, and I got a drip coffee. Both were fantastic, and we thoroughly enjoyed them. I learned, by watching the barista, that the secret to making good cold coffee drinks is apparently to use a cocktail shaker to chill the drink, rather than pouring it over ice that will then dilute the coffee.

Roadmap CoffeeWorks

Lexington, VA

While there’s not a lot to do in Lexington, VA, one can definitely get some quality coffee here. Be sure to stop by if you’re in the area.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Alejandro's Mexican Grill

For lunch, we stopped on the north side of Roanoke at Alejandro’s Mexican Grill, a local chain. The food was very good, the service was quick, and the portions were enormous. It was an efficient stop, allowing us to get back on the road quickly.

Alejandro's Mexican Grill

Travel, Dinner, Home

We made one more stop in Winston-Salem to grab Thanksgiving groceries and a snack from Trader Joe’s, and then split off to go our separate ways home – Mom and Dad taking I-40 and Faith and I taking US-421. We saw a beautiful sunset on our way up the mountain, and arrived home in time to get unloaded, unpacked, and settled for bed before it got too late.

Driving on US-421 towards Boone

The Best Things we Saw Today

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “the setup at Roadmap CoffeeWorks”.

The best thing I ate today was… “snacks from Trader Joe’s and coffee”.

Faith

The best thing I saw today was… “sunset over the mountains”.

The best thing I ate today was… “coffee from Roadmap”.

Jerry

The best thing I saw today was… “the end of the Shenandoah Valley”.

The best thing I ate today was… “Mexican at lunch”.

Amy

The best thing I saw today was… “home”.

The best thing I ate today was… “Mexican at lunch”.

Conclusion

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Keep an eye out for a blog from another trip coming soon…

– The Churches

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Day 8 – App State at JMU, Harrisonburg // Maryland/Virginia 2023

Isaac Church — Sat, 18 Nov 2023 23:00:28 +0000

We all slept in this morning, which was quite welcome after our week-on-the-go parading around Maryland and the surrounding states/commonwealths.

Moxie33

Dad and I drove down from our Airbnb to Moxie33, a local bakery and coffee shop right next to Kline’s Dairy Bar, where we visited last night. We got a few flavors of sweet rolls (one caramel pecan sticky bun, one peaches and cream, and two browned butter cinnamon rolls) and some coffee to bring back for breakfast. Mom and Dad got mochas, Faith got an Americano, and I got black coffee. Everything was very good, and gave us a much-needed jump start to get us moving; we were all very tired.

Moxie33

App State at James Madison

Dad and I loaded up my car and drove into Harrisonburg to the campus of James Madison University (JMU), to tailgate with some friends and see some of the campus. JMU (ranked #18) was hosting ESPN’s College GameDay, which had been in Boone last year after our monumental victory over Texas A&M. The Dukes boasted an undefeated record for the 2023 season, and our Mountaineers hoped to spoil their chances at a perfect season.

Bridgeforth Stadium

App State at JMU

JMU’s stadium, Bridgeforth Stadium, is very nice (other than being purple), but is strangely lopsided, with most of the stands in one large half-bowl on only one side of the stadium.

App State at JMU

Meanwhile...

While Dad and I were at the game, Mom, Faith, and Walker spent the day shopping, browsing a large bookstore, and relaxing at the Airbnb.

Bridgeforth Stadium

Green Valley Book Fair - Crawford, VA

Harrisonburg, VA

7Brew

Sunset

Victory

The game went into overtime, but the Mountaineers managed to secure the victory with a goal line touchdown pass to Kaiden Robinson to end the game. There was a sizable crowd of App fans, up in the nosebleeds and the celebration was a lot of fun. It had gotten quite cold by the end of the game, but there was plenty of standing and jumping around to keep us warm.

App State at JMU

Here are some highlight videos from the game, and a recording of the entire TV broadcast.

Romano's // Kline's

After the game, we drove back to Massanutten, picked up dinner from Romano’s Italian Bistro, and took dinner back to the Airbnb. We got a bacon/pineapple and a meat lover’s pizza, and two Caesar salads. After scarfing down the pizza, Dad and I went back out to Kline’s Dairy Bar to get more soft serve, per Mom’s request. This time, we got two pints to go: chocolate and chocolate brownie batter. It was a very good meal, and we were happy to finally have some hot food after a very tiring and cold day.

Romano's Italian Bistro

Mom enjoyed her birthday dinner and dessert, but she especially enjoyed spending the day with Walker (and Faith)!

The Best Things we Saw Today

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “the victory celebration”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the browned butter cinnamon roll”.

Faith

The best thing I saw today was… “the book fair”.

The best thing I ate today was… “custard”.

Jerry

The best thing I saw today was… “an App State victory”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the cinnamon rolls”.

Amy

The best thing I saw today was… “the giant bookstore”.

