Our Nation Reunited Next Door

Appomattox Court House National Historical Park being but a short drive from our home, we took in a visit on a recent "lazy" weekend. It was fun to reminisce about how we'd visited the park when we were dating.

Simply interpreted, much of the outdoor area is a beautiful place for a walk on a nice day, although I'd wager that spring and fall visits might be more pleasant. The park presents a great impression of the drama of emotions surrounding the surrender itself but doesn't deal very much in some of the more complex questions about Appamattox (Were the McLeans war profiteers? The reconciliation wasn't as instantaneous as the surrender activities might have implied, right?) unless you ask. You can feel a great sense of history standing at the Grant-Lee meeting spot and listening to the audio recording available via "push button" there. Fun options for families include some chances to have "parole papers" printed for you.

If you go, plan to be on pebble-y walks up to the visitor's center from the parking lot. Do visit the museum upstairs in the center: the displays in this area are designed in a reasonably contemporary way. An electronic map explains the battle (Kim thinks electronic map displays make military history more interesting) and display cases house lesser-known artifacts including the silent witness doll that was present at the surrender signing. There's also a display of objects carved from the mythical apple tree under which it was rumored that the surrender occurred. The park area is nested in a small town, but the Lynchburg area is close for a meal.

Relevant Link:
Appomattox Court House National Historical Park

Parades + Holidays + Caverns!

When Justin turned 29, he received passes to the Shenandoah Caverns Family of Attractions from Kim (who knew ever since visiting the site on a field trip that Justin would love the displays of Americana there). Recently, we finally made it up to the New Market area on a day trip--and it was a very pleasant one. New Market "feels" far enough from Roanoke to be a vacation.

The caverns have functioned as a show cave for over eighty years and are a great sight. A tour takes about an hour and is pretty stroller accessible. We've visited a number of caverns and enjoyed those trips, but the Shenandoah cave is a wonderful site for seeing a spectacular range of formations and "cave bacon" on a particularly impressive scale. From the caverns, exit to Main Street of Yesteryear to see mid-twentieth century storefront displays. There is a fanciful circus with many moving elements among other nostalgic scenes; one of the funniest is an assorted gathering of holiday figurines "looking for jobs." Do not miss a stop to the "parade museum" of American Celebration on Parade, a gathering of floats from such American institutions as the Rose Bowl Parade. Some elements move, some displays can be climbed, and we hear there are special holiday items at Christmas! Gift shops are available, and a new attraction known as the Yellow Barn may be worth a stop to you. To Kim's delight, there's also a display of vintage attraction memorabilia. Attraction tickets are all-inclusive "combination" tickets.

If you go, take a look at a map. Shenandoah Caverns will be easy to find right off the interstate, but you won't want to miss things nearby. You'll be within striking distance of DC and very near the Route 11 potato chip factory (we've got to go there sometime!), not to mention Staunton, Virginia. Justin would want to put in a good word for the state history park at the New Market Battlefield and the Green Valley Bookfair (when open) near Dayton. We had good luck planning our trip in consultation with Shenandoah Caverns's Allison.

Relevant Twitter Handle:
Caverns

Relevant Link:
Shenandoah Caverns

Homage to Johnny Appleseed

We'd like to suggest a Halterman side trip: Johnny Appleseed Restaurant in New Market, VA. It is one of those places we've always intended to stop on our journeys "up I-81," and on a recent outing to Shenandoah Caverns, we finally made it. The restaurant's exterior is somewhat famous; there's a large Johnny statue at the door that also graces the cover of Weird Virginia.

The restaurant, a family-oriented place inside a Quality Inn, has some standard-but-still-tasty fare but serves exceptional complimentary apple fritter bites as an appetizer. As you might expect, the decor is full of apples; uniquely, there is an interior wall made of apple crates. There's also a gift shop that sells postcards of the giant statue! In talking to the waitstaff, we learned that this location is the sole surviving establishment of a Johnny Appleseed chain and that it is locally-owned. For a friendly, casual meal with a side of nostalgia, we recommend it. The reasonably-priced restaurant is a good "stopping place location" on the Roanoke-to-DC drive and is near the major valley caverns.

Relevant Links:
Johnny Appleseed Restaurant

It's Weird-O Near The Alamo (Weird Museums, That Is)

On our trip to San Antonio, we had to take in the three most fun (and most strange) museums in town!

Believe it or not, San Antonio is home to the largest Ripley's Believe It Or Not! Museum, Justin's favorite "museum chain." The space itself is full of level changes and the typically-fun Ripley's fare: an Eiffel Tower from toothpicks, a "spinning tunnel" to walk through, some singing carnival figures. Nearby is Louis Tussaud's Waxworks (separately ticketed), home to some interesting statues that are not Madame's. It looks like many of the exhibits are kept contemporary, and on our visit, there was a Lady Gaga decked in meat, a Harry Potter scene, and a Michael Jackson grouping (Michael at different ages). There's also a creepy (but not too scary) hall of monsters, a hallway of integrated fairytale scenes, and Jesus storytelling scenes in a "Passion of the Christ" grouping. If you buy your tickets online, you can receive a joint ticketing discount, and we'd consider both museums worth your hour. This location has a Ripley's Cargo Hold gift shop just like the aquariums do, but don't expect much logo merchandise. They need to get some postcards.

