Atlanta airport in the morning on a Sunday is as busy as ever. Guess they really can claim busiest airport in the world. The TSA Pre-Check line took 15 minutes and someone in the line said this was nothing compared to later in the day.

I arrive in Richmond airport without any delays and Shirley picks me up at the airport to make a stop at her house. Drop off my bags and we are off to start our week long Virginia History Tour.

Today we are visiting the Pamplin Historical Park & The National Museum of the Civil War Soldier.

There is a lot to see in this park!

Outside of the entrance to the Visitor Center and museum, carved into the pavement is every state that participated in the Civil War and how many served and died. The detailed statue art in front is well done.

The museum is an excellent place to understand the Civil War from the perspective of the soldiers. Certain areas you cannot take photos so only a few are in this blog post. There is a creative way to walk through the museum and immerse yourself in the life of a soldier.

You receive a headset and recorder to select by number the areas within the museum. At the beginning, they tell you to select a soldier to learn about his experiences during the war. I picked Private William C. H. Reeder, Company A, 20th Indiana Infantry Regiment. Through out the museum, you can stop in front of the photo and the recording tells his story.

The exhibits were well done with lots of Civil War artifacts.

The photos they used on the walls help to make the Civil War story the memorable experience of the museum. Even photos from reunions of the soldiers many years later.

Just a short walk outside of the museum is the tobacco plantation (recreated) that the Confederates used as a headquarters in this area while they fought the battle at Petersburg. It is a lovely day to be outside so we strolled back to the buildings and visited the outdoor kitchen and the plantation house. Loved the sheep grazing peacefully.

The visitor center person told us that the Petersburg Battlefield, a short drive from here, was having some issues with their roads so she would recommend stopping.

And my soldier, what happened to him? Private Reeder was a cabinet maker before the war. He was wounded after serving one year in his hip and leg. After recuperating he served another several months after which it was time to re-enlist. He chose not to and returned home to Indiana a different man.

Off to dinner at Texas Roadhouse. On the wall in front of us is a buffalo head and bull riding on the TV. Nice way to end another day, a steak dinner!