The best thing I ate today was… “cinnamon roll and pizza”.

Conclusion

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Tomorrow, we’re headed back to North Carolina via Roanoke.

– The Churches

The post Day 8 – App State at JMU, Harrisonburg // Maryland/Virginia 2023 appeared first on Isaac Church // isaactchurch.com.

Day 7 – Manassas, Shenandoah // Maryland/Virginia 2023

Isaac Church — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 23:00:52 +0000

Today marked our final morning with the Pinkertons (and in Maryland), after a very fun and eventful week in Havre de Grace.

Breakfast // Goodbyes

We woke up, ate some homemade “Egg McMuffins” for breakfast, and said our goodbyes to the Pinkertons. After loading up the car, we hit the road, headed south for the next leg of our trip.

Rock // Wegman's

We didn’t make it but a few miles on I-95, when a HUGE rock flew out of a dump truck in front of us and hit our windshield. Thankfully, it just barely grazed the glass, and only left a superficial scratch. Even so, we were both pretty shaken, so we decided to pull off, get our composure, and check for any damage.

Rock damage

Just off the interstate in Abingdon, MD, we made a bit of a spontaneous decision to stop at Wegman’s, a privately owned supermarket chain known for its giant stores. It was truly a grocery store unlike anything I’d ever experienced before. The flower department alone was larger than our home in Boone. There was a second section of milk, as big as you’d see in a Food Lion in NC, by the checkouts in case you didn’t want to walk all the way to the back of the store to get some.

We got a cheese, fruit, and nut snack tray from the deli department (which was larger than our local grocery stores in Boone). I was particularly attracted by the Beecher’s cheddar, which was of course excellent. Resuming our drive, we ate our snack tray as we drove through Baltimore and DC – thankfully, rock-free.

Baltimore, MD

Manassas National Battlefield Park

Just south of Washington, we stopped at Manassas National Battlefield Park in northern Virginia just off I-66. Also known as Bull Run, this was site of two Civil War battles, including the first major battle of the war. We walked through the visitor center, browsing the small but interesting selection of exhibits.

Visitor Center

Uniform examples

Uniform display

Faith and I grabbed the stroller for Walker and walked around the battlefield for a while, enjoying the scenery and reading the signage while we stretched our stiff legs.

Manassas National Battlefield Park

Front Royal

Back on the road, we headed to the small Virginia town of Front Royal, and stopped downtown to pick up a couple coffees from Main Street Daily Grind CAFÉ. We walked around downtown, but had to get back on the road soon in order to stick with our timeline for the day.

Front Royal, VA

Main Street Daily Grind CAFÉ

Front Royal, VA

Shenandoah National Park

Just south of downtown Front Royal is the northernmost entrance to Shenandoah National Park. We paid a day’s admission fee at the park, and began driving south on Skyline Drive, the park’s famous scenic road. The road is akin to the Blue Ridge Parkway, and offers beautiful views of the Shenandoah Valley and surrounding mountains.

Shenandoah National Park

Skyline Drive

Skyline Drive stretches 105 miles from Front Royal to Rockfish Gap, where it connects with the northernmost point of the Blue Ridge Parkway. We didn’t have time to drive all of it in one day, so we just drove from Front Royal down to Thornton Gap.

Skyline Drive

Not far from the entrance, we pulled in the Dickey Ridge Visitor Center to grab a magnet to add to our collection. In the parking lot, a young woman was having car trouble. The park rangers didn’t have any jumper cables, so I took my battery jump starter pack and helped her get back on the road again. (P.S.: I would highly recommend getting one of these instead of jumper cables – many modern cars won’t easily jump off with traditional jumper cables anymore.) It was very smokey from some wildfires, but we still could enjoy some great views from the road, and we occasionally pulled over to snap a picture of a particularly compelling vista.

Skyline Drive

At Thornton Gap, we exited the park and headed west on US-211 to Luray and White House, VA, where we turned south on US-340 and drove south to our lodging for the next few days.

Massanutten Rendezvous

Mom’s birthday was Saturday (it was now Friday), so we met up with her and Dad in Massanutten, VA, where we’d rented an Airbnb for the rest of the weekend. We unloaded our cars, settled into the house, and then loaded up again to head to dinner.

Hank's Grille

We drove a short distance to Hank’s Grille & Catering, a place Mom had spotted on the way in. For an appetizer, we ordered KC-style burnt ends, and got a selection of grilled and smoked meats, plus some southern-style sides. The food was all good, but not exceptional. The only thing we didn’t really enjoy was the burnt ends appetizer – they came doused in an espresso barbecue sauce that was a little strange. Nonetheless, we enjoyed our meal and the time together.

Hank's Grille

Kline's Dairy Bar

After dinner, we headed over to Kline’s Dairy Bar, a short drive down the road from the restaurant. Kline’s, which has multiple locations in the area, specializes in homemade custards, and has just a few flavors each day. We got all four flavors they had that day: pumpkin, chocolate, vanilla, and chocolate brownie batter. All were very good, and were a great way to cap off the evening.

