You know you’re a California girl when you take pictures of the East Coast woods along the highway. 🙂
Well, I’m back, friends! And what a week it was in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC as my sister and I soaked up the green with our drought-dry California eyes, explored this area of our country so saturated with history, and enjoyed the hospitality of dear friend Sandra Barnes and her gracious family. (By the way, Sandra has just released her amazing debut YA novel, Presence of Cyn! I hope to have her visit this blog soon to talk more about it, but do check it out here.)
I’m still processing all I learned from the trip and how to work the new research and info I gleaned into my current novel-in-progress, which begins in 1863 Washington DC. But I thought I’d go ahead and share some snapshots from our time. I hope you enjoy!
Highlights from the trip:
1. Learning more about African-American history and culture. From visiting more than one African-American church with deep historic roots, to the privilege of meeting and learning from Dr. Tressie Muldrow, whose participation in the Woolworth’s lunch-counter sit-ins as a college student in 1960 was only the beginning of her work and activism, to exploring Frederick Douglass’s house and the African-American History wing of the Smithsonian, to attending church with Sandra and her family on Sunday, I gained a new appreciation and understanding of the richness and diversity, yet cohesiveness, of the African-American community.
2. Novel-in-progress research and history-absorbing. While I always seem to need to know more, I learned a great deal on this trip, as inevitably happens when I visit the actual sites where I am setting a novel or talk to people personally knowledgeable about my subject matter. Sometimes this ends up poking holes in my plot and character relationships–for example, I hadn’t realized Freedman’s Village was not a very feasible distance for daily travel from DC by horse and carriage–but that is a good thing, if the material wasn’t sturdy enough to begin with. Now I just have to figure out how to reweave the story so it is stronger than before! The Washington DC area is truly saturated with history. My sister and I had many moments of grabbing each other and saying, “Wait–that’s the White House! That’s the Washington Monument! That was actually worn by George Washington!” Fun times. 🙂
3. Hanging out with my sister and with Sandra and her family. It’s amazing how much better you can get to know people when you actually spend a week with them. And did I mention the beautiful GREEN all around?! I kept saying to my sister–“Wow, no sprinklers!” We even got to visit a charming cluster of Amish farmstands.
So, without further ado–I hope you enjoy this peek into our week walking the footsteps of history. 🙂 Do comment and tell me any photos you’d like follow-up posts on! We came back with plenty of stories…
The dining room at Sotterly Plantation in Maryland.
The interior of the one remaining slave cabin at Sotterly Plantation–quite a contrast to the photo above.
Metropolitan AME Church in Washington DC, where Frederick Douglass spoke and his memorial was held.
Look–it’s the White House!
Sandra and me at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.
Yep–the Washington Monument.
Uniform worn by George Washington – Smithsonian Museum of American History.
The single nod to the Navajo Code Talkers in the entire Smithsonian exhibit hall on World War II. At least they were there–but for being so crucial to the victory in the Pacific, it grieves me that they continue to be given so little mention.
Iwo Jima Memorial. Navajo Code Talkers sent the message that Mount Suribachi was taken, where these Marines are raising the flag.
Poster recruiting black soldiers for the Union Army during the Civil War. One of my characters will be one of these men.
Pretty Civil War era dress. I think I’ll have my heroine wear it. 🙂
Kiersti, Thanks for sharing your trip with us. When I was in D.C., I got lost in the history museum, my favorite place!
Haha, I know what you mean, Marilyn! 🙂
What a fun trip. This certainly brings back the memories. The summer after high school I had an internship at the Smithsonian Natural History museum, in the graphic art department and took a bus downtown and walked six blocks through all that history each day, arrived at the museum an hour early and explored it by myself each morning (along with the cleaning crew). Civil War history seemed predominant everywhere I turned in the area where I grew up (we attended battle reenactments). Less so Rev War history, which fascinates me now.
That’s so cool, Lori! Sounds like something out of a book, getting to explore a history museum apart from the crowds. At least something I would love. 🙂 And I did see bits in the museum that reminded me of your books, like a poster talking about the Iroquois tribes and which sides which fought for. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by and sharing!
Kiersti:
I love your brief travelogue! The pictures speak volumes and give great insight from your perspective. I’ve never visited any of those places with a true historian, and I have to honestly say your passion and intrigue brought the past to life for me! Thanks for being inclusive in your writing about an important time in American history. And, thanks for letting me tag along and explore this time period with you! Such wonderful fun!
Goodness, Sandra, thank YOU–you’re the one who made this trip possible! And it was so very special to share this journey through history with you–truly an epic week. Though I’m far from being a true historian, haha. But we did have lots of fun, didn’t we? 🙂
[…] Other times, history comes so close we can reach out and touch it…literally. That happened for me on this recent trip to Maryland and Washington DC. […]
[…] Other times, history comes so close we can reach out and touch it…literally. That happened for me on this recent trip to Maryland and Washington DC. […]
[…] reminded me of a few weeks ago, when my sister and I were in Maryland. Our friend Sandra and her family laughed when we jumped in our seats at a sudden crack of thunder […]