ON THE TRAIL OF BENEDICT ARNOLD
Revolutionary War Sites during the Northern Campaign 1775-1777
We departed home at 6:30 a.m. and loaded into our friend’s van and took off at 7 a.m. We stopped for lunch and at Natural Bridge, Virginia, a spectacular sight indeed. Then on to Gettysburg for a beautiful sunset on a high hill overlooking the battle fields at the statue of General Warren. Then on into town to find a motel and some dinner at Ruby Tuesdays.
Up early to take an auto tour of the battle fields, seeing the monuments and the terrain. Our friend is an impressive guide for he has been here often. Then on to Lancaster, PA where we visited our guide’s relatives who are Mennonites. They are beautiful, hard working people with a simple life style. They welcomed us to their farm warmly with a glass of meadow tea (mint) and a tour of their farm. I have never seen such gorgeous crops -- corn, cantaloupes, flowers, etc. We saw the two older girls' parlors (their courting rooms) -- each has her own furnishings which go with her when she marries. We all piled into the van to go to an Amish restaurant, touring the area on the way, their churches, retirement home, etc. They do not drive cars but depend on their horse and buggy. The buffet was bountiful, beautiful and delicious, and probably 1000 others joined us! This was a wonderful unique experience. Spent the night at the Old Strasburg Inn in Strasburg.
Up and breakfasted early and on our way to York, Maine to have a wonderful visit with friends. They served us a true Maine lobster dinner al fresco. A girl was practicing her flute on a neighboring porch and entertained us during the delicious and elegant dinner. It was wonderful seeing them. We stayed at the new Microtel Motel in York.
Again up early for breakfast there, fixing our own waffles, then on our way. A few miles up the expressway, our companion realized he had left his cell phone, so we called them, made a u turn, but took US 1 instead of expressway and had a just delightful tour of lovely New England towns. Very serendipitous. Then back on the expressway, detouring in Thomaston to see the home of Henry Knox and a light house which was the wrong one, but lovely. We headed on up to Booth Bay Harbor for a quick walk around and a delightful lunch outside on the waterfront. Bought a berry bowl. Back in the van to head on to Ellsworth to a Holiday Inn and supper at KFC.
After breakfast and a stop across the street at an LLBean outlet store, we headed for Bar Harbor, very many tourists, but absolutely lovely. Lovely harbor, boats, ete. Then on to Arcadia National Park where AWN bought a park pass good at all National Parks which came in handy several more times. Arcadia is a lovely lovely park showcasing the beautiful rocky coast of Maine. Just gorgeous! Then we took a slight detour to Waterville, ME, to look at Colby College where our traveling companions had first met many years ago at an ophthalmology course. Then off toward Quebec. Here we started following Benedict Arnold's trail, stopping first at Skowhegan at a footbridge crossing the Kennebec River where they started the river trip to Quebec. What rocky, treacherous waters and rapids. No wonder they had to port their batteaux and supplies. An amazing unbelieveable feat. Made our way on up to Canada to St. George via Coburn Gap, Lake Megantic and the Chaudiere River with all its rapids and rocks. A gorgeous sunset at dusk heralded our entry into Canada. Here we find Arnold is still a hero. Roads, hotels, restaurants -- lots named for him. We dined at Auberge Benedict Arnold-- a very French very elegant meal. Stayed in a rather sorry Comfort Inn.
We drove on to Quebec, saw the fort there that had been the object of Arnold's journey. Although he didn't take the fort, his logistical campaign was celebrated. We took a funicular down to the St. Lawrence River waterfront and had lunch in a wonderful little very French restaurant, La Lapin. Piled back in the van headed on Arnold's route to Plattsburg, NY. We saw Valcour Island where Arnold held up the British til winter, then escaped certain destruction by slipping his badly damaged little fleet away during the night. The British were so delayed they aborted their winter campaign and retreated to Montreal. We then backtracked a little going to Plattsburg and taking a ferry across Lake Champlain to Burlington, VT.