Kline's Dairy Bar

Massanutten, VA

Great custard, with a small selection of rotating flavors. [By custard standards, it’s excellent, but wouldn’t rank as highly if compared to all types of ice cream.]

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

The Best Things we Saw Today

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “Skyline Drive and the battlefield in Manassas”.

The best thing I ate today was… “Kline’s Dairy Bar”.

Faith

The best thing I saw today was… “Skyline Drive”.

The best thing I ate today was… “Kline’s”.

Jerry

The best thing I saw today was… “the drive up to Harrisonburg”.

The best thing I ate today was… “Kline’s Dairy Bar”.

Amy

The best thing I saw today was… “the drive up to Virginia”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the custard”.

Conclusion

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Tomorrow, Dad and I will watch the football game, while Mom, Faith, and Walker explore the Harrisonburg area.

– The Churches

The post Day 7 – Manassas, Shenandoah // Maryland/Virginia 2023 appeared first on Isaac Church // isaactchurch.com.

Day 6 – Washington, D.C. // Maryland/Virginia 2023

Isaac Church — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 23:00:58 +0000

Today was our final full day staying with the Pinkertons. Since we didn’t get to go into Washington, D.C. on Day 4 of our travels, Faith and I decided we would venture into the capital for a day to see a few sites. The rest of the kids had a school-related event, so it was good timing for us to take a day trip. I hadn’t been to DC since I went with some friends back in 2017.

Pancake Breakfast // DC Commute

We woke up fairly early and ate pancakes for breakfast, hopped in the car, and immediately began the drive to DC. It took us about an hour and a half to navigate the Baltimore tunnels and DC beltway, but we finally made it to the city. We parked in an underground deck near the NASA headquarters on the south side of the National Mall, emerged above ground, and began walking without a real destination in mind.

We tried to find some coffee, a snack, and a restroom, but couldn’t find a good cafe anywhere nearby. We noticed on the map that the Museum of the Bible had a couple restaurants inside, so we decided to walk a couple blocks to try our luck there.

Museum of the Bible

We actually didn’t know much about the museum before we happened upon it, but after reading about it, we decided we’d pay the entrance fee and take the rest of the morning to tour it. Entering just after the museum opened, we headed upstairs to the Milk + Honey Café, grabbed a blueberry muffin to split, and then began our tour.

Museum of the Bible

Blueberry muffin - Museum of the Bible

First, we walked through the visiting/temporary exhibit on the lower level (something about the Bible and astronomy), and weren’t particularly impressed. However, as we ventured on to the main exhibits, we were amazed by the both the quality and quantity of exhibits. Because we didn’t have all day, we had to skim over some of the galleries, but we both wished we’d had more time to browse. There were particularly interesting displays on Bible printing and manufacturing, and on the life of Elisabeth Elliot.

Bay Psalm Book

Divina Comedia

Gutenberg Printing Press

Continuing upstairs, we walked through the “New Testament Experience”, which recreates many of the places Jesus visited during his ministry, some in 1:1 scale. There were replicas of wine presses, synagogues, and much more.

New Testament Experience

The Second Temple

Due to time constraints, we had to skip the Old Testament experience, as it took 30 minutes to walk through, and only started every 45 minutes or so. We started watching a 4D movie that they were showing, but it was a little loud for the baby, so we slipped out the back and moved on. We proceeded to a large exhibit hall focused on different versions of the Bible throughout time, including significant translations, versions, preservation efforts, etc.

Livestream of Jerusalem

Museum of the Bible

The Killer Bible

Museum of the Bible

On the way out of the translation galleries, there was an oval-shaped room documenting the translation progress of the Old and New Testaments into all known languages.

Translation progress

On the upper floors, there were two more visiting exhibits. One showed all the churches that bear the name “Haggia Sophia”, like the famous Turkish cathedral-now-turned-mosque. This was fascinating; apparently there are hundreds of them all around the world, all with different architecture and unique backgrounds. The other exhibit displayed a large selection of artifacts from the Holy Land. Each exhibit spanned a couple thousand square feet.

Haggai Sophia across the world

Israeli artifacts exhibit

We ended our visit with a short walk through their rooftop garden (akin to one in Jerusalem), visited the museum gift shop, and then exited back onto 4th Street.

Rooftop garden

Museum of the Bible

Rice Bar

From the museum, we walked north past L’Enfant Plaza to the Capital Gallery Shopping Mall, in the same building that houses the Smithsonian’s headquarters. We ate lunch at Rice Bar, a Korean build-your-own bowl counter chain that is very popular in the DC area. Faith and I both got bowls with shaved Korean beef, Korean BBQ sauce, broccoli, carrots, and crispy onions. One bowl had brown rice, and the other had black rice, something neither of us had ever tried (or even heard of!) before. The black rice was more purple than black, but it was incredibly delicious, and definitely our favorite of the two. Here’s an article if you’d like to learn more about the “forbidden rice”.

