Pittsburgh to Washington

Thanks to Dan The Man and others I learned of the rails-to-trails and a series of canal routes to get to the nation's capital. HIGHLY recommended for anyone traveling the same route. Several highlights: Sitting in the John Murtha bench at a railroad station, turtle hunting with some kids who were selling lemonade, flipping off the White House and getting some polite heat from the local constables and a wonderful reception at the GMP camp site. Just the best part of the trip.

A special side trip to the battle site at Antietum was particularly important. In all of our country I think there is no more fitting memorial to the general ridiculousness of war than this site. It was a bit disturbing that it (like Gettysburg and other similar sites) was more a monument to war without the requisite education about the futility. Even the movie in the visitor center kept going on about the bravery of the combatants and never mind the tactical errors and mistakes that are inherent in any war/battle that cost thousands of lives. There were over 23,000 people killed in ONE day at this site. The entire area was littered with bodies. This horrific day finally sent the message to the country that maybe this was not the way to resolve our differences.

While I was there I ran into a group of Young Marines. I didn't know there was such a group. Ages 8-17 and they are kind of like boy scouts except groomed for the Marines. Kind of disturbing, but I had a chance to speak with most of the chaperones (all Marines) and to a man and woman they were foursquare against the war. It was an odd mix of the "ohh-rah's" of the kids and the organizers talking peace.

KD Kidder was host to an event in the center of Leesburg, VA which was a nice chance to place an army guy at the foot of the confederate soldier statue in the center of town. She also arranged showers and accommodations and then on my way to the real Arlington (remembering that Arlington West was the starting point). Took a spill along the way, but managed to make it there fine (by way of the White House) and say a prayer for the names I had collected along the way.