Reunion:2014

    Class reunions: if you like people, you go.  So, we went to another gathering of the former classmates.  Some old faces, some new faces, and always some new stories.  The stories are the best part.  How's your life going?  How are the children?  Are you thinking about retirement?   Hmmm.
    With over 200 participants, it was a great party.  The formula for the " reunion " seems to have worked out the bugs.  The gathering day, followed by the "event" day, followed by the "banquet" day/night.   And lots of informal gatherings in a central location in the hotel.
      We stayed at the FREDERICKSBURG Hospitality and Convention center.   Well located, the hotel offered all the things we needed and then some.   On the edge  of a grand shopping mall, we were surrounded by numerous restaurants of all types-Italian, seafood, Mexican, fusion with Asian selections, and burgers, too.
     The weather is always a factor, especially for airline passengers traversing a continent.
A printed schedule of events is always helpful and contributes to a nice stay.  Virginia in the springtime is a comfortable experience- no humidity.
     The Deputy Mayor and I took a side trip down the Rappahannock River on Rte. 3.  This is the rolling  hill country of Tidewater Virginia.   The river flows into the larger Potomac River.   Our goal was Stratford Hall, the ancestral home of Robert E. Lee, the Confederate Army General.  The home occupies a large estate which at one time included over 2000 acres.   The home is in fine shape thanks to the hard work of the estate foundation.   Most outbuildings have been restored and the gardens are in excellent condition.   While little is made of  of Robert E., much is made of the lee family, two of whom were signatories on the Declaration of Independence.
      Robert left  Stratford Hall when only 3 years old.   The family moved to northern Virginia, closer to Washington, D. C. (near Arlington,VA).   Stratfort Hall was home to about a dozen family members and was maintained by 167 African slaves.  All the materials for household usage were available on the farm: wool, hides, dyes, cotton, and foodstuffs.   The house is well built of local brick, much of which was made on site.   It is a fine historical building worthy of a visit.  We enjoyed a nice lunch in the adjacent little village, near the B& B.   The 45 minute drive was enjoyable, both ways.