Department of Education

Rice Bar

Washington, D.C. // Multiple Locations

Build-your-own Korean bowls with delicious options. Be sure to try the black rice!

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

National Museum of American History

After finishing our lunch, we made the nearly mile-long walk to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. Along the way, we enjoyed nice views of the US Capitol and Washington monument.

U.S. Capitol

Washington Monument

As usual, the museum didn’t disappoint, but it was very crowded with tour groups from various schools. We walked through the exhibits on American enterprise, the history of American food, American technology, and American farming.

We quickly dipped into a smaller room with displays of various unique currencies, and then headed back outside so we could get in a longer walk before we needed to head back home.

History of Currency

Outside the museum, we decided the best way to spend our time was to just walk around and see some of the monuments. We bought an outrageously expensive strawberry smoothie from a food truck, and began strolling west down Madison Drive towards the Washington Monument.

National Mall

First, we walked to the base of the Monument – something we’d never seen up close. We’d hoped we could maybe ride to the top, but you have to book that at least a day in advance.

Washington Monument

The White House

Jefferson Memorial

Next, we walked around the fountains at the World War II Memorial.

World War II Memorial

Finally, we finished our National Mall walking tour at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

Lincoln Memorial and Reflecting Pool

Metro Difficulties // Long Drive Home

It was now time to start heading back to our car and back to Maryland. The closest metro stop was back on the mall near the Smithsonian Castle, so we walked a very brisk mile to the broken escalator (temporarily stairs) and descended to the platforms to find a train to take back to our car at Federal Place and Patriot’s Plaza.

Metro Station

Unfortunately, the broken escalator was only the beginning of our troubles. Since we only wanted to take one short Metro ride, I decided I’d pay on my phone, rather than having to load a minimum amount on a card. Apparently, you can’t pay for multiple fares on one phone, like you can with a physical card, and Faith’s phone was dead, so we couldn’t use it to purchase another card. It took us over 30 minutes to sort the payment situation out with the attendant, and then we had even more difficulty getting the accessible turnstile to work so we could fit the stroller through.

I was not a very happy camper/metro rider at this point. We were both miserably hot in the sultry tunnels, and the stress of trying to explain the situation to a rather disagreeable attendant was not helping matters. Thankfully, Walker stayed asleep in his stroller for the duration of the fiasco, and we were finally able to get on our less-than-merry way. By this point, we’d missed a handful of trains because of the delay, so we had to wait even longer to catch the correct line.

The drive into the city took us less than an hour and a half, but it took us over three hours to get back to Havre de Grace! Despite our best efforts to avoid both rush hour and the most congested roads, the Metrorail mishap had delayed us right into the middle of rush-hour traffic. Our valiant effort to leave in plenty of time was all for naught. At least the agonizingly slow drive up the Baltimore-Washington Parkway was somewhat scenic, highlighted by a few deer crossing the highway, and seeing the NSA’s headquarters at Fort Meade, MD.

Crabs!

We arrived back at Havre de Grace just in time for dinner. Since it was our last night with the Pinkertons, William went out to get a sack full of steamed crabs so we could have a proper Maryland dinner before we left. It was incredibly delicious, and even more so after a long day. We learned we need a lot more practice shelling crabs, though!

Maryland steamed crab dinner

After dinner, we made some more affogatos, finished the rest of Gettysburg, played a couple games of Scrabble, and then headed off to bed.

The Best Things we Saw Today

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “the farming and food exhibits at the Smithsonian, and the various Bible translations”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the crab dinner, with black rice getting and honorable mention”.

Faith

The best thing I saw today was… “the Museum of the Bible”.

The best thing I ate today was… “crabs!”.

Conclusion

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Tomorrow, we’ll head south into Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley.

– Isaac, Faith, and Walker

The post Day 6 – Washington, D.C. // Maryland/Virginia 2023 appeared first on Isaac Church // isaactchurch.com.

Day 5 – Conowingo Dam, Havre de Grace // Maryland/Virginia 2023

Isaac Church — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 23:00:20 +0000

Today was a bit of a “down day”. I had to spend a good chunk of the day working, so we stayed around the Havre de Grace area. Faith woke up early and went for a run with Anna while I worked a little. Once everyone was back at the house, we ate a hearty breakfast of eggs, toast, etc.

Conowingo Dam

After breakfast, Faith and I drove 13mi north to Darlington, MD, home of the Conowingo Dam. The dam spans 4,648′ across the Susquehanna River, about 10mi inland from its mouth at the Chesapeake, and 5mi south of the Pennsylvania border. Constructed in 1928, it remains the largest dam in the state of Maryland.

