Virginia 2018: Day 1

This year for spring break, we headed back east to Virginia. Gene was in DC for work the week before spring break, so the boys and I joined him on Friday evening for a vacation with a focus on history! 

The boys are pro travelers now and are so easy to travel with. 

We arrived late in the evening and got a slowish start on Saturday morning, driving to Manassas National Battlefield Park, where we learned all about the two battles fought there (1861 and 1862). 

The Union line

Panoramic shot

The Confederate Line

Stonewall Jackson earned his nickname at the First Battle of Manassas because he stood like a stone wall against the Union attack.

The park is huge with miles of walking trails. It was a beautiful day to be outside exploring and learning about the Civil War.

After a couple hours at Manassas and lunch in town, we headed south to the National Museum of the Marine Corps near Quantico. We had some extra time in our schedule and decided to try out the museum because it was on our way to our next stop and it was free, so we lost nothing if it wasn't great. We were all pleasantly suprised to find ourselves in a beautiful, fascinating new museum dedicated to the history of the Marine Corps.   

Tanks galore 

This is the flag that was raised at Iwo Jima! The flag shows so much damage because of the high winds on Mount Suribachi.

This room depicts the Battle of Choisin Reservoir during the Korean War. When you walked into the room, the temperature dropped, giving just a taste of the chilly conditions during the battle.

Marine gear over the years

Famous quotes about the Marines fill the top portion of the lobby.

I would never in a million years have thought that I would find a museum about the history of the US Marine Corps to be interesting, but this museum was really well done and absolutely fascinating. 

What a fantastic start to spring break 2018!