Thanksgiving Day in Savannah

We had a fantastic Thanksgiving!  We have no family close by so we decided to spend a few days in Savannah, Georgia.  I knew by researching online that they had Christmas activities planned for the weekend including a night boat parade on the Savannah River.

We arrived on Wednesday evening & then Thanksgiving morning we went to the Visitor's Center to book a trolley tour.  The Visitor's Center was closed for Thanksgiving but the trolleys were running one tour that day at 10am. 

Our guide was very personal & it was really nice seeing Savannah when the streets were empty (almost everything was closed).  There are several trolley tour companies but the one we chose was Ogelthorpe Tours.  They were about $10.00 cheaper than the others there ($15.00 per person versus $25.00), plus you get to ride the bus transportation around Savannah for free the rest of the day.  Since they were closing early that day they gave us a bus pass for the next day.  I strongly suggest getting a bus pass to get around Savannah...even with that you will be doing some walking so wear comfortable shoes.   You can also get just the bus pass without the tour for $5.00.  They give you a map showing the bus stop locations around the city & you can call them to pick you up or wait for the next available bus...around 20 minutes.  Ogelthorpe also runs later than the other tour companies so you get extra time to explore. 

Andersonville Prison Camp

 My husband travels with his job & two weeks ago we went with him down to south Georgia.  He was working in Hawkinsville, a very small town, but only 45 miles away was .  In case you are not an American Civil War buff, Andersonville was the site of the most notorious Confederate prison camp for Union soldiers.

So while my husband worked, Noah & I went to Andersonville for the day.  It was a cold & windy day so we started out by going through their museum hoping the weather would warm up as the day went on.  Not only do they have a museum for Civil War POW's but for all American POW's from all the wars.  

Noah is only 11 years old but his grandfather was a POW in Germany during WWII (don't ask me how old I am...Ha!), so it was of great importance for me.  It also gave Noah a chance to see what it was like for his Papa during the war.  He passed away before Noah was born so we make sure all of the family stories are passed down & he knows the importance of their sacrifice.

After going through the museum we watched a 30 minute documentary on POW's  from WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Gulf War, etc.   It was difficult to hear some of the things they had to go through but also inspiring at the same time.  Their courage & love of country was amazing to see.

After that we bundled up & headed outside to see the site of Andersonville prison.  They have some reconstructed walls to show you what it was like & the site is laid out with markers so you can see the size of the prison itself.   There are still some original earthworks left that are amazing to see as well. 

You can see where prisoners dug tunnels trying to escape as well as deep holes where they tried to dig for water.  When they were brought there nothing was provided as far as shelter.  They made tents or lean-twos out of anything they could find.  If they did not have that they just slept & lived out in the open.

The prison was originally 16.5 acres but was later enlarged to 26.5 acres.  The prison was intended to hold 10,000 prisoners but its average occupancy was 26,000.  At its fullest peak it held 32,000 at one time!  The Confederate government was weak economically & could not provide adequate food, clothing, or medical care.   So it turned out to be horrific for anyone who was imprisoned there.

The park is 10 miles northeast of Americus on Ga. 49.  Along with the museum is a visitor center where rangers can answer questions, as well as a gift shop to purchase items from.  My son chose an Andersonville build-a-fort set.  He loves putting forts together & setting up scenes with all of his toy figures.

The amazing thing was that admission is free!  I wasn't expecting that so it was a nice surprise.  If you are going south on I-75 from Perry you would take a right off the interstate onto Highway 26, then left on Hwy. 49.   It is really easy to find.

After we left Andersonville we headed back to Hawkinsville.   We were hungry so we stopped at Yoder's restaurant on Hwy 26 to eat.  It is a Mennonite restaurant & bakery with fresh from scratch food...yum!  They also have a gift shop which we did not go in.  It is out in the middle of nowhere with great views of pecan orchards & pastures.  So if you are passing that way on any trip to or from Florida, it is worth the short trek off of the interstate.

Gettysburg Battlefield & Reenactment

N... with 2 of his favorite heroes, Ewell & Longstreet.
The other photo of him below is with his all time favorite...Robert E. Lee.

