Our original destination

We got to the original intended destination of the Shiloh battlefield at lunch time. I utilized the ride between sites to read up and review the history of the battle with John. To be clear, for him it was a quick review. For me, it was more than that. And I'm pretty sure I already have forgotten most of it.

We ate our picnic lunch in the car and then the kids ran around for a little while. Stopping off in Mississippi was a happy accident. We enjoyed the stop very much, but now we were 2 hours behind our (flexible) schedule for the day. When we were ready, we all went into the visitor center and I talked to perhaps the most helpful person ever. Not sarcastic. Truly helpful.

The park ranger saw me looking at the maps/brochures and asked if I needed help. I decided that being frank was going to get me the best results.

Why yes, I did need help.

I am here at this awesome historical site and I have 3 hours. I also have 3 kids aged 3, 6, &8. I live far away and might not be back for years. What are the best/coolest/most exciting parts I can't miss? He grabbed me a map and started talking. It was a tall order, but he was ready.

1. Driving tour. Well labeled and numbered. (Our personal tip: have everyone go to the bathroom BEFORE you start the self guided driving tour. Even the people who say they don't have to go. There is not a single place to go to the bathroom on the entire loop drive. You could find yourself flying through the loop and skipping monuments to get to bathrooms. Twice.)

2. a loop hike at the end of the driving tour has some artifacts and some interesting Native American features.

We took a quick look around the visitor center before hitting the road. The kids were about 13% more interested in the Civil war artifacts than I anticipated, which is always a good surprise.