A Stroll on the Battlefield

22 March 2009

Clear, crisp blue skies and temperatures in the high 50F (10C) range was all the encouragement we needed to escape from daily chores for a few hours today. Not that we needed the added incentive, but we also wanted to test new video and camera equipment before our upcoming trip to Perú. Around 10:00a, we headed out to the Manassas National Battlefield Park (MNBP), about a 20-minute drive from our place.

The MNBP is the site of two Civil War battles — First Manassas and Second Manassas (aka First and Second Bull Run). Having visited the park several times before, we knew exactly where to set up in order to test our new toys — right outside the Henry Hill Visitor Center. The expansive battlefield landscape and the Union guns nearby afforded us the perfect setting to check out zoom and wide angle capabilities. Soon, well satisfied with our testing, we were securing our equipment in the car and heading out for a walk across the battlefield.

Henry Hill from the visitor center.

Our first stop was Henry House and the Henry Hill Monument (aka Bull Run Monument). The house gets its name from the family that lived in it during the First Battle of Manassas. Mrs Judith Henry, who was bedridden and refused to leave her home, was killed in the Union artillery shelling that was brought to bear on the house to drive out Confederate sharpshooters who were firing from the windows; she was the first civilian casualty of the First Battle of Manassas.

Henry House and Bull Run Monument

After paying our respects to Mrs Henry, who is buried in a small plot behind Henry House, we continued our walk towards Stone House. Built in 1825 as a residence and a tavern, Stone House served as a makeshift clinic in both of the Manassas battles.

The red flag indicates that Stone House is open to visitors.

Lo and behold, when we arrived at the house, we found the doors open. There wasn’t much to see inside — only the three rooms on the first floor were open to the public. One room had a small display of historic photographs and another was furnished with a few period pieces. The main room had been restored back to its original purpose — a barroom. A tankard of cold ale or a cup of apple cider sure would have hit the spot before we left to retrace our path to the visitor center.

For a pictorial journal of our visit, browse our online gallery.

First Real Snow of 2009

2 March 2009

Yes ... I know, I know. This doesn't really fall under the category of travel. But hey; we haven't had any real snow this year ... until now. The snow started yesterday, picked up overnight, and is really falling quite heavily this morning.

Enjoy these scenes from our back deck, driveway, and the basement patio.

And here's a photo of Mui using his winter toy for the first time this year.

UPDATE: It's 11:00a - the snow has stopped and the sun is peeking out occasionally, making all that snow look prettier. The ruler shows 7 inches (~18 cm) of snow on our back deck.