2026 Summer adventure #6 Part 2

 Second day of the trip and over 500 miles into a 10-day trip that is jam-packed with amazing historical stops.  Today's first stop is Appomattox Court House, which I didn't realize was a town until now, not just a building.  I know I read something about McLean House, but it just never clicked that it wasn't a courthouse.  

McLean House in Appomattox Court House is where General Lee and General Grant met to draft the terms of surrender that ended the Civil War.  It was cool to be where these men had met. The battlefield area felt eerily calm. You could hike multiple different trails around the battlefields.  

McLean House                                                The room where Grant and Lee met.

There is no admission, but they do take donations in the visitor center, which is the reconstructed courthouse.  There are many artifacts and an informative video they show throughout the day; I would recommend watching it. I took a tour led by a park ranger, and it was very insightful.  He shared how Lee and Grant had sent messages leading up to their meeting at McLean House. They also had someone printing parole slips inside the old Clover Hill Tavern.  She explained the process and had me help make a sheet of parole slips.  I then got a copy of a parole slip.  Each Confederate soldier received a parole slip after they turned in their guns; they could then return to their home. 

        Clover Hill Tavern                                        In front of the clock is the actual printer used to

                                                                                print parole papers.

     The printers used today.

After my tour, I walked around the village, looked at the other old buildings, and then went to see the North Carolina monument and the Confederate Cemetery.   

             The battlefield

      Slave quarters behind Clover Hill Tavern        Slave quarters behind the McLean House

            Another portion of the battlefield                            The Colored Troops were important in this                                                                                                 battle.

I really should have allotted more time for Appomattox Court House, because it would have been good to go on one of the hikes and to see a few more buildings.  I would consider going back, and there is a Civil War museum in Appomattox that would have been very interesting.

I stuck to my plan and drove to James Monroe's Highland home.  When I finally arrived, I didn't have lots of time to explore.  Monroe's house had burned after he had sold the property, and the new owner had built another house.  So there were only signs of the foundation and the 1818 home, which was filled with James Monroe's artifacts.  It was interesting and a very pretty location.  I was glad I already knew a little about Monroe, as I looked at the artifacts; it helped me see the importance. 

                                                                    A beautiful view.

                                                        300-year-old tree

       Mileage marker                            The bricks that mark the foundation of the house that burned.

  I was hoping to show how low the ceiling was upon entry.  

I'd say it might have been a better experience if I'd been on a tour, but I missed that this time.  So now it was time to unwind for the evening, and I went to Taziki's, if you know, you know.  Taziki's is a chain Greek restaurant with really delicious hummus and many other items.  I took the opportunity to eat there since they haven't saturated the market. 

I was car camping tonight at a place I found on the Dyrt app; it was in a Richmond neighborhood.  They only had two campsites, and I was the only one there.  The bathroom and shower were fine.  A wooded area and a creek were nearby.  After a shower, I set up for the evening and settled in for the night.  Sadly, coyotes woke me twice, and then it started raining.  It was kind of creepy being there all by myself.  Nevertheless, I stayed and got up early for the next historical adventure that I will share in the next post.