Civil War Trip

 The weekend of March 4th I had the opportunity to attend a Staff Ride in Washington D.C., Gettysburg, and Antietam to study the civil war. We discussed key leaders and how their actions, or inactions, shaped the war. 

    The first observation I had was at Arlington National Cemetery during the changing of the guard. I noticed that all of the roads were fairly difficult to see and were covered by trees or other foliage. I thought this enhanced my experience because I was not distracted by tour busses driving by. 

    At both Gettysburg and Antietam, we had a guide take us around on a walking tour (true Abbey style). I think this enhanced our experience because it allowed us to put ourselves in the soldier's shoes. We understood the impressiveness of little round top because we actually climbed it as well. The tour walking tour also helped me understand how decisions were made. They were making maps as they went and did not have any imagery. Our tour guide also told us that they recently moved all powerlines underground so the land could be better observed, which I appreciated. After our tour, I got up early and went for a run though the park. I found the fog and rolling hills eerie and it felt like an experience I will never have again.  

    In D.C. I was extremely excited to visit the Botanical Garden. While everything outside was dead, the inside plant exhibit was one of the coolest I had ever seen. Every room was something different, ranging from a cacti exhibit to tropical plants. I am not sure where this falls on the "nature scale" because it is an engineered exhibit. That being said, I think if more people had access to these crazy plants they may care more about protecting them. It is easy to ignore an issue when it is far away, but when you see an endangered plant right in front of you, it hits harder.