Spring Vacation

The winter was so long this year in New England we had to go South a bit to find something living. So we decided to go tour the Civil War battle sites (Antietam and Gettysburg) and Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling water and Kentuck Knob.

First the weather was beautiful, great for hiking and birding, which there is an abundance of in all three locations. April and May are great months since the kids are not out yet and it is not hot and buggy as it is later in the year. And we had these locations to ourselves. Since, the only other people traveling during this time are older people we had these National Parks to ourselves since the older folks tend to take the bus tours. Antietam we only saw people at the visitor center and some bike riders. The Georgian Trail by the Burnside Bridge was glorious. We saw foxes and ground hogs and 15 different kinds of birds. We stayed at the Historic Jacob Rohrebach Inn in Sharpsburg, MD. It was lovely, Great breakfasts, great garden, close to everything. The Generals Quarters where we stayed was lovely, smelled of Cedar, great light, a private porch looked out onto the garden, and complimentary wireless. Our host at the Inn was very friendly and had directions to places to not miss in the area. We took her advice and took the back road to Gettysburg and went by the President's retreat. It was beautiful. Went and hiked the C and O Canal went to Harper's Ferry which was rather depressed and sad. She had warned us on the way to Harper's Ferry to not stop for anything, not a picture, not a dead animal in the road and not a child. A child? She then expounded on the fact that we were going to be going through a bit of West Virginia that was notorious for graft and murder. They would put a baby in the road and as you stopped would steal your catalytic converter or take you. We thought she might be joking but we met a fellow at dinner that night who told us that luckily he liked us or he would have sent his boys out to get our catalytic converter in our car. But instead he invited us to go into the real country for some moonshine in a shack. We declined. Was very happy our car started in the morning:-)

The new museum at Gettysburg was awesome and there were school aged classes being taken there but outside the museum and off the bus tours we were alone on the battlefield. We hiked from Little Round top to Big Round top and then the entire Confederate Line and then Pickett's Charge to the Union Line and then back through Devil's Den. It was gorgeous and so much more interesting getting out of the car and actually reading all the monuments and seeing what they saw, it make very real. Also I highly suggest reading or getting the Cd's to Killer Angel's By Shaara. It makes it all very prescient and personalizes it as nothing else can. The town is touristy but also services a college. We found some nice eateries and lots of history since the battle pasted through the town itself. We went in an antiques shop that at first blush had bullets and flags and old canteens. Then I wandered into a room in which everything in the room had a swastika on it. Dishes, lighters linens etc. I found Joe and we quickly made our exit. Gettysburg may have been the furthest North the South got but it looked like some south stayed.

We ate dinner at a nice brewery and  then took a walk along the battlefield at dusk. There were many ghost hunting troops walking about. When we went to go back to our Inn it was pitch black. And driving through the battlefield without a moon their was not a light. I was going slow when I went up a hill and then down and there looking straight at me in the headlights was soldier pointing his rifle right at me. I screamed and hit the gas. Joe just laughed. The next day I drove back to see what it was I saw a tall statue one a rectangular pillar with soldier in a laying position with his rifle pointed just at car height. It was funny but at the time it truly gave me the shivers.

We stayed at the Baladerry Inn which was a farm House turned Hospital after the battle. We stayed in the old house in the Vines Room which had a luxurious King bed, an electric fireplace and 5 large floor to ceiling windows that gave great light and views to the beautiful grounds. The common areas were lovely and the breakfasts were grand. Highly recommend. We did the battle fields during the week so we would not have to deal with the civil war actors on the field. On Friday when we were leaving for the Laurel Highland's the quiet Balderry Inn which we had, had to ourselves the night before became full with ghost hunters, sanitation commission workers, and both sides of the war North and South. It was a good time to leave for architecture.

Fort Necessity in the Laurel Highland's was beautiful. Again we were the only one's there. There was a rather large interactive museum for the tiny fort that is actually there and there is Washington's Tavern which is only open a few times a day with Ranger talks, but still pretty cool.
Kentuck Knob is a beautiful Usonian House. The grounds are also spectacular. One thing you learn is that rich people always get the best land. This house is owned privately by a British Noble, friend of Fergie and Diana, godfather to Fergie's kids. They no longer live here but live just below the knob. No photos are allowed in the house but no matter the grounds have a sculpture park and is just beautiful to walk around. The tour is great, well worth the trip alone. The gift shop and cafe is top notch as well.

We stayed at the Summit Inn which was very close. The Nemacolin is a five star resort in the area as well but we could not afford pure luxury. The Summit Inn was built in 1901 and was a resort destination back in the day. Worth staying here for the friendly service, the big porch with rockers looking down on Uniontown and  to the North Pittsburgh, and the large fireplace with chess. The rooms were clean and did the job but not luxurious, but one did not care since you did not want to stay in the room you wanted to go hang out in the hotel. We got on the early morning in-depth tour of Fallingwater because that is the only tour you get to see the whole house and are allowed to take pictures inside. The tour was great worth the extra money. See the great pictures on the slide show. The hiking was beautiful as well. Also hiked Cucumber Falls and the Ohiopyle after the house. The Laurel Highland's are low key, but that is what is nice about them, it makes you slow down and actually relax. Wonderful trip. I will add our itinerary.