65. ANTIETAM BATTLEFIELD

Sharpsburg, Maryland

10/2/2010

We spent the night in Frederick, Maryland at an Extended Stay Hotel. Using Priceline “Name Your Price” we swiped the room for $35. We didn’t realize that this is one of those places designed for long term stays (hence the name), so we had our own kitchen, with a stove and fridge. This is the least we’ve ever paid for a hotel and yet it was one of the highest quality. Highly recommended if you’re in the area.

After the funeral we began our journey home, stopping at the nearby Antietam Battlefield – site of the bloodiest single day in American military history. Now run by the National Park Service there is a $6 fee (which is valid for a three-day visit), but the men at the visitor’s center said they wouldn’t charge us for some reason. We paid anyway, but that was really nice of them. So a big shout out to those National Park Service guys, whoever you are!

There’s a modest museum, but the real experience is the self-guided driving tour. Neither Laura nor I are big Civil War people to be honest, but the driving tour did fire our imaginations. It’s very well laid-out, and moves you through the battle as if you are moving with the battle lines. The battlefields themselves are left basically as they were at the time of the battles, so it does give you that “I’m really here” feeling, without beating it over your head with huge monuments. The tour concludes with the Antietam Battle Cemetery, a very visual reminder of the carnage and senseless waste of life.

One oddity we must mention was the wedding going on at Burnside Bridge. Nothing says romance like the site of the largest loss of life in American history. Boo ya!

64. GARRETT COUNTY

Garrett County, Maryland

10/1/2010

Unexpectedly we had to make a trip to Maryland for a very tragic reason. One of Laura’s college circle was killed in a car accident and we decided to go to the funeral. Although the purpose of our trip was a sad one, along our route were two of the “Places”, which we briefly stopped at to break up the 14-hour round trip.

Right at the Pennsylvania-Maryland border is Garrett County – idyllic countryside centered around Deep Creek Lake. After four and a half hours the four of us were glad to stretch our legs at the beachfront at Deep Creek Lake State Park. Being October it was slightly chilly, but still quite comfortable. Nevertheless the beach was completely abandoned that evening, so we had the whole park to ourselves.

Philip – his usual casual self – enjoyed lying in the sand, cooing, smiling and kicking his feet around. He left behind a nice Philip-shaped crevice in the sand, defended by a wall of sand he had built up by his rigorous kicking.

Daniel immediately tried to climb on the jagged rocks and jump into the lake. That’s because Mommy was setting a bad example.

Actually, Daniel invented a game. While playing with the sand he discovered for the first time that he could clump it together. Not soon after, he discovered he could toss it on me. This is where Daddy set the bad example. I tossed some back. From then on it was war. In between volleys, Daniel would rush over to hug me, giggling all the way.

This was a powerful moment for me. Although Daniel and I play all the time, this was different somehow. Although I know he loves his parents, during play he does sometimes treat me as a “toy.” Like all babies, he sees himself as the center of the world. For the first time I sensed he was starting to see me as a human being like him – he was getting enjoyment out of my enjoyment. Instead of him playing with me, I felt like we were finally playing together.

This was a sad weekend, but I’m glad we stopped to play.