The Braves opened up a new park so since my godfather had not yet moved out I invited myself back down. Did not visit as many Civil War sites as the last trip, actually hit more Revolutionary War sites. This trip turned into one giant beer run and it took me three months to drink everything I brought back.
Atlanta 2017
Virginia battlefields and Richmond
Hit a few of the smaller battlefields in Virginia. Visited Kelly’s Ford, Brandy Station, Payne’s Farm, North Anna and Tototopomoy Creek before heading into Richmond for a Flying Squirrels game and to visit a few breweries. Pictures are in the Battlefields section.
I wound up buying two pizzas the day before and I took the leftovers with me. This worked out well as I could just reach onto the passenger seat, grab a slice and keep on going. At least for the first day. The crust got a bit hard after that.
Monticello and Charlottesville
Toured Tom’s house since I had missed it the year before. I got the first tour of the day (I had booked in advance) so I was out relatively quickly. It’s too bad you can’t take pictures inside of the house but that’s the way things go some times. Then I headed into town. I did not get a picture of the controversial Robert E. Lee statue there, I didn’t even know it was there though I was in the spot where the big AntiFa/White supremacist grudge match took place, albeit a few months early. Stopped in at South Street Brewing in Charlottesville as well as Starr Hill in Crozet and Blue Mountain in Afton.
Tidewater
Then I made the long drive to Norfolk. Stopped to get a picture of the Emancipation Oak at Hampton University. The Emancipation Proclamation was read underneath it for the first time in the south. A school was also begun there that has become Hampton University. Now VDOT wants to widen I-64 which would mean the tree would be killed. That will be a sad day and shame on VDOT!
Anyway it was sunny in Hampton and warm. When I got to the other end of the tunnel it was overcast and 20 degrees colder and it got colder. Stops at Coelecanth and O’Connor Brewing in Norfolk and Young Veterans in Virginia Beach. The only reason I brought a sweatshirt was because I would be in the Smokies early in the morning. I am glad I did. This wind started howling and the game in Norfolk was one of the most miserable games I’ve ever been to.
Raleigh and Guilford Court House
Made the long drive from Norfolk and stopped near Rocky Mount for the night. First was a stop in Raleigh to walk around downtown before heading to Guilford Court House where Nathanael Greene lost the battle but gave the British such a bloody nose that it was hard to recover from. Pictures are in the Battlefields section. The bloody nose chased Charles Cornwallis out of the Carolinas towards Yorktown and his destiny. It was a chilly and rainy day but it’s not a large battlefield so it was easy to walk it.
Durham
Then it was on to Durham where I hit a few breweries in Durham (Full Steam, Durty Bull, Ponysaurus and Bull City) before taking in the Bulls game. Saw the old Durham Bulls stadium. Dinner was at a place near the stadium where I had some of the best sweet potato fries I ever had and I also had one of the best BBQ sandwiches at the game.
Also stopped at Durham Station to see where Joe Johnston surrendered to William T. Sherman. The park was closed and it was rainy too but I authorized myself with pics in the Battlefields section from a later visit to the site.
South Carolina
Left the Bulls game and made it to Florence where I called it quits for the night. The next day I visited Camden and Columbia (just to stop in at the Craft and Draft) before heading to Ninety-Six and then on to Augusta. Camden Battlefield and Ninety-Six pictures are in the Battlefields section. Also made a stop at Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephen’s home at Crawfordville. It wasn’t open other than the grounds but I really wasn’t interested in touring it. A bit out of the way for a few pictures but it killed the necessary time.
Once again I drove by the famous golf course in Augusta but they wouldn’t let me in. I figured the game in Augusta would be 50/50 but I stopped anyway. It wound up being cancelled due to wet grounds, it didn’t rain and it hadn’t for several hours there and normally I would be disappointed but on Monday night local restaurants bring some of their wares and let attendees sample them for free. The team also offers some concession items for free. I tried my first pimento and cheese sandwich and the items more than made up for the lost cost of admission. I could have asked for a refund but I was good. Pictures from Lake Olmstead Stadium are here.
Chickamauga
With the game in Augusta was rained out so I made my way towards northern Georgia via Atlanta. I had originally anticipated stopping somewhere just north of Atlanta but since I had the extra time I made it to Dalton after coasting through Spaghetti Junction while listening to the Pirates losing to the Braves. That was better than listening to the radio reports of the terrorist attack in Manchester, England. I saw the stadium’s lights from the highway as I went by.
Made a brief foray into Dalton since the best view of the Rocky Faced Ridge is there and there is also a statue commemorating Confederate general Joseph Johnston there before a return to the second bloodiest battle of the Civil War. The weather here was lousy and to see what I wanted to see required going off road since I had stayed on the beaten path last time. I went through several pairs of socks this day before just deciding to walk barefoot through the grass and when I was out in the middle of one of the fields the heavens opened up soaking me. The rain did stop after that but of course the sun came out as I was leaving. Pics are in the Battlefields section. It was time to head down to Atlanta.
Atlanta and its battlefields
Sun Trust Field is nice but hardly my favorite. I also never anticipated wearing long pants and a jacket in Atlanta in late May but I was. It was a chilly night in the stadium and after a sunny start to the game the heavens opened up again. I left at that point figuring that the game would be called but to my surprise they resumed it after I pulled into my godfather’s place. That took a Pirates’ win and turned it into a loss.
The following day I headed into the city to visit the battlefields around the city. Pics are in the Battlefields section. Suffice it to say there is not much left of them. Peach Tree Creek is probably the best preserved and there isn’t much left of that. I did see someone in West Atlanta wearing a Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs hat though as I was headed to Mozley Park.