Conowingo Dam and Susquahanna River

However, we didn’t spend our morning traveling just to see an engineering marvel (though it was impressive). Every November through January, thousands of birds, including hundreds of bald eagles, flock to the dam to feed off fish gathered at the foot of the dam. The dam’s turbines stun many of fish that pass through, making them easy prey, and thus attracting both larger fish and birds of prey. Here are a few articles about the dam from Baltimore Magazine, Chesapeake Bay Magazine, Susquehanna Wildlife, and Atlas Obscura.

It’s a pretty amazing spectacle, and we definitely didn’t show up expecting it to be such a big deal. Even on a cold mid-week morning, the parking lot was nearly full, as hundreds of photographers from all over the world lined up to try to snap the perfect shot of eagles and other large birds fighting over fish, often stealing catches out of each other’s talons mid-flight. We met birders from Germany, Austria, Korea, and from all over the US.

We roamed around and watched the birds until we started to get cold – we’d definitely shown up under-dressed for the occasion. The sights were spectacular, and we would definitely visit again.

We hadn’t planned in advance to visit the dam, so I unfortunately didn’t bring my wildlife telephoto lens with me (or even my full frame camera, for that matter), but you can click on the articles up above to see some better photos. You can also click here to see the winners of some of the dam’s official annual photo contest here and here, and there’s also a Facebook fan page.

Conowingo Dam and Susquahanna River

Many of the regulars said the action hadn’t quite picked up for the season, but it was still amazing to watch, and to hear. I’ll post a short video clip towards the end of this post. We saw and heard more bald eagles than we could possibly count, but most of them were perched on the power poles or in the trees on the hillside behind us.

Conowingo Dam and Susquahanna River

We drove back to the house, passing the Aberdeen IronBirds MiLB stadium on the way. We also drove past the Pinkerton’s church, so I quickly pulled over to snap a picture of the historic building and the surrounding Maryland countryside.

Church

Maryland countryside near Havre de Grace

Prost

Back at the house, I worked for a while longer, and then Faith and I drove over to Prost German Restaurant in Aberdeen for an early lunch. We ordered Jägerschnitzel, sauerbraten, a potato dumpling, kraut, spätzle, and a pretzel with butter and mustard. All the food was very good, but it was definitely not the best German food we’ve had. It was a tasty meal, and reasonably priced, but we probably wouldn’t go back.

Prost German Restaurant

Havre de Grace

Back at the house, I worked the remainder of the afternoon. Faith’s eldest sister Emily (plus their children), who lives in Philadelphia, came to visit for the day, so everyone else played boards games and did schoolwork for the afternoon.

Games

As evening approached, we all loaded up in 3 cars and headed down to the waterfront to see the sunset. Faith and I made a detour to stop at Concord Point Coffee, where I ordered a mocha, and Faith ordered a maple latte.

Downtown Havre de Grace

Concord Point Coffee

We took our coffee drinks down to Millard Tydings Memorial Park, a city park that has a boardwalk (“walking pier”) over to Concord Point Park & Promenade. We walked over to Concord Point, enjoying a spectacular sunset over the bay. While we walked, we heard taps being played across the Bay at Aberdeen Proving Ground, a nearby US Army site. It was a very peaceful evening, and we thoroughly enjoyed our stroll. I’ll highlight a few of our favorite things below.

Concord Point

Concord Point Lighthouse

It was closed at the time, but Havre de Grace has one of the world’s largest decoy museums.

One of the piers has “Birds of the Chesapeake Bay” intricately carved into its posts. Each bird has an info placard with it.

Concord Point

The town of Havre de Grace was almost made the capital of the United States, and played a pivotal role in the War of 1812. I’ll let you read the signs, rather than giving a lengthy history lesson here.

Concord Point

Havre de Grace, MD

Concord Point Lighthouse

Concord Point

We saw an incredible sunset – one of the most colorful I’ve seen outside the mountains.

Concord Point

There’s an interesting sculpture of a fish made out of lots of small fish.

Concord Point Fish Sculpture

The Concord Point Lighthouse and surrounding park were very beautiful lit up at night.

Concord Point Lighthouse

Concord Point

As it got dark, we walked back to our cars via the boardwalk, and headed back to the house.

Concord Point

Dinner

Back at the house, we ate some leftovers for dinner, and sat around visiting for the remainder of the evening.

Video

Here’s a short video from today’s adventures. Enjoy the relaxing sounds of the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay.

The Best Things we Saw Today

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “sunset over the Chesapeake”.

The best thing I ate today was… “Jägerschnitzel at Prost”.

Faith

The best thing I saw today was… “all the birds at the Conowingo Dam”.

The best thing I ate today was… “Jägerschnitzel at Prost”.

Conclusion

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Tomorrow we’re heading to DC without much of a plan for the day.