The battlefield shot below is from Little Round Top looking down on Devils Den...2 of the most famous battle sites.

There is so much to see & do in Gettysburg. Historical sites, shops, restaurants, tours, etc. We did go on a ghost tour where guides took us around all the local haunts at night. It was fun, but no ghosts.

However, the highlight is the battlefield itself...the history that made Gettysburg....well, Gettysburg. There are several ways you can tour this HUGH site. You can take the bus tour, which I mentioned in my earlier post, you can pay for a guide to take you in a car, or you can do the driving tour yourself.

We did the bus tour just to take it all in when we first got there, then later we did the self-driving tour so that we could go at our own pace. You can pick up maps at the different visitor centers or just find the starting point & it will point you the way through the whole battlefield. The bus tour was 2 & 1/2 hours with a few stops. Our self tour was more like 4 hours because we took the time to spend at different locations.


One thing that you cannot miss is the monuments...they are everywhere! Wherever you go on the battlefield there is information to read about. So I am going to end my post on Gettysburg by saying you must go & see for yourself because the photos do not do it justice.

Here are some more photos out of the 200 we took...wish we could share them all!

Cashtown Inn

This is one of many posts on our trip to Gettysburg last 4th of July. While we were there we drove to Cash Town to eat lunch at the historical Cash Town Inn. This is where Robert E Lee had his troops before they went into Gettysburg. He actually wanted to fight the battle there because the mountains were at his back. He had a headquarters at the Cash Town Inn which was a hotel at the time.

Over the years it was left empty & was scheduled to be torn down but a couple bought it, thank goodness, restored it & it is now a thriving B&B. They also have a restaurant there that is open to the public (not just the guests staying there), but you need to make reservations ahead of time.

We knew about the Cashtown Inn from an episode of the SciFi show Ghost Hunters. So we called before we left on our trip to reserve a table. The food was fresh & awesome! I had Cauliflower Bisque that was prepared from locally grown cauliflower & my husband had the Seafood Bisque...that was my favorite. I had a Crab Cake Sandwich with salad & to top it off, chocolate cake for dessert. Cashtown is only 8 miles from Gettysburg so worth the drive!

They also have rooms available for families, so if you are not afraid of ghosts (they have been seen there), it is a great location to stay. They actually say every building in Gettysburg has ghosts due to the war. For more posts on Gettysburg click on our "Family Vacations" label.

Gettysburg Cemetery

This is a continuation of my Gettysburg post. Like I said we went last year for the 4th of July & had a great time! We actually stayed in Waynesboro at the Best Western & drove back & forth. The drive wasn't bad but the hotel was not very good. I don't even know if it was a BestWestern anymore because their was no sign outside stating that. Waynesboro was not a small town but it was the only hotel there.

There are several hotels in Gettysburg & one that is right in the middle of a lot of the activity is the Travelodge. You can walk to all kinds of shops, restaurants & tours from the hotel. Of course there are nicer ones but for the money & location it looks like a great deal. It also looks to be in good shape. They do say it is haunted however, so if that bothers you look elsewhere. Although it is not right on the official battle field, skirmishes were still fought here & soldiers died. The only civilian that was killed at Gettysburg, the famous Jenny Wade, was killed at a home across the street from here.

Our first day there we went to the Visitors Center & booked a battlefield tour on one of the charter buses. We viewed the whole battlefield with a few stops along the way at some of the more famous locations like Little Round Top (one of the kids favorite spots). The tour takes about 2 & 1/2 hours. We found out later that you can book your own tour guide & they take you on the battlefield in a car & you pay only for the car load. So if you have 3 or more it is cheaper to do it that way instead of paying for individual tickets on the bus.

We also visited the cemetery's there. There is one for the Union soldiers that died at Gettysburg, no Confederates are buried here. I believe they just buried the Confederates on the battlefield in unmarked graves. Remains are still being found there to this day. You can see the spot where Lincoln gave his Gettysburg Address as well... a lot of history!