In the category of truly awesome stops is the Buckhorn Museum and Saloon. A functioning--if touristy--"saloon," the staff invites you to grab a drink and tour(we passed on the drinks--something about any food or liquid near artifacts for us, but it was still a cool offer). Their collection consists of substantial taxidermy from around the world; there's a polar bears, numerous sets of entwined deer antlers, and an African safari section. The spacious museum also hosts a mock wild west town that's a good photo op, a display of carnival side show information, and a replica "Mystery Spot," an example of Depression-era tourism. Integrated within the site is the Texas Ranger Museum, a collection of large display cases apparently customized for individual rangers by their fans and families. Walking through this section is like walking through a good "chunky" read full of biography snippets. The overall site would be fantastic for family travel with elementary-aged kids. As a benefit for us, it was just steps from our hotel, the St. Anthony.

If you go, scope out coupons--most add up to the same discount, but it's good to save a few bucks on admission always. The Ripley's and Tussaud sites are just across from the Alamo itself; if you are at the Buckhorn, make time for a quick stop to the nearby antique mall and for a walk through the lobby of the St. Anthony, one of the four "really old" hotels in town. Its gracious peacock alley includes some photos of famous visitors near its end...and those visitors include Princess Grace. If you stay at the St. Anthony, take a swim in the small sixth floor rooftop pool.

Related Links:
Ripley's Believe It or Not! San Antonio and Louis Tussaud's Waxworks
The Buckhorn Museum and Saloon
St. Anthony Hotel

Remember the Alamo!

San Antonio's big draw is, of course, the Alamo. Another historic site preserved by a band of devoted women, it's amazing that visiting the shrine is free. Inside the ruins of the church, see the flags noting "counts" of battle participants, and within the courtyards, admire the flora and fauna including cacti and coy. Expect to find one of the larger gift shops within the walls, too. To learn the mission's potency in history, see the themed IMAX film at nearby Rivercenter Mall; to further understand how it looked at the time of the battle, pay the small fee to see Phil Collins's diorama at the History Shop. If you are interested in the non-battle life of the Alamo, don't neglect to tour the Long Barracks.

If you go, arrive at opening to avoid some crowds and come back again at night just for the beauty. Ghosts and Legends of San Antonio Tours are great excuse to come back by evening: Randy, the owner, gives enjoyable, history-oriented walks that are reasonably priced, fun, and informative. Think pleasant storytelling--not cheesy ghost hunting--that meets on Alamo Plaza, and Randy impressed us by being truly accepted by other service providers we passed...including the Alamo Rangers!

Relevant Websites:
The Alamo
Ghosts and Legends of San Antonio

Romantic Riverwalk

In honor of Justin's newly-minted history master's, we headed to San Antonio, Texas, for a few days of fun. Everything is bigger in Texas, so our trip description will span several blog posts.

While the draw to the city was the Alamo, we were incredibly impressed with the beauty of the Riverwalk, a winding path along the San Antonio River just below street level. Described as America's Venice, it is enchanting--full of interesting masonry, fountains, and outdoor art nestled among shops and restaurants with al fresco dining. There is some presence of "nifty" chain venues like Hard Rock Cafe, but many establishments are decidedly local. A large number of downtown hotels are either directly above the walk or within walking distance (as are destinations like the Alamo, La Villeta artisan village, and the San Fernando Cathedral), and the batteau boat cruises provide a great way to get a sense of place. Soon, visitors will be able to use the Riverwalk as a picturesque public transportation route; it's being extended so that visitors can cruise the river to multiple missions.

If you go, take time to learn a bit of the walk's history from a book like the readable River Walk: The Epic Story of San Antonio's River by Lewis F. Fisher. If you are good on foot and able to dress for the weather, don't bother renting a car and just hoof it and boat it to explore the city. Once you're there, you'll want to spend a lot of time down on the Riverwalk. Feel safe in so doing--the walk is well-monitored at all hours.

Relevant Websites:
Visit San Antonio
Rio San Antonio Cruises

Relevant Twitter Handles:
VisitSanAntonio
RioSanAntonio

Rock Symphony!

For its entire history, Justin and I have attended the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra's annual "rock symphony," an opportunity for classical musicians to play popular songs. Elijah enjoyed this year's British Invasion theme very much, becoming a Who fan and ending the night relaxing to "Hey, Jude." Some years they have cirque perfomers; every year, they have Jeans and Classics join them vocally. It's always fun--a means of enjoying some familiar music in a new way.

If you go, know that the event is part of the "pops" series, so you can tote in food and snacks. You can also wear pretty much anything--jeans are fine, as are thematic outfits. It's held at the Salem Civic Center. If you want to dance a bit, get a seat on the floor; if you like watching all the "goings on," sit in the stands. Intrigued by the concept, the symphony, and/or the annual theme? You should go! Next year, the theme is Queen hits!

Relevant links:
Roanoke Symphony Orchestra
Jeans 'N Classics

Relevant twitter handles:
RoanokeSymphony
JeansNClassics