Our first stop on our Civil War history quest today was the site of Fort Henry. Well, not quite. We found some markers about the February 1862 battle and that the actual site is at the bottom of Kentucky Lake as a result of the TVA Kentucky Dam project which commenced in 1938. Then we headed to the temporary Visitors Center in Dover and watched the orientation film then got into an interesting conversation with the ranger and a volunteer about how history is written. And how it’s important to remember. The cell phone driving tour was a great way to visit the various sites and understand different aspects of the battle. Our final stop was at the Dover Hotel where General Grant famously informed Confederate General Buckner that he would accept nothing less than unconditional surrender!
Over a long weekend we sampled some of the myriad things to do in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, unique among national parks for it’s environmental reclamation, historic preservation, and recreational opportunities adjacent to the populous cities of Cleveland and Akron in northeastern Ohio. Can’t wait to return and explore more.
Our journey from Portsmouth, England to our home in Ohio might have been accomplished in about sixteen hours but my avoiding air travel we were able to enjoy a fifteen day journey home via train, ship, Uber, train, as well as our own feet and finally our personal vehicle.
It’s been a fascinating two day visit to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. We managed to pack in tours of the HMS Warrior, the HMS Victory as well ast Victory Live: The
Big Repair, and finally the Mary Rose. All were incredibly informative and well presented.
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