On to Basin Harbor, Vergennes to a gem of a museum, the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. There is a replica of BA's gunboat, the Phihldelphia II (The original is in Smithsonian). That weekend was a special re-enactment depicting the dress and life in 1776. Just great! Across Lake Champlain in New York is Crown Point, another narrow defensive fort. On to Fort Ticonderoga to see the wonderful fort there. We had a wonderful lunch there. Then on to the fort to follow a drum and fife band into the courtyard playing songs from the era. When they finished, we chatted with them-- the leader a first grade teacher and 6 high local high schoolers. They knew Parlez (let's talk!, Cornwallis had his drummer beat this at Yorktown to cease fire.) and played it for us. They have a small but nice museum. Here we make a side trip up in the Adirondacks to an interesting museum on Blue Mountain Lake.. We headed on to Lake George, a lovely resort town. It was late Sunday afternoon, but many tourists. We found a small motel on the Lake, checked in, walked down and sat by the side of the lake, then walked a couple of doors away to dinner (terrible prime rib, but delicious ravioli), then walked back to see a huge full moon just coming over the mountain across the lake. Lovely.
Up early for breakfast at a diner our guide knew. Then a visit to Fort William Henry at the low end of Lake George (the setting for the Last of the Mohicans). We were on the ramparts when the Minnie HaHa, a paddle wheel tour boat, had the calliope playing Cohan music, God Bless America, etc. A wonderful view up the lake. On to Saratoga. A big battle was here where Arnold was heroic. However, now his name has been erased. A statue of a boot is on the trail (he was shot in the leg) but his name doesn't appear, just "a most brilliant soldier of the Continental Army" who made major general after the battle. Gen. Burgoyne surrendered his troops to Gen. Gates in one of the most decisive victories of the war due in a large part to Arnold's ferocious attacks. Back on the road down the Hudson River toward West Point. Stopped on the way to tour Hyde Park, the home and library of Franklin Roosevelt. We all have memories of him since he was the only president for the first 12-13 years of our lives and is such a giant in American History. We found a quaint motel near West Point.
The visitors center opens at 9, so we were there to be on the first tour which is at 9:45. A lovely ex-soldier whose husband attended West Point and now teaches Math there was our guide. She was so knowledgeable and interesting, pointing out so many interesting details, including showing us Arnold's flag without his name mentioned. This is where his reputation as a traitor became legend. He applied to Washington to become commandant at the fort with the plan to sell the plans to the British thereby betraying his country with this most despicable act of treason and treachery after a most honorable career. The point was chosen as a fort because it can most effectively command traffic on the Hudson River. We saw links of the heavy iron chain they forged and ran across the river to stop any ships that got through other defenses. It was a most inspirational experience to see the lists of men and women who are a part of the corps, the long grey line, and to see all our great leaders who attended West Point. We left here and headed on to Valley Forge. We arrived to see the end of a movie about Valley Forge then go on to find a room. First we drove around finding no vacancies. Then we looked on Sheila (the GPS) and phoned around until we landed at the Radisson, almost across the street from Valley Forge. An elegant dinner in the hotel and lovely beds.
We had a light breakfast, then rode the encampment route and were totally surprised at the replica log huts of those the men had built. I thought they were in tents, if that, but at least they had tiny huts, sleeping 9, with a fireplace. A tad better than conditions we had always pictured. Saw the farm houses where Washington and Knox wintered and where von Steuben whipped the group into an army. It is a most peaceful place with many deer grazing in the meadows. To lighten the mood we went a few miles up the road to Longwood Gardens, the country home of Pierre duPont. Absolutely gorgeous grounds, conservatory, ballroom, organ, and a lovely 1700's farm house, not palatial, but elegant in its simplicity. Then after a bowl of soup, on the road headed for Atlanta, Georgia, non-stop except for gas and fodder. We had driven 3800 miles when we arrived at home at 4 a.m.! What a fabulous trip!!!!!