Day 35: Korgemae Farm, MD to Goodview, VA-224 miles

Today we left Korgemae Farm in MD where we stayed last night. It was near Harpers Ferry, WV. 

It was a remote farm. The hosts were not present.

We enjoyed their space for the night and packed up early to get a reasonable start to Antietam National Battlefield so we could learn more about the senseless slaughter of Americans over the right of people to be free. I hated it.

I guess I should also consider the senseless nature of colonialism itself. So much guilt, so much sadness, so much death. Yet here we are still fighting for segments of society to be equal and able to determine their own path in life. Women are the target for reproductive rights, black Americans are being denied representation in the democracy, and LGBTQ are fighting for the right to just be who they are and who they marry. I probably missed a few things but you get the point. We have moved forward and now we face the opposition from others who feel our freedoms limit theirs. How absurd. Self determination is a key part of our democracy. I can't see the other side of this. It makes no sense. But that is who I am and I firmly believe in my assessment of the situation. 

Apparently, Robert E. Lee was a conflicted individual. First a member on the Union Army but then fearing that the war itself was bad regardless of the cause, he was more interested in ending the war than he was in supporting the cause. So he joined the Confederates to fight. I don't understand how a man of his stature could reduce his sensibilities to a limited part of the outcome. A gamble it was and he lost. 

We are supposed to believe that there were good people on both sides, but how can anyone be on the good side if they forcibly subjugate their will on the freedoms of others?

Much has been made about the movement to remove confederate monuments in public places and I feel the place to put those is where we have visited recently. It is not erasing history, but making sure the full history is told. Let them be in the Monuments and National Parks as part of the full history, not in public places where those that feel offended have to endure their presence, every day when they shop, stroll, or dine.

The visitor center was recently opened after a major remodelling so it was sparkling clean. Listening to the Park guide at Antietam brought emotions that made me want to leave. This is not a history for the faint of heart. Hopefully we will not repeat the carnage of the past. It was a bloody war, but the outcome was necessary. In Sharpsville, the town closest to the battle, Abraham Lincoln received one vote. The local perspective was clouded by the smoke and the big picture escaped them. I hate to think of what the country would be like if the Confederates had won, Lincoln had lost, and people continued to be locked in servitude.

We drove an hour from Antietam without a word. What can you say? Words cannot capture this and pleasantries would not be genuine.

The stay for the night is Pelican's Roost, near Goodview, VA just SE of Roanoke, VA. A very peaceful and secluded spot. Perfect for what we needed to decompress. 

We had a few virtual meetings to catch up on Umpqua Watersheds events and talked with our friend Liz who is housesitting to keep our precious cat, Comet, company. 

Our host, Robert came by just before dark to say hi and ask if we needed anything. He told us about the area and how he came to own it. He is from San Diego and bought the land, cleared it, and put in a modular house. The view is idealic. He loves to boondock and that is how he came to offer his place to other travellers.