Where The Country Was United...

"And the guns rang, one last shot, and it felt like a bullet in her heart." (Carrie Underwood) We are heading West to a place in Virginia that has the most important meaning when it comes to our country's sense of pride and humility. I would like to introduce to you, Appomattox, Virginia. It is one of the larger communities west of the Appomattox River, and is home to roughly 15,000 people according to the Census Bureau. We are going to take a look at the Appomattox Court House National Historic Park, one of the larger attractions in the county, downtown Appomattox, and the many things to do there.

Appomattox Court House National Historic Park

The Appomattox Court House National Historic Park is located in Appomattox, Virginia and is home to where Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee signed a letter stating that the South had officially surrendered to the North. They did this on the property of the Appomattox Court House, and more specifically, in the McLean House. The property held several different homes and quarters. If you click here, there is a map explaining where everything is. When my friend and I went on this excursion, we visited several homes on the property, the first being the McLean House. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, my friend and I had to wait until the tour that was being done, and then we could go inside and take a look around. The house was owned by William McLean and was the only homeowner in the village of Appomattox that was willing to give up his home for the meeting to happen between Lee and Grant. Below are pictures of the McLean house, the actual room where the signing took place, a formal sitting area, the kitchen, and the bedroom.

There were other places on the property that were interesting as well. For example, due to the beautiful fall foliage, my friend and I decided to go walking down one of the Hiking Trails offered in the state park. It was a quick 10 minute walk, and our feet were killing us by the time we had gotten to our destination, but it was worth it.

Downtown Appomattox

Downtown Appomattox is home to many little shops, restaurants, and things to keep people out and about. If you read my last post, it is similar to Farmville in how close the shops and restaurants are, and is supposedly home to really great food and other libations. The town itself is a little hard to maneuver around with tighter sidewalks, but that just made it more fun. It is also has several antique shops, farmer's markets that are on the weekends, and great local charm.

Things to Do

Our first stop was at a restaurant called Granny Bee's. They are known for their homestyle southern cooking, and have a variety of options to choose from. Now, I am originally from Pennsylvania, and my friend is from Virginia. Once we looked at the menu, she suggested that I get something totally out of my comfort zone. She suggested that I get okra and broccoli casserole.I had never tried them before, but once I tried them, they were amazing! Granny Bee's also makes "made from scratch" desserts daily, and they had sweet potato pie on the menu. I tried it, and it was the best thing I had ever had.

Next, we headed over to a coffee shop called Baine's Books and Coffee. They offered different kinds of food and other libations at their snack bar. But their true epitome of the place, was their collection of books and musical instruments. As you can see below, they have aisle after aisle of books and there is an upstairs where they have quiet reading rooms. They also sell used and mint conditioned vinyl records that you can test in the shop.

Check in next week when we go a little farther north, and we'll be coming around the mountain...