Daughter of the Stars - The Shenandoah

The rolling hills of the Piedmont soon gave way to the Appalachian range and the Shenandoah Valley. Its a beautiful valley that stretches for the length of Virginia in a Southwest to North East direction. Bordered by the Allegheny on the west side and the Blue Ridge on the east, the valley floor is a fertile basin punctuated by meandering rivers and tributaries of the Shenandoah River. 

All along the protecting and flanking ranges are small passes that one needs to drive over in order to get  in. We entered via Rockfish Gap near Waynesboro and pulled into Staunton (which is pronounced "Stanton") for the night. It's a cute little town nestled into some foot hills. Surprisingly it had the best restaurant of our trip. Zynodoa is located on the main strip and is pricy. However, well worth the price.

At night, the town shuts down and as we walked about after dinner, it was creepy. No humans as far as the eye could see. No movement, just a faint breeze and the only change was the streetlights alternating from green to red and back again for non-existent cars. It really was something akin to the Twilight Zone.

Luckily we only spent one night here. From Staunton we made our way North West. It is considered going "down the valley", which makes sense if you think of it in terms of following the river downstream. Halfway down the valley is the Massanutten Mountain, which divides the valley in two. In the civil war Jackson would use this mountain to screen his forces and then use it as a natural border to keep his enemies divided. There is one road that goes across this long mountain that comes from a town called New Market. We took this for some amazing hiking with an excellent vista along Storybook Trail.

There were 4 (some historians record 5) civil war campaigns in this valley. Federal and Confederate forces would clash in nearly every major town. The town of Winchester changed hands 72 times during the course of the war. This was our next destination. 

I wouldn't recommend this place. Its out of date and a bit too rustic. There is only one major strip and it seems like the remainder of the city is falling into disrepute. Its only major bonus is that it is a perfect jumping point to see a multitude of civil war battle sites, excellent hiking along the blue ridge panoramic drive, and an easy drive to Antietam and Harpers Ferry. 

I would say Harper's Ferry was my preferred hiking destination. The town itself is a bit of a tourist trap. However it does have some impressive sights including John Brown's famed fort where he attempted to lead a slave revolt in 1859.

From the center of the town, one can cross the Potomac River and climb up a steep hill to see the vista of city below. From the top of Maryland Heights, one can see the confluence of the Shenandoah River as it merges into the Potomac. The water literally change color as it does this.

Thus my pointers for the Shenandoah:

1) Check out some of the amazing hiking

2) Wineries here are outstanding

3) Stauton has some amazing restaurants

4) Harpers Ferry is a must

5) Don't recommend Winchester - not much here

6) BTW Joe's Steakhouse - which is rated number 1 per trip advisor - is not worth the cost.

I think for anyone interested in Civil War history, this is a must. Everywhere you look is a battlefield. In some cases like Winchester there are three fields here alone. Its a bit quaint and rustic, but I think thats also where the charm lies

Petersburg to Appomattox Court House

 It was sad to see Fredericksburg disappear behind the horizon. I would highly recommend this town to anyone. We managed to spend 3 days and it was packed with everything we needed. The stores had a wealth of interesting antiques, the food was sophisticated, and the in town college produced a local gentry of eclectic and dynamic people. It also had history in abundance, a running path along the Rappahannock, and while in town we saw at least 3 weddings going on. I guess we were not the only ones who were impressed.

 We made our way south west into the interior of Virginia known as the Piedmont. The coastal area soon gave way to beautiful rolling hills. One can tell that the aristocracy of the land live around here. Huge houses that govern acres of land punctuated with gated horse pastures dot the drive. We rounded Richmond and made our way south to Petersburg. We had to miss the peninsula between the York and James Rivers. This was the sight of the famous 7 days campaign as well as several battlefields including Cold Harbor where Lee stopped Grant - at least for a little while. Our original itinerary would have us in Williamsburg, but time constraints were in play.

Petersburg during the Civil War was a major rail junction and city that proved to be the gateway to Richmond. In 1864 Grant crossed the James river and moved up. His forces were commanded by incompetent subordinates who lost the opportunity to break Lee's line. As a result a 9 month siege ensued where both sides funneled in reinforcements leading to a line that was 40 miles long. Eventually  numbers began to play their part and Grant pushed through.

 In an attempt to link up with the Confederate armies of the west, Lee pushed his forces towards Appomattox. He was cut off, his supplies were intercepted, and eventually surrounded. On April 8th, 1865 he attempted to break out. The attempt failed. The Army of Northern Virginia depleted of forces, exhausted, and starving had little other choice.

 Lee sent word to begin surrender talks. Both legendary generals met at the Mclean House. Per report, they appeared as kindred spirits as their conversation grew pleasant and lasted for over an hour. Lee brought the discussion back to the topic at hand.

The surrender was signed and Lee told his men to lay down their arms and not to engage in further activity. He encouraged that it was time to be civilians again. He thus set a precedent that all other Confederate generals followed.

I think there was a certain sadness to seeing the room in which the surrender was signed. But also a strength of character and realization that it was time that peace was needed in the land. As Lincoln would say in his 1st inaugural address:

" We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature."