Monterey Pass road trip

The Lord of the Manor is a Civil War buff. It could be a little boy's fascination with toy soldiers or it could be that we live within easy driving distance of both Antietam and Gettysburg. Our area is steeped in Civil War history. The movie Gods and Generals had scenes filmed in a town and on a farm we are familiar with. He has studied the history of the conflict in and around our area which means I've learned a bit along the way. We were both surprised when he stumbled across a video about the Monterey Pass, or Monterey Gap.

The fight at Monterey Pass began on the evening of July 4, 1863, as a Confederate wagon train retreated from Gettysburg. Why had we never heard of this engagement? Heck, we'd never even heard of Monterey and we've both lived here all our lives. A road trip was in order. 

It's often said the joy is in the journey. Well, if Himself had used the GPS on his phone, we'd have gotten there quicker. He said, "turn right." She said, "I think we should go left."  So we went right just to shut the man up. It was the WRONG WAY. 

But I will admit the Victorian houses in what I now know is called Monterey were gorgeous. And I got to see them twice! Once going the wrong way and then again on the way back. 

The visitor's center at the park was closed. It's only open on the weekends according to the sign on the door. The trail to the overlook wasn't something Himself could risk doing. If his powerchair batteries gave out, he'd be stuck in the wilderness. Perhaps, if he wants to go back, we could call ahead and see if a ranger or volunteer can take us up in some sort of vehicle. 

It was a nice drive on a lovely day, but there really are spots where one does not want to run off the road. It was easy to picture troops pushing wagons over the edges to fall into the deep ravines to keep them from falling into Union hands.

We enjoyed getting out even though we both felt guilty about leaving Deuce home alone. He likes to ride but we didn't know if he'd be allowed in the visitor's center, and we didn't know where we might stop on the way home, so the dog couldn't go. We're careful where we take him for his own good. 

We didn't take enough road trips during this summer now ending. Now that cooler weather is here, we hope to remedy that. And next time, the man will program in addresses so the GPS can agree with me on which way to turn. 

The Lady of The Hideaway

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, Battle of Monterey Pass, Civil War, day trips, rural living, country lifestyle, black Labrador Retriever, a writer's life