– Isaac, Faith, and Walker

Concord Point

Concord Point Lighthouse

Concord Point

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Day 4 – Annapolis // Maryland/Virginia 2023

Isaac Church — Tue, 14 Nov 2023 23:00:55 +0000

Last night, we were in a bit of a frenzy figuring out a destination for today. Our top candidates were originally Harper’s Ferry + Antietam, or DC. Unfortunately, there was road construction causing significant detours and delays near Harper’s Ferry. We also learned there was a huge rally scheduled on the National Mall in Washington, with potentially 60,000 people expected, plus some accompanying security concerns. So, after breakfast, we decided to head southeast instead, and drove to Maryland’s state capital, Annapolis.

United States Naval Academy

After a pleasant hour and a half drive, we arrived in Annapolis, and secured street parking near King George St. with surprising ease. Faith and I walked over to the entrance of the US Naval Academy, and rendezvoused with the Pinkertons. William, a West Point graduate, made sure all the kids had “Go Army // Beat Navy” pins to wear for the duration of our visit…plus some sported Union infantry hats from our visit to Gettysburg. For good measure, I think one was even sporting a “Go Army // Beat Air Force” pin. We made a quick stop into the Armel-Leftwich Visitor Center to register and receive visitor passes, and then began our self-guided walking tour of campus.

United States Naval Academy

I should note that our “self-guided” tour was mostly led by William, who couldn’t resist making a few jabs about the superiority of his alma mater and preferred service branch. Nonetheless, he offered some excellent insight into the campus. We walked the grounds for a while, taking in the sights on the historic campus. We’d hoped to visit the museum on campus, but it was unfortunately closed for renovations.

United States Naval Academy

United States Naval Academy Chapel

The Naval Academy Chapel

Since the museum was closed, we headed across the terrace to the Naval Academy Chapel, a beautiful building that opened in 1908, with a 193′ tall dome. The inside is spectacular – not overly ornate, but very beautifully designed and built.

United States Naval Academy Chapel

To end our tour of the chapel, we headed to the lower level to view crypt and sarcophagus of John Paul Jones, a hero of the American Revolution who is known as the “Father of the American Navy”.

Crypt of John Paul Jones

After exiting the chapel, we decided it was time to find some lunch. We walked back across campus, exited through the gate, and began walking towards downtown.

United States Naval Academy

Chick & Ruth's Delly

We settled on eating at Chick & Ruth’s Delly, a local diner (open since 1965) that’s famous for their colossal crab cakes and equally hefty milkshakes – ranging from 20oz up to 6lb! Before we could order, I realized that even though you could “renew” your parking in the ParkMobile app, you had to move your car to a different zone. So, I had to walk all the way back to the other side of the Naval Academy, get in the car, and find another parking spot (which was thankfully close to the restaurant).

Finally back at the restaurant, I was now extraordinarily hungry from the long walk, as was everyone else from the extended wait. The “delly” was very accommodating though, and even allowed us to take our strollers in the back entrance so we could spread out at a larger table. Faith and I split two dishes, their signature half-pound crab cake sandwich, and a seafood club on rye, which had a crab cake and shrimp salad on a triple-decker sandwich. We also ordered a side of onion rings for all of us to split.

Chick & Ruth's Delly

I can say without a doubt that this was the best crab cake I’ve ever had. There was very little filler; just enough to hold together the giant lumps of sweet crab meat. Even though it was a ton of food, we ate nearly every bite, although we had to forego the bread towards the end of the club sandwich to make sure we didn’t waste any of the seafood.

Chick & Ruth's Delly

Annapolis, MD

Oversized everything, but you’ll be grateful for the excessive amount of meat in the crab cakes.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Maryland State House

We cleaned up from lunch (which is quite the process with a handful of kids), and headed back out to explore a bit more of Annapolis. Walking from the restaurant up to the top of the hill, we arrived at the Maryland State House, passing many historic buildings, beautiful flower beds, and colorful trees along the way. We attempted to visit St. Anne’s Parish, a historic church dating back to 1692, but it was closed at the time.

Downtown Annapolis, MD

Maryland State House

Downtown Annapolis, MD

Ice Cream // Waterfront

After walking about a mile more through the historic buildings, we decided to backtrack to the Annapolis Ice Cream Company, a spot we’d seen earlier that of course intrigued all the kids (and adults). I got oatmeal cream pie and lemon chocolate chip; Faith got oatmeal cream pie and pumpkin chocolate chip. All the flavors were excellent, especially the pumpkin chocolate chip, which Faith could not stop talking about the remainder of the trip.

Annapolis Ice Cream Company

Annapolis, MD

Excellent selection of homemade ice creams and sweet treats with some creative flavors.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

We took our ice cream down to the waterfront, and sat and watched the ducks and people jaunt around a section of the Annapolis Harbor known as Spa Creek or Ego Alley.

