Crockett Roadtrip

We had a rather leisurely time today. We left Roanoke about 8:10 and drove to Appomattox Court House where Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to Ulysses S. Grant commander of the Army of the Potomac on April 12, 1865.  We tried to change the outcome but our efforts proved futile.  There is not a whole lot at Appomattox but what is there is especially interesting.  The boys really liked the jail! The house where the surrender was signed is interesting as is the museum.  Appomattox is situated in a very beautiful area, but as I read what some of the Confederates who were there had to say about the surrender I felt a real sadness.  We left Appomattox and went to Charlottesville to see the University of Virginia.  Wes almost wet his britches before we could find a place to park so he could go to the restroom in the university’s theater building.  The university is pretty, but I really don’t think it is as pretty as Ole Miss. (One thing I’ll give Chancellor Khayat, he has made the Ole Miss campus second to none in appearance.)  We then drove through the beautiful Shenandoah Valley on the way to Gettysburg.  This was our first time in the Valley, and I couldn’t help thinking about all I have read about what happened there during the War of Northern Aggression including Stonewall Jackson’s successes and the way the Yankees destroyed the crops late in the war.  We got to Gettysburg about 5:00 after a 320 mile drive.  We have now driven more than 1200 miles.  Checked in to the motel and the boys went swimming while I took a MUCH NEEDED NAP.  We then went to eat at a restaurant next to the motel.  When we returned to our room the boys wrote in their journals and I wrote this.  We are looking forward to what should be a very interesting day tomorrow.