A view of one of the cemeteries. This one had old & modern graves mixed together. Great place to get out & walk...oh by the way, wear comfortable shoes. It is easier to park at the Visitors Center & walk everywhere.

For more information on our Gettysburg trip click on our "Family Vacations" label.

Gettysburg

If you are looking for a fun, educational trip for the 4th of July you should look into going to Gettysburg for the Civil War reenactment. We went last summer & had a great time! Our son loves Civil War history so we knew he would really enjoy it.

We sat in the bleacher seating right behind the Confederate line. They also have grandstand seating which is like stadium seating so you are not right down on the ground level. It has a better overall view of the fighting but the kids really liked being closer to the action.

These shots were taken from our seat in the bleachers...pack cotton balls to plug your ears!



N... made new friends with some other boys sitting close to us. As you can see he is all decked out in his Civil War attire. The hat is one of my husbands old golf hats but it looks great with the Confederate jacket. He purchased that in one of their numerous gift shops in town.

My sister-in-law had a friend who was a reenactor so we talked ourselves onto the wagon that transported them back & forth to the battle area.

What I found interesting is that they are always in character. They really do this for history's sake & not for the spectators. If no one showed up they would still have the battle...you just get the privilege of being there to see it.

The clothes they wear are as authentic to the era that they can get, so the men are wearing wool on a hot day just like the Civil War soldiers did.

I am going to do more than one post on Gettysburg so I don't have too many photos on one...so check the other posts on Gettysburg under Family Vacations.

Etowah Indian Mounds

I had posted this field trip that we took last month, but in being new with this blog I accidentally deleted it so I am finally getting around to posting it again. We took a trip to the Etowah Indian Mounds in Cartersville, Georgia.

The Etowah Indians started building the mounds in 1000 A.D. & it took several hundred years to complete. Their village was built compactly on a field or plateau around the mounds. There were three altogether & the photo to the right shows one of the smaller mounds looking down from the tallest one.

They built their houses with a wattle-and-daub construction, consisting of a post framework, clay-plastered walls, and probably cane mat or bark roofs.

The mounds were built by digging up the clay close by & the ditch were they dug it from remains today. The tallest mound is approx. 63 feet high, covers 3 acres around the base, & is 1/2 acre on the top (which is flat). This mound is where the Chief lived. The second highest mound was 25 feet high & another leader of the tribe lived there. The 3rd mound that is still visible today is 19 feet high & this was the burial mound. A ramp with steps of clay, with log risers, led to the tops of the mounds.

The original steps were unearthed by archaeologists in 1994, but they were recovered & the modern stairway was built over them.

The Etowah were part of the Mississippian Culture which began around 700 A.D. These mounds were used between 900 - 1550 A.D. The Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto & his men visited the site in 1540. They brought diseases such as smallpox & measles which the Indians had no immunity for so a drastic amount of the population died. The rest fled & joined other groups & they eventually became known as the Creeks. The Creeks however did not pass down their history & soon later generations along with the Cherokee who came to the area had no idea where the mounds had come from. Research is still going on today & only the burial mound has been fully excavated.

If you would like to visit the Etowah Indian Mounds it is not far of I-75 north of Atlanta near Cartersville. For an enjoyable visit allow 1 & 1/2 hours. There is a museum which displays 400 specimens. A video is also shown in the theatre that seats 100 people. This is a State Historic Site so there is a small fee to view the museum & mounds (the Georgia Park Pass is not valid for this site). For more information go to www.gastateparks.org/info/etowah/ or call them at 1-800-864-7275.

Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History

This is our official spring break week but since we went to Texas a few weeks ago I decided to at least do some school. Monday we used as a field trip day & went to the Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History. This is located in Kennesaw, Ga on Cherokee St.

We have been several times in the past & have enjoyed it. They have a homeschool day once a month which includes extra activities for the kids. On this last trip they were teaching about the games that children played during the Civil War era, as well as some weapons demonstration. I actually let my husband take our son & took the day off so I do not have all the details about what went on. They have a homeschool day once a month & the next one is scheduled for May 4th, so take your kids. You don't need a group to get the homeschool rate so if it is just your family go ahead & check it out.