Downtown Annapolis, MD

Ducks, Books, and Coffee

DTA Ducks

Once we finally tired of duck- and people-watching, we walked to Old Fox Books & Coffeehouse near St. John’s College, which was about a half-mile away. The weather was pleasant, but chilly and breezy, so it felt good to get moving again. The coffee shop/bookstore combo was an interesting place to browse, and had an excellent selection of children’s books. Faith and I split an Americano (since their drip coffee was shut down for the day) to give us a caffeine boost to stay awake for the drive home.

Aunt Faith

Old Fox Books & Coffeehouse

Maryland WWII Memorial // Bridges

We headed our separate ways back to our vehicles, and began the drive back to Havre de Grace at sunset. Faith and I saw a nice sunset over the Naval Academy Bridge, and made a quick stop at the Maryland WWII Memorial to take a picture of the colors over the water. Driving back north, we actually crossed the 1.6mi Francis Scott Key Bridge, which has since collapsed after a container ship collided with it in March 2024.

Naval Academy Bridge

Maryland WWII Memorial

Nighttime

Back at the Pinkertons’ house, Anna pulled together a light charcuterie selection for dinner. We made more affogatos with the ice cream I’d bought, and watched more of Gettysburg, but didn’t make it very long because we were so worn out from the day. Our feet were sore from walking on all the cobblestone road and sidewalks, but it was a fun and memorable day. Annapolis is one of our favorite cities we’ve visited, and far exceeded our expectations.

Charcuterie for dinner

Maryland State House

The Best Things we Saw Today

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “the Naval Academy, particularly the Chapel”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the crab cake at the delly”.

Faith

The best thing I saw today was… “the old buildings in Annapolis”.

The best thing I ate today was… “pumpkin chocolate chip ice cream”.

Conclusion

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Tomorrow, we’ll explore more of the Havre de Grace area.

– Isaac and Faith

Maryland State House

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Day 3 – Gettysburg // Maryland/Virginia 2023

Isaac Church — Mon, 13 Nov 2023 23:00:17 +0000

This morning, we woke up early, ate breakfast and made a somewhat spontaneous decision to drive to Gettysburg for the day. The Pinkertons had never visited, so of all our day trip options, we settled on making the trip to southern Pennsylvania.

Morning in Havre de Grace

Gettysburg National Military Park

Cyclorama, Movie

We arrived at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center, checked in, purchased our tickets, and began our tour. We began by watching a short film that showed in the theater at the visitor center, and then headed upstairs to view The Battle of Gettysburg, a cyclorama painting by Frenchman Paul Dominique Philippoteaux. The painting, which depicts Pickett’s Charge, is 360° and stands 42′ high and 377′ in circumference. It’s quite an impressive work of art, and is supplemented by a light show, narration, and artifacts on the ground to “extend” the painting.

Cyclorama

Cyclorama Panorama

Museum

We spent the rest of the morning visiting the museum, which has nearly endless information about the war, the battlefield, and the preservation efforts for the area. We learned so much interesting information, but a few things in particular stood out to me:

(1) Seeing recruiting pamphlets in foreign languages was interesting. I had never thought about the state of immigration at the time, and how a lot of people, particularly in the north, were still flowing in from other continents, bringing their native tongues with them.

(2) I didn’t know anything about the conservation efforts made by the people of Gettysburg. After the battle, almost every building in the area had to be converted into a field hospital or some kind of shelter. All the farmland was a huge mess, and the locals knew it would be years, if not decades before the land could be farmed again. They also realized the magnitude of what had happened, so they immediately began efforts to preserve the area, rather than to try to use it again. Thus, it’s one of the best preserved battlefields in the entire world, if not the best.

(3) The 1913 Gettysburg Veteran’s Reunion, which marked the 50th anniversary of the battle, was the largest gathering of Civil War veterans ever. All honorably discharged veterans from both sides received invitations, and over 53,407 veterans (mostly Union) attended. Episode 9 of Ken Burns’ documentary The Civil War provides even more fascinating info about the reunion.

"We have found one another again as brothers and comrades in arms, enemies no longer, generous friends rather, our battles long past, the quarrel forgotten—except that we shall not forget the splendid valor."

President Woodrow Wilson // Remarks at the 50th Anniversary

Gettysburg National Military Park Museum

Battlefield

It was now noon, and since we’d gotten a later start to the day, we decided to delay lunch a while. After grabbing a quick snack from the car, we began the driving tour of the battlefield, which loops you through the key sites on one-way roads, guided by a National Park Service audio tour.

Gettysburg National Military Park

Tommie's Pizza

Leaving the battlefield, we drove over to Tommie’s Pizza to grab a quick late lunch. Tommie’s is a pizza parlor nostalgic of somewhere I’d been in my childhood, with a self-serve drink machine, lots of circular booths, and a typical menu. Faith and I got a pie with pepperoni and pineapple, which was very good, with a nice crispy crust and charred cheese. The done-ness came with a price: I burned the top of my mouth so badly it hurt for days afterwards!

