Historical travels - daytrips, weekends, etc.

Leyland · Post by **Leyland** » Thu October 2nd, 2008, 3:44 pm

Where have you been lately or where are you going in the near future to pursue history on this lovely planet? Will you visit museums, castles, battlefields, cathedrals, graveyards or historic homes? Perhaps one particular city or county is your focus? Or just to view standing stones on a lonely moor or an ancient mill on a cascading river .....

EC told us that she'd be participating in a weekend living history event not far from her home last weekend and some folks travel to participate in reinactment societies.

I'm planning to visit the Foxfire Museum & Heritage Center in the mountains of northeast Georgia this Saturday (weather permitting). Does anyone remember when the first Foxfire book was published in the 70's? I read a bit of it back then because my mother bought it, but now I'm more interested in them for research and will buy at least one or two of the series at the Museum.

Here's a link - http://www.foxfire.org/museum.html

Misfit · Post by **Misfit** » Thu October 2nd, 2008, 4:29 pm

I'm economizing at the moment and not traveling but some of my favorite jaunts have been through the California Gold Country via highway 49 (did you know there's a B&B in Placerville that was the source for Kincaid's Victorian Christmas one painting?), along the mining towns in the Colorado Rockies. Leadville has an awesome mining museum, and I loved loved the old graveyard in Silverton.

My very favorite ghost town is Bodie, California. Set in the high desert east of the Sierra Nevadas the town was completely abandoned and is now a State Park that is being left to decay naturally. One can wander from building to building looking at the rotting furniture, draperies, the books and chairs in the schoolroom to the old casino owned by a descendant of Daniel Boone. There's an old mine to tour and supposedly Twain visited Bodie in his travels. And do not miss that cemetary (if you're nuts like me and enjoy visiting them

)

Rowan · Post by **Rowan** » Thu October 2nd, 2008, 6:34 pm

Misfit, for the last few years I've said that if I had the money, I'd spend at least a summer, if not into autumn traveling around the western states visiting ghost towns.

Money is not something I can spend frivolously, but my two friends and I have plans to attend the Highland Games here in Louisiana next month and also take a candle light tour of the Myrtles Plantation.

michellemoran · Post by **michellemoran** » Thu October 2nd, 2008, 6:35 pm

I'm planning another trip to Rome, this time to see Nero's palace, which is currently underground. I also want to tour Ostia, which looks as fascinating as Pompeii!

michellemoran · Post by **michellemoran** » Thu October 2nd, 2008, 6:36 pm

Oh... The Highland Games look wonderful, Rowan!

Volgadon · Post by **Volgadon** » Thu October 2nd, 2008, 7:43 pm

It's lucky that my fiancee loves history as much as I do. We had a marvellous time in Kiev, lots to see history-wise, with one of the best being a museum dedicated to just one street. The ammount of artefacts was breathtaking, and they could all be traced back to their specific owners. So evocative, it really felt like you walked back in time into 1910. It's the same street that Bulgakov grew up in and where the heroes of his novel, The White Guard, lived. We tried to get into that house, which is now the Bulgakov museum, but when we walked in and asked how much tickets were, the lady inside told us to go read the sign on the door. Closed on Wednsdays. Of all the bad luck!
Another fantastic place was the museum of folk architecture. Huge open-air museum of reconstructed houses from the different regions of Ukraine. The cool thing is that it looks like people live there.
We later went around the historic sites of her hometown and visited the history museum. In the house where Anton Chekohv lived for 2 years (and where his brother died) there's a museum dedicated to the writer. Almost nobody visits except for schoolkids on field trips, so the staff were ecstatic. Most of the items are authentic, but not the ones owned by the Chekhovs, as those were stolen over the years. Fascianting stuff and great insights into his character.

Ash · Post by **Ash** » Thu October 2nd, 2008, 11:47 pm

[quote=""michellemoran""] I also want to tour Ostia, which looks as fascinating as Pompeii![/quote]

It is; not near as crowded, and absolutely fascinating.

MLE (Emily Cotton) · Post by **MLE (Emily Cotton)** » Fri October 3rd, 2008, 3:37 am

Two years ago I had the privilege of visiting Spain with a friend who grew up there. We spent a couple nights in a 10th-century Moorish castle in Tortosa, then we hiked all over Trevelez, the highest village in Spain (nice little Youtube promo, but oddly set to music from Gustav Holsts' 'the Planets'). But the highlight of the trip (not counting the little student riot going on in Barcelona coming and going) was Granada. I loved every minute of my stay there, the Alhambra, the Albaicin, the Sacromonte, the Cathedral where Ferdinand and Isabella are buried with Juana and her husband Philip.

Carine · Post by **Carine** » Fri October 3rd, 2008, 5:56 am

In August past we went on holidays to Ireland (not the UK part). It was a very nice 10-day trip. We've seen a lot of historical places. Beautiful country !

Next spring we would like to book a trip to Carcasonne in France, the medieval city ... I can't wait !!

diamondlil · Post by **diamondlil** » Fri October 3rd, 2008, 10:27 am

I would love to go to Carcassonne!