Newmarket, VA Area

We pulled in the NASCAR RV Park just south of Newmarket, VA Monday afternoon ready for some nicer weather.  The park shares another local landmark, Endless Caverns.  We didn't go in the Caverns as I am a little squeamish about being in such places.  So we nixed that in favor of above-ground explorations.  If you've never been to this little town, let me explain that the one thing Virginia is noted for, and it may be a solemn one for most true southerners, is the Civil War, or as the southerners refer to as the War of Northern Aggression.  And Newmarket is one of those areas where there was a less-than-memorable (for Southerners) battle between the two sides.  What was memorable was the small contingent of "boys" from the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) that was called into action during this battle.  We visited the Newmarket Battlefield Museum and Park and will share with you what we saw and experienced.  Above and below are the museum grounds and theater.

Above is the Bushong Farm where the battle mostly took place, with regard to the cadets from VMI.

 Some inside views of the Bushong farm house.

 Some of the outbuildings of the farm.

Above, the spring house.  Below, atright is the old house before the newer one was built to the left.

 Below is the kitchen house, separate from the main house.

 Below, another view of the big main house.

 Above and below is the huge basement where the large family took refuge during the battle which lasted all day and into the next.

 Above and below are some of the artifacts from the battle.

 Above and below are some of the fiews of the beautiful Shenendoah River & The Valley.

 And below is Miss Nancy from the lookout above the Valley.

Above, Nancy attempting to re-enact the lighting of the canon.  Don't quit your day job honey.

 Here are a few pics of Meems Bottom covered bridge across the south fork of the Shenendoah River just off the Valley Pike near Mount Jackson.

And above is a scene exhibit from inside the museum.  It didn't come out very well.  There are many other exhibits and storyboards as well as a 20 minute really nice video on the battle.  And thus ends our visit to the Newmarket Area of the Shenendoah Valley along the Valley Pike.  There is a lot of history in this Valley and one would need to spend many weeks exploring and reading about the events of the horrible period in our country's past.  We left the NASCAR RV Park Thursday morning (10/6) and headed for Roanoke, VA.  So, till the next time, Joe & Nancy, the RVing Beach Bums.