Road Trip

[cw1865]

Well, we just got back from our annual I-95 road trip to Florida. Fortunately this year I was able to convince my wife to stop at Bentonville on the way down and St. Augustine on the way up.

With respect to Bentonville, outside of what you would typically expect from a Civil War battlefield (monuments, visitor center explaining the battle), the highlight is really the Harper House (used during the battle as a Union field hospital). The interesting thing about the Harper House is the design. Having hot NC summers with temperatures cooling off dramatically in the winter, its no wonder that each room had its own fireplace. To keep cool in the summer, the house features relatively high ceilings (actual 7'-0" doorways) and four doors on each side of the house (and upstairs patio) to try to take advantage of cross-ventilation. Considering the age of the structure, its in marvelous condition for a wood-frame house.

St. Augustine is a little bit different because its a location that is, quite literally, the oldest European settlement in the US. The 'history' of the place is typically focused on the Spanish era, specifically the fort, which is an absolute jewel to visit, but the history obviously spans many decades, from Spanish colonial through the British period through the 'Flagler Era' - while St. Augustine does not focus on the Civil War (outside of a brief occupation by Florida militia, the place was occupied by Union soldiers), its still a must see, defiintely worth, at the very minimum, an overnight stay.