If you do not homeschool but are looking for a fun family activity the Southern Museum has something for everyone. They have Children's History Workshops, the next one is April 25th & will be teaching Civil War Tactics. They also have Mommy & Me classes for those of you who have younger children.

For more information, directions & prices go to http://www.southernmuseum.org/
They are not far off of I-75 north of Atlanta, so if you are passing through plan to stop by & pay them a visit.

Stockyard Station

I already told you about our trip to Stockyard Station (read my earlier blog), but wanted to add information about it. It used to be the biggest & busiest livestock marketing center in the Southwest. They sold cattle, horses, mules, hogs and sheep. It is now a 125-acre Historic District, although the livestock auction is still operating there & they have an office in the historic livestock building. There are now restaurants, hotels on site, saloons, galleries, shopping & family entertainment.

I told you about our GPS self-guided tour, but you can also book a guided tour through the Visitors Center. It is a walking tour & includes a video about the history of Fort Worth. They have daily cattle drives, as well as several musuems. You can also take a ride on a restored 1896 steam-driven train. There are several gift shops & restaurants to choose from (see my blog to get info on the ones we chose). That's it...just a little more info to give you. Thanks for visiting my blog.

Travel to Texas

Never did get to finish my blog about Texas yesterday, so here goes. On our third day there we drove to Plano to visit the Heritage Farmstead Museum. It is the former home of sheep farmer Ammie Wilson. This Victorian homestead was built in 1891 & there are gardens, old barns & other out buildings along with farm animals. There are self-guided tours on Mondays, Tuesdays & Wednesdays from 10am-2pm. Docent-guided tours are Thurdays and Fridays at 10am, 11:30am & 1:30pm as well as Saturdays and Sundays at 1pm & 2:45pm. Admission is $5 for adults, $3.50 for students & seniors, and children 4 and under are free.

Front of Victorian homestead



One room schoolhouse Another home on property

Barn with old vehicles Indian camp



Some of the farm animals Smokehouse

Outbuilding with cellar View of side of house look

We went on Friday but was too late for the last guided tour at 1:30, so we called ahead of time to see if we could still do the self-guided tour. They said it was OK but when we got there we were not able to go into the Victorian home because it was locked. We were able to go into some of the outbuildings but another home on the property & the one room school house were also locked. So I suggest if you want to do the self-guided tour you need to go on the times stated above. Apparantely there is a country store with handmade crafts and gifts but we never saw that & none of the staff there ever approached us or spoke to us. Anyway, it was an inexpensive outing for the day & the kids liked running around & playing (even though they complained the whole way there "no more old stuff...nothing historical").

My friend, Flor, used to live in Dallas & her husband made her promise she would bring back some food from a local Chinese restuarant that they used to eat at. They would go there at least once a week, so it is a definite local favorite. Not sure of the exact "city" it is in, sort of North Dallas & I think it is Reynolds or Reynoldsville (starts with an R anyway). It is on the corner of 15th & Greenville & the name is First Chinese BBQ. BBQ??? Yes, & it is excellent!

When we walked in the door there were whole roasted ducks hanging by the neck in a display case (reminiscent of the Christmas Story), along with roasted chickens. Chinese woman were cleaning vegetables out in the dining room on one of the tables & the menu showed it was truly an authentic Chinese restuarant. There were items I would never dare to try, but a wide variety was available for those of us who liked safe choices. There were 8 of us & we ordered Orange Chicken, Roasted Chicken, BBQ Pork, noodles with seafood, mixed vegetables, Chinese brocolli with Oyster Sauce & several other dishes. The food is served family style in big bowls & the food is placed on a lazy susan in the middle of the table so you can easily try all of the different dishes. I was totally amazed at the speed that our food came out...I am honest when I say we had ALL of our food within 10 minutes (if not faster). It was not cooked ahead of time but was freshly prepared & it was the best Chinese I have ever had! All of the food came to around $58.00 which feed all of us plus we had plenty of leftovers to take home. So if you are ever in the Dallas area & want to find a great local Chinese, you must try this!!!

