Lessons in History...and Preparedness!

This week marked "Spring Break" at the college where I work. Long gone of course are the days when this mid-semester recess might inspire escapades involving Bikinis, Bars and Beaches (actually, for me it never included "bikinis", but you get my drift). Nowadays it's more along the lines of Plans, Projects, Meetings, and Motoring. I made the usual To-do List (as long as my arm, naturally, but broken down into day-by-day chunks...which didn't make it look any less daunting somehow) and dived in on Monday. My goal: toil diligently, accomplish all tasks, cross items off the list--so that by Friday, I could schedule a purely Me Day.  And...success! After I found out that Friday's forecast called for 75 sunny degrees, all I lacked was a Destination. Where could I go while the kids were locked up--I mean "experiencing the joys of learning" in school? I hit a snag when I realized that all of the "Cool Spots" I could come up with seemed to be 1) two hours away; 2) on my Forbidden List (i.e: "Derek wants to come along"); or 3) BTDT (Been There, Done That).  I racked my brain, I combed the Internet (thanks Google--NOT), and finally came up with a smidgen of information about an obscure Civil War site that may or may not be interesting and/or worthwhile. But hey, on my Free Day, I was going to give it a shot (Get it? Battlefield...shot? Sorry.)

So, Subaru, Nikon (the film version--this is an important detail for later), Babs (GPS) and I headed west toward Frederick. All appeared to be flowing according to plan...traffic hummed along smoothly; Babs actually plotted the route correctly (NOT always a given); the drive clocked in at a pleasant 55-minutes. Off the highway, the countryside changed to rolling dairy farms and quiet 2-lane roads. When I arrived at South Mountain, I found a delightful well-kept secret of a State Park, complete with the promised Civil War plaques as well. Extra-Special Bonus: the Appalacian Trail crosses right through the area, for your (in my case, unexpected) hiking pleasure. Eagerly I sought Explanatory Marker #1 and began my tour. I learned (and I'm going to tell you, too--so pay attention, there may very well be a Quiz later!) that after his victory in the Second Battle of Bull Run (Manassas to us Northerners), General Lee wanted to cross South Mountain to advance on Harper's Ferry. General McClellan sought to prevent him from passing. The skirmishes that occurred in the vicinity, while relatively small and minor, acted as a prelude to Antietam (Sharpsburg), known as the "bloodiest single day of the War." (In case you're wondering: YES I read each and every one of the plaques....because I knew I'd be coming home and...writing a totally voluntary report about it. I'm working on my Battlefield Badge...in the Dork Scouts of America.)

Then, ready to move on to photographing the scenic ruins and monuments, I pulled out my trusty camera...and found completely dead batteries. I could chalk it up to the fact that I so rarely use my "old-school" camera anymore...but really it took an entire sequence of Rookie Mistakes for this to happen. First, at some point the power toggle-switch must have gotten clicked "On" to drain the battery. Second, I neglected to check before I left the house. Third, I didn't have a spare set (DOH! I do now, let me tell you!). And finally, although I thought about it, oh, 3 or 4 times, I did NOT grab my digital Nikon (which incidentally turns itself off, by the way) while running out the door. All of which combined to result in the aforementioned Camera Catastrophe. What's a girl to do? Walk part of the Appalacian Trail, of course! I had really dressed more Casual Tourist than Serious Hiker Chick, but what the heck? It's not like I was going to tromp all the way to Maine, after all. And I must say, after puffing up and down some hills (they aren't joking about the Mountain part), listening to the birds, feeling the sun warm my nose and the breeze ruffle my hair...and getting jumped on by a couple of enthusiastic, muddy-pawed canines...my day felt complete.

So I didn't get photographic evidence...I'll just have to go back (with proper clothing, and snacks...and batteries)!