Before our plane leaves late afternoon we have the morning and early afternoon to visit one more attraction, Manassas National Battlefield. Here at two different points during the Civil War the Confederates and Union troups fought fiercely with the Confederates coming on top both times. We start with a visit of the visitor center and the exhibits to learn more about the battles as we do not have that much information.
We then start exploring the battlefield which is set up better than the previous ones we have seen and we have a better idea about what happened during the fight than usual.
We especially like to see the cannons set up for firing…at us? Oops it seems we are in the firing line. Luckilky we have our own cannons protecting us, phew.
There are lots of visitors in the National Park and we explore a bit more including the battlefield including the farmhouse nearby, from the outside as it is closed for entry.
You can walk across the battlefield and that is what we do enjoying the great weather and the fact that the war is long over and no one is shooting at us.
WE enter the visitor center again and find a section that we missed showing the high number of casualties in this war, more than in the first or second world war which is quite surprising to us.
Another attraction is the Stone House which was used as hospital during the fighting and still survives to this day after two battles that raged all around it.
One important feature of the battlefield is the Bull Run River with the bridge across it being quite important for both armies. We explore a bit more following the boardwalk through the meadows and forests.
We continue following the trails over the battlefield and through the forests going here and there and just enjoying our last day out east.
We follow the river for a while that was so much fought over and now is peaceful and tranquil looking for birds and mammals and finding none. And then we return to the parking as it is time to return to the airport and return our car.
We make one more short stop near the airport to explore the remains of Abingdon Plantation, on which lands the airport has been built. Then we return the car and have an uneventful return to Phoenix after a very interesting trip, both historically and culturally.
