Zak and I both have vivid memories of our parents taking us to Civil War battlefields as youngsters. We both recall hating it and not seeing the point of staring at an empty open field. We both remember being grumpy and not pleasant to be around during these family excursions. So, we made the compassionate parent choice and made our kids explore a Civil War battlefield today.
But! Wait! This one was really interesting! There was a driving audio tour! And empty fields! And, well, it was actually like the ones Zak and I had been to as a kid. But we had different perspectives as adults. Maybe that’s the catch. Make it horrible for kids, so parents will want their kids to relive that misery, and then the parents actually get something out of it.
This was a huge battle in the Civil War, nearly 25,000 soldiers died in three days. It changed the direction of the war and the Union won this very important battle. We learned of the daily life of soldiers, learned that both sides played “Home, Sweet, Home” on their instruments the night before the battle, knowing the next day was going to be important. Learned of the slaughter, the compassion toward comrades, and the vicious truth of war. It was emotional. Ellie couldn’t handle parts of it. She cried. Not understanding why it had to happen. And why so many letters were written to wives and mothers informing them of their deceased beloved. We gazed in awe at the trenches the Union built to protect themselves and the intelligent logistics of planning and winning a battle. We were struck with sadness as we studied the 2,000 graves of Union soldiers who perished during those three days, 200 identities of which are unknown.
After the battlefield we made a stop that I was kind of dreading, Cook Out. I don’t think there are many kids from Chicago who can say they’ve been to both In-N-Out and Cook Out in the same summer. Cook Out is the southern fast food eatery that has a huge following. You get a main dish, two sides, and a milk shake for $6. Ellie had chicken tenders with a sides of chicken quesadilla and a corn dog and a caramel fudge milkshake. It isn’t anywhere close to my favorite, but their watermelon milkshake is truly delightful.
After spending the rest of the afternoon at pool, we got ready for dinner. The girls had dinner in the room while Zak and I went to Henley, the Kimpton restaurant, to celebrate our anniversary this week.
It was the best meal of my life. We sat down to a card signed by the entire Henley staff, glasses of champagne, and caviar. Our server took liberty to bring the best choices from the kitchen. We shared dishes of exotic cheeses, charred watermelon, heirloom tomatoes, ceviche, a pasta with duck sausage and egg yolk, crab tortellini, and bone marrow aged steak. Every bite was a party in my mouth. It was a memorable night.
There is day three. From battlefields to caviar. Lots of laughs and tears and memories being made.
