"We are made by history" MLK, jr

We refuse to grow roots; a little wandering of Virginia

Guess where we are?

At first, we were fighting our fate and staying focused on our goal to see America which of course led to some frustrations. But finally, we decided to obey the wishes of sweet Virginia with her bipolar weather, rich history, and loving community. Over the last month, we have wandered about to make sure Bob sees the most of Virginia before our destiny leads us out onto the open road.

We started this month with one of our favorite historical locations in Virginia. Bob really appreciated the space and the baby person enjoyed the nostalgia of a location where she spent many years of camp. Where Are We?

If you guessed Henricus Historical Park, you are a Virginia history rock star! If you have a chance to get by this hidden gem you will find a living history site about the second settlement in Virginia alongside an unforgotten yet tainted history of the Powhatan people.

They have done some additional archeological digs since I visited last; I was very excited to see they have found graves from 1864. It will be interesting to see if they can confirm if these are the first Union soldier graves of the Civil War.

They have some interactive events throughout the year...go check out their website!

Can you guess where we went next?

Yes, we went to school, but they didn't want to keep us...as we were too unruly. This little Trevilians Schoolhouse was used between 1880 to 1920 in Louisa County, VA. We visited for one of their regular heritage days...plenty on their calendar as well if you find yourself over that way.

They had traditional craft presentations and this groovy turkey which stole my heart.

Our last stop was painful but a necessary Richmond, VA destination; The Virginia Holocaust Museum

I have visited many Holocaust museums throughout my life as a historian and a teacher, but this one is my favorite. Yes,

one needs to be prepared for all the feelings that the space creates but it is another Richmond historical gem that shouldn't be missed. While a few weeks have passed Bob and I still are sharing thoughts and doing side research about this visit.

Of course, we didn't take too many pics but for those of you that know that I am a sewing fanatic, I thought this was a relatable story to share. Having a treadle sewing machine was a lifeline. These guys in the photo below dismantled and smuggled an entire machine into the ghettos so that they could swap food for repairs. Heartbreaking and amazing all at once.

We have an upcoming field trip with the little boy in the bottom picture. His name is Jay and he is my friend's dad that survived the Holocaust as well as one of the founding members of this museum. It was emotional to see his photos and his name under displayed objects in the gallery.

Stay posted for our next entry, it will be a little lighter than this post.