Oh, & there is a Chinese bakery next door with fresh items baked daily. We purchased big pastries filled with custards, coconut fillings, & onion & meat...all awesome! So try it out & let me know how you enjoyed it. Well, I need to go eat my breakfast...hubby is home today & he cooked sausage gravy & biscuits..yum.

The Stockyard Station in Ft. Worth, Texas

Wanted to add these extra photos for Stockyard Station. Read my blog about The Stockyards for more information.

The Stockyards in Ft. Worth, Texas

Good evening everyone! I finally get a chance to sit down & continue my blog about traveling to Texas. Like I wrote yesterday, we arrived there last Monday. Tuesday was a relax & unwind day after driving almost 900 miles out there.

Wednesday we drove to Ft. Worth & visited "The Stockyard". It is an historic part of the city where cattle was brought to be sold at auction & loaded on trains. There are a lot of shops & restaurants to choose from, so the first thing we did was go eat lunch at Risques' BBQ (not exactly sure if that was the name) but close. (If any of you know the name & need to correct me let me know.) They have all you can eat BBQ Ribs plus a variety of great options to choose from. They even have BBQ spareribs on the kids menu which I thought had a better flavor than the adult ribs. My son did not want the kids meal, so I ordered him the kids spareribs & ate them myself. My son ordered a combo appetizer which had cheese sticks, corn fritters, BBQ shrimp & stuffed jalepenos. He loves shrimp & spicy peppers so this was a great option for him. Surprisingly he liked the corn fritters which is rare because he does not like corn, but he liked these. I tried some & I have to say they were some of the best corn fritters I have ever had. What really made the ribs tasty was the BBQ sauce which has great flavor with a touch of sweetness. The restaurant also had great decor & ambience....so we recommend this for your next visit.

After eating lunch we headed to the mechanical bull where two of our group decided to give it a try. My son was one of them & half way through he looked in distress but never yelled out for them to stop. He was finally thrown off but apparantely he obtained a slight muscle pull & limped around with a stiff leg for about an hour, but not long after that time he was off and running again. The cost for riding the bull is $5.00 per person, so a little pricey seeing that you spend less than a minute on the ride, but for a kid to get to be a cowboy for a brief moment it is worth it.

We then went to the Visitors Center & purchased a self guided tour for our group. For $15.00 you receive a GPS system which guides you around the Stockyard & takes you off the main road. As you arrive at each location on your tour it tells you the history & even has videos & photos that appear on the GPS screen which brings to life things that happened in that very spot. Since it is self-guided we were able to go at our own pace & hit some of the museums & gift shops along the way. In the Livestock Exchange building there is a musuem that is free for kids & adults are asked to pay a $2.00 donation. In that musuem is a light bulb that has been burning, without ever being turned off, for over 100 years. They even have T-shirts about the lightbulb, which my son just had to have.

After hitting another gift shop, to buy the all important cowboy hat, we finished our tour. One of our last stops was Billy Bob's, the largest Honky Tonk in the world?, or at least the country. It is a kid friendly place with video games, pool tables, food, etc. The only problem is it is not smoke free, it is a honky tonk after all, so take that into consideration before taking your kids. Regardless, it was a nice place to sit & relax. There is a $1.00 cover charge to go in but it is free with the tour. One of the last parts of the walking tour was following the footsteps of Bill Cassidy & the Sundance Kid, so there was a lot of history we would have missed if we had not had the GPS system with us.

The tour took us several hours so by the time we were done it was time for dinner, so we decided to eat at Habenero's. This restuarant has only been open for a couple of months (it used to be Risky Rita's). The service was excellent & the food was great. It is really fresh, original Mexican which was a nice change from what we get in Georgia. So I would also recommend this if you are in the mood for Mexican.

Well, it is late. Tomorrow I will try & finish up with the trip to Texas & will be telling you about an authentic Chinese place you MUST go to if you are in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. So sign up to be a follower of my blog so you don't miss it.