Also made a stop in at Kennesaw Mountain to hit some of the spots that I did not explore last time. Those pics are in the Battlefields section. Once again when there the heavens opened up while touring (almost a second after I got in my car, whew) but it was only a brief shower.
Pictures of the Pirates and Braves at the new SunTrust Park are here. Stone Mountain was on the docket but I didn’t get out. If I had spent another day I would have as it wouldn’t have been too hard to get to Gwinnett had they played a night game. Maybe I should soon, one has to wonder how much longer it might be around. I skipped the Thursday matinee game in Atlanta and instead took in the morning game played in Gwinnett, the Braves’ AAA team. It was more conveniently placed to get out of the area and, well, it was cheaper too. Click here for pictures from Coolray Field. Nice park but it pales in comparison to some of the other AAA parks I’ve been to.
Great Smoky Mountains
After leaving Atlanta I headed up to Greenville, SC and visited a few breweries (Thomas Creek, Brewery 85, Swamp Rabbit). Swamp Rabbit in Traveler’s Rest is one of my new favorites. Stayed the night in Asheville before heading into the Smokies. No brewery visits there, a big miss on my part but it was a long day.
My day in the Smokies was the day that I wanted to have nice weather and I scored bigly. It was not the best idea to do this on the Friday before Memorial Day but this was the day I was here. Attraction parking lots were full and Cade’s Cove was a traffic jam comparable to any major city. It was helpful having a park ranger a few cars in front who would get on the bullhorn and tell drivers who stopped to keep moving. While it was bogged down I would reach into my cooler and make a sandwich. No stopping for lunch when I am touring.
The view from Clingman’s Dome was perfect. Couldn’t have asked for a better view. The air is a bit thin up there though. I was huffing and puffing walking up the path to get to the summit but so were a lot of other people.
Carl Sandburg’s House
Stopped in Knoxville to visit a few breweries (Alliance, Crafty Bastard, Schulz Brau, Saw Works, Last Days of Autumn, Smoky Mountain) and take in a Smokies game. I always hear good things about that park and it was a good time.
After staying in a Motel 6 in some small Tennessee town I then drove I-40 through the Smokies stopping in at Carl Sandburg’s house. This is the home built by Christopher Memminger, the Secretary of the Treasury of the Confederacy, who is buried nearby in a private cemetery. While driving through the Smokies I was passed by someone with plates from Hawaii. Go figure.
Cowpens and King’s Mountain
Perhaps the most complete American victory during the Revolution was at Cowpens. It was over within thirty minutes, or about 10 minutes more then it takes the orientation film to play. This was the battle that was supposedly shown at the end of Mel Gibson file The Patriot and it is nothing like what was on the silver screen. Pics are in the Battlefields section. Mel Gibson had nothing to do with this one. An easy battlefield to walk.
A short drive then to King’s Moutnain. This was Americans fighting Americans with only one British person involved. Loyalists versus Patriots and the Patriots won using Indian style warfare. Pics are in the Battlefields section. They also had a living history encampment displaying the American army through the years, from the Revolution through I think Vietnam with the weaponry and the camp accouterments. Let’s just say I wouldn’t be too interested in eating hardtack from the Civil War.
Charlotte
Now it was into Charlotte. Visited a few breweries (Birdsong, Triple C, Olde Mecklenburg, Heist, Free Range) before heading downtown to find a spot to park for the Knights game. A lot of the breweries are on the same street but are just far enough that you need a car to get to the next one.
This was not the best time to be here as there was a big party getting ready for the Coca Cola 600 the following day that snarled traffic. I had a general idea where I was going but the closed down streets threw a monkey wrench at me. Wound up parking in a garage near the stadium for $10 for the day, guess I can’t complain. Check out pics from the Charlotte Knights here. Beautiful park here.
Not quite as easy getting out but I eventually found my way to the Interstate. Made it up to around Greensboro before calling it quits for the night.
Danville and Lynchburg
Up early to hit the road with the first stop in Danville to see the last capitol of the Confederacy. It is an art museum now but since this was a Sunday morning it was not open. I must confess I found Danville to be a confusing city to drive around in and I got turned around at least twice and then later got on the highway heading to Martinsville by mistake. Fortunately I had plenty of time to waste.
Then on to Lynchburg to take in the Hillcats‘ matinée game. I had been to Lynchburg before so I was hoping that this game would be in Salem (that is who the opponent was) since I have never been there but not to be. First I visited the graves of some prominent Confederates buried in town and walked around downtown for a bit to kill time. Not much to do in Lynchburg on a Sunday. Should have visited Packetboat Marshall too but I didn’t.
The weather today was lousy with a rainy morning and the game was delayed by an hour and a half to start though it hadn’t rained for several hours. Don’t think the field drains too well there as it is an old stadium. I was leaving at 3:30 regardless since it is a 5 1/2 hours drive home so I only got in 3 innings. My absence was missed since there were not a lot of people attending the game. They don’t draw well to begin with.
Made a stop at Loose Shoe brewing in Amherst and pointed my car north. The weather didn’t make the drive home any easier though it was fairly easy until I got around Culpepper and only got worse closer the closer to DC I got. I saw listening to the Nationals game which was never put into a rain delay. That was my other option as they were playing the Padres and I needed to get them off my list for the year but the Padres still had to make a trip to Philly. Took the scenic trip through Leesburg and then scooted home arriving just before nightfall.
I missed a big opportunity to photograph all of the beer in my car, should have done it in Lynchburg but oh well. The cats were extremely happy to see me.