Tommie's Pizza

Battlefield, Part II

Post-pizza, we resumed the battlefield driving tour, heading to the Longstreet Observation Tower for a panoramic view of the surrounding landscape. The tower is right next to the Eisenhower National Historic Site, the farm and retreat of our 34th President.

Gettysburg National Military Park

As the sun began to descend, we continued the audio tour, stopping a few places of particular interest. Unfortunately, Little Round Top was completely closed for maintenance from all approaches. William was especially disappointed, since he’d spent much time studying the battle here. I think he was ready to re-take the hill all over again!

Gettysburg National Military Park

We ended our day at Gettysburg by stopping at the High Water Mark of the Confederacy, the farthest the Rebel Army advanced during General Pickett’s infamous failed charge, which ultimately led to the final downfall of General Lee’s armies.

The view from here was spectacular, and we spent some time reading the signage and monuments. Finally, thoroughly chilled by the wind, we returned to our vehicles and began the journey back to Havre de Grace.

Gettysburg National Military Park

Long Way Home

Instead of going around the outskirts of Baltimore and dealing with I-695, Faith and I decided to drive due east through southern Pennsylvania and then cut down through Bel Air, MD. It was a beautiful drive through the Pennsylvania countryside, and I’m glad we went that way, even though it cost us some extra time on the road. Unfortunately, we didn’t get any pictures during the drive, so you’ll just have to take our word that the scenery was spectacular. Just after dark, we arrived back at the house.

Dinner and a Movie

Back home in Havre de Grace, we ate some turkey sandwiches and soup for supper. Once the kids were in bed, we made some affogati and started the movie Gettysburg, a 4h 31m depiction of the battle starring Martin Sheen, Tom Berenger, and Stephen Lang. After watching a couple hours of the movie, we decided to save the rest for another night and head to bed.

Affogato

The Best Things we Saw Today

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “sunset at Gettysburg and driving through the Pennsylvania countryside”.

The best thing I ate today was… “affogato for dessert”.

Faith

The best thing I saw today was… “the Pennsylvania countryside”.

The best thing I ate today was… “pizza at lunch”.

Conclusion

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Tomorrow, we’re heading to Annapolis to tour Maryland’s capital, visit the Naval Academy, and hopefully chase down some crab cakes.

– Isaac

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Day 2 – Susquehanna State Park // Maryland/Virginia 2023

Isaac Church — Sun, 12 Nov 2023 23:00:54 +0000

Today was our first day waking up in Maryland. It was a fairly chill day; we didn’t have many planned activities.

Sunday Morning

In the morning, we woke up, ate breakfast, and hung around the house until it was time for church. We visited William and Anna’s church for an excellent service. They were scheduled to teach children’s Sunday School afterwards, so Faith and I left, taking the scenic route back to their house to kill some time.

Vignon Manor Farm

Church

Susquehanna State Park

Faith and I drove over to Susquehanna State Park, a 2,753 acre park on the Susquehanna River. There were still some leaves on the trees, making the drive very scenic. First, we drove down to the Deer Creek Trestle Bridge, where an old railroad track has been converted into a greenway of sorts.

Deer Creek Trestle Bridge

From the trestle bridge, there were some spectacular views of the river and the five islands in the center of the river: Robert, Wood, Snake, Spencer, and Steel Island.

Susquehanna River

From the trestle bridge, we drove downriver to the Rock Run Gristmill. The historic mill has a 12-ton water wheel.

Rock Run Grist Mill

We left the park, driving back to the house to get started on lunch and put Walker down for his nap.

Susquehanna State Park

Sunday Afternoon

We spent most of Sunday afternoon relaxing at the house. A crowd from church went to go play Frisbee at the park, but my knee/ankle still aren’t allowing me to run much. Instead, I spent some time catching up on photo editing from our western trip, and took a cat nap while Faith read and took some fall photos of Walker.

Dinner

In the evening, I went to pick up sushi for the adults’ dinner, while Anna fixed some food for the kids. We placed an order from Johnny’s Sushi House in Perryville on the other side of the Susquehanna River. We got a variety of rolls to try: salmon, salmon mango, crunchy crab, tempura shrimp with sweetpotato, Sakura (tempura salmon, cream cheese, crabmeat, fish roe, scallion, sauce), and an Angel (tempura shrimp, spicy crabmeat, snow crabmeat, and sweet mayo). All the sushi was excellent, especially the specialty rolls and the roll with sweetpotato and shrimp.

While I was out, I also got some vanilla ice cream, vanilla gelato, and Peppermint Park ice cream from Food Lion. We made affogatos using William and Anna’s espresso machine, and stayed up late hanging out and making plans for the week ahead.

Johnny's Sushi House

Tillamook Peppermint